Do you hear what I hear?

Said the night wind to the little lamb,
do you see what I see
Way up in the sky, little lamb,
do you see what I see
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,
do you hear what I hear
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
do you hear what I hear
A song, a song, high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
do you know what I know
In your palace warm, mighty king,
do you know what I know
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Let us bring Him silver and gold

Said the king to the people everywhere,
listen to what I say
Pray for peace, people everywhere!
listen to what I say
The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light

Are you writing a paper too?

Wedding Shots

Hey, remember that wedding I was in? Well my cousin finally sent me a few digital shots.


These are my cousins Sarah and Katherine (and me).


Katherine and I


Kat and Grandpa


Jimmy (best man), Kathering (bride), Laura (maid of honour), John (groom)

click for larger images (they look better that way)

A reason to come tomorrow

Cupcakes and laughing:

Human Again

..i'll wear lipstick and rouge and i won't be so huge and, why i'll easily fit through that door. i'll exude savoir faire, i'll wear gowns, i'll have hair! its my prayer to be human again.

Where have all the flowers gone (a midterm essay re-write)

Where have all the hours gone?
Long time passing.
Where have all the hours gone?
Long time ago.
Where have all the hours gone?
Gone to first years every one.
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?

Like a Chesty Blonde

So today I was thinking about music (and culture and everything) and I know that we are to engage everything and that we are to be careful about what we ingest. But then I was thinking about the music and the movies that we say, "oh i love watching Miss Congeniality, i don't have to think when i'm watching it." And so I was wondering if we are able to treat anything like a chesty blonde, we may not critically engage her but we are very aware of her presence.

Stewart

Virescit vulnere virtus (Courage grows strong at a wound)

Everybodyduck!

I just felt like posting some lyrics for some songs that I love hearing sung by my favourite Christian band; Everybody duck. Their worship CD Seized by the Power of a Great Affection always seems to have something to say to me.

Teach Me

Teach me to weep for the times that I've failed You
Teach me to wait Lord for Your hand to move
Teach me to watch for the dawn in my darkness
Teach me to walk in a way You'd approve
Take me, teach me to be more like You
All that you are Jesus I want to be
Take me, teach me to be more like You
Touch these blind eyes Jesus
I want to see

Teach me to wonder at all You've created
Teach me to whisper my thoughts in Your ear
Teach me to work at true love for my neighbor
Teach me to want the same things You hold dear
Take me, teach me to be more like You (x4)
-------------------------------------------------
Written by Darin McWatters and Tim Sovinec
Copyright 1998 Antinomy Music


Use Me Here

Use me here, where I am
I'm not gonna pray anymore that You'll change your plans
Despite my fear, I place my life in Your hands
the future can wait, tomorrow might be too late,
So Jesus use me here

I lay my heart's desires at Your feet, oh Lord
Take all the plans I've made and all my dreams
Blinded by triumphs of tomorrow I've let sin control today
So many drowning within reach, Father it's time
You heard me say...

I tell myself I want to know Your will, oh Lord
Still I confess I've had plans of my own
But from now on I plan to listen to Your will and to obey
No matter what the future holds I'm gonna live for You today
------------------------------------------------------------
Written by Darin McWatters and Tim Brinkman
Copyright 1997 Antimony Music/Lustiminosity Music

Mom's cats are junkies.

----- Original Message -----
From: Bruce Stewart
To: Laura Stewart ; Johnny Stewart
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 12:08 PM
Subject: it's going to be a long winter
So I was just out and picked a huge pocket full of
CATNIP...
and they like it so much! It's not a drug!! It just makes them happy!

Mom

Prayer, its prayer isn't it?

I've been reading the increasing number of blogs about the need for some sort of movement in Redeemer. It seems as though we are at a cusp, a point were we need to grow and set ourselves apart or get very happy with our current rut. As the adage goes - go big or go home.

It seems to me and many others in the First CRC community that we are at the same point there too. The water is boiling but no one knows what is cooking.

This Sunday Tim Sheridan was outlining some directives for the new outreach/missions initiative at First and he spoke about prayer. Until then I had been bruising my brain about where these two communities would be going, how they would be going there and how they would be lead.

Prayer hit me like a tonne of bricks. What way is better to be both a medium and a message to those outside the First and Redeemer communities? No matter what denomination we were raised in, how we feel about election, gay marriage, tithing, 24 hour creational days, we can all agree that as Christians we should pray.

Prayer can/should/will (?) be a catalyst to uniting communities of Christ and to having that attractive light that people will notice. Following 1 Thess 5:17 can do us little damage and that constant communication with the Father can lead us down the path He desires for us.

I know that Redeemer will soon have a real prayer room (not a basement) with which I know there are people who are bubbling over with ideas and initiatives for it. I know that First has got plans in place for prayer walks and prayer groups for specific areas of the church life.

This is a very exciting time. I would challenge you as I challenge myself to truly engage your prayer life. Pray for your community, pray for guidance and it moves into uncharted territory, pray for it to be a shining light in the community, pray for discernment and pray for protection. Pray with others from the community and pray often!

An Open Letter to Satan

Dear Satan,
Your cover has been blown. I see you. And I desire, no, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that you would leave me alone.

I refuse to let you make myself a victim to mental illness, the weather, the moods of others or bloating. I refuse to only be tired and stressed out and to speak to my Father only once a day. I refuse to think for a moment that God is not always with me and ready to protect me from your greedy grasp.

I hate you. But you know what makes me hate you so much? That you bring my family and friends into the equation. That you would be so low as to take credit for the creationally normative life cycle of my Grandfather, the dying of my friend's Father, another friend's Grandmother, the state of my mother, the death of a a friend's cousin, the death of church members back home.... stay the hell (yeah hell, you know where you belong - forever separated from God) away from my friends, my family and well, all of creation.

You are nothing. I choose not to submit to your dominion.

All I can say is that I cannot wait till you are humbled once and for all!

In His name and His service,

Laura Elizabeth Stewart

Sometimes you do

Sometimes you do notice those personal growth changey things in yourself. Most of the time you don't notice the little things. Of course in a grand sort of way you know that you have changed but you don't really want to recognize and would rather make it easier on yourself to continue to see yourself as the rotten person you were.

Today I was having a conversation with one friend about another mutual friend and the rough time she has been experiencing. We noticed that these choices were of a self destructive nature and did not reflect a closeness with Christ.

After driving home and thinking about that for a while something struck me. During choir tour last year Matt McKenna told me that he saw a lot of growth in me in comparison to my first year at Redeemer. I honestly didn't know what he was talking about. I knew that in large drastic ways I had changed, but not in the subtle Christ like ways that Matt was talking about. Today I understood what he meant. He saw the small choices and actions I had began making that indicated a desire to be more like the One that created me.

That was a cool realization. Prayers and blessings to you who are seeking those same changes and for me who has so many more good choices still to make.

Fight or Flight

There comes a time in the semester when you realize that October is over and that you pissed it away.

There comes a time when you remember the hoard of reading you have put off.

There comes a time when that slew of papers that seemed so far away are only lurking around the corner.

There comes a time when I want to drop out and pick wildflowers for a living.

There comes a time when I have to say, "suck it up princess!"

And all God's people said: Amen!

A little lighter

http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/101904/canadian-rap-city.gif

Email from Dad

Thursday nite, 8:47 pm

Mom and I just got back from visiting Dad at TGH. When we got there Martha was there. He seemed good. He'd eaten a good supper (turkey with all the extras), has a private room, says the staff has been good to him, was wearing a holter monitor (to see what his ticker is up to), had an ultrasound, had slept for a good part of the afternoon, had bed-head, and generally seemed like himself.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

MVP Manny

Update

Grandpa is getting more and more stable. There are no results yet as to what kind of damage this has had on him. He is speaking and getting more colour.

These seizures will become more and more frequent till eventually they kill him. It is sad, but in a way (that Carla showed me) it allows us a chance to tell him the things we want to tell him before he goes rather than having to only say them to other people after he is gone.

Thank you for your prayers.

I'll be splitting my time for the next couple of days between the Pita Pit and Alymer, if you need me email me or call my cell.

Pray for Stirling Stewart

Dear Grandkids of Grandpa,
Early this morning we got the call from Grandma saying Grandpa was having "another spell" and she wanted a ride to the hospital. So I whipped on some clothes and when I got to Dorland House they were just taking him out the door on a stretcher to the ambulance. He had apparently rally around this time before the paramedics came. Normally he is still fairly incoherent when they arrive and gets better with some oxygen.
Grandma was just getting dressed and in no hurry because when u get to the hospital, you just sit around and wait til they let you in to see him.
However this time we sat for a very short period of time b4 they came and got Grandma. Grandpa had one of his "spells" in the hospital ! This is a good thing. It lasted about a minute and a half, and was the typical spell with the flailing and calling out and passing out . So they popped him with Valium and Dilantin to stop the seizures.
At this point the Doc ( very nice gentle lady Doc.) made Grandma aware that he was in a coma and may or may not come out of it and IF he did go into a seizure, as per his living will (they asked Gma if he had one and she confirmed this) they would not make heroic efforts to revive him. So there sat Grandma and I watching Grandpa breathe. Grandma thought that "the family" should be notified, so I called Bruce, Peter (who called Paul), and Margaret(who called Martha) and gave them the heads up. The Doc said there was not much point in the family all gathering around while he was in a coma, and I told them all this . Peter, Marg and Jack came anyway.
Around about that time Grandpa started to regain consciousness. When we left he was talking some and had a headache.
Grandpa is in the hospital, in room 19. They will do some tests etc. He is in the best spot, and Grandma is glad he is there. She is scared, and when you offer up a prayer for Grandpa, do so for Grandma too..she needs it.

Will keep u all posted.
xxxAunt Bev

A New Club

I look forward to Rob Joustra's post on this, but I was mulling it over in my head and decided to comment on it.

Rob asked me if I had read a blog entry about Dating to Save. Ie, dating non Christian guys, converting them with your good looks and once they were Christians dropping them.

I think at a school like Redeemer this kind of outreach initiative would fly. There is a large quantity of leggy blondes (many of whom are well endowed - and not just by the Voortman family) that I feel could really show some unenlightened sap at Hess the love of Christ.

So girls, next weekend lets strap on some water bras and tight shirts, book a Redeemer van and witness at the bar!

Happy Birthday Sarah Vedder

It has recently come to my attention that Sarah Vedder is awesome. I am actually quite upset with those people who knew both me and her last year and did not alert me to the aforementioned awesomeness.

I suppose all can be forgiven now that I know.

If you see Ms. Vedder in the halls this fine Friday, touch her on the bum to symbolize her awesomeness and the anniversary of her birth.

Amen.

2 outta 3 ain't bad

This week I have been reminded that nervous sweat smells the worst. I am happy to have 2 of 3 speaking engagements over with. Here's to willing the Maid of Honour speech to go just as well as the others.

Sorry for the lack of blog this week, life returns to normal next week and I'm sure I'll have all kinds of pithy things to say.

Cul de sac,

Laura

Tea

On my way to work on Saturday I went through the Tim Hortons drive-thru and purchased for myself a cup of tea. Then I got to work and was not presented with enough time to drink the tea. Thereby becoming a wasted cup of tea.

That got me thinking about alllll the wasted cups of tea. I know I often make a pot of tea, leave to read while it steeps and then forget about it. I also will often leave cups of tea in my room till they start to grow mold.

Along with the wasted tea are there wasted or forgotten moments that should have gone with the savouring of that hot, steamy tea? Are there missed rendez-vous, missed breaths?

If you didn't think you were, you should

Just in case you were thinking about skipping out on this month's multicultural coffeehouse, I think my friend that you should think again: for I am hosting it.





Ps..i totally wrote mulitcultural (before i spellchecked) which sounds like mulletcultural, which would be an amazing idea for a coffeehouse.

I never thought I would be saying this....

When I was a younger woman of a highschool type nature I had a friend named Tara. Tara wore thongs all the time. She tried to tell me that they were comfortable and fantastic. I put up a strong opposition. Then in gr 12 I bought one and was instantly converted to the land of thong and have resided there ever since.

Then when I was a slightly older woman I had a friend named Rachel who tried to tell me that indoor tanning was awesome and relaxing. I told her that there was no way that it could be good. But then in preparation for my cousin's wedding I needed to eliminate nasty tan lines from India - so I tried the tanning - and I LOVE it! It is so fantastically relaxing!

There is just something so natural about being warm and surrounded by white light. Its like a little return to the womb. Mmmmm...womb.

I think I'm getting too girly. Oh wait..I just looked at the hair on my legs..sweet I am still a natural woman! Yesss!

Email from Mom

Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2004 12:41 PM
Subject: HEY HEY HEY


LAURA . I WAS IN THE WOOLER CONVENIENCE STORE THIS MORNING AND GUESS WHAT? THEY HAD DINOSAUR HAMBURGER HELPER ON FOR .69 ! YES THAT'S 69 CENTS...SO I GOT YOU A BOX. I MEAN HOW STALE CAN PASTA GET? IT'S ALREADY DRY AND HARD.

LOVE AND LOVE
MOM