expanding minds

so I learned a new word this morning, and with it opened all new ideas of, well, really, just how amazing our world really is.  

ethnomusicologist : Main Entry: eth·no·mu·si·col·o·gy Pronunciation: "eth-nO-"myü-zi-'kä-l&-Function: noun1 : the study of music that is outside the European art tradition  2 : the study of music in a sociocultural context- eth·no·mu·si·co·log·i·cal /-k&-'lä-ji-k&l/ adjective- eth·no·mu·si·col·o·gist /-'kä-l&-jist/ noun 

 now, how then does this word show me that we live in such an amazing world? The fact that we can specialize in some of the neatest things (in this example music and ethnicity- a study in anthro) and get payed for it!( ethnomusicologist in action here.) (Not only that, but the person from this example is a christian... so throw in so thology for good measure.... whoa baby!)

ug, again I've realised that I've got entirely too much work to keep typing... grrr

 

leaving on several jet planes

Well, I think that things are coming together a little bit more for the trip....  I say that after actually accomplishing a few needed items (ie. buying tickets) but then I get this rush of panic, because I know there's still SO much to do!
So this week, with the much appreciated help of Mike M. (fianced to Laur W.!) I got some tickets to Togo. It's a little bit of a round about way to get there, but it helped save a couple hundred bucks so it's well worth it. The official date of departure is September 22nd (PRAISE GOD! it's not Sept 11th... not that there was really anything wrong with it, but it kinda gave me the heeby-jeebies) From Toronto I'll head to Frankfurt (Germany) from there, Addis (Ethiopia) then backtrack to Lome (Togo). Then I'll chill in Lome for a day or so and hit the dirt to Kara where the Wycliffe/Sil centre is.
*grrr*
I just realized that I have work to do.

dog eared cages

On Saturday morning I went out to Norty's cage.. to play with him and squish him... The night before I had heard my neighbors screaming at the side of the house... Not in terror or anything like that, and not threateningly at eachother (which has been happening a lot lately, the other day I was on the phone with my co-worker Roy, and he could hear them swearing at eachother over the phone, he recommended calling the cops... Just for fun) Anyway, I think I figured out why they were screaming.. Their scary nasty dog (scary and nasty because he's so stupid and dirty) had been chewing on the rabbit cage! I've built these little privacy flaps on the front of the cage that you can close so that Norty can  have some peace/ work as ventilation in the winter when the whole front of the cage is closed.  Anyway, Shag-gay (you have to say it like that for the full effect... REALLY, my neighbor has this bad accent) has chewed one of the flaps, bent the hinge and put teeth marks all over it. It's splintered in a few places.  So normally I LOVE dogs... I pretend that Nort IS one (he's not so good at the pretending) But I kicked Shag-GAY in the head last week. He was trying to eat my buddy! So how do I approach my neighbor? That's the question of the day.

Wondering if I'll ever get my plane tickets. That's the question of the year!

Had a busy weekend. Worked mostly. Enjoyed an evening with the Sheffield's... Megan was home from camp, as was Ian.. They brought home a gaggle of C.H. camp employees, was a great night. Learned to blow smoke rings (I gave in to a soggy cigar). Sunday Lauren and Mike came over on their way back from a wedding. Was so good to see them! They were kept awake by the trains... LOL.
bought chocolate... Think I'll go back to the all chocolate diet that Amanda and I were perfecting.

Only have the garage roof left to shingle. Beth and I are starting early tomorrow, Alicia is helping??? And Al is away.. I think we can get it done fast though, there aren't any valleys or strange things to get in the way.

bon nuit

a pet OR It's all about me

Not a pet as in; my dear Norton whom I love to squish and squish ; but as in a pet peeve. I was at church this morning and we sang (as all good pentys do) the same song over and over and over. And that wasn't the thing that was doing the peeving. We were singing "Blessed Be Your Name" ~a great song by Matt Redman~ when it hit me. So, my biggest peeve (in part) is when worship leaders don't put any effort into the preparation of leading people into worship... HELLO! You're the lead worshipper, we are following your lead, so lead us somewhere.  The other side of that is when they pick songs solely based on the fact that they "like the sound of the song" or rather they like the sound of their own voices singing the song. I'm talking about the ever catchy songs about us, not about God. Aren't we supposed to be worshipping Him? Instead we end up singing songs about how we are responding to Him, or what we are going to do for Him, or what we are going to change, or even grrr...  Now. I have to be careful here, because I know that a lot of people have never really thought about it themselves, and have entered into an amazing space in worship even though they were singing their own praises - that's ok, God can use anything, and if your heart is in the "right place", you've honestly intended to be praising Father God... Of course you will be. I think I'm meaning more us toddler/adolescent Christians who should be learning and digging a little further- we aren't babies anymore, we don't need to be so self centered.

I could sing of Your love forever, I've been singing this song forever... And oh I feel like singing...It's foolishness I know.... But when the world realizes I'm still singing about me, I'LOL be singing a new catchy song and they'll never knoooooo-oooowww.... 

*sigh*
I don't know if that made any sense. Anyway, I'm usually pretty impressed with the Matt songs, and I've been loving "blessed" a lot, I think because I heard it SO much this morning it turned on me

Every blessing you pour out I'll turn back to praise When the darkness closes in Still I will say Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your name Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your glorious name.

We were still singing about what we were going to do... What ever happened to the awesome old hymns where we just sang about Jesus and His awesome power?

long story where a short one would suffice

So in all honesty this was a rough week. Wednesday (the 14th) marked the one year anniversary of Mom's death. It still seems strange to think about.  I get mad that it's been so long since I've seen her ... Frustrated I guess is a better word for it- being mad can't change anything. I just miss my mom!
 
But at the same time it's been a pretty LAZY week. I took last friday off to go to Wycliffe orientation, then it was my normally scheduled weekend off. Normally scheduled Monday off, I didn't feel like working on Tuesday much so I came in long enough to do my weekly paperwork, eat dinner (mmm, KFC! I didn't have any money left for groceries, so it was perfect!) (no money left because I got a speeding ticket! *sigh* )

 

side note: I got a speeding ticket. I was pretty upset, because it wasn't at all fair. Right outside of Balibourough (sp?) heading north to Ptbo, there's the 50 sign then maybe 40 meters later (partway up the hill) there's the 80 sign. I drive through the village in 3rd gear everytime so I won't speed. I did so that same day. I pass the 50 sign, and nearing me is the 80km sign, so I start to pick up speed. I drive at 91kmph on hwy 28... That way I'm not really breaking the speed limit, who pulls someone over for doing 11 kms over the limit? And I'm not going too slow to annoy all the drivers behind me- there aren't too many places to pass there.  So, I start to pick up speed. Then I notice that there's a cop car parked on the other side of the street ACROSS from the 80 kmph sign. I figure "that's a funny place to sit, right out in the open... No one's going to speed there". THEN the guy hangs out the window and flags me down!?!! So I pull over... Quite confused, because I wasn't speeding to my knowledge... I was AT the 80 sign when he flagged me. The officer then proceeds to give me a ticket saying I was doing 91 in a 50 zone!!!!!!!!!! WHO DOES THAT????????? Thankfully he lowered it, the cost was going to be over $300, he lowered it to $150ish. Still.... WHO DOES THAT??????!  I was so upset... I'm getting all angry again thinking about it. I payed it. Everyone said that I should have contested it but it just made me so mad that I know I'd just stand there in front of the judge and cry... cause that's what I do with every overwhelming emotion.... cry. You get used to it eventually, don't let my crying scare you. End of side note.

 

where was I? Oh yeah, so I went into work for 3 hours, then I decided while I was there that I'd take Thursday off, just for a break, and maybe we could get back on the roof and finish the shingles if it was a nice day. So I find a replacement for Thursday and as I write it down on the schedule I realize that I've made a mistake somewhere along the way and taken off July 14th instead of August 14.. Way to go. However, I haven't minded too much the week off.

August 14th yup, that's the next big day in my life coming up (other then Godstock on July 24th... Port Hope mem. park, be there!!!) That's the day of the house concert fundraiser party that the Sheffield's are putting on for me.... . Ninjas and Friends, you're all invited! Featuring the musical talents of Dave Smaird and Josh Martin, and the fine cuisine of Bethfield and moi. I'll post more when I know more!

 

Font Theft

Suddenly a whole new world of blogging has opened to me... I guess I'm not very observant but now I've got CHOICE
I don't think these options were here.... Maybe I've just hit something by accident? And I don't know that I like it.  In fact someone has stolen my font.  I even have a choice in the size I write in....

Tick tick tick

Jeepers! I think that time is playing tricks on me, each chance I glance at the clock or my calendar (WHICH I have flipped over thank you very much!) I've lost a day, a week...
PRAY my friends! There's so much going on, and I want so bad to keep up, and do more and see more....
Praise: We have a Good God.. No, we have a GREAT God... nuf said.

Pray: For plane tickets... Right now things aren't as good as I'd hoped.

Praise: An AMAZING and super informative weekend of orientation with Wycliffe absolutely fantastic...

Pray: after that awesome time at orientation, my heart is just aching to go full time...

Praise: No one fell off the roof (yet anyway) while doing the new shingles on Dad's house

Pray: ummm, I'm kind really sore after starting the roof

Praise: The friesian's got to Kara Togo with all their luggage this week!!!!

ok, enough of the lists, I'll get around to the construction on the site so that when you visit prayer and praise will be listed at the sidebar...

NINJAS

Yes, ninjas....
I love my ninjas... Have I ever told you that before? Well, it's true.
What is the significance of a ninja? Well, that lies in the duty of the ninja... I'm talkin' evil-butt-kickers here... ninjas using their most powerful ability to fight evil, stomping on satan with powerful meaningful authentic prayer.
Yesterday I was in a heated discussion over the definition of "authentic". Needless to say I'm not much of a confrontational person, I'm sure you've seen me back down before, but yesterday I was pretty much ticked. Probably one of my most annoying habits (other than the oft heard "concentration whistle") is the fact that I expect people to be able to read my mind... Sometimes difficult I know because I never follow one line of thought for long, I have to jump back and forth. Everything in the end IS connected, and I just expect that everyone has followed along for the ride. So, that said, I wanted to talk about the end product of a ministry to include "relationships" or rather -the ability to develop relationships that held meaning. So the whole argument included what a meaningful relationship was... Apparently "real relationships" didn't cut it, but "authentic relationships" did. UNTIL an hour later someone started to say that "authentic" wasn't the right word either...
*sigh*
What then is "Authentic Prayer"? It's what going to kick satan's butt! Bringing concerns and praise before the throne of God, knowing that He has it all in control, and giving it to Him....
I praise God because if it wasn't for my "prayer ninjas" things would have been super rough while I was working with Watoto (click here for more on Watoto). But because I had people DAILY lifting me up in prayer ~ I survived!
ha HA
I just figured out how to make links on my page! HOW FUN!
ok, that's all for now.
Ninjas? Have you started your training?