Psalm 4

Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him.

In your anger, do not sin; when you are in your beds, search your heart and be silent.

Offer sacrifices and trust in the Lord.

Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?". Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

my favorite halloween pumpkin

Est-que je peu aller au toilette sil vous plait?

After spending eight years of learning French in school, that is the only phrase that has stuck with me. Where is the bathroom? Although, if you know me, you know the importance of this question (ha ha). Oh fond memories of French 12. By the way Mike, you STILL can't do a french accent ;) Anyways, why the French? Well, on Saturday nite Erin planned a fancy smancy evening consisting of wine and cheese. Let's be honest...we're not a 'fancy' group of people...but gosh darn we can have fun!! I thought I'd post some pictures of this fun soiree as well as some pictures of the costume/pumpkin carving party I went to on Friday night at Shaun's. Enjoy!! Or as the French say, bon appetite!! (in the non food sense...).


















Costume/pumpkin carving party (gosh darn it...I keep spelling punkin!!)

the hills are alive...

Today I saw something that brought great joy to my heart. Well, to be frank, it more shocked me initially which then led to fits of giggling and much joy. While at the Fort gas station today, I saw a nun (fully decked out in a traditional style habit) filling up her MINI VAN with gas!! I've met several nuns/monks in my time, but I have never seen any wearing the traditional clothing!! (inside joke: benny anyone?!). I don't know why, but I have always been fascinated with nuns. I even dressed up like one for Halloween one year (it was pretty sweet). Ohh, that reminds me...anyone still up for a Sound of Music movie night/sing along?! The Fort is alive with the sound of nuns!! YIPEE!!

what can I find in the tickle trunk today?!

I like dressing up. Plain and simple. It's just so much fun to put together a costume in an attempt to become someone (or something) else. I think it's kind of a 'pre-requisite' for being a youth leader and/or fitting it with my psycho group of friends (haha). We've had murder mystery dinners, mall man hunts, 80's parties, opening skits at camps, you name it!! We go all out. On Friday nite I am going to a Halloween costume party at Shaun's house. I am STOKED to wear my pirate costume. No run of the mill, bought it in a bag, costume for me. HECK NO!! AND, on Saturday November 25th, I will be having a fairy tale (fantasy) costume party at the church. Be prepared for some wacky games and an incredible medieval-style feast. In a nutshell: THANKSGIVING ALL OVER AGAIN!! That's all I really have to say. I just like dressing up. A lot. No but seriously...hahah.

Take two...

For some odd reason, I wasn't able to upload very many pictures for my previous blog entry. Here are some additional photo's. Enjoy!! *side-bar: scroll down to the previous entry to read more about our October luau*

A night to remember...

Well, here it is...the blog entry you've all been waiting for *drum roll please* (ok, ok, it's just been a few days BUT, I know that the anticipation has been KILLING YOU!!!!). OCTOBER HAWAIIAN LUAU 2006!! This last Saturday nite, a bunch of my crazy friends and I celebrated Janelle's 20th birthday, Hawaiian style. Janelle LOVES traveling. She loves the beach. AND she is going to Hawaii in January for photography school (how fitting). SO, I thought, what better way to celebrate her birthday than to throw her a luau!! Now, let's be honest here. This wasn't a "throw on a lei and do the limbo" style party...this party was hardcore. As someone (who knows who?!) once said: GO BIG OR GO HOME!! (or, as I prefer, go home big!!). With lots of borrowed supplies and some willing hands, we threw Janelle a luau she won't forget (that is, until she goes to Hawaii and has a REAL luau with a roast pig and some fire dancers and where the beach and sunset are the backdrop...*ha ha*).

After a few hours of set-up (and a slight tea light fiasco...dang the fast burning tealights!!) our birthday girl finally arrived!! The look on her face said it all: she loved it :) All of the preparation was definitely worth it ;) I thought I would include some photo's from the evening and share some of my personal highlights. However, before I do, I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone again for all of their help *I feel like I'm about to deliver an Oscar speech, haha* Thank you for lending supplies, bringing amazingly good food, delivering supplies, letting us use your home, bringing the entertainment to us *cough: Ryan*, etc etc. A MILLION TIMES THANKS!!



Some of my personal highlights:

- Attempting to salvage a buzillion tealights that were crapping out on me before the party began!!
- Seeing Janelle's face when she saw the backyard decorated hawaiian-style
- The lovely 'hawaiian' music (compliments of Corrie). We all know our favorite track: TINY BUBBLES!! *yuck, whoever wrote that song should be forced to sit in a small room with tiny bubbles FOREVER!!!!*
- The 'pigs in a blanket' (aka. chicken weiners in a blanket) made by Anna. Thanks for bringing the 'pork' to the Luau!! ;)
- Sarah Cherry's delicious chicken with pinapple salsa *loved it*
- After a few hours of sitting out in the cold, everyone decided to warm up (fully clothed) in the sauna. Let's just say this: IT WAS HOT!! We fit a lot of people into a very small space..hahah.
- Erin and I running into the sauna with red jub-jubs stuck all over our faces yelling "AHHHH, GET OUT OF THE SAUNA!!"
- Playing guesstures *enough said* BAHA...ok, there are a few highlights from that...
1. Ryan suddenly taking off his shirt. After the shrieking, the 'ahhh, look away's' and Kristians comment: "YA!! KEEP IT OFF!!" we learned that he had gotten the word stripper.
2. After trying for several minutes to act out some sort of instrument that resembled a trumpet/sax/clarinet Candace, exasperated, said "guys, it's a FIDDLE!!". There was a pause and an outburst of laughter. *uhh Candace, a fiddle is played like a violin, not a clarinet*
- Megan's 10:30 arrive and surprise: A PALM TREE SHAPED PINATA!! *heh heh*
- Ryan attempting to salvage the floating candles on the pool. 'A' for effort!!
- Taking 'fake laughing' photos with Natty (which, as we all know, leads to genuine laughter *sheer brilliance*)
- *insert cheesiness* Spending an absolutely wonderful evening full of laughter with some of my most favorite people in the whole world.

coming soon...

Stay tuned for an entertaining entry detailing an October Hawaiian luau *intrigued??* The luau took place this past Saturday evening in celebration of Janelle's 20th birthday. Sadly, we did not have the traditional roast pig; however, we did have 'piggies in a blanket' (compliments of Anna). Although, I think the hotdogs that were used were made of chicken...hmmm...

Coming late October 2006

remembering to exhale...

Life is strange. Cool, but strange. Today I had a really great conversation with a friend of mine. This conversation was long overdue. It felt so freeing to talk about our pasts, to share about our lives at this point, what we've learned, how the difficult circumstances in our lives have changed us for the better. It's funny how, at the time, the challenges you are facing seem to overpower your every thought...they consume you. Then an odd thing happens. As time progresses and you gain perspective and acquire new experiences the memories begin to grow more faint. You find yourself asking the question: "Did that ever really happen??" I feel like a 'burden' (of sorts) has been lifted off of my chest. The words that I've always wanted to say have been said. God doesn't always answer our prayers in the way we have asked/anticipated. His sense of timing is often vastly different from our own. However, one thing is for certain: His timing is perfect.

So I guess what I really want to say is this...thank you friend. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for looking past the broken pieces and, instead, choosing to see a work of art.

*artwork by Erica Grimm-Vance

tis the season...

I really love holidays. Not just because it signifies a day off and, generally, some good grub, but because holidays bring people together. Tonite, after my own family Thanksgiving dinner, I went over to the Naylor house (always a ton o' fun). The Naylor's had 30 people over for Thanksgiving dinner!! *HOKEY CRAP* They welcome in the 'abandoned' (aka. those without families for Thanksgiving) and the usual family friends. When I walked in the door I was greeted with many 'HEY'S!!' and 'Good to see you!!'. When asked where I was for the eating portion of the evening (mmm, food) I said that I had been eating with my family. One of my friend's mum's replied 'But we're your family too!!'. *insert warm and fuzzy feelings*. After a smile and a 'yes, you're quite right', I proceeded to tell them about my incident on the way over. At the Fort gas station, this creepy guy (in a kidnapper-style van) pulled up beside me and waited for me to come back from paying inside. He then stepped out from behind the van and said, in his creepy voice, 'hey there, I really like your hair'. Frightened and eyeing the kidnapper van I nervously said 'thank you' and walked quickly towards my trusty Saturn. After I told the 'grown ups' my story, RySu's mum laughed and said to her husband 'honey, I never saw you sneak out!'. An uproar of laughter filled the room. After I tried to 'patch things up' (aka. dig myself deeper in the hole) by saying that Mr. Suzuki was not at all creepy I went down to where the 'kids' were hanging out and playing games. We laughed, we cried (oh wait, that was due to Ben's Dutch Blitz fits of rage), we randomly all began singing a Frank Sinatra classic, we ate more pie than we should have. It was brilliant. These are the memories that I will forever cherish. AND, the most miraculous thing of all, Mama Maria (aka. Maria Cherry) didn't hurt anyone this Thanksgiving!! HAHA!! ;)

LLLLLLLLLAAAAMPY!!

This blog goes out to all of you who have forever had your lives changed by one very special little piece of floor lighting: LAMPY!! Lampy - you have brought so much laughter and 'light' into my life. Remember, don't listen to Awful Alvin. I know that he has some wicked dance moves, but he sends out his fleet of angry eyebrows and then forgets you on rooftoops!! Think about it Lampy. I love you little guy.

hi ho, hi ho...

It's off to the CORN MAZE we go. Gosh darnit, I haven't been to the Corn Maze in years!! However, my memories of the Corn Maze are vivid. Running in circles for hours. Countless dead ends. Deciding to hide in the corn and freak people by shaking the corn stalks while they walk by and doing a childish/nightmarish giggle (children of the corn?!). While looking for a picture to place on this blog, I googled 'children of the corn'. I don't think I will ever sleep again. No, but seriously. FREAKY!! How the heck am I going to go into the Corn Maze now?! And if Ben's there, I KNOW that he will seek me out and snarl in my ear and I, in my true Maia fashion, will shriek (despite the voice inside my head that says 'it's only Ben') and run away. Ben will then proceed to follow me throughout the Corn Maze, snarling and leaping out from behind a dense cluster of corn stalks. And then we will definitely freak out the small children at the Corn Maze *sigh*. Ah well, some things never change. ANYWAYS, after looking at the children of the corn pictures *shudder* I decided to stick with my friend who I refer to as Cornelious the Corn. He looks like a joyful fellow eh? Welcoming and eager for you to begin your quest through the corn. However, one thing continues to baffle me. I don't recall corn ever having arms or legs...hmmm, interesting...

a heart of thankfulness

Right now Kayla and I are going through 'Addicted to God' by Jim Burns for our one-on-one discipleship. The whole first week focuses on attitude which I often find to be both convicting and humbling at the same time. How we choose to view our lives, the circumstances we find ourselves in, the hardships and the joys are all a matter of perspective. It is a CHOICE. I remember once hearing a sermon analogy that, at first seemed like just another cheezy illustration, but later really struck a chord in my heart. Instead of being frustrated that there is housework to do, be thankful that you have a home. Instead of grumbling at the price of gas, be thankful that you have a car to drive. Easy right? Wrong! Sometimes it requires a shift in attitude to truly appreciate the countless ways that God blesses our lives. In one of the daily devotionals in Burns' book, he tells the story of two elderly men who are both confined to their hospital beds (no noise, no distractions). In order to drain the fluid from his lungs, one of the men has to have his bed elevated for an hour each day. Every day the men look forward to this time because, when the man is elevated, he is able to look out the window and tell the other man everything that is happening in the park across the way. Children playing in the pond, couples in love, a dog chasing a stick. He is a 'window' to the outside world. One day, the man who is unable to move at all begins to let bitterness seep into his heart. Why can't HE look out the window? Why should the man next to the window have all of the pleasure of seeing what was going on? One evening, the man next to the window suddenly woke up, coughing and choking. The other man sat silently without moving. The coughing racked the darkness. On and on. But the man lying in his bed continued to stare at the ceiling. The next morning the nurse came into the room and found the 'man with the view' dead. The other man asked if he could be placed in the bed next to the window. The minute the nurses left the room he propped himself up on one elbow and strained as he looked out the window. It faced a blank wall.

I'll admit...I got a bit teary-eyed when I read this story. I was humbled by the man who, day after day, came up with stories to brighten the day. He made a choice to see past the blank wall. I was also saddened for the man who allowed bitterness to reign instead of to have an attitude of thankfulness. The consequences of his actions far outweighed what lay beyond the windowsill.

This story led me to reflect on what I am truly thankful for in life. To look for areas that I have been blessed. I often need to 'shift my perspective'. I made a list in my journal and I will share some of the ways that I have been so richly blessed in my life:

- I am thankful for the grace and salvation (which I definitely don't deserve) that I have recieved from my Saviour and best friend.
- I am thankful for my parents who both pursue after God with their lives and are an amazing example of a married couple who love and serve one another.
- I am thankful for my sister and for Kristian. I have been blown away by the way that God has transformed both of their lives and for the amazing marriage He has blessed them with.
- I am thankful that I recieved a free university education
- I am thankful that our youth prayed such genuine prayers last night at youth
- I am thankful for my TOCing job that allows me to interact with cool kids all day
- I am thankful for my TRULY amazing friends who have brought laughter and craziness into my life and who walk alongside me during both my my trials and joys
- I am thankful for my vehicle (despite the automatic seatbelts and the leaky trunk ;))
- I am thankful for the foster children that have been placed in our home. I am thankful that every time one has to leave us, God increases my heart and I have love in abundance to give again.
- I am thankful for the hardships that I have had to face. They have brought me to my knees in prayer and have taught me what it means to persevere.
- I am thankful that I have the opportunity to save for going to Australia with Anne-Marie.
- I am thankful for my good health
- I am thankful for my church community that desires to grow in relationship with God and isn't willing to settle for ordinary things.
- I am thankful that Janelle got into her photography school in Hawaii
- I am thankful that God never gives up on people and that His hand is always there to grab if we acknowledge our need for Him
- I am thankful that I am not in control of my life and that God sees the 'big picture'.
- I am thankful that I am learning more about prayer
- I am thankful that I got to go swimming tonite with Mel and Janny and that we had a water fight in the changeroom...haha!!
- I am thankful for Laura and Conor's faith
- I am thankful for the college and career group that is forming in our church
- I am thankful for Corrie and Natty's new home
- I am thankful that I have the opportunity to be a part of God's work in the lives of the youth

Thank you Jesus. A million times THANKS!!

life in a nutshell...