life to the fullest.

Elda Lorraine Snider (Saip)

2011-11-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

On the 13th of October, my Grandma turned 80 years old. You'd never believe it to look at her or talk with her but it is, in fact, true! My grandma has taught me so much about kindness, graciousness, humility and what it really means to keep your eyes focused on the Lord, no matter the circumstance. She has been a source of strength in my life - a constant reminder that grace and beauty need not diminish with age. She is lovely in every way and I hope to someday have a faith and demeanor just like hers.

love you, Gram. Happy Birthday.

my little girl.

2011-04-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

This friday, April 29th (yes, the same day as the royal wedding), my little sister is turning 10.
Victoria Elizabeth Lorraine Saip - my "Toe-beth".
She has always been my special girl... ever since she was brought home from the hospital. I remember I used to lie on Dad and Muttie's green couch either napping or watching cartoons while Tori lied on my belly as a baby. We've played barbies, coloured in colouring books, played catch, baked cookies, painted nails, made up songs and dances and done countless makeovers.
She is one of the most amazing young ladies I know, and I am so very proud to call her my sister.
Already she has one of the kindest hearts of anyone I know and her gentle spirit is an inspiration to me. She is fun, talented, intelligent, creative and sweet.
Happy Birthday to my darling sister.
I love you, "Schmor Bor". You're one gorgeous 10 year old.

Death in His Grave.

2011-04-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

Though the Earth Cried out for blood
Satisfied her hunger was
Her billows calmed on raging seas
for the souls on men she craved

Sun and moon from balcony
Turned their head in disbelief
Their precious Love would taste the sting
disfigured and disdained

On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke with keys
Of Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave

So three days in darkness slept
The Morning Sun of righteousness
But rose to shame the throes of death
And over turn his rule

Now daughters and the sons of men
Would pay not their dues again
The debt of blood they owed was rent
When the day rolled a new

On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke holding keys
To Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave

He has cheated
Hell and seated
Us above the fall
In desperate places
He paid our wages
One time once and for all

"Death in His Grave" - John Mark Mcmillan

to take the words from Job.

2011-03-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

I've taken some verses from throughout the book of Job and added my own thoughts amongst them.

You must know my eyes have seen all this.
That my ears have heard it and I understand.
These things that you know? I know them.
These words that you're speaking to me are nothing new.
What I want is a private audience... with the creator of the universe.
I want to speak to speak to the Almighty.
To stand before Him and watch how He sees me. How I feel. How I'm hurting.
For though he slay me, yet I will hope in Him.
Till the end of my days...

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and in the end He will stand upon the earth
And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God. Me. With these eyes.
I long for that day and yet, I'm terrified for it...
Because of what I've done. Who I am.
For I am flawed in every way imaginable,
and though it seems that I have had to deal with more than I can, at times, handle,
I truly did not get what I deserved. What I deserve.
He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit
and I will therefore live to enjoy the light.

So speak, God.
Tell me of Your plans for I'm afraid this affliction leads me to make my own.
I'm sorry for how I've despaired - for begging "why me?"
Surely I spoke of things I do not understand.
Things too wonderful for me to know.

The truth, Father, is that my ears had, indeed, heard of you...
but now, through this, my eyes are finally seeing you.

February

2011-02-27T23:02:00.001-08:00

Time flies.

My play has come and gone - and it was truly one of the most delightful experiences of my life. I can't explain how much the friendships that I created have meant to me... after one of the hardest years of my life, God knew I needed them. Gabby, Rebekah, Ron, Josh, Colleen and Joanna have become like family to me and brought so much joy and laughter back into my life. I love them, and I'm so proud of the job they did on "Girl in the Goldfish Bowl".

Here are a few pictures for you all to enjoy!

Girl in the Goldfish Bowl

2011-01-19T15:07:00.001-08:00

Tonight is our first show in front of a real audience... and I think I might be sick. haha

I'm SO excited for this show, you have no idea.

If any of you are interested in coming, here are the details:

Location: University of the Fraser Valley, Chilliwack Campus

Preview Shows: January 19th & 20th at 7:30pm

Matinees: January 30th & February 6th at 2:00pm as well as February 3rd at noon.

Evening Shows: January 21st, 22nd, 27th, 28th, 29th, February 3rd, 4th & 5th at 7:30pm

Ticket prices range between $10-$18.

If you're interested, call the UFV box office 604-795-2814

...Showtime!

web "window shopping"

2011-01-12T07:57:00.000-08:00

So, I couldn't sleep this morning. I don't know if it was nervous excitement or if I was stomach sick! haha. Anyways, it caused me to venture to the living room to watch "rich bride, poor bride" and browse the internet. I landed on modcloth.com and thought I'd share some of the cute dresses and tops I found:

Cute, right?! I know.

Karla Lee - January 5th, 1961

2011-01-05T07:58:00.001-08:00

Today is my mom's 50th birthday. I wrote this for her:

The first person I ever knew was also the most influential person in my life.

My mother has been a mentor, coach, confident and friend

and has faithfully guided me, like a lighthouse, towards truth, love and a life worth living.

She taught me how to walk by faith and to pray when my faith was scarce.

Most importantly, she taught me to trust in Christ when I had almost no faith at all.

My mother has modelled kindness, strength and perseverance

and has taught us what it means to live selflessly.

She has made me who I am and I hope to someday be

a mirror-image of the woman who gave love and life to me.

A Wonderful Christmas Time

2011-01-05T07:27:00.000-08:00

I'm a tad late with this one!

I had a wonderfully magnificent Christmas. It was full of fun, family and festivity (and who could possibly ask for more?!) We were at our church for Christmas Eve, and I read from "the Jesus Storybook Bible" from a big arm chair onstage. It was like story-time with Aunt Jay - I should have pushed my glasses down my nose a bit! When that was done, we headed over to Uncle Grant and Aunt Connie's house for Saip family Christmas. We ate lots of tasty food and played the present-stealing game (White Elephant?). Aunt Edna ended up with a bottle of Fireball...

We stayed overnight at Dad and Muttie's house and enjoyed a leisurely morning of opening presents, eating dad's goulash (yummy), drinking coffee and, of course, reading the Christmas story from Luke chapter 2.

At around 11:30 we headed over to mom and Lyle's to have our family Christmas there - we ate mandarin oranges and turtles (it's tradition!) opened presents and lazed around. Uncle Guy and Aunt Terri came over for Christmas dinner and we enjoyed our usual ridiculousness joking and laughing around the table, eventually retiring to "jam" in the music/living room.

/div>

I'll have you all know that I remained in my pajamas ALL day.

We left for Kelowna mid-morning on the 26th and enjoyed our Dyck family Christmas as soon as we arrived! We had an awesome time of relaxing, playing games (TTR, Settlers, Dominion) and I read about 50 percent of "Little Women" on my new Kindle! (I'm now at 80 percent).

We even enjoyed some outdoor theatre and a sleigh ride (right up my alley!) in Armstrong - we had an awesome time.

It was fabulous. Just fabulous.

Merry Christmas, friends.

Mere Christianity...

2010-12-17T14:47:00.000-08:00

My friend Ron lent me "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis, which I have been meaning to read for... well, most of my life. While reading it today, I came across a couple of thoughts that I wanted to quote - undoubtedly I'll have another post or two referencing this book, but here's what I'll share for now:

"I have heard some people complain that if Jesus was God as well as man, then His sufferings and death lose all value in their eyes, 'because it must have been so easy for Him'. Others may (very rightly) rebuke the ingratitude and ungraciousness of this objection; what staggers me is the misunderstanding it betrays. In one sense, of course, those who make it are right. They have even understated their own case. The perfect submission, the perfect suffering, the perfect death were not only easier to Jesus because He was God, but were possible only because He was God. But surely that is a very odd reason for not accepting them? The teacher is able to form the letters for the child because the teacher is grown-up and knows hot to write. That, of course, makes it easier for the teacher; and only because it is easier for him can he help the child. If it rejected him because 'it's easier for grown-ups' and waited to learn writing from another child who could not write itself (and so had no 'unfair' advantage), it would not get on very quickly. If I am drowning in a rapid river, a man who still has one foot on the bank may give me a hand which saves my life. Ought I to shout back (between my gasps) 'No, it's not fair! You have an advantage! You're keeping one foot on the bank'? That advantage - call it 'unfair' if you like - is the only reason why he can be of any use to me. To what will you look for help if you will not look to that which is stronger than yourself?" (pg. 58-59)

And also from page 65...

"God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then... There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing: it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last for ever. We must take it or leave it."

Update

2010-12-07T16:03:00.000-08:00

I'm still alive.

I didn't end up going in to Tsawwassen for job shadowing - I called Paige and told her how crazy stressed I was feeling about some of my school stuff and she said "don't worry about it! We can reschedule for January!" (After all, this wasn't required, it was just something I wanted to do).

So I felt better.

Today, I worked on my directoral project for "The Tempest" and then Gabby came over to study for our Stagecraft final. I can do this.

And then I watched last week's episode of "The Office" again because it is SO freaking funny. Sometimes you just need a little light-hearted escapism in your day!

Also, you all need to go to this site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1y64mxm85s

I LOVE Dave Barnes. What a funny guy.

Okay. Merry Christmas!

the Christmas Crazies.

2010-12-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

I'm desperately trying to finish off my remaining school work - tomorrow (Tues.) I'm shadowing Paige Hansen at SDSS as a drama teacher (it's recommended that anyone going into education has at least a few experiences in the classroom before finishing TEP, PDP or BEd). Wednesday morning is my Introduction to Technical Theatre final exam... I'm not at all prepared. That night we have the youth Christmas banquet, leaving me little to NO time to work on my final project for my Intro to Theatre class on Thursday morning.

Yikes.

If I can just survive past Thursday morning, my life will be easy, breezy and wonderfully Christmas-oriented. HOWEVER, I literally have no idea how I'm going to get all of this done.

Why not work on it RIGHT NOW instead of blogging? Well, I'm trying to... but every once in a while I become paralyzed with fear and have to resort to sneaking some Reese's pieces or staring at my Christmas tree or venting on a website...

AAAAH.

Also, I've asked Kyle for Christmas movies for Christmas (scrooged, home alone, muppet christmas carol, it's a wonderful life, white christmas, the grinch, elf), but what good does it do me to open a gift that I will not be able to enjoy for a whole 'nother year?! dag nabbit. I still want them, I just want them now so that I can enjoy them. He already tried to buy me one, but I had already bought it for myself... (Christmas Vacation).

Okay, back to the grind. Wish me luck.

Whistler Getaway

2010-11-21T22:49:00.000-08:00

My man and I spent the weekend in Whistler - it was absolutely lovely.

Amidst the business of my school and Kyle's work, we've really been missing out on our "one-on-one" time, so it was really great to be able to get away fromt the madness and just be together.

A couple of highlights would include:

- A hike up to Lost Lake

- walking through the snowy village with a christmasey starbucks drink

- browsing the shops

- having a fireplace beside our bed

- being with my wonderful husband.

My camera is still on the fritz, so I just googled "Whistler Village".

my whitt

2010-11-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

I'm a tad late. I meant to write this a few weeks ago, but school and rehearsals and, well, life caused me to delay.

My sister, Whitney Shea (Saip) Dyck turned 24 on October 24th - her champagne birthday. It's hard to believe that we're getting into our mid-twenties... I remember sitting on our bedroom floor, making barbie cars out of slippers and wondering what we would look like when we turned 16.

I have lots of memories with Whitt - she has been my "other half" since 1988. From before I can remember I have tried to be just like her... everything from outfits, to hairstyles (pixie cut in grade 5, yikes), to last names... haha. In all honesty though, I don't know who I would be without her. She has played such a vital role in shaping who I am today - she's always been a coach, cheerleader, mentor, confident, supporter and best friend to me, and I can't explain how much she means to me.

So Whitty, happy (belated) birthday. I love you more than you'll ever know.

xo Jay

Day by Day.

2010-10-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

I wrote this note for facebook last week, but I thought I'd share it on my blog as well...

Joshua 1:9

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

sometimes I get discouraged. sometimes I wonder why I'm still dealing with these health issues, why God hasn't healed me. but then I remember just how good I have it... just how blessed I am. despite the frustration I sometimes feel, I know that I belong to an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful Saviour.

i love this old hymn. my prayer is that these words would always ring true in my life.

Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Give unto each day what He deems best;
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Ev'ry day the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counselor and Pow'r.
The protection of His child and treasure,
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
"As your days, your strength shall be in measure,"
This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then in ev'ry tribulation,
So to trust Your promises, O Lord;
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation,
Offered me within Your holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a Father's hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land

this eminent spotlight.

2010-10-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty excited...

this coming Wednesday is the first read through of "Girl in the Goldfish Bowl", which is the Morris Panych play that I was cast in at UFV. The cast is only 5 people and, in all honesty, everyone is SO great! (Which sounds conceited, but you know what I mean).

The play is set in 1962, when air raids and the Cuban missile crisis are part of daily conversation.

My wonderful, marvellous, talented friend Gabby Bohmer is the lead - she plays 10 year old Iris - and she is PERFECT for the part. Just an all-star.

Ron Jackson - a very funny and intimidatingly gifted actor - will be playing Owen, Iris' father, who has not worked since World War II (when he accidentally shot himself in the leg while loading a gun), and is completely obsessed with physics.

Rebekah Brisco - what a doll. Lovely, talented and hilarious! She will be playing Sylvia, Iris' mother, who, in an attempt to leave the family, slipped and broke her wrist, and is now stuck in an awkward situation.

Josh Wilson - who I think of when I think of "UFV Theatre". Very talented, and although I was super intimidated by him at first, he's actually very sweet and VERY funny. He will be playing Lawrence, an aimless drifter with an undistinguishable past whom Iris found on the beach and believes to be the reincarnation of her dead goldfish, Amahl ("I named him Amahl because that's where we bought him").

And me. I play "Miss Rose" ("maybe I'll tell you my first name when we've known each other a little longer.....Vivian"). I am the boarder at Iris' house, middle-aged, hopelessly stuck in the war years (for those were my glory days), I spend my days working at a fish cannery, and my nights down at the Legion making out with Veterans "like its VE day all over again" (although you never see it). I have the least amount of lines in the play, but the role is fabulous! (I actually have the most costume changes, which means that I will have multiple dresses made JUST for me!)

It's going to be wonderful. The show goes up in late January and runs until Feb. 6th. You should come see it.

xo - J

Really?

2010-09-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

Look out, world. I'm "displeased".

"Hello...Jalen, is it?"

"Yes, hi"

"You've been dealing with this "condition" for a year and a half? hmmm... interesting. Have you had allergy testing before?"

"Yes, a year ago I had blood testing done through a naturopath"

"Oh. Well, I don't care what a naturopath found - do you KNOW of any allergies you have?"

"No... not for sure"

"Alright, let's do some tests then."

(Prick test, right arm foods, left arm contact allergens - 10 minutes of "reaction time")

"According to your reaction, it appears that you're quite severally allergic to dust mites"

"Oh. Is that why my arm is so swollen?"

"Yes. This allergy could be aggravating your skin quite a bit without you knowing it..."

Great. Wonderful.

First of all, naturopathic medicine (if that's what you'd call it - www.eczemanaturalhealing.com) has literally been THE ONLY thing that has had a lasting positive impact on my health (obviously also through God's help and healing), and although it's slow as the dickens (and some days I want to give up) it's effective for long term.

Secondly, my apartment is carpeted wall to wall to wall except in the kitchen and bathrooms... so, thanks so much for suggesting that I not have carpet - super helpful. Also, I don't think covers for my duvet, mattress and pillows are covered under my medical plan, so I'm not going to be able to run down to the store and purchase those anytime this semester, but thanks.

Basically, thank you for making me aware of an enemy that I actually cannot fight right now... except for more frequent dusting and vacuuming.

Pfff. I'm just frustrated. Why does no one respect natural healing? Medical plans don't cover pillow covers or probiotics or enzymes, or ANYTHING that helps me, but they DO cover steroids and cortisone creams and other garbage that has actually caused SO much damage in (and ON) my body. It's dumb. Really stupid.

I had to get that off my chest. I'm not saying that allopathic medicine is bad, I'm just saying that there should be a certain amount of cooperation and respect between the different methods of healing... I'm tired of being made to feel stupid by doctors. I've been dealing with this for a year and a half now and I know a few things about my body that they don't. I have a vested interest in my well-being, and I can't just tell myself "good luck" and send me out the door with a prescription.

Okay. I'm done. Sorry for losing my cool a little bit, but seriously.

my darling autumn.

2010-09-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

I love fall. I really LOVE it. It gives me the warm fuzzies inside just THINKING about it!

Here are some thing I will always associate with fall:

- cozy clothes

- stunning colours

- crisp air

- pumpkins

- apple cider

- coffee dates

- gingerbread

- apple crisp

- my mom's "fall display"

- boots

- halloween (I love dressing up, carving pumpkins, having parties... even the smell of the candles inside the pumpkins!)

- family get togethers

- thanksgiving

- jazz music (specifically the Harry Connick Jr. "when harry met sally" album)

I love, love, love it. Unfortunately I'm not able to enjoy some of the usual highlights of fall because of my stupid skin, but hopefully that will all change soon! (I would LOVE to have a latte and a ginger-molasses cookie right now!)

My wonderful Aunt Terri sent me this fall collage a few days ago, and I just had to share it!

It is well.

2010-09-19T15:45:00.000-07:00

Hey guys.

The past couple of weeks have been a little nutty.

Some of you may already know that Lyle (my wonderful stepdad) has been in the hospital for awhile now. He was diagnosed with epidural spinal abscesses. Basically, he had something comparable to tumours along the base of his spine that were causing him a lot of pain and threatened to cause neurological damage or paralysis if not treated immediately. On Thursday night they decided to do emergency surgery to try to reduce the risk of paralysis. The surgery went well, although they were unable to remove the abscesses, they could release some of the pressure around his spine. He's still at Royal Columbian Hospital, and they're now attempting to take care of the rest of the "problem" with antibiotics and other medications.

Thank you to those of you who were praying for our family - we can't tell you how much we've appreciated it! Lyle has really felt God's comfort through this whole ordeal (I think he's been calmer than mom and us four kids!) and we're obviously also VERY relieved that he still has full function of his limbs (and his mind!).

Lots of love.

Toms Shoes

2010-08-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

This movement is rad.

Toms shoes is a company which was developed for the purpose of distributing one pair of shoes to a child in a third-world country for every single pair of shoes that they sell.

What an awesome idea.

http://www.tomsshoes.ca/content.asp?tid=529

check it out.

Personally, I love this pair:

I just need to have a little recovery time from my "all natural supplement" med purchases and school tuition and then these bad boys will be making an appearance on my feet! haha

Autumn

2010-08-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

I wrote this poem in the end of August 2009, and it seems fitting to share it once again...

My eager friend has left his subtle fingerprints across a day that is not his own.
A scent, one smell - a memory. "Back so soon?"
But no. Just a hint, in jest, before retreating - almost undetected - into the August midday.
A shade, a hue, has caught my eye - a leaf anxiously embracing my dear friend's splendor.
A deliciously majestic auburn, shaming it's neighbors in appearance.
But this poor, beautiful leaf will be the first to fall... a leader for the myriads to follow.
"You're too early, dear friend", and I know he agrees as the wind catches my hair.
"A couple more weeks, then?"...and I know he's gone again.
But soon, as time dances away another season, he'll return.
With ferver and passion he'll paint his canvas in rich golds, intermingling reds, oranges and browns - a stunning work of art.
But his welcome is never as warm as the world which he creates around us.
A sigh, at first;
a mourning time over the loss of another sweet season who left us much too young.
In this sad state we sit, as my friend labours, unappreciated, to remake the world around us.
He knows his time will come...
And then, before it even seems he was here at all, he will be the one dearly missed.
I've missed you, my old friend. Welcome back.

on with the show!

2010-08-22T22:39:00.000-07:00

As you may or may not know, I spent these past two weeks running "Shine Performing Arts" day camps! My mom and I were out to lunch (literally and figuratively) one day back in March or early April and we were discussing the possibility of me running my own musical theatre classes... and that's how Shine Performing Arts was formed! My friend Jon Campbell from Kuztek solutions created the website (http://www.shineperformingarts.com/), I printed flyers out and posted them around town and I ran ads in the Abbotsford newspaper. Slowly but surely, parents began to sign their kids up!

So, August 9th-13th I had nine children between the ages of 6 and 8 learning about singing, acting and dancing down in the Youth Center of Immanuel Fellowship Baptist church! Monday through Friday, 9am - 2:30pm, I was "Miss Jay". At the end of the week we invited the parents to come and watch us "perform" what we had learned. One of the moms video taped the kids performing - http://www.youtube.com/user/celinasart#p/a/u/1/m_HOCsJmyTQ

Sorry about the whining kid... believe me, it was much more annoying in person! haha

Then, the 16th-20th I had six 10 - 12 year olds (and one random 7 year old little sister who asked to join in half way through the week!). This camp was more drama based - we played lots of theatre games, learning about improv, blocking, vocal techniques, etc. Really fun! Below are some pics of them from the last two days.

I had a tonne of fun with these kids. Many of the parents from both groups were wondering whether I would be running once-a-week classes in the fall, which I was hoping to do! So, all in all, it was a great two weeks, and I look forward to many more camps to come!

Kelowna days

2010-07-27T17:29:00.000-07:00

After the fabulous wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Chris and Krista Throness,

Kyle and I headed up to Kelowna for a week long visit with mom and dad Dyck, Nate, Sarah, Mandy and Paul. So far we've already played multiple games of croquet,

gone boating, picked cherries, browsed the downtown shops, hit up the beach, crashed the neighbour's pool,

played some boardgames, and the boys helped redo the roof! All of these things were done in the hot hot heat of this beautiful city (I believe it hit 37 degrees today).

We're having a wonderful time and enjoying a chance to visit with beloved family members and just reeelax...

25 Things (stolen from Whitt)

2010-07-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

Whitney had a fabulous blog listing 25 things she'd like to do before she reached 30, so I'm going to do something similar!

25 Things I'd like to do before turning 30:

1. Go to New York with my mom and sisters
2. Graduate with my BEd
3. Audition for a show in Vancouver
4. Do a half-iron man with my Aunt Terri
5. Have my own classroom (or theatre)
6. Be able to play every chord on the guitar
7. Record a CD with Whitney and Gatlin
8. Go skydiving with Kyle
9. Be a speaker at camp
10. Backpack around Europe
11. Do Humanitarian Aid work in Africa
12. Bike down a volcano in Hawaii with my husband (a dream of his)
13. Take dance lessons
14. Get a tattoo ("your grace is sufficient")
15. Show Kyle the East Coast (Nova Scotia!)
16. Run a marathon with Sarah
17. Do a family Disney Trip!
18. Land a jump on a wakeboard
19. Go scuba diving
20. Learn sign-language
21. Read through all of Shakespeare's plays
22. Visit my Cuban family again.
23. Become "Auntie Jay Jay"
24. Publish one of my poems or stories
25. Become a mom

songs that equal "summer"

2010-07-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

So, here are some songs that will FOREVER make me think of summertime...

Phil Vassar - Six Pack Summer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYpdFYWNSC4

Nikka Costa - Everybody's Got Their Something
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyeoW4ifNik

Rufus Wainwright - Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5CLmflrwIA

Brandtson - Earthquakes and Sharks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTIUDsb2XGs

Chris Brown - Forever
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sMKX22BHeE

Lessons from Job.

2010-06-27T16:19:00.000-07:00

Recently, when feeling quite frustrated with my current health-situation, I have referenced Job. Job's story is found in the Old Testament of the Bible - he was a a Godly man: generous, kind, righteous and integral. For this reason, he is the target of Satan's attack. In an attempt to cause this "Godly man" to curse his Lord, Satan causes him to lose his children, his wealth, and eventually his own health. Greatly afflicted with health problems (including boils all over his skin), Job is visited by 3 "friends. They urge Job repeatedly to "repent of his sin", for clearly this is God's punishment! Job argues with them, telling them that he really has nothing to confess - he has lived a life which glorifies God. Basically he says "I haven't done anything wrong. I don't understand why God is doing this to me; why He hasn't answered my prayers." He is upset. Frustrated. Confused. That's how I've felt. I understand that Job's situation was MUCH worse than what I am going through, but I have related to his lamenting more than once...

... and then I read the end of the book - an extremely humbling experience, I assure you.

Job has basically said "I don't deserve this" when he receives this response from God...

Chapter 38
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:
2 "Who is this that darkens my counsel
with words without knowledge?

3 Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.

4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.

5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?

6 On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone..."

On to Chapter 40...

...2 "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?
Let him who accuses God answer him!"

3 Then Job answered the LORD :

4 "I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.

5 I spoke once, but I have no answer—
twice, but I will say no more."

6 Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm:

7 "Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.

8 "Would you discredit my justice?
Would you condemn me to justify yourself?"

9 Do you have an arm like God's,
and can your voice thunder like his?

10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.

11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,
look at every proud man and bring him low,

12 look at every proud man and humble him,
crush the wicked where they stand.

13 Bury them all in the dust together;
shroud their faces in the grave.

14 Then I myself will admit to you
that your own right hand can save you."

Basically, God is saying "you don't deserve this? Who are you? Do you deserve ANY of what I have given you? Imagine if I gave you what you TRULY deserve!"

In Chapter 42 Job humbles himself before the Lord:

1 Then Job replied to the LORD :
2 "I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.

3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.

4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.'

5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you"

The Chapter ends by telling us that God blessed the latter part of Job's life twice as much as he blessed the first.

So, I'm finally starting to understand that I can't comprehend God's plan... I can't predict His timing. I believe He'll heal me. I believe that He's teaching me joy, patience, contentment, perseverance and humility. I do know, however, that He has been merciful to me. God has given me a life of hope and purpose which I don't deserve. The creator of the Universe loves me and I really don't have a clue why.

I have to dive into the Bible more... it's full of awesome truths.

if you think of me...

2010-06-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hey guys.
So, as some of you may know, I'm still struggling with some unidentified health issues. If you look back on my blogs from this past winter you'll see just how severe it was... and although I had thought that I was nearing the end of it all, it seems that I'm not "in the clear" just yet. Although I am still eating quite plainly, I've been having some random outbreaks lately: a couple spots on my face and neck,my jawline, my shoulders, down my arms and along my neckline.
Needless to say, I'm frustrated. It's not easy to change your whole lifestyle in order to beat something just to find out that you're really not beating it at all. I want to be patient and gracious through this whole process... so I could use some prayer.
So, if you're thinking of me, pray that God would give Kyle and I a maturity beyond our years as we deal with this constant annoyance. I'm honestly SO grateful for how far I've come since those scary pictures in February, and for the fact that I have felt God's comfort through it all. I know that there are a lot of you that have had me in your prayers, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that.

Love. (Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Self-Control)

Jay

guess what?!

2010-05-28T16:29:00.001-07:00

My wonderfully fabulous Aunt Terri read my last post and (because she is a shameless spoiler of her nieces and nephews) promptly searched for the dresses I loved so much. Unfortunately some of them were out of stock while others were only available in the wrong sizes. SO, she sent me a gift card to modcloth! aaaaah! Needless to say, I wasted no time finding two new, ridiculously cute, dresses!

Ta da!

"Row Your Bow-t"

"Don't Call it a Comeback"

THANK YOU, AUNT TERR! You really shouldn't spoil me so... I'll turn into a rotten brat! haha
Love you lots. xoxoxo - Jellybean

what i wish I were wearing...

2010-05-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

Elissa, my wonderful but very far away friend, introduced me to modcloth.com tonight.
Within 20 minutes I found my dream dresses...
so, these are the dresses I'd be wearing if I had some $fund-ilation$ to spend...

You can find these dresses, and hundreds of other FABULOUS clothing items, at www.modcloth.com

"Latitude and Longitude Dress"

"Buds by the Hundreds Dress"

"Ribbon Dancer Dress" (favourite)

"Platinum Party Dress"

"In the Limelight Dress" (2nd favourite)

gotta sing, gotta act!

2010-05-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

So, as some of you may know, I'm going to be running musical theatre summer day camps for kids in August. I did a similar sort of class through parks and rec for a couple of years and figured "why not do what I love, make some money and teach kids how to be confident in their talents?"
And so, it's happening! As soon as the website is good to go (Tomorrow, I believe) I will be printing out flyers and distributing them at rec. centers and churches across Abbotsford.

All this to say, I'm excited! Because I'm still healing, this "self-employment" allows for me to not only create my own cirriculum and manage my own schedule, but also to do a couple of courses without "over-doing it", leading to another health-digression.

To add some visual interest, here are a couple of photos I had sent to Jon Campbell (who is creating my website for me!) as possibilities for my "instructor" page...

singing at YC

Guys and Dolls!

Les Miserables (dress rehearsal)

"Rat" - Fantastic Mr. Fox

"Cars That Go Boom!"

YC

Les Miserables

One year.

2010-05-13T11:34:00.001-07:00

I married my best friend on May 9th, 2009. A full year has passed and I can honestly say that my love for Kyle has grown in a way I never thought possible. He has been my confidente, support, encourager, mentor and love. Although we never would have predicted the ups and downs that this past year would contain, Kyle and I have discovered that, through God's strength, adversity can serve to build and mature a relationship in wonderful ways.

I love my husband and I know my husband loves me. I'm so grateful for our marriage - here's to 60 more years!

xo - J

i want to paint a picture.

2010-04-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

I want to paint a picture -
not of flowers or of buildings,
but of you and me. Right now.
I want to cover the canvas with
blues and greens. Peace, contentment.
I want to splash yellow across the middle.
Happiness.
And for love - for our love - Rose.
Not quite pink, not quite red.
Warm, inviting...comfortable.
And I want all the colours to compliment each other,
Like you compliment me.
And in the middle, I want there to be a tree,
and on that tree will be a swing.
Because a swing is a place where you can fly.
And you can laugh... and you can dream.
You're that place for me.

this is April.

2010-04-24T12:28:00.001-07:00

So, there have been some big changes - mostly my health and my hair! I'm doing really well, health-wise, so praise the Lord because He's been doing amazing things in this silly body of mine. I'm still on a SUPER strict diet (bummersville) but I would rather eat rice and bok choy for lunch EVERY day than feel the way I felt in January, February and March. Shocking revelation - which may or may not be accurate - I think I might be allergic to some nuts... PEANUTS being one of them! What's the point of going ON, I ask you? No peanut butter? Are you KIDDING me?! We'll see if that's true though... It's hard to tell.

And now for the hair - I was feeling kind of "blah" about myself... the skin thing left me looking slightly aged and my hair had been tightly pulled back in a high Sumo wrestler bun for about three months (it itched my shoulders and neck otherwise!). SO, I decided to go a little funky... to show off my artsy side, if you will. More blonde and a little splash of pink. It's fun and unique and I'm loving it! I was slightly worried that Kyle would be shocked by his "rebel wife's new do" but I walked in the door and he said "you're the coolest!" - Bonus points for him, I tell ya!

Below are two pics: one of da' hair, and one of Howie and I, Tori and Elise's new puppy (SO cute, too bad he can't stay that way forever...)

The March I Missed.

2010-04-02T22:27:00.001-07:00

Woops. I missed March... and I really LIKE March. In fact, this March has been unusually jam-packed with blessings. Let me list them:
1) I went to California with my "honey". He and I went to Disneyland/California Adventure for two days. Kyle had never been, and although I wasn't doing super well in terms of health, it was a wonderful time of being together and exploring the happiest place on earth! He decided that Splash Mountain was his favourite, and although I will agree that SM is a "gooder", I personally lean towards Indiana Jones. Even the line up for that ride is awesome! After those two days we headed up to Valencia (in the Santa Clarita Valley) where we met up with the rest of the pastoral staff from Immanuel Fellowship Baptist. The purpose of the trip was for the staff to attend the Shepard's Conference down there, so it was a major bonus to squeeze some Disney on in there.
2) My birthday. Call me silly, but I love birthdays... I don't need anyone to necessarily make a big deal out of MY birthday, but it sure is nice to be reminded of how loved you are for that one day. I'm 22 years old now... weird.
3) Roids. Yes sir/ma'am. I ended up going back on those dang steroids and, by golly, they did some wonders for me! I was only given one week of pills (they're pretty intense) and by the end of it, I looked pretty much normal (except some pretty bad scarring from cortisone burns on my neck). I also decided to attack this "thing" after the roids before it could attack me, and started up at a chinese medicine dr. out here in Abbotsford. She's great - and although I began to see traces of the "sickness" coming back full force, she put me on a "rice only" diet that has brought me back to neutral.

So I feel good - I chilled with Mickey and the gang, got a little older, and ate some rice. Does that catch you up?! I am such a colossal loser when it comes to blogging lately... and even WORSE than that is the fact that I haven't taken pictures in FOREVER (except for dr's records). I'll take some this weekend and then blog about Easter and how I love Jesus! Sound good?! haha.

Love. Thanks for reading.

patience.

2010-02-19T18:12:00.000-08:00

So, its back to what it was in those first few pictures taken on February 3rd.
I was only given a few days worth of steroids, and when they were done, the problem that they had "fixed" came back full force. Because steroids take down inflammation, once you STOP taking them (and are still trying to detox those things out of your system) you swell up. Bummer.
I'm still confident that God is healing me... I won't lie though, its hard to be patient. He's healed me before (ask me some time about what happened in Cuba), so I know He can... I'm just wondering when He will.
Luckily I didn't have school this week because there's no way I could go - this semester has been a gong show, attendance-wise. I've missed A LOT. Had I known how sick I would become, I never would have registered.
But, the show must go on!

Keep praying for me, if you think of it. Pray that I would sleep through the night and that the swelling would go down in my eyes. Basically just pray that God would heal me VERY soon. So soon that it can be a testament to HIS ability to heal, and not that of detoxification or meds.

Much love. Jay

less than three days...

2010-02-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

Just like I promised - here are the photos. First few taken on February 3rd while talking to Whitty on the phone, followed by those I took earlier today.

Great is Thy Faithfulness.

2010-02-06T12:17:00.000-08:00

It's been a tough few weeks.
I went up and down like a yo-yo in terms of my health... My skin would like semi-decent (although never close to normal) and then I would wake up with my eyes swollen, my face cracking apart and my neck ridiculously inflammed. To be perfectly honest, I felt terribly discouraged...
But God is good.
Wednesday, February 3rd, was a breaking point... I phoned Kyle to come home from work because I was feeling so frustrated, and alone... and just sad. He came home, but could only stay for about an hour and a half as he had to run youth that night. So he left...
And just a little while later, my Auntie Marilyn called. She asked me to tell her what was going on, so I explained the whole situation - the months of unanswered questions, the medications, supplements, lotions, tests, trials, etc. And she prayed for me. She reminded me of my worth in the Lord, of the beauty God had created in me, and that Satan wants to use situations like this to break us... to cause us to despair. She told me to rejoice in the Lord - to sing songs of praise and to remember that God is bringing me through this. She said that she had been about to leave the house - coat on and all - but felt that God was telling her not to leave until she called me. I have never been more thankful for God's timing.
So I started to sing... and the phone rang. It was whitt - and she encouraged me to persevere. She also told me to take a couple of pictures of my skin so that I could see the transformation in the days to come. I will post those pictures in a few days along with some pictures of my face now.
We hung up, I sang another worship song, and Gatlin called - just wondering how I was doing. Wanting to let me know that he was praying for me, and so was his entire floor at school. While I was on the phone, Sarah texted and asked if she could come over and hang out - YES PLEASE! We watched some tv and chatted about the events of the night. Kyle came home with flowers and a movie he rented for me, and although I was looking rough, I felt joy, hope and a peace that could only come from the Lord.

The next morning my mom phoned to ask if she could take me to Emergency in Abbotsford that afternoon for some bloodwork. I was still MUCH too sick to go to class, so I said "sure, why not!" She also asked if it would be alright to have Steve and the Elders from the church come over (in Tsawwassen) that night to pray over me - sounded like a good plan to me! My dad also called to see how I was doing and to tell me to "let your mom take charge here! It's time for answers!"

Kyle was home for the morning and we relaxed and watched a movie together, and then mom came to Abbotsford and took me for some sushi (no sauce, no sesame seeds, no soy!) and then to the hospital. Eyes followed me through the hallways - understandable, since I appeared to be suffering from severe burns on my face and neck (nope, just eczema!) Bloodwork was done and I was told that I have "suprisingly great blood for someone who looks like you" haha. I attribute that to Dr. Sunny Lee who has me on a strict detox. They gave me some Steroids to calm the inflammation, some lotions to soothe the pain, and a recommendation for some Vaseline (awesome stuff. I love it.) Throughout that afternoon I recieved texts and phone calls from a myriad of people who told me that they were praying for me... and I could feel it.

We picked up whitt from Langley on our way to Tsawwassen, and I actually felt quite happy, riding along with mom and whitt. I expected God to do big things... and He did.

Melissa and Michelle came for a "girly visit" and in the time that they were there, I was already transforming...By the time Steve and the Elders came over I could fully turn my head (doesn't sound like a big deal to you...) and smile (which I was doing a lot of). It was great to be covered in prayer - and I woke up the next morning almost unrecognizable. God is good.

I'm ACTUALLY on the road to recovery now, I believe. I'm sticking with the detox and supplements - and acupuncture treatments - because God also gave me a brain, and to just quit on the detox or on any treatment would be ridiculously stupid.

Thank you, to all of you that have been praying for me. Like I said, I'll post some "before and after" pictures either later on today, or in the next couple of days... and when you see them, you'll know why I'm praising God.

Love.
Jay

quick update

2010-01-17T14:16:00.001-08:00

So, I promised to update you - here it is:
Not feeling so hot.
I still believe that the detox is working, but that it's getting worse before it gets better... and believe me, it's worse. I woke up multiple times throughout the night last night because of pain... which is not super helpful for getting "as much rest as possible".
Don't worry though... I'm figuring this out - trying to find some time to really heal.
If you think of it, pray for me. I'm trying to be patient... Maybe just pray that I'd be able to sleep through the night.

Thanks guys. Hopefully I'll write again in the next couple of days about my recovery!
love - J

My Road to Recovery

2010-01-13T20:54:00.000-08:00

Let's blog this thing.
So, things have gotten better recently with my "allergic reactions"... my skin was getting increasingly better - I was actually thinking that the problem had, indeed, been solved! I was being VERY careful not to eat anything that contained even TRACES of egg, sesame or milk. I was good to go, basically.

Wishful thinking.

On January 4th, while in Washington with my fam, all rashy-face/neck/body-hell broke loose! It flared up just as it had done before... maybe worse. I have to admit that there were a few "tearful episodes" that occured. I was back to where I started 9 months ago - no answers.

So, I booked an appointment with a Dr. in Vancouver that my aunt Terri referred me to. Not only is he a "normal" practitioner, he is also a Dr. in traditional Chinese Medicine. The man is brilliant. Whitney was with me in the appointment (a major blessing), and after just a few short minutes of checking my wrists and eyeballs I was told EXACTLY what was going on with me. He knew all of my symptoms (that I never connected to the eczema) and I found out that my Liver has been in over-drive and that my pancreas and spleen have been in under-drive (is that a word?!) Not a good thing. My system isn't detoxing as it should - bummer!

SO, it's detox time. It's time to fix my Liver, mostly. It would be hard for me to list everything I CAN'T eat, so I'll tell you what I CAN : rice, cooked veggies(no mushrooms!), almond/rice milk, chicken and white fish, yeast-free bread, sugar-free/salt-free peanut butter, "hot soups" (but with no salt...?)... some teas... that's all I can think of.

I am also taking 12 pills per day... vitamins of course (and some liver boosting pills). There are also a couple of rules - I have to drink 1 1/2 to 2 litres of water or liquid everyday as well be ASLEEP by 11pm (after all, 11pm - 1am is the time of night that your liver detoxes... duh.)

So... that's what I'm doing. It's not super fun, but I think it's going to "fix me". I'm really grateful that I finally have a plan... Kyle and I have been praying for answers, and I believe that the Lord has provided answers - through a Chinese Medicine Doctor!

Thanks for reading guys - I'll let you know how it's going in the near future.

Christmas Night

2009-12-23T11:26:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas night. The house is quiet. Even the crackle is gone from the fireplace. Warm coals issue a lighthouse glow in the darkened den. Stockings hang empty on the mantle. The tree stands naked in the corner. Christmas cards, tinsel, and memories remind Christmas night of Christmas day.
It's Christmas night. What a day it has been! Spiced tea. Santa Claus. Cranberry sauce. "Thank you, so much." "You shouldn't have!" "Grandma is on the phone." Knee-deep wrapping paper. "It just fits." Flashing cameras. It's Christmas night. The tree that only yesterday grew from soil made of gifts, again grows from the Christmas tree stand. Presents are now possessions. Wrapping paper is bagged and in the dumpsite. The dishes are washed and leftover turkey awaits next week's sandwiches.

It's Christmas night. The last of the carolers appeared on the ten o'clock news. The last of the apple pie was eaten by my brother-in-law. And the last of the Christmas albums have been stored away having dutifully performed their annual rendition of chestnuts, white Christmases, and red-nosed reindeer.

It's Christmas night.

The midnight hour has chimed and I should be asleep, but I'm awake. I'm kept awake by one stunning thought. The world was different this week. It was temporarily transformed. The magical dust of Christmas glittered on the cheeks of humanity ever so briefly, reminding us of what is worth having and what we were intended to be. We forgot our compulsion with winning, wooing, and warring. We put away our ladders and ledgers, we hung up our stop watches and weapons. We stepped off our racetracks and roller coasters and looked outward toward the star of Bethlehem.

It's the season to be jolly because, more than at any other time, we think of him. More than in any other season, his name is on our lips. And the result? For a few precious hours our heavenly yearnings intermesh and we become a chorus. A ragtag chorus of longshoremen, Boston lawyers, illegal immigrants, housewives, and a thousand other peculiar persons who are banking that Bethlehem's mystery is in reality, a reality. "Come and behold him" we sing, stirring even the sleepiest of shepherds and pointing them toward the Christ-child.

For a few precious hours, he is beheld. Christ the Lord. Those who pass the year without seeing him, suddenly see him. People who have been accustomed to using his name in vain, pause to use it in praise. Eyes, now free of the blinders of self, marvel at his majesty. All of a sudden he's everywhere. In the grin of the policeman as he drives his paddy wagon full of presents to the orphanage.

In the twinkle in the eyes of the Taiwanese waiter as he tells of his upcoming Christmas trip to see his children. In the emotion of the father who is too thankful to finish the dinner table prayer. He's in the tears of the mother as she welcomes home her son from overseas. He's in the heart of the man who spent Christmas morning on skid row giving away cold baloney sandwiches and warm wishes. And he's in the solemn silence of the crowd of shopping mall shoppers as the elementary school chorus sings "Away in a Manger." Emmanuel. He is with us. God came near.

It's Christmas night. In a few hours the cleanup will begin -- lights will come down, trees will be thrown out. Size 36 will be exchanged for size 40, eggnog will be on sale for half-price. Soon life will be normal again. December's generosity will become January's payments and the magic will begin to fade. But for the moment, the magic is still in the air. Maybe that's why I'm still awake. I want to savor the spirit just a bit more. I want to pray that those who beheld him today will look for him next August. And I can't help but linger on one fanciful thought: if he can do so much with such timid prayers lamely offered in December, how much more could he do if we thought of him every day?

Max Lucado

Isaiah 65:1
“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
I was found by those who did not seek me.
To a nation that did not call on my name,
I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’

How dare I...

2009-12-18T15:46:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it. I JUST CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE IT.
I forgot two of my all-time favourites... the Christmas goodies I have already consumed must have clouded my thoughts...

AHEM - here are two EXTREMELY wonderful Christmas Movies that are on my "must-watch" list:
SCROOGED

Oh, Bill Murray. If you thought "What about Bob" was good, wait until you see this! Honestly, He's one of my favourite actors... he has the kind of humour that I just adore.

A MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL

Instead of commenting, I'll sing along: "It's true wherever you find love it feels like Christmas!" "DOOMED, Scrooge! Doomed for all-time! Your life is like a horror story written by your crimes!" "And after all there's only one more sleep till Christmas!" "There goes Mr. Humbug, there goes mr. Grim. If there was a prize for being mean, the winner would be him!"

LOVE it.
My apologies to both of these movies for not including them originally. There's no excuse.

Merry Christmas, dear friends. May your days be merry and bright, and may you know the love of the Lord Jesus this holiday season!

a few of my favourite things...

2009-12-12T17:21:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Christmas, and although I had originally intended on listing some of my favourite Christmas songs for you all to enjoy, I found that trying to narrow down the list practically threw me into a panic! SO, I've decided to list Christmas movies that I MUST watch every year (and I'm sure you all have a similar list). Let's do "top 7" shall we?

#7 - White Christmas

Let's face it, hollywood has taken a major dive in the areas of talent and class - compare someone like Lindsay Lohan or Seth Rogen to stars from the 1950's like Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye or Rosemary Clooney... see my point? This movie is a classic - "Vermont's beautiful this time of year... all that snow!"

#6 - Home Alone

There is something about watching robbers who get "poned" (as they say) by a little kid that is unceasingly hilarious. LOVE the theme song from this movie. McCauley Culkin deserves MAJOR props for being a flipping amazing actor at such a young age.

#5 - The Grinch

Brilliant. Whoever thought of combining Jim Carey and Christmas deserves a gold medal. I can almost quote every line from this movie and it's STILL not old (nor will it ever be!). "Kids these days... so desensitized by movies and television."

#4 - It's a Wonderful Life

Beautiful. Jimmy Stewart will always be an integral part of Christmas traditions... what an amazing actor. My favourite line? "this is a very interesting situation!" (as he holds the robe beside the bush). Man, life is good.

*Before I list the next three, please note that this was a VERY difficult decision...

#3 - A Charlie Brown Christmas

"I can tell you what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown! Lights please?!" This little movie speaks for itself... Charles Schultz, thank you for "Peanuts".

#2 - A Christmas Story

Can you believe that some people don't even KNOW about this movie?! I can't imagine Christmas without it! "Fra-Gi-Le... must be Italian." "I think it says 'fragile' sweety", "So help me God, yellow eyes!", "I like the Wizard of Oz"... Who wrote this? I want to get a tattoo of their name.

#1 - Christmas Vacation

"I don't know about the dog Clark, but I sure am enjoying it!" This is probably the funniest movie of all time. I honestly can not think of a movie that I enjoy watching as much as this one... "She'll see it later honey, her eyes are frozen".

And there you have it! If you have not seen any of these movies - shame on you! Go out, right now (put on a toque because it's VERY cold), and rent... no no, BUY them immediately.

Merry Christmas friends - stay posted for a Max Lucado story...

Rash Report

2009-12-04T19:05:00.001-08:00

Hey Team -
Just so you know, I don't look nearly as hideous now as I did in the picture below - however, I found out from the doctor today that they expect my allergy test results to take ANOTHER week to three weeks. Lame. That would make it 4-6 weeks of waiting... (which, in the grand scheme of things, is practically no time at all but feels like forever when your mouth feels like it's on fire everytime you eat!)

On another note, I'm super stoked for Christmas! (I've been celebrate since Nov. 1st, but it's getting pretty legit now). Stay posted for a wonderful blog post on my most favouritest Christmas Songs... (coming soon to a computer screen near you).

Rash McGee.

2009-11-25T16:06:00.000-08:00

Hey team.

I decided it's time. Time to tell the world.

For the past 7 months (beginning just before the wedding) I've had a trace of redness under my eyes. Not a big deal, right? At first, it was no problem... nothing a little makeup couldn't hide! The months raced by, and it seemed as if every calendar change equalled a new development of this "redness". The progression went a little something like this:

1) a slight discolouration under my right eye that would come and go.

2) a similar spot under my left eye.

3) patches at the back of my hair-line quite consistently

4) behind my ears, quite dramatically.

5) on one side of my neck, irritating, but not unbearable

6) all across my neck - extremely itchy

7) below my eyes, above my eyes, around my entire mouth, my temples, my hairline, my entire neck and down onto my shoulders.

There was a time (probably back in August) when it would flare up and disappear a few days later (all except a small patch under my eyes). That was when I first called the Dermatologist... my appointment? November 23rd. So, for all of August, September, October and most of November, the "reaction" worsened. Multiple doctor's visits, diagnosis (stress, ocular rosacea, hormone imbalance, food allergy, eczema, etc.) hydrocortisone creams, naturopath exams and a $312 allergy test all took place as I waited. After the allergy test (which was a week and a half ago) I considered cancelling the Dermatologist appointment. After all, the allergy test was expensive enough, and was SURELY going to give me the answers I'd been searching for!

...Thank goodness I changed my mind.

This past Saturday morning I woke up with my eyes almost swollen shut and my mouth looking like a sock monkey. I would classify it as the worst "allergic reaction" I've ever had.

So, after a four month wait, I headed to the Dermatologist on Monday - looking worse than ever (which, for once, was a good thing)! He looked at me and immediately said "this isn't good". (Shocking revelation, Doctor! thanks for your time!) With some closer examination, he diagnosed me with a "contact allergy"... which, once again, could really be anything. He gave me a prescription for a specialty face moisturizer and a non-hydrocortisone eczema cream which would, he warned, "feel stingy for awhile". Holy crap - it burned like I had rubbed cayenne peppers all over my eyes... while they were open.

So, I wait. I wait for this cream to work, I wait for the test results to come back, I wait for the day I can wear contact lenses again (my glasses strategically covered the redness below my eyes), I wait to wear makeup (eyeshadows, lipglosses, eyeliners, etc.), I wait for the confidence to show my face in public without wanting to run and hide in the nearest local washroom!

I'm going to attach a picture...sorry in advance. I know it's not the "loveliest" I've ever taken. You can also see it slightly in the main picture of Kyle and I at the top - I don't usually have 50 year old woman wrinkles like that, it's the dryness.

Inspite of the frustration and irritation of this "thing", God is really teaching me how very blessed I am. This isn't forever, it's temporary. This isn't life-threatening, it's just annoying. This isn't crippling, it's just itchy. I still have a face - rashy though it may be! And even though my husband can't kiss me for the time being, he still reminds me that I'm beautiful (bless his heart).

Anyways, if you think of it, pray for some answers. I would really appreciate it.

love and such.

Rashy McGee

and so it goes...

2009-11-15T15:57:00.001-08:00

Time has been flying lately. I can NOT believe that we're already in the middle of November! Kyle and I have had a lot going on lately - He was accredited with the Christian and Missionary Alliance on Tuesday, and I'm so proud! We also were candidating for a church in Abbotsford this past week - needless to say, Kyle has been feeling some "pressure" lately. He's done so well, and I couldn't be more sure of his calling to ministry.

I applied for UFV a week ago... to start classes in January. I'm really looking forward to going back to school, even though I know it won't be anything like the "university experience" I had in 2006-2008... (which calls for a shout-out to Elissa, Kat, Laura and Amanda). Maybe I'll take more notes this time, and not draw as many cartoons...or play classroom bingo... (although those were awesome AND entertaining... and sometimes educational in their own way).

The next two months may contain some serious ch-ch-ch-changes, in the words of David Bowie, and we're really looking forward to all of them.

That's the update for now... I'll try and follow up with details in the near future.

xo - J

unexplainable love.

2009-10-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

These aren't really going to be my own thoughts... I'm reading "Soul Cravings" by Erwin McManus right now, and I wanted to share something that caught my attention...

"The truth of the matter is that we're uncomfortable with God. We're disoriented by the way he loves.
We want God to love us for an endless number of good reasons.At the same time, we find ourselves nervous before him because he sees right through us and knows everything that isn't lovable. He tells us that he is our place of rest and acceptance and unconditional love, yet we cannot reconcile this love. We know who we are. We know all that is unlovely within us. We wonder how we have become worthy of such love, and that's what worries us - we know we're not. So we run. We run from God because he sees us best; we run from God to escape our own sense of unworthiness; we run from God because we are certain that the closer we come to him, the more guilt and shame we will feel.

It's just too hard to believe that if you come near to God, you will find yourself not drowning in condemnation, but swimming in compassion.
Jesus called to all who were weary and who found their souls exhausted to come to him and find rest. He is telling us that God will be for us our place called home.
We run from God because we long to be loved and we have convinced ourselves that the One who is most loving could not and would not embrace us.
We run from the One our souls crave."

This is a reoccuring theme in my life... never being able to fully grasp how God could REALLY, deeply love me.

Not if he knows me, the real me. Not if he had any idea of my pride or envy or selfish ambition...

and yet, despite knowing my messed up, junky inmost being, God loves me with a love that I could never have thought possible - a love that will never cease to amaze me.
My favourite verses are found in Ephesians 3:17-19 : "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. "

What an amazing life I can live in the undeserved and precious love of my Lord.

- J

09.09.09

2009-09-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

Ode to my Daddio.
Dale Bradley Saip - born September 9th, 1959.

This post is about him.

My dad is now fifty years old, and I thought it would be appropriate to share a couple of thoughts and some fun pictures in celebration!

First of all, I'm very grateful to my dad for the years he spent coaching me - not just in softball or hockey, but in life. I have always known that my dad loves me dearly, and wants the very best for me - and because of that, I count myself very blessed.

My dad also knows more people than anyone I know... I remember as a child we would go out for dinner or to a movie and there would be a handful of "acquaintances" that would approach him at one point or another... we kids would always ask "who was that?" to which he could usually give an answer...

Dad also belongs to an extremely entertaining clan... family get togethers with Uncle Grant and his family, Uncle Barry and his family, and the "grandma-ma" are always an absolute hoot.

I will also add that my dad has many titles, dad, chairman, vice-president and coach - he is also one of the most genuine "cowboys" I've ever met.

Basically, I love my dad.
I'll throw in some pics to entertain you all...

my own glee.

2009-09-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

So, I’m officially addicted to Glee… after only one episode.
I think it’s because I miss that aspect of who I am… singing, dancing, acting. I miss the way it used to feel to be on stage, even just in rehearsals, because I felt like I really belonged their… like God had blessed me with this passion for something I was fortunate enough to pursue.
But that was a while ago.
I’m so thrilled to have experienced a multitude of loves: hockey, softball, painting, writing, dancing, running, reading, photography, teaching, camping, etc., but there is nothing I’d rather do more than sing and act.
I’ll also add that I love my husband – he supports me in EVERY passion that I have, and sings my praises like no other. For example, yesterday he said “wow Jay, is there anything you aren’t good at?” (which he knows the answer to: croquet. Haha) But in all seriousness, when I say “I miss acting” he says “then act”, and when I say “I think I could do photography” he says “let’s make you a portfolio”. I love that man.
Back to business – musical theatre – I’m GOING to do it again… maybe not today or tomorrow… but soon. Very soon. I feel this stirring in my soul… maybe the Lord will open doors for me to return to the stage… and in the midst of it all, create deep, lasting relationships with fellow cast members where I can show them the love of Christ through loving them just as they are…. I don’t know if that makes sense, but sometimes the theatre can boast quite a cast (no pun intended) of unique individuals with varied life styles. They don’t want some goodie-goodie Christian coming in to judge/condemn them… because that’s garbage. So, I’ll follow my passion with an added bonus of emanating God’s love for them. I like that.

Well, this was a mish-mash of thoughts.
Watch “Glee”, I love it.

my dear friend...

2009-08-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

My eager friend has left his subtle fingerprints across a day that is not his own.
A scent, one smell - a memory. "Back so soon?"
But no. Just a hint, in jest, before retreating - almost undetected - into the August midday.
A shade, a hue, has caught my eye - a leaf anxiously embracing my dear friend's splendor.
A deliciously majestic auburn, shaming it's neighbors in appearance.
But this poor, beautiful leaf will be the first to fall... a leader for the myriads to follow.
"You're too early, dear friend", and I know he agrees as the wind catches my hair.
"A couple more weeks, then?"...and I know he's gone again.
But soon, as time dances away another season, he'll return.
With ferver and passion he'll paint his canvas in rich golds, intermingling reds, oranges and browns - a stunning work of art.
But his welcome is never as warm as the world which he creates around us.
A sigh, at first;
a mourning time over the loss of another sweet season who left us much too young.
in this sad state we sit, as my friend labours, unappreciated, to remake the world around us.
He knows his time will come...
And then, before it even seems he was here at all, he will be the one dearly missed.
I've missed you, my old friend. Welcome back.

"time flies"

2009-08-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

And the world spins madly on…
And on.
And on a little bit more.
It’s the middle of August.
Before I know it, I’ll be hugging my siblings goodbye as they venture off to Briercrest…
I don’t like the thought of that…
but I guess they deserve their turn to be hugged goodbye instead of always doing the hugging.
And Kyle will be back in classes – buying books, writing papers, absorbing tidbits of info
(because who really absorbs it all? Be serious).
But things won’t change much for me… which is new.
Fall has always consisted of new beginnings, (new outfits), new adventures…
But not so much, this year.
I love my job, it’s just a strange feeling…
Growing up.

I look forward to buying books, learning things, hopefully finding a stage with a spotlight where I can play make-believe in front of an audience again.
But until then, I’m content.
… a strange feeling, growing up.

I want to learn.

2009-08-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

so... I want to learn about photography. I want to figure it out... so I will.

Shannon - if you read this, thanks for taking the time to patiently explain the different settings to me. I really appreciated that.

Here are some of my favourite's (so far)...

because I'm thankful.

2009-07-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

God is so good to me.

As I sit here, listening to the ice cream truck drive by my little (and I mean little) basement suite and waiting for Kyle to get home, I think of all that has transpired in the past year and am BLOWN away by how faithful the Lord has been, even when I was not. I have to give praise to the Lord for the restoration and healing He has brought into my life this past year, for the way He orchestrated it so I could serve at camp last summer, for how he placed me at Power to Change, for how he shaped (and continues to shape) my relationship with Kyle, and for how He is continually proving that He is a God of miracles.

My provider, comforter, protector and friend.

I want to live my life as a testiment to the freedom and joy that can be found through Jesus Christ - "and I hope that you, being rooted and established in love, will have the power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and deep and high is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge" - Ephesians 3:17-19

Ode to the "Rom-Com"

2009-07-13T21:29:00.000-07:00

Since marrying my wonderful husband, I have learned to TRULY appreciate the times that I've been able to rent movies I love. Therefore, I find it appropriate to write a blog solely devoted to the fabulous world of romantic-comedies... or girly movies. May I share my favourites? I'll start with some classics...

8) Sleepless in Seattle - wow. They don't even SEE each other the entire movie and your heart is just pulled RIGHT in! Major props to the ever-lovable Tom Hanks.

7) When Harry Met Sally - Once again, thanks Meg Ryan. How cute is this? Friends finally figuring out that they are meant for one another. Dang.

MORE RECENTLY...

6) America's Sweethearts - LOVE John Cusack. Seriously. I love him and so does Kyle. haha. This movie is just... funny, wonderful, once again with the "finally figuring it out!" Great timing julia roberts!

5) Notting Hill - who HASN'T dreamt of meeting a major movie star and falling madly in love? It's always a shame when your hollywood lifestyle pulls you apart - but there's nothing quite like the moment when Julia is asked how long she'll be in England and she says... "indefinitely".

4) The Wedding Planner - "you saved... my shoe". Hell ya he did. Matthew McCounaghey, thank you for showing me the importance of only eating brown M&M's... LOVE it!

3) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Day - how hilarious is this? "Princess Sophia"... "Benny boo boo boo!" Kate Hudson is so fabulous in this... and SO gorgeous! Jealous. Once again, the rom com king, Matthew McConaughey - let's get a round of applause...

2) Never Been Kissed - Drew Barrymore. QUEEN OF THE ROM-COM. She is probably my favourite actress... I don't think I've disliked a single movie she's been in. Never been kissed is just... wonderful. I love that she can be an idiot, look unattractive and still be awesome. How brilliantly endearing... the baseball field scene at the end just SLAYS me everytime.

AND THE NUMBER ONE, MOST FAVOURITEST GIRLY MOVIE OF ALLLLL TIME?!

1) Ever After - Might not even count as a Romantic Comedy, but I don't care. The perfect Cinderella story... and I could almost quote the whole thing. "I will not yield!" "then you don't deserve her". I want to BE Danielle duBarberaque (or shall we say Nicole duLancre?)

So there you have it... I would watch them all RIGHT now if I had the chance! At the request of my husband, I'm giving an honourable mention out to the one, the only, "Serendipity". (Told you he loved John Cusack!). We actually used the song from the "skating rink" scene for when I walked down the aisle... magical. Memorable.

Viva.

2009-06-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

My goodness. Coldplay was fantastic.
Honestly, I never expected ANYONE to come close to matching the wonder that was the Kenny Rogers concert, but LO, Coldplay blew them ALL out of the water. This list includes a spunky and short Shania, the slightly dirty Maroon 5, the crude but ridiculously talented John Mayer, the overly patriotic Toby Keith, the fabulous (but girly-voiced) Rascal Flatts, the brilliant and soothing Blue Rodeo, the humorous and original Brad Paisley and most fabulous and creative Brooks and Dunn.. etc.
SO - there have been some close rivals.
Do I expect U2 to be better? Not necessarily. Do I think that it will be close? Definitely. Do I want to ANTICIPATE a similarily mind-blowing night? Probably not.. heaven forbid I be disappointed. Can U2 disappoint? I'm not sure. Is that an oxymoron?
I will also add that Snow Patrol rocked-our socks. Kyle and I were just so thoroughly impressed with that concert - beginning to end. Not a second of disappointment.
Wow.
Now Kyle is growing his hair out to look just like Chris Martin...
... I guess I should buy him some V-neck t-shirts...

2009-06-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

It’s been a while.
It could be because I became somewhat crazy-busy before the wedding, or that we don’t have internet in our place yet… but for whatever reason, I really haven’t blogged in, what seems like, a VERY long time.
I seem to start all my blogs that way. Sorry about that!

I’ll start off by saying that the wedding went fabulously! It was picture-perfect, and I honestly felt like I was walking into a dream stepping into both the sanctuary of Tsawwassen Alliance Church AND the reception site. It was definitely interesting to be on the “other side” of a wedding… watching everything unfold throughout the day without having to coordinate it all personally. I can honestly say that I felt totally relaxed about it all… which was exactly how a bride wants to feel.

It was an emotional day, filled with tears of all sorts: joy in finally marrying the man of my dreams and starting our life together, but also sadness in leaving behind my “single” self… being under my parents roof, making decisions that only affected me, being Jalen Saip. I mean, I’ll forever BE me, but now I’m part of someone else – it’s thrilling, but somewhat bizarre. The whole day is etched in my memory forever, but there were a few KEY moments:
- Driving with my dad, Tori and Elise to the church. My dad turned on the radio and the song “My wish” by rascal flatts was playing. Dad turned it up, knowing how fitting it was. It was a good moment for me… being with my daddy on the way to the church.
- Seeing Kyle at the end of the aisle was huge. I felt a calm come over me that I never would have imagined I would feel. In our vows we said “may you always feel deeply loved, for indeed you are,” and that is my prayer for our marriage, that we will ALWAYS make each other feel deeply loved and appreciated.
- My mom sang a little song at the end of her speech from my childhood that literally took me back to being a little girl lying in bed while my mom would sing over me “where are you going my little one? Where are you going my baby my love? Turn around and you’re two, turn around and you’re four. Turn around and your going right out the door.” Pfff. I have a huge lump in throat just typing it out.

The day was perfect, and there were a lot of people that made it that way… and I owe them all a debt of gratitude.
I’ll attach some photos, with the PROMISE of more to come in the near future!

The newly named, Jalen Dyck.

countdown...

2009-04-06T20:34:00.001-07:00

Like I said: I'm a terrible blogger. I just DO NOT remember to update this thing!
Hopefully I'll really improve drastically once I'm not a complete scatter-brain... if that day ever comes...
So, I'm in serious countdown mode right now. After being thrown LOVELY bridal showers by 1)my precious Aunt Terri, 2) My wonderful Auntie Marilyn, and 3)my most favourite mother-in-law-to-be, i'm really feeling like I'm in full-blown wedding season! So, as soon as I finish this blog, I'm going to make a master list of both the things that are left to do (and believe me, there are quite a few) and the people that could potentially help do them! I think that transferring it all to paper will help me think a little clearer.

I'm excited. REALLY excited... not for the wedding so much (although that IS terribly exciting) but for the new life that Kyle and I are embarking on.
It's all so... unknown, yet thrilling!

Alright, time to get-crackin'.
until next time,
- J

2009-03-05T15:47:00.001-08:00

21 years.

The past year has been… quite something. There were ups and downs that I never would have seen coming, and yet, looking back fills me with such a joy and – maybe more accurately – peace.

I’m learning, growing, changing, and that’s just fine by me! Jeremiah 18 says “This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.’ So I went down to the potter’s house and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed in into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me: ‘O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?’ declares the Lord. ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.’”.

That’s me. I’m the “house of Israel.” God, the potter, is shaping me ‘as seem(s) best to him’.

I like that. And yes, it’s sometimes painful realizing that you don’t know everything (and sometimes it feels like I don’t know anything), but that’s alright – God knows. For this next year of life, with all of the excitement and change, I’m going to continue to trust that God knows exactly what my finished “pot of clay” will look like – and I’m sure it will be quite wonderful.

For Michelle

2009-01-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

I realize I'm a terrible blogger.
I'm aware of it... there's no need for an intervention.
I want to do better... keep things up-to-speed.
Even if the only people that follow my blog are Whitney, Michelle, and some Random girl from Korea, I'm STILL going to try harder! ha HA!
*cue heroic music*

So, I'm sure all of you are dying for details on my life, and here they are: I've been sick this past week with a cold, the light in my room has been extremely unpredictable lately, and I'm finding that my feather comforter is just too dang hot at times.

How's THAT for an update?

I'm going to be 'illin at the Kawkawa booth (11am-3pm) and Power to Change booth (3:30-6:30) tomorrow at Missions Fest, and I'm looking forward to it. I've never been on the "info" side of Missions Fest... I'm kind of a big deal, I suppose.

Is this good for today, Michelle? I wanted to give you something NEW.
"Here's lookin' at you, kid."

me and my man.

2009-01-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

So, the countdown is on for the wedding, and I thought it only fitting to throw a couple of our engagement photos up on this thing!
These pictures were taken by Carla, Kyle's "billet mom" during his internship. She's quite talented, and we had a lot of fun just prancing through the woods!
Enjoy!

Merry Christmas to all!

2008-12-26T22:34:00.000-08:00

Technically I should have written something yesterday, but with all the "shenanigans and goings-on" there was really no time.

I can't believe that Christmas has come and gone once again! It amazes me every year.

This was my last Christmas as a single woman, and I'm thrilled! Even though I'll soon have yet ANOTHER family to try and figure out holiday schedules with, I couldn't be more thrilled to be able to spend my very favourite time of year with my very favourite person! (you can choose whether that means Kyle, or baby Jesus.... haha).

Here are a few things I will miss terribly until the season rolls 'round again : the music, the decorations, the movies, the smells, the celebration, the family time, and how for one brief season people everywhere are drawn towards the story of the Christ-child.

Now, if we would only spend the same time in praise and adoration in August as we do in December...

I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas, and that God blesses you richly in the New Year.

- J

Christmas in New York

2008-12-15T20:41:00.000-08:00

New York is lovely in the winter time... especially when it snows in Times Square... ... this I now know. I had the privilege of adventuring there with two wonderful girlfriends of mine: Natalie Rutherford, and Jill Wiebe (aka - Rabbit and Jack).

We really took New York by storm... or it took US by storm! We arrived on Thursday evening, and by Friday we had seen The Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Central Park, Statton Island, Empire State Building, Ground Zero, and whatever the "hop on, hop off" bus had to offer.

We wasted NO time, leaving us completely exhausted by the time we'd arrive at our Jersey City "Econolodge" at the end of the day. Cue: tv special on the history of felines.

It was thrilling... honestly, there are few things that compare to the sights and sounds of Times Square in early December - a seemingly unstoppable tizzy of activity; an overwhelming flurry of every type of person you can think of - and then the snow fell, reminding me that this was no circus. This is New York City... where people live life everyday, just like me.

I rode the subway and thought of that song : "give me Your eyes for just one second. Give me Your eyes so I can see everything that I keep missing. Give me Your love for humanity". There's a lot of hurting people there, just like here. They need to know Christ's love, just like I do.

I (heart) NY.

first for everything.

2008-11-27T19:37:00.001-08:00

I'm not a blogger. In fact, I just recently - within the past year - began journalling. However, I've never been one to shy away from 'fads', and so my blog begins. I'm pretty thrilled that I figured out how to set this up today (thanks to Kyle, my fiance) because I'll be heading to New York, NY in a weeks time, and would love to be able to document a bit of my adventure.

So, feel free to read on (once I post more), and find out a little bit about why I am the way I am, and understand for yourself why my life is one to be envied.

signature sign off?

xo. Jay