Take the Time

It's been an interesting week.

The other night at Sola (Young Adults service at Northview), the speaker was talking about how some Christians are hypocrites, and the church thinks it's their job to condemn people to hell. He said that throughout the Bible anytime Jesus rebukes anyone, it's the religious people. The Pharisees and church leaders. Anytime Paul rebukes someone, it's in his letters to his own church. He never tells sinners that they're going to hell. 

Then the other night, out for dinner with Dave, Graham, and Jenna, we were talking about church, and how we can draw people in. Graham said that the only way people these days are going to come to a small-ish church is through personal relationships. 

And now, this morning on Facebook, one of my long-lost-friends from high school had written a note that everyone could see. He's a very anti-religious person, often known to laugh at those 'religious idiots'. He had been searching YouTube and found some things that interested him, about people dying and coming back to life and claiming to have seen heaven and hell, and that sort of thing. Bogus, most of it. He said that it didn't change his views of religion, but it made him start to think. He got a really weird feeling in his gut, and he's very curious. The next night he went to Tim Hortons with a few guys for coffee, and another group of guys sat next to them, and started talking to them, saying they seemed like nice guys, but if they're not saved they're going to hell. That kind of thing. Good intentions; going about it all wrong. 

So this freaked him out a little bit, it was such a coincidence. Just that afternoon he and his friends had been debating those very same things.

Now he's really questioning religion. He still claims that nothing is going to change his anti-religion beliefs, but he still wants answers. 

I so badly want to invite him to church this sunday (it's baptisms, so nothing super intimidating for a non-christian, but a good chance to see how God has changed other peoples' lives), but I haven't really talked to him in a long time, and coming out of nowhere to invite him to church would probably scare him off. It would be like all the people he makes fun of; trying to be friends with people just to get them to church. If I had taken the time to maintain that friendship awhile ago it would have been totally okay to invite him to church, and maybe spark his curiosity even more. 

Take the time to develop personal relationships with people who you've drifted apart from. You never know when you could be called to make a difference for them.

Poor Starving Student in Need of Work

So Christmas is coming.

It's a hard time for someone trying to save money. You can cheap out a little bit on gifts, but there's a fine line between "being creative with a low-budget" and "what the heck IS this you cheap jerk?"

After cutting back the spending limit, and the amount of people you're buying for, some money is saved, but it still ends up costing a lot.

I was thinking the other day about what to do, and my mom had a pretty good suggestion.

As a summer job last year (which ran into fall too) I cleaned 4 houses. I really liked it, and I'm pretty good at it. And I have almost all of December off of school. So, here's my idea:

Christmas Cleaning.

Pre-decorating, pre + post party (Christmas or New Years), or just as a Christmas treat for yourself.

I have yet to come up with a price, mostly because some houses are big, and some are small. Some are close to my house, and some are far away. Some houses have many people living in them, and some do not. So in those respects, an hourly rate isn't the best bet. I'm trying to work out a fair way of setting the price, because I guess it doesn't look professional to walk into a house and say "um...... how about.... 50 bucks? Sound good?"

Also, I usually use whatever cleaning supplies are in the house, because some people are particular about the products that are used in their home (smells, allergies, etc) but I do have a few things of my own. I live in Abbotsford, but would drive into Langley if it's not TOO far away.

Anyways. If this sounds good to you, or any of your friends (please spread the word), let me know!

Justine Janzen

by email: justine_janzen@yahoo.ca

by phone: 604-857-9716

I'm planning to start in December, but I could probably do a few sometime this month too.

References are available!

(i really hope someone reads this:P)

They will know we are Christians

Dave and I were playing through some hymns the other night, and I came across one that I'd heard before on the radio, but never in church. The more I played it, the more I loved it, and the more the words struck me.

Four verses, a couple lines each. And as a whole, they sum up everything you need to know.

If a non-believer approached you and asked you, "What does being a true Christian look like?" ... 

this is what you'd tell them

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.

We are one in the Spirit we are one in the Lord.

And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love

Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand.

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand.

And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love

Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

We will work with each other, we will work side by side.

We will work with each other, we will work side by side.

And we'll guard each man's dignity and save each man's pride.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love

Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

All praise to the Father, from whom all things come

And all praise to Christ Jesus His only son.

And all praise to the Spirit who makes us one.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love

Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

God is Love. And if God is in us, so is Love.

Bitter water and sweet water cannot flow from the same stream.

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35 (ESV)

The Nature of Things

Today was one of the most perfect Fall days.

That big orangey-yellow circle was back in the sky, and the earth was a little bit toasty.

A handful of gorgeous red leaves lay under every tree along the sidewalk, and there was that scent in the air... the sweet aroma of color. The fragrance of frost. It was fresh, it was comforting, and there was a trace of Indian Summer in the air.

It's always sad to see the first few leaves that have been shunned from their perch, sentenced to rot on the cold, wet, ground. Last year was even more sad for me.

I had missed the changing of the colors! I don't know where I was when it happened... but I saw green leaves... then I saw no leaves. The in-between stage disappeared on me. It's one of my favorite parts of fall! 

This year I caught it just in time. I recognized the signs... and I was still. I waited. And this time I didn't miss it.

Paradise Lost

End of the Summer Hike

Lindeman Lake, Chilliwack

It was a rough, long hike. Not many flat areas. Nearly half of it scrambling over piles of rocks. It was a little bit chilly, but we were warm from the effort (at least I was.)

We stopped quite a few times so I could have water and catch my breath. 

We were hungry. Somebody slept in (I won't say who... but his name rhymes with David), so we had gotten a late start. I knew my backpack contained a delicious Tim Hortons sandwich and Cookie.

Finally we reached the lake. 

It was gorgeous.

So worth the hike. 

I didn't know water could look like that.

The pictures look as if it's sunny and hot, but really, it was completely overcast. The water is really that color.

Amazing!

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. ~ John Muir

I don't know who this John Muir guy is, but he sure says some lovely things about nature.

Into that Setting Sun...

There is something about the setting of the sun that is magic. Something that I can't quite put my finger on. Or maybe it is not one thing in particular. Maybe it is the collection of anything you want it to be. 

The warmth of the days last rays as they stretch as far as they can to gently touch your hair and put their hand on your face, before quickly slipping away for the night.

The colors that seem to come from nowhere. The sun seems to be yellow/orange. The earth is blue and green. Yet somehow we get pinks as bright as flowers, purples as deep as the sea, and reds as strong as fire.

The knowledge that a perfect day has finished, and in the morning, another one will start, because the sun will always be there.

The way you can watch a sunset wherever you want. It happens everywhere. A beautiful backyard garden, the wide open ocean, a rooftop restaurant, a lush green field... 

The brightness of the sun at the end of the day is always more dazzling and blinding than any other time of the day. It is closer to us. It is at eye-level, trying to catch our glance and wave goodnight.

The tranquility of a sunset is there for anyone to enjoy, and that should be taken advantage of, because you can do whatever it is you haven't gotten done during the day as you admire it. Anyone who has never watched the sun set is greatly missing out. It is almost impossible to think of anything else during it. And I'm still not sure why. 

"Once I saw a chimpanzee gaze at a particularly beautiful sunset for a full 15 minutes, watching the changing colors, and then retire to the forest without picking a pawpaw for supper." - Adriaan Kortlandt

The Joys of Life

These last few weeks have been very exciting.

I have given my two weeks' notice at Safeway.

My last day is July 25th.

I'm going to Shuswap with friends and family. I thought I wouldn't be going this year. It may be the last year for awhile, too.

I am taking August off, and planning on having a wonderful month of summer.

I have applied for, and been accepted, to UFV for the Fall Semester.

I am taking a 6 month course on Applied Business Technology (Office Work).

At the end of the course there's a 3 week practicum, where they place you in an office for Work Experience. Hopefully a full time job is the result of that.

I have found the direction that I've been searching for. 

Through all these months of confusion and uncertainty, God has been putting together a plan that is perfect for me. It's all going to work out, just like I prayed it would.

Everything is great. Life is great. Praise God.

Drinking Nature is an unquenchable thirst - Berri Clove

How quickly we forget...

Summer is finally here! We can be free and let loose. They may as well have called the sun a ball of flaming joy - Star Riches. Carefree day spent sitting in the shade, looking out over some sort of glistening water, sipping cool lemonade, feeling the breeze and listening to the birds.... and sneezing! and scratching and rubbing eyes and oh the agony! How quickly we forget the terrible things that can come along with summer.

Beautiful gardens full of flowers bring out the worst side(s) of people with allergies to hay and cotton and anything that MIGHT be floating in the breeze. And nothing is worse to a person with allergies than a person who doesn't have allergies. They just don't understand how completely miserable it makes a person. The outdoors have no appeal, the warm weather brings no joy, and the water is no longer refreshing.

Speaking of water... what nasty thing goes along with water during summer? Something come to mind? Does it give you tingles? Is it making you look over your shoulder in fear? Have your ears perked up, listening for and dreading that humming noise just at the thought or MOSQUITOES!?? Buzzing, sucking, ugly, itchy, burning, infuriating! Some summer nights I have been up until 2 in the morning, just hunting down mosquitoes in my room so that I can sleep in peace. I carry a tube of Bite Ointment (Phenergan... works GREAT) in my purse and apply it regularly.

Then there are burns and dehydration and sweat and all of that stuff. It's so easy to forget about those during the winter months when we'd give anything just for a bit of natural heat.

Now I'm not dissing summer. I still love it. I am more than happy (okay, maybe a little bit less than happy) to put up with all of those things just to enjoy everything good and perfect about summer.

Water, swimming, beaches, sand, ice cream, naps, sunshine, warmth, cool drinks, refreshing, bathing suits, tanning, late nights, gorgeous sunsets, fresh strawberries, juicy blackberries, sweet peaches, soft breezes, barbecues, campfires, s'mores, camping, tents, muisc, family, friends, Shuswap (hehe)...

How cunningly nature hides every wrinkle of her inconceivable antiquity under roses and violets and morning dew! - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The sun is the epitome of benevolence - Jessi Lane Adams

It is the beginning of June. Normally by now I would have a tan. Alas, tis not to be so. If this global warming gets any worse, we're all going to freeze to death! I don't usually get so upset about bad weather, but lately the pressure and moisture in the air is weighing heavily on me. (Or is that just the stress of a new job?) After what seems like an entire year of wetness, (7 months is almost a year) I am ready for some sunshine. But that seems so far into the future. 

Yes, even as I write this the sun is starting to peek from behind the layers and layers of cloud, but I would bet money that it is to be short lived. Sure, the forecast for next week is pretty impressive (since when is a high of 18 impressive for June?), but so was this weeks. And look what we got. Rain, wind, cold... everything short of precipitation that is no longer liquid. We can hope that the sun will continue to grace us with it's presence, but I think we all know deep down that we will have at least another week of February. Tease.

Actually, this post started off as a rant about the lack of sunshine, but then I found this quote.

The sun is the epitome of benevolence - it is lifegiving and warmthgiving and happinessgiving, and to it we owe our thanksgiving - Jessi Lane Adams

Then I got to thinking, there could be a good reason why the Sun sounds and looks so much like the Son. (I'm talking about the Sun of God here. I mean the Son. Ah! this could get confusing). All of the qualities mentioned in that quote are embodied by Jesus. He gives us life, and we should be thankful. Then I stumbled across this quote, and it became even clearer;

The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do. - Galileo

Yes, this too is like the Son. All those planets (disciples?) and moons and stars (the crowds that followed him?) seem like the most important thing, and nothing else should matter. Yet the grapes (the sick, the poor) get just as much attention as anything else, maybe even more, as if that were the only thing on the To Do list.

Maybe this was very easy for most of you to figure out, maybe you already knew this. But my mind rarely works like this. I can almost never look at a piece of literature of any sort and come up with anything more than "Yup. I know."

Ornamental Hubcaps

It was Friday afternoon, the start of the Long Weekend. The sun was shining as we packed the last of our things into Jenna's car. My mom hands us a jug of water, for if the engine overheats. My dad pats the front right tire, saying "Oh, you'll need new tires soon, eh?" We hop in the car, and hit the road.

Not far into our trip, the road hits us. We failed to avoid a rather sizeable pothole coming up the Snowshed. No more than a minute later, we heard an odd thumping sound. Jenna mutters under her breath "If that's a flat tire..." We pull over. We get out. It's a flat tire. Dang. Now what? We look at each other. 

"My dad JUST gave me a huge lecture about getting a flat tire!" Jenna says, frustrated. 

"Isn't that the tire my dad touched when he said you need new tires?" Karlee asks. We laugh in disbelief. Jenna calls her dad, and we wait for the verdict.

"We have to try to change it. But we won't make it to Kamloops on the spare tire. We'll have to go home, and it'll be slow."

First things first. We have to take off the hubcap. We notice the bolts. We pick up a tool that has a hole the same shape as the bolts. It doesn't fit. We're turning it, and nothing is happening. We each take a turn, but the stubborn things just won't come off. Jenna phones her dad again.

"Okay, there's a chance they could be ornamental." So she picks up one of the other tools lying around and wrenches it off with a flick of the wrist. "My dad was right! It IS ornamental!"

Okay, now we can take the REAL bolts off. Those were no problem. But getting the jack under the car... THAT was a problem. By this time, it's getting a little cooler out, and we are all very frustrated at the amount of young guys in cars honking at us as they go past. Whatever happened to guys pulling over to help pretty girls change a tire??

A side note to all the young men out there... if you know how to change a tire, pull over and ask if they need help. If you don't know how to change a tire, DON'T HONK AT THEM. THAT DOESN'T GET THE GREASE OFF OUR HANDS.

Anyways. 

We tried lifting the front of the car so we could get the jack under, but once we got it under there we couldn't turn it higher. We made a call to Jenna's mom. The cavalry was on its way. Her mom and grandpa were going to come help us change the tire. If we got it changed before they got there, we would meet them in Hope, where we would trade vehicles and continue on our way to Kamloops. 

So we kept trying. Right before we gave up, a tow truck pulled over! Eleah and Karlee jumped up and down for joy. We asked him if he could help, and he said yes. Our Knight in Shining Armor had a REAL car jack, and got the rest of the job done with ease and swiftness. We were back in business. Of course, we had to drive 50K on the freeway to get to Hope, then go back the way we came, the whole ordeal adding about an extra 3 hours to the trip.

Lesson #1 - You need proper tools

Lesson #2 - When dad says "Oh, you need new tires soon, eh?" ... YOU NEED NEW TIRES! 

Bread is on the rise

"Man cannot live on bread alone..."

Too bad the Safeway Bakery doesn't know that!

As a recently hired Bakers' Helper, I've been shocked at the amount of bread people eat.

I usually work a 6 - 1 shift. From 6-8/9, I'm deep-frying and icing donuts. Next, 9-10:30 is setting up frozen donuts and bagels for the next day. After a half hour break, I slice, package, and bag bread and buns until 1!

I never realized how many different kinds of bread and buns there are. Parisian Baguettes, Mountain Grain, 7 Grain, 12 Grain, Hotbread, Jalapeno and Cheddar Focaccia... and all of it sells every day! One of the funniest things I've encountered is with the French Bread. The mixer makes a large batch of French Dough, and from that it gets made into Kaiser Buns, Parisian Baguettes, French Baguettes, French Bread, and more. So the only difference in those products is the shape and size!

Granted, there are lots of people in the Aldergrove area, but how many of them are allergic to Gluten, or just don't like bread? I remember the good old days, there was White bread, and there was Brown bread. Now we've got 18 million Grain bread, and bread without flour. Who knew that was possible? Well, I guess if the kneed arises...

 

Gloom

 

Why is it that when you're sick, everything seems to have a dark shade pulled over it? Things that usually will make you laugh are somehow no longer funny. The people that you like to be around become annoyances, distracting you from sleep; and the things you usually find joy in are just interruptions that keep you from wallowing in misery. It's interesting how a simple (but still dreadful) head-cold can make one feel like they are dying.

A few days ago I came down with a cold. At first I thought it was just allergies, but when the stuffy nose and pounding head persisted through the night (no matter the amount of different pills I took), I was forced to accept my fate. After two days it was so bad I couldn't go to work. I couldn't even sleep. I was reduced to a congested and ailing mess, surrounded by more Kleenex's than I even knew we had. The weather then took a turn for the worse. I'm convinced that this overcast and dreary day was pulled along in the wake of my sickness. Somehow bad weather always comes with illness. The above pictures were taken on gloomy rainy days, but they're still nice. If I were to go to those places now, I would not enjoy myself. I would probably be thinking something like "Ha! Now everyone else has to be gloomy just like me." rather than "Mm a lovely spring shower."

"Health is not valued till sickness comes." - Thomas Fuller. 

How true is that. Only a few days ago I was happy and alive, taking walks in forests and smiling. Now, my body has been taken hostage by some crazy virus that is determined to conquer me. I'm too young to die of a head-cold. Oh I can see the headlines now.

p.s. Yes, some of these sentences aren't very coherent. I know. But I'm sick. Give me a break.

The Battle of Waterloo

The name of this post was thought of by Kody 

(my brother), because he says the valley looks like part of his video 

game where they fight at Waterloo.

One of my favorite places to take pictures is a valley down the road from my house. The photo on the top is the beginning. Going down the hill and to the left takes you through a forest and past a creek. Eventually it comes up to a small field. Through the field and into another part of the forest are a few trails, leading in different directions. 

My favorite path is the one that goes straight down the valley, and up the hill. It wanders a bit through some bushes and trees, and heads through a small gate adorned with blackberry bushes. Then it comes up to the picture on the bottom. Another large field, completely open and empty except for four trees. The top of that hill looks out over a part of Abbotsford that isn't fully developed yet. And on a clear day, (even a not-so-clear day) there stands Baker, big as anything, backed on all sides by more mountains. Blue and green and grey, often with white tips. The kind of mountains that look like they came straight out of a painting.

All of these places have one thing in common: They allow me to be in the quiet and truly focus on praying. Praying has always been hard for me, there's always something around to distract me. People, music, the TV, the computer; all man-made things. But when the distractions are God-made, it's so much easier to relax and let the thoughts flow, while still remaining on track.

"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in." - George Washington Carver

I only went out for a walk

Hellooooo there.

(Am I supposed to use a greeting? I guess it doesn't matter. If you can't tell... I'm new at this. I apologize for the lack of flow. Also, I typed this all out once already and lost it. So if I seem brief, it's because in my mind I said this already.) Well, I thought I'd start by telling a bit about myself and the meaning of my Blog title.

Over the last couple of years, I have found myself often with a camera in my hand. If you look through my computer, you will find more than a few pictures of rocks, trees, flowers, and the like. I'm not quite sure how this interest developed. Perhaps I was bored once, and saw the camera looking quite lonesome on a sunny day. As it were, photography became my "thing". Apparently I have a good eye. 

After awhile of proving my salt with an incompetent photographic device (a bulky, old digital camera with a tiny screen and short battery-life), my parents decided to buy me my own for Grad. Nothing too fancy. A semi-slim HP, with a wonderfully large screen (albeit a slightly infuriating delay on night-time pictures). I started to carry it in my purse, and in jacket pockets. Often when I'd whip out my camera, someone would say something like "why would you take a picture of THAT?". Later on, they would see the picture and comment on how nice it is.

One of the beautiful things about nature photography, is that you have to be outside! I love the outdoors; the smell of the air, the feel of the ground, the warmth of the sun (the chill of the rain?). But I occasionally have trouble being motivated enough to go outside, unless for some important purpose. Having a camera in hand gets me out there. A walk down the road, a wander into the bush, even a drive down a back road; it sets me in motion and gets me thinking. Most of the time, I'll take the picture, then stand for quite some time praising God. It is SO amazing. It is unbelievable. It blows my mind. I am learning to find beauty in things that most people pass by without a thought.

The description of my Blog title (and also a bit of a description of myself), is one of my new favorite quotes. "I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." - John Muir.

I only went out for a walk, and I've returned with a camera full of God's artwork. 

Tomorrow, I'll go out again.