The Past, Present & Future

Ahhh yes. The complicated relationship between these three aspects of one's life has been on my mind recently. Then in one of my English courses we are studying an epic poem, written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, entitled Aurora Leigh. In the opening there is a simply lovely stanza, written beatifully, from a woman to a man:

 "As when you paint your portrait for a friend,
Who keeps it in a drawer and looks at it
Long after he has ceased to love you, just
To hold together what he was and is."

To hold together what you were and are. That is the whole point of the past, is it not? To realize who you were then and who you are now. It is complicated in that some times, it is vital we keep them separate, yet other time it is equally necessary that they be looked at together.
There was a time in the summer where I had no idea what the future held or what I wanted it to consist of, and I was so bogged down in the past, I honestly didn't want to look ahead to the 'scary unknown'. Then a good friend of mine said this to me and I liked it so much I wrote it down on a trusty index card at work during the summer, and you will see that it fits every kind of situation. (The card is now at my desk at home so that I always see it! :) ) - "There is no point in shying away from tomorrow, just because you regret what happened yesterday." This is when holding on to the past can have a negative effect, as I have seen it happen personally in my own life. Don't confuse and mix together the past with the future!
However, if one was to entirely forget the past and all that they have learned from it, their present and future would be very different indeed. The past has got you to the present and what you do in the present becomes the foundation for your future. Enjoy the memories you have, live today with no regrets and plan for your future! Leave me your thoughts on the matter! The following are just some quotes I have enjoyed...

Raging Sea...

I've had this song on my iPod for a long, long time and yesterday it came on and I took time to listen to the words...and I was blown away.

Sometimes the journey makes you weary
Feels like a long and winding road
Sometimes this life can lose it's meaning
But you might be surprised to find some hope.

Maybe you're wondering where love is
You may feel it's far away from here
Maybe you're wondering where I am
You might be surprised to find I'm near

Chorus:
And when your life is tossed and turning
And you are on the raging sea
I'll come and pull you from the water
Then you will know that you are free

So if you're stumbling through the valley
Or if you're tempted to give up the fight
Reach out your hand and I will lead you
I will be your strong arm in the night.

Take time. Time for yourself. Take time. Time to look around and see if anyone close to you is in the 'sea' - and be the one to pull them out. I realize that this song has a double meaning. The first is that Jesus Christ is love and that He is ever near to those who love Him and He will pull you out and set you on the solid rock. The second is that friends and family love and they can show interest and attention, so that when "your life is tossed and turning", they can help :)
Here is the song if you want to listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVwNJvw4zm8

Edmonton - Part 3 and Final Part

Doing this post now even though I have 1 more day here!

Wednesday - I spent the morning in Wal-Mart with the family, and we all went to McD's for lunch :) Then, in the afternoon, I was dropped off at the legislature and had a free tour inside. One of the people in the tour group lives in the town where I was born in England so small world! Then in the evening, I went out for supper to friends' house and ended up in a medical clinic (not for me....thanks Tim :) )
Thursday - In the morning was the joint birthday party for the boys that I am staying with! One turned 5 today and one turns 3 in a few weeks! It was a great party with a dinosaur theme, complete with paper mache dinosaur eggs etc. Then in the afternoon, we relaxed from the party :) Two other young people came for supper and we returned to the legislature grounds for a really cool walk, with all the grounds lit up :)
Friday - Finally made it to West Edmonton Mall! I went with a good friend and we did some CRAZY shopping. Apparently it is rare to be able to do all the shops in 1 or 2 days... we did most of them in 5 hours :) Nearer the end, it was more like me running into a store, grabbing things, nearly overheating in the changing rooms, standing in line, running out, going into another store and doing it all over again :) Good times. Then we met up with another girl for supper at Tony Roma's, then there was an all-girls birthday party for my hostess which was super nice :)
Saturday - Actually slept in! Then was really lazy until about 2, when we all went to South Edmonton Commons (which is like all the outlet stores). It was super crazy there as it was the last Saturday before school starts, but we all persevered and got what we wanted. In the evening was the 2nd bonfire of my trip :)
Sunday - Today we just had the usual meetings, then we had a few girls over for supper. Then there was a sing after the evening meeting.
Tomorrow (Monday) - My last day :( In the morning, just planning on packing up. I am doing some serious praying that I will be under or just at the weight allowance for the flight back :) In the afternoon, all the youth are getting together for some Labor Day fun, complete with sports, games and a BBQ. Then I fly out at 9pm and get into Winnipeg at midnight (MB time). That is then followed by a lot of hectic activity to prepare for school starting Wednesday :)

Edmonton - Part 2 :)

I am still having a wonderful time here! It's a pleasant mixture of fun, busy activities and also relaxation and doing absolutely nothing :)
Monday - Me and my lovely hostess went and had tea with a married lady from Ireland and her cute baby girl, so that was lovely to talk about all things British :) , then I managed to finish the last book in a series, which was great to end all that suspense! And that day finished by playing a great word game with the couple I'm staying with, and having a heated discussion on whether 'ping' is a word :)
Tuesday - We had a full day at Fort Edmonton Park. You can check that out at this website: http://www.fortedmontonpark.ca/ That was followed by a great evening at a friend's house with a few other people, and my first bonfire on this trip! It was lovely :)
Today's plans are to get dropped off at the Legislature Building and get a free tour inside, then there is a self-guided tour of the grounds. I may just take a book and read under a tree too :) Then I am out for supper with friends :)
The rest of my time here included busy plans as well but those will be blogged later.

In case you are wondering why I am being so detailed, it's mostly for my own benefit! I'm doing this so I don't forget what I did on what day, or the different things I did on my trip. To all of my family reading this, I miss you lots and I will see you soon!

Edmonton :)

Well here I am in a new place! It's actually rather bizarre as I have to actually remind myself that I have never been here before. I guess it's because I know so many people from here, but I have just always seen them in other places and not here! I got here on Thursday (the 23rd) and am here till Labor Day Monday. I'm staying with a great couple and their 3 adorable boys. It has been SO great to enjoy the simple pleasures of a vacation and not feel guilty! For example, we went to a Christian book store yesterday and I treated myself to a new book (a biography) and it was so gripping that I read half the book in the afternoon, without a little voice in my head telling me that I should be doing something else instead :)
Then in the evening, the sun came out and it was gorgeous! There were around 15 people over and we had a great volleyball game, and I was actually convinced (or persuaded) to play...and for those people who know me, that is no small feat! Many laughs were had by all, so much so that my ribs are still aching this morning :)
The plan for today is to have a lazy morning then I am potentially going with a friend to 'Whyte Avenue'...doesn't that sound so classy? It's like that famous Ave. in New York....5th Ave? Here is a link to see what it is about:http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g154914-d156146/Edmonton:Alberta:Whyte.Avenue.html

Anyways...that is what I have been up to thus far :)

On a Journey :)

With my present summer job, I drive a total of 90 minutes every day to and from work. It is because of this that I have been constantly reminded of journeys, and what is involved. Then, because those 90 minutes can be rather boring, I started to think and to link it to life and I was amazed at how appropriate the saying "Life is a journey" really is. A certain girl reading this will get the private joke associated with that phrase ;) The following is a list of things that are a part of a journey and how they apply to life :)

- Dates: This is rather straightforward, as our birth date is the beginning of the journey and our death is the end.
- Preparations: Booking flights, hotels, transportation etc is vital to having a successful time! What is life without goals and dreams? To drift through aimlessly is such a waste - prepare! (for more on this see my post "Time...then Eternity").
-Luggage/Baggage: I had an interesting thought on this the other day. Many times when we say someone has a lot of 'baggage' re. life, it is often shed in a negative light and sometimes, the baggage may be negative. Yet think how ridiculous it would be to go on a long journey and have absolutely no baggage! It would be crazy. It is perfectly fine to have 'baggage' so long as it is the right kind. What is the right kind? Good baggage includes experiences (not regrets), memories that help (and not weigh one down), the love of family (not their disapproval), and the support of friends (not their rejection). It would be rather puzzling if someone, say teenagers and up, had no 'baggage' whatsoever. That would show that they had not taken risks, that they had not gained from poor experiences etc.
- Destination: Eternity :) Life is just the stepping stone...the bridge between. But remember, life is not a dress rehearsal. We only get 1 life - live it well.
-Distance: Sometimes, if we have never gone to a place before, we are unsure of how long it will take. These days, things like Map Quest, GPS or Google Maps, can aid in that. But think of the days before those things existed. When settlers on the prairies moved out West, they had NO idea how long it would take them! I think you can make the connection, that life can be taken at any time - no one knows how long they will live.
- Entertainment: It is always important to keep the destination in mind, so we can travel the journey accordingly. However, the flip side of that is don't get so caught up in the end that you miss the here and now. Don't miss the cool mountains, the ocean, the other funny things you may see on the side of the road. Don't blow past tiny towns or breeze through crazy cities. Enjoy the trip. Music, conversations, friends, family etc. always make literal trips fun! Life needs fun :)
-Difficulties: No trip is complete without something going wrong! Whether it be the car breaking down, or losing luggage or missing connections, something is bound to happen. Yet when the trip is over, those 'trials' become fun memories that add to the experience of the trip! An anonymous person once said, "If the mountain (life) was smooth, you couldn't climb it." Turn the difficulties into something good. :)
-Food/Fuel: Also vitally important! The first is for you, the second is the means to keep you going! If you ignore either, the journey ends. "If you fuel your journey on the opinions of others, you are going to run out of gas.” Suicide is a dreadful thing and most of the time it is because the individual has lost the will and motivation to live. How sad. They didn't fuel the fire of life. Make time for these important stops - it will make a difference in the long run!

This was longer than I anticipated - but the next time you go on a journey, whether it be short or long, think of life. Make your life the best trip and journey ever! And have fun along the way :) If I have missed something, or you would like to add something - please do!

What is peace?

Peace. I believe that word conjures up both a general definition and also a personal connotation. Everybody in the world knows what peace is, whether from the enjoyment of it, or the lack of it in their lives. At all the world conferences there is a quest for 'world peace'. Personally, I think we will never attain that until individuals learn what peace is personally.
There are many peaceful scenes that can be pictured. A lake as calm as glass, the house when all the kids are in bed asleep, the roar of a consistent ocean, standing outside in the country and looking up at all the stars, a perfect sunset or sunrise, and the list could go on. God has placed many things in nature that remind us of peace.
I used to think that peace was not having any rough situations in life, nothing to 'rock the boat'. Now, through experience and through the experiences of others, I know that is not the case. Peace is something I can have no matter what life tosses my way. See, I know the one who is the Prince of Peace :) In fact, many many years before Christ was born, there was a prophecy stating that He is such - Isaiah 9:6, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
When one is a prince, they rule over something and they bestow of their wealth and possessions, so it is here. What assurance that the peace I have comes from the one who created that peace, and who freely gives it to those who seek Him. 
There are two symbolic examples of peace which I love, as a reminder to myself. The first, and not one I see often where I live, is the ocean after a storm. From the water crashing over the rocks, to boats being tossed up and down, to lives being in  as a result... then to utter serenity. The same water that was crashing, now laps gently on the shore. The boats once tossed, now anchor safe and secure, and lives can enjoy the sea once again.
The other example, and one that is quite frequent in the summer, is the calm after a thunderstorm. When the wind has died down, and the rain gone away....there is a sweet atmosphere to be felt and enjoyed. So it is with life. Only with Jesus Christ, the peace can be enjoyed before, DURING and after the storm. A favorite verse of mine is found in Isaiah 26:3 - "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in you."
A song that I have so often enjoyed is sung by a group called Sanctus Real and it's called, "Whatever you're doing." I've posted the link below so you can listen to it:

"Whatever you're doing, inside of me
It feels like chaos, but somehow there's peace
And though it's hard to surrender to what I can't see,
I'm giving in to something heavenly." 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfZ3THjUcs0


Tell me, what is peace to you?