Hello!
Some videos taken last night, of my place.
(That's not a mess; that's art!)
Enjoy!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
cool notes
So, yesterday I ordered myself a CD called P.K. Mitchell – All Hail The Power. It wasn’t easy to find it! And it’ll probably be a few weeks before it arrives, but it’ll surely be worth it.
There is a song entitled Nothing But The Blood that is floating around YouTube a lot; most of the time, people say that it is done by Stryper, but I knew that wasn’t right. I finally figured out that it was by P.K. Mitchell, did a little Googling, and found that it came from this album. As they say, the rest is history.
Put out in 1994 on Rugged Records, this CD is a re-recording of some of the classic church hymns, done in current and hard musical styles.
P.K. Mitchell is the former guitarist for band Neon Cross. Others who help him on this album include drummer Glen Manacruso (from Vengeance Rising and Die Happy), bassist Jim LaVerde (from Barren Cross), and vocalist Robin Kyle Bassari (from Joshua and Die Happy).
You can check out “Nothing But The Blood” below...
Here is the track listing:
1-AMAZING GRACE
2-NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD
3-TRUST AND OBEY
4-OH HOW I LOVE JESUS
5-LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS
6-TAKE MY LIFE
7-ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
8-ALL HAIL THE POWER
9-JESUS PAID IT ALL
10-GOD BE WITH YOU
There is a song entitled Nothing But The Blood that is floating around YouTube a lot; most of the time, people say that it is done by Stryper, but I knew that wasn’t right. I finally figured out that it was by P.K. Mitchell, did a little Googling, and found that it came from this album. As they say, the rest is history.
Put out in 1994 on Rugged Records, this CD is a re-recording of some of the classic church hymns, done in current and hard musical styles.
P.K. Mitchell is the former guitarist for band Neon Cross. Others who help him on this album include drummer Glen Manacruso (from Vengeance Rising and Die Happy), bassist Jim LaVerde (from Barren Cross), and vocalist Robin Kyle Bassari (from Joshua and Die Happy).
You can check out “Nothing But The Blood” below...
Here is the track listing:
1-AMAZING GRACE
2-NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD
3-TRUST AND OBEY
4-OH HOW I LOVE JESUS
5-LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS
6-TAKE MY LIFE
7-ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
8-ALL HAIL THE POWER
9-JESUS PAID IT ALL
10-GOD BE WITH YOU
Friday, July 15, 2011
Hurray for me!
One big smiley face for me!
:)
Yay, me!
Feeling pretty (I feel pretty, oh so pretty)...er, feeling pretty proud of myself, I should say!
In the last few days, I learned how to accurately (and well) download my cassette tapes onto my computer with a new program (new to me, at least). I also learned how to post audio (songs) onto YouTube in video form, as well as learning how to use Windows Movie Maker to make said audio into video.
Pretty exciting, if I do say so myself! (And I did!)
Caio!
:)
Yay, me!
Feeling pretty (I feel pretty, oh so pretty)...er, feeling pretty proud of myself, I should say!
In the last few days, I learned how to accurately (and well) download my cassette tapes onto my computer with a new program (new to me, at least). I also learned how to post audio (songs) onto YouTube in video form, as well as learning how to use Windows Movie Maker to make said audio into video.
Pretty exciting, if I do say so myself! (And I did!)
Caio!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
An eventful day...
Well, here I sit, typing away at my keyboard, ready to update all of my readers on my day.
Around 5 AM on June 15th, I texted goodbye to my daughter, Josie, and her mom, Shiray, as they prepared to head off on an elementary school trip to Victoria. They'll be coming back Friday evening, and as long as they are not too late getting back, I should be able to pick them up at the school and drive them home before I head off to work.
After 5 hours of sleep, I got up and watched the Game 7 of the 2011 Stanely Cup Finals (that's the National Hockey League, if you didn't know). It was only the 2nd playoff game this year that I have watched live (I DVR most of them and watch them when I get up from my sleep). What a great game! As a fan of the Boston Bruins, it was doubly-nice to see those Vancouver Canucks get beaten! Way to go, Boston! Loved seeing Mark Recchi, a former Pittsburgh Penguin (my favourite team), skating around with the Stanley Cup over his head, knowing it was the last game of his storied career.
And a very loud "BOO!" to the Vancouver fans, who showed their immaturity by, once again (they did it in 1994, as well), rioting in the streets of Vancouver. Such a shameful display of arrogance and stupidity...
After that, I watched my DVR'ed football game between BC and Calgary. In the very first of this seaosn's pre-season games between the Calgary Stampeders and the British Columbia Lions, in the Canadian Football League (best football league in the world!), BC stomped on their hated rivals, by a final score of 24 to 0. Considering BC lost both Yonus Davis [up on major drug trafficking charge in the USA] (punt returner and back-up running back) and Jerome Messam [suspended by the team and sent home for disciplanry issues of some sort] (short yardage running back), they are doing alright so far! Go Lions go!
In the middle of watching the gamne, I lay down and had an hour and a half nap, then continued watching.
And after all of this excitement, at 2:50 AM I went for a walk. I walked up the highway all the way to Leckie, and back - at a fast clip (which is how I walk), it took me an hour and a quarter to get home. Gotta lose some weight somehow; seemed like a good way to start!
And finally, all I gots to say now is...
Around 5 AM on June 15th, I texted goodbye to my daughter, Josie, and her mom, Shiray, as they prepared to head off on an elementary school trip to Victoria. They'll be coming back Friday evening, and as long as they are not too late getting back, I should be able to pick them up at the school and drive them home before I head off to work.
After 5 hours of sleep, I got up and watched the Game 7 of the 2011 Stanely Cup Finals (that's the National Hockey League, if you didn't know). It was only the 2nd playoff game this year that I have watched live (I DVR most of them and watch them when I get up from my sleep). What a great game! As a fan of the Boston Bruins, it was doubly-nice to see those Vancouver Canucks get beaten! Way to go, Boston! Loved seeing Mark Recchi, a former Pittsburgh Penguin (my favourite team), skating around with the Stanley Cup over his head, knowing it was the last game of his storied career.
And a very loud "BOO!" to the Vancouver fans, who showed their immaturity by, once again (they did it in 1994, as well), rioting in the streets of Vancouver. Such a shameful display of arrogance and stupidity...
After that, I watched my DVR'ed football game between BC and Calgary. In the very first of this seaosn's pre-season games between the Calgary Stampeders and the British Columbia Lions, in the Canadian Football League (best football league in the world!), BC stomped on their hated rivals, by a final score of 24 to 0. Considering BC lost both Yonus Davis [up on major drug trafficking charge in the USA] (punt returner and back-up running back) and Jerome Messam [suspended by the team and sent home for disciplanry issues of some sort] (short yardage running back), they are doing alright so far! Go Lions go!
In the middle of watching the gamne, I lay down and had an hour and a half nap, then continued watching.
And after all of this excitement, at 2:50 AM I went for a walk. I walked up the highway all the way to Leckie, and back - at a fast clip (which is how I walk), it took me an hour and a quarter to get home. Gotta lose some weight somehow; seemed like a good way to start!
And finally, all I gots to say now is...
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Like a poet needs the pain
You want commitment
Take a look into these eyes
They burn as fire, yeah
Until the end of time
And I would do anything
I'd beg, I'd steal, I'd die
To have you in these arms tonight
Baby, I want you
Like the roses want the rain
You know I need you
Like the poet needs the pain
And I would give anything
My blood, my love, my life
If you were in these arms tonight
I'd hold you, I'd need you
I'd get down on my knees for you
And make everything alright
If you were in these arms
I'd love you, I'd please you
I'd tell you that I'll never leave you
And love you 'til the end of time
If you were in these arms tonight, oh yeah
I'd hold you, I'd need you
I'd get down on my knees for you
And make everything alright
If you were in these arms
I'd love you, I'd please you
I'd tell you that I'd never leave you
And love you 'til the end of time
If you were in these arms tonight
I'd hold you, I'd need you
I'd get down on my knees for you
And make everything alright
If you were in these arms
I'd love you, I'd please you
I'd tell you that I'd never leave you
And love you 'til the end of time
If you were in these arms tonight
If you were in these arms tonight
If you were in these arms tonight
If you were in these arms, baby
Like the roses need the rain
Like the seasons need to change
Like the poet needs the pain
I need you in these arms tonight
If you were in these arms tonight
- Keeping the faith
Like a poet needs the pain, I need you...
Take a look into these eyes
They burn as fire, yeah
Until the end of time
And I would do anything
I'd beg, I'd steal, I'd die
To have you in these arms tonight
Baby, I want you
Like the roses want the rain
You know I need you
Like the poet needs the pain
And I would give anything
My blood, my love, my life
If you were in these arms tonight
I'd hold you, I'd need you
I'd get down on my knees for you
And make everything alright
If you were in these arms
I'd love you, I'd please you
I'd tell you that I'll never leave you
And love you 'til the end of time
If you were in these arms tonight, oh yeah
I'd hold you, I'd need you
I'd get down on my knees for you
And make everything alright
If you were in these arms
I'd love you, I'd please you
I'd tell you that I'd never leave you
And love you 'til the end of time
If you were in these arms tonight
I'd hold you, I'd need you
I'd get down on my knees for you
And make everything alright
If you were in these arms
I'd love you, I'd please you
I'd tell you that I'd never leave you
And love you 'til the end of time
If you were in these arms tonight
If you were in these arms tonight
If you were in these arms tonight
If you were in these arms, baby
Like the roses need the rain
Like the seasons need to change
Like the poet needs the pain
I need you in these arms tonight
If you were in these arms tonight
- Keeping the faith
Like a poet needs the pain, I need you...
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Just How Precious Are You?
Here is the question I am posing to my readers today:
Just how precious are you to God, anyways?
And, do you even know the answer?
Luckily, i am going to help you answer it.
Are you aware that the Temple Mount in Jerusalaem is the most hotly-argued piece of real estate in the world?
The Muslims claim it belongs to them, and it is a holy site to their religion, where millions of Muslims make pilgramages to it every year, to worship at their mosque there.
The Jews claim it belongs to them.
Throughout history, this much-contested small strip of land is where the most arguments and hottest religious fervor are found.
This is the very parcel of land that God commanded King Solomon to build His Temple on. This is where the Jews worshipped God, and made their sacrifices to him.
Many have tried to claim this land throughout history.
Do you know that in the Bible, not once but TWICE, it is recorded that this land was bought. Get that. This holy site, was bought not just once by the Jews, but TWICE. Any person or persons who say that this area belongs to any but the Jews, is fooling and deluding themselves. God made sure that not only was it bought once, but He then had the Jews buy, again, something that was already theirs.
What, you ask, does this have to do with your preciousness in God's eyes?
You, my dearest one, belong to God. After all, He MADE you. God created you, out of materials that He owned (He made them, too), and gave you life. Surely this, in and of itself, would be enough to show us that we belong to God, right?
Wrong. Nope, once was not good enough for God.
Just as God had the Jews twice purchased the Temple site, the holy place where God commanded His people to worship Him, so too does God show us His high esteem for us, His great love and compassion and passion for us, that God took us and purchased us again as well.
After having created us, and thus showing us that we belong to Him and Him alone, God watched as we gave ourselves over to sin and let it rule us, effectively making Satan our master. So then, God sent Jesus to die for us, to purchase the price for our sins, once again drawing us to Himself and showing us that we belong to Him and to Him alone.
And that, my friends, is just how much God loves you.
Just how precious are you to God, anyways?
And, do you even know the answer?
Luckily, i am going to help you answer it.
Are you aware that the Temple Mount in Jerusalaem is the most hotly-argued piece of real estate in the world?
The Muslims claim it belongs to them, and it is a holy site to their religion, where millions of Muslims make pilgramages to it every year, to worship at their mosque there.
The Jews claim it belongs to them.
Throughout history, this much-contested small strip of land is where the most arguments and hottest religious fervor are found.
This is the very parcel of land that God commanded King Solomon to build His Temple on. This is where the Jews worshipped God, and made their sacrifices to him.
Many have tried to claim this land throughout history.
Do you know that in the Bible, not once but TWICE, it is recorded that this land was bought. Get that. This holy site, was bought not just once by the Jews, but TWICE. Any person or persons who say that this area belongs to any but the Jews, is fooling and deluding themselves. God made sure that not only was it bought once, but He then had the Jews buy, again, something that was already theirs.
What, you ask, does this have to do with your preciousness in God's eyes?
You, my dearest one, belong to God. After all, He MADE you. God created you, out of materials that He owned (He made them, too), and gave you life. Surely this, in and of itself, would be enough to show us that we belong to God, right?
Wrong. Nope, once was not good enough for God.
Just as God had the Jews twice purchased the Temple site, the holy place where God commanded His people to worship Him, so too does God show us His high esteem for us, His great love and compassion and passion for us, that God took us and purchased us again as well.
After having created us, and thus showing us that we belong to Him and Him alone, God watched as we gave ourselves over to sin and let it rule us, effectively making Satan our master. So then, God sent Jesus to die for us, to purchase the price for our sins, once again drawing us to Himself and showing us that we belong to Him and to Him alone.
And that, my friends, is just how much God loves you.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
New Poem
Wrote a poem today. Here is the link, below; seems I have had a weirdly emotional last couple of days. Weird dreams of past peoples. So, the emotions come up, and the pen goes down (to the paper)!
http://leplaunpoetree.blogspot.com/2011/05/when-i-hung-you-out-to-dry.html
http://leplaunpoetree.blogspot.com/2011/05/when-i-hung-you-out-to-dry.html
Friday, May 27, 2011
Ugh
My sleeping patterns have been a real mess lately. Haven't been sleeping well at all, and wondering when my body was gonna crash and shut down.
I guess my answer was; today. I slept 7 and a half hours, then took a 2 and a half hour nap, and I still feel completely exhausted, like my brain is not wanting to work at all.
Ugh.
And I still have work to go to in a few hours. Blech.
I guess my answer was; today. I slept 7 and a half hours, then took a 2 and a half hour nap, and I still feel completely exhausted, like my brain is not wanting to work at all.
Ugh.
And I still have work to go to in a few hours. Blech.
Difference Of (My) Opinion
Doctrinal differences; why do Christians get so uptight when another believer thinks of feels something different than we do?
A (I am sure) well-meaning Christian whom i respect, recently passed on to me that lead singer Dale Thompson of long-time Christianband Bride, is a "Christian Universalist" with some very wrong doctrine. Another person told me that Dale Thompson "hates God" and writes hateful lyrics.
I checked out the links that I was sent, and read them faithfully.
Surprise, surprise! Not one thing that these two had told me was contained in these links, not one of these supposed things were there.
Yes, it appears that Dale Thompson, from what I can gather, has some non-traditionalist views. And I say, good for him! Who am I to judge?
But, "hates God"? Wow. That is a pretty heavy accusation to throw out there, especially without proof.
Now, to be fair, the first person said they knew he was a Christian Universalist (I do not even know what this means, nor do I care to) based on what Dale had told him in a face-to-face conversation. Well, that may entirely be so...but, since I was not there at that time, and was not part of the conversation, I choose to not have any opinion on that. Again, who made me the judge of my brother? I'm not calling anybody a liar, even though the proof they claimed cannot be seen or found; but I AM saying that it is very immature and dangerous to accuse people of something like that. You run the risk that God will accuse YOU of something in return!
When it comes to having differences of opinion in Biblical doctrines and such, the question to ask yourself is this; when I stand before God, how many of the things that I believed to be true in life am I going to find out I was wrong about?
In other words, let's just let God take care of the details. If God gives you an opportunity to discuss, with another believer, things that you believe ot be true; great. If the opportunity is there, and God is involved, then go ahead and do so! But, let's not try to force anybody to believe exactly like we do. My goodness, how many times in my life have I been thankful that i never convinced anybody to beleive like me, as I found out I had beleived incorrectly? See what I am getting at? Like him or not, Dale Thompson is a Christian, he loves God, and that is all there needs to be said.
This question was asked, and this is (part of) Dale's answer in an interview that is only four or five years old...and this is where I will end this, because this answer of his is good enough for me!
Q: Once and for all, is Jesus Christ your personal Savior?
A: Yes He is. I have no other Savior and Lord I believe Jesus Christ is the resurrection, He is the way, the truth, and the life and there is no other. What else do I have to believe to have eternal life? The Bible never indicates that I need to believe anything other than to believe in Jesus Christ and all He represents.
A (I am sure) well-meaning Christian whom i respect, recently passed on to me that lead singer Dale Thompson of long-time Christianband Bride, is a "Christian Universalist" with some very wrong doctrine. Another person told me that Dale Thompson "hates God" and writes hateful lyrics.
I checked out the links that I was sent, and read them faithfully.
Surprise, surprise! Not one thing that these two had told me was contained in these links, not one of these supposed things were there.
Yes, it appears that Dale Thompson, from what I can gather, has some non-traditionalist views. And I say, good for him! Who am I to judge?
But, "hates God"? Wow. That is a pretty heavy accusation to throw out there, especially without proof.
Now, to be fair, the first person said they knew he was a Christian Universalist (I do not even know what this means, nor do I care to) based on what Dale had told him in a face-to-face conversation. Well, that may entirely be so...but, since I was not there at that time, and was not part of the conversation, I choose to not have any opinion on that. Again, who made me the judge of my brother? I'm not calling anybody a liar, even though the proof they claimed cannot be seen or found; but I AM saying that it is very immature and dangerous to accuse people of something like that. You run the risk that God will accuse YOU of something in return!
When it comes to having differences of opinion in Biblical doctrines and such, the question to ask yourself is this; when I stand before God, how many of the things that I believed to be true in life am I going to find out I was wrong about?
In other words, let's just let God take care of the details. If God gives you an opportunity to discuss, with another believer, things that you believe ot be true; great. If the opportunity is there, and God is involved, then go ahead and do so! But, let's not try to force anybody to believe exactly like we do. My goodness, how many times in my life have I been thankful that i never convinced anybody to beleive like me, as I found out I had beleived incorrectly? See what I am getting at? Like him or not, Dale Thompson is a Christian, he loves God, and that is all there needs to be said.
This question was asked, and this is (part of) Dale's answer in an interview that is only four or five years old...and this is where I will end this, because this answer of his is good enough for me!
Q: Once and for all, is Jesus Christ your personal Savior?
A: Yes He is. I have no other Savior and Lord I believe Jesus Christ is the resurrection, He is the way, the truth, and the life and there is no other. What else do I have to believe to have eternal life? The Bible never indicates that I need to believe anything other than to believe in Jesus Christ and all He represents.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
yawn!
Well, I get to update here, finally.
Blogger.com was "unavailable" for several days. Right when i finally wanted to blog, too; figures!
Anyways, work is going 'fine'. Enjoy one of the two people i work with, at least. New expansion set to open in...5 days?! Wow. That'll be neato. As far as I know, the new positions in surveillance won't be officially filled until about July 1st. I doubt I will get offered one, but if two people (or maybe three?) get moved into those positions, i may get to move up regardless. However, my boss Scott does not do any postings by seniority (which seems to make him VERY unpopular with the majority of his staff), so your guess is really as good as mine.
Played through Dragon Age 2 on my pc, three times; awesome game. Now have just gone back to Baldur's Gate (the original) again, from the start, playing as the dwarven fighter/cleric Foothills MacThumpie. Good times!
Not much else happening. Enjoying some classic Earthworm Jim cartoons. Can't wait to sink my teeth into Muppets Tonight episodes soon, too.
Needing to do laundry when I get off work at 8am tomorrow.
That's it for now! Cheers!
Blogger.com was "unavailable" for several days. Right when i finally wanted to blog, too; figures!
Anyways, work is going 'fine'. Enjoy one of the two people i work with, at least. New expansion set to open in...5 days?! Wow. That'll be neato. As far as I know, the new positions in surveillance won't be officially filled until about July 1st. I doubt I will get offered one, but if two people (or maybe three?) get moved into those positions, i may get to move up regardless. However, my boss Scott does not do any postings by seniority (which seems to make him VERY unpopular with the majority of his staff), so your guess is really as good as mine.
Played through Dragon Age 2 on my pc, three times; awesome game. Now have just gone back to Baldur's Gate (the original) again, from the start, playing as the dwarven fighter/cleric Foothills MacThumpie. Good times!
Not much else happening. Enjoying some classic Earthworm Jim cartoons. Can't wait to sink my teeth into Muppets Tonight episodes soon, too.
Needing to do laundry when I get off work at 8am tomorrow.
That's it for now! Cheers!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Pages Become Chapters...
Just got home.
Home from my last night of work at Lake City Casinos in Vernon.
That place has been my place of employment for the last 7 and a half years; long time.
Lots of emotions going on right now.
I kept announcing my "lasts" while working. "This is my last 6:30 break at this place." "This is my last 11:00 washroom break at this place." "This is the last time coming back in this room from my lunch break." Gwen and Christine got a kick out of it. But, I wasn't doing it for the laughs...I was appreciating this place that has been my workplace, in my own way. Bidding it a fond farewell, one moment at a time.
Leaving is hard. I see an open-ended road of God-led opportunities in front of me, and feel very blessed and mainly peaceful about living and working in Kelowna. But it is still hard to leave behind those you have known for so long.
I was thinking on the way home, that one thing i will never get used to, never get desensitized to in my life, is getting to know and care for people and realizing that they are headed for a lifetime in Hell.
That's tough. Brutally, agonizingly tough. How do you...what do you even say about that? Makes my heart ache...
At work, the dayshifters presented me with a card, signed by most of them plus a few of the nightshifters too. That was really nice. There was well-wishes from many of my Surveillance colleagues, and a Tim Horton's gift card (oh, they know me so well!).
When I started work, handshakes all around. My boss, David, in particular made me feel appreciated and wished me the best, said he hoped to hear from me and see me around (I hope so too, Dave!).
I also got to talk to three other managers working tonight in the Casino, two in person and one via telephone, who all wished me well. One in particular made me feel especially missed (already! lol), and let me know how much she appreciated my humour and my hard work; she didn't seem to think anybody could adequately take over for me, but I think she was just being kind. I felt a little uncomfortable with all of this attention...
Another girl i work with, did not show up to work tonight. Being that she is very emotional, it is possible that she decided to skip my leaving so she wouldn't break down in tears. Fairly likely.
When my shift ended, hugs from my favourite Surveillance Operator, Gwen (she's like a big sister and a grandma all rolled up into one! lol. We got to know each other quite well, to the point where we could finish each others' sentences and laugh at our jokes before we had even finished them!), and then an unexpected hug from my boss, Christine (she also went out and bought me treats and edible goodies, fattening stuff). A handshake from one of the graveyard guys followed. The other graveyard guy...he is the spiritual thorn in my side, satan's way of getting at me at my work. I put out my hand to shake with him, he completely ignored me, wouldn't look at me at all, and just growled out "No!" and then shut up and ignored me. i guess it was his last chance to hurt me, so he took it. And it DID hurt me, of course...half the car ride home, until i just kept praying and God took the burden and weight off of me and released me from his influence, and I figuratively wiped him off of the soles of my feet and went on.
I remember standing by my car in the Casino parking lot, gazing up at the building. Realizing I was no longer employed there. Weird feeling.
And so another Chapter in my life has come to a close, just as another page is turned and a new Chapter is revealed. God continues to Author my life.
May it be pleasing to Him.
Amen.
Home from my last night of work at Lake City Casinos in Vernon.
That place has been my place of employment for the last 7 and a half years; long time.
Lots of emotions going on right now.
I kept announcing my "lasts" while working. "This is my last 6:30 break at this place." "This is my last 11:00 washroom break at this place." "This is the last time coming back in this room from my lunch break." Gwen and Christine got a kick out of it. But, I wasn't doing it for the laughs...I was appreciating this place that has been my workplace, in my own way. Bidding it a fond farewell, one moment at a time.
Leaving is hard. I see an open-ended road of God-led opportunities in front of me, and feel very blessed and mainly peaceful about living and working in Kelowna. But it is still hard to leave behind those you have known for so long.
I was thinking on the way home, that one thing i will never get used to, never get desensitized to in my life, is getting to know and care for people and realizing that they are headed for a lifetime in Hell.
That's tough. Brutally, agonizingly tough. How do you...what do you even say about that? Makes my heart ache...
At work, the dayshifters presented me with a card, signed by most of them plus a few of the nightshifters too. That was really nice. There was well-wishes from many of my Surveillance colleagues, and a Tim Horton's gift card (oh, they know me so well!).
When I started work, handshakes all around. My boss, David, in particular made me feel appreciated and wished me the best, said he hoped to hear from me and see me around (I hope so too, Dave!).
I also got to talk to three other managers working tonight in the Casino, two in person and one via telephone, who all wished me well. One in particular made me feel especially missed (already! lol), and let me know how much she appreciated my humour and my hard work; she didn't seem to think anybody could adequately take over for me, but I think she was just being kind. I felt a little uncomfortable with all of this attention...
Another girl i work with, did not show up to work tonight. Being that she is very emotional, it is possible that she decided to skip my leaving so she wouldn't break down in tears. Fairly likely.
When my shift ended, hugs from my favourite Surveillance Operator, Gwen (she's like a big sister and a grandma all rolled up into one! lol. We got to know each other quite well, to the point where we could finish each others' sentences and laugh at our jokes before we had even finished them!), and then an unexpected hug from my boss, Christine (she also went out and bought me treats and edible goodies, fattening stuff). A handshake from one of the graveyard guys followed. The other graveyard guy...he is the spiritual thorn in my side, satan's way of getting at me at my work. I put out my hand to shake with him, he completely ignored me, wouldn't look at me at all, and just growled out "No!" and then shut up and ignored me. i guess it was his last chance to hurt me, so he took it. And it DID hurt me, of course...half the car ride home, until i just kept praying and God took the burden and weight off of me and released me from his influence, and I figuratively wiped him off of the soles of my feet and went on.
I remember standing by my car in the Casino parking lot, gazing up at the building. Realizing I was no longer employed there. Weird feeling.
And so another Chapter in my life has come to a close, just as another page is turned and a new Chapter is revealed. God continues to Author my life.
May it be pleasing to Him.
Amen.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
long time, no time
Been busy lately. Crazy busy.
Was offered a job in my field in Kelowna. Accepted it. Being transferred. It is, at the start, a small step back for me, but I am beleiving that i will be promoted from within when the time is right.
Moved from Vernon to Kelowna. That was nuts, and very tiring and exhausting.
Been commuting back to Vernon to work there, my last day there is Tuesday. That is exciting, but also a little sad...
God has been blessing me. In my job(s), in my move, in my life in general.
One way God has blessed me, is not that long ago, i watched a movie and it reminded me so VERY much of Melanie. I broke down several times while watching it, feeling alternately physically sick and sadly weepy. It was a tough time.
But, I have been learning something in my life. We, as people, tend to switch things off and move past them, pushing them aside. Oftentimes, it is before we have actually truly dealt with them. Sometimes, God blesses us by unexpectedly ripping off the bandaid, and the scab with it, in order to facilitate further healing. That hurts. I have been learning in my life, when this happens, to smile through the tears and the pain, and thank God for what He is doing, and let Him do it.
Several days later, while driving, God showed me a revelation about my last marriage, to Rachelle, that helped me to put some things into proper perspective. That was also unexpected, completely out of the blue. Once again, God's divine blessing works in mysterious ways.
So, i am doing well. By faith, i know and proclaim that i am doing AWESOME! I'm a little tired out, and a little nervous, and a lot overwhelmed. But I will make it, Jesus will walk me through it, and I will rejoice in His many blessings.
My mind is going a hundred miles an hour. Guess it is time to go to bed, prepare myself for my last work shift in Vernon with a good rest.
:)
Was offered a job in my field in Kelowna. Accepted it. Being transferred. It is, at the start, a small step back for me, but I am beleiving that i will be promoted from within when the time is right.
Moved from Vernon to Kelowna. That was nuts, and very tiring and exhausting.
Been commuting back to Vernon to work there, my last day there is Tuesday. That is exciting, but also a little sad...
God has been blessing me. In my job(s), in my move, in my life in general.
One way God has blessed me, is not that long ago, i watched a movie and it reminded me so VERY much of Melanie. I broke down several times while watching it, feeling alternately physically sick and sadly weepy. It was a tough time.
But, I have been learning something in my life. We, as people, tend to switch things off and move past them, pushing them aside. Oftentimes, it is before we have actually truly dealt with them. Sometimes, God blesses us by unexpectedly ripping off the bandaid, and the scab with it, in order to facilitate further healing. That hurts. I have been learning in my life, when this happens, to smile through the tears and the pain, and thank God for what He is doing, and let Him do it.
Several days later, while driving, God showed me a revelation about my last marriage, to Rachelle, that helped me to put some things into proper perspective. That was also unexpected, completely out of the blue. Once again, God's divine blessing works in mysterious ways.
So, i am doing well. By faith, i know and proclaim that i am doing AWESOME! I'm a little tired out, and a little nervous, and a lot overwhelmed. But I will make it, Jesus will walk me through it, and I will rejoice in His many blessings.
My mind is going a hundred miles an hour. Guess it is time to go to bed, prepare myself for my last work shift in Vernon with a good rest.
:)
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Me and mine
"I dream of a world without shadows, and I dream of a day without pain
I long for perpetual motion, and I dream of living again
Every time I try to climb the mountain
Nothing in the world can pull me down
I'm not afraid!
Let the sky become an ocean, pull me in above my head
Won't deny my one devotion, lose or win cos I'm not scared"
- From Threshold's "Oceanbound"
Not much happening. Spent a weekend with my daughter, which was good. Almost my mom's birthday, which I now have to work on. Got to visit with my boss (while he is on holidays), and I am encouraged for the days ahead in my workplace. Spending time playing Dragon Age 2, which is very epic.
That's it for now. Toodles!
I long for perpetual motion, and I dream of living again
Every time I try to climb the mountain
Nothing in the world can pull me down
I'm not afraid!
Let the sky become an ocean, pull me in above my head
Won't deny my one devotion, lose or win cos I'm not scared"
- From Threshold's "Oceanbound"
Not much happening. Spent a weekend with my daughter, which was good. Almost my mom's birthday, which I now have to work on. Got to visit with my boss (while he is on holidays), and I am encouraged for the days ahead in my workplace. Spending time playing Dragon Age 2, which is very epic.
That's it for now. Toodles!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
another attack, foiled by faith - frustrated enemy beats head against wall
As the blatant attacks against me and my stand for righteousness in my workplace ramp up (yet again!), I will hold onto this scripture...
Nehemiah 4:15 "Our enemies found out that we knew about their plot against us, but God kept them from doing what they had planned. So we went back to work on the wall."
Works for me! Thanx God!
Nehemiah 4:15 "Our enemies found out that we knew about their plot against us, but God kept them from doing what they had planned. So we went back to work on the wall."
Works for me! Thanx God!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
stuff
Hi there!
Lots of stuff going on in my life lately, so I thought I would catch you all up.
Had another interview in kelowna on Friday, with a different place than last time. It seems to have gone really well, and with the expansion they are undergoing they need to hire two or three more people within the next few months. It seems promising, so we will wait and see what God does for me. But I am getting pretty excited. It looks like that move to Kelowna will be coming soon.
I'm also excited about Alpha Flight, Canada's only superhero team, coming back to comic books this Spring, that is huge in life as i have an Alpha Flight blog that I do, plus I am part of the boards at alphaflight.net .
Was playing a lot of Baldur's Gate, then i switched to Baldur's Gate 2 and have almost completed that, which is tonnes of fun. I also downloaded the demo (beta) version of Dragon Age 2, which is INCREDIBLE! Can't wait until the full version comes out, in March i do beleive.
I am also excited about the Thor movie coming out soon, as well as X-Men First Class which I think comes out in June.
Everything in life is bright and cheerful; God, You are great!
Lots of stuff going on in my life lately, so I thought I would catch you all up.
Had another interview in kelowna on Friday, with a different place than last time. It seems to have gone really well, and with the expansion they are undergoing they need to hire two or three more people within the next few months. It seems promising, so we will wait and see what God does for me. But I am getting pretty excited. It looks like that move to Kelowna will be coming soon.
I'm also excited about Alpha Flight, Canada's only superhero team, coming back to comic books this Spring, that is huge in life as i have an Alpha Flight blog that I do, plus I am part of the boards at alphaflight.net .
Was playing a lot of Baldur's Gate, then i switched to Baldur's Gate 2 and have almost completed that, which is tonnes of fun. I also downloaded the demo (beta) version of Dragon Age 2, which is INCREDIBLE! Can't wait until the full version comes out, in March i do beleive.
I am also excited about the Thor movie coming out soon, as well as X-Men First Class which I think comes out in June.
Everything in life is bright and cheerful; God, You are great!
Friday, February 18, 2011
BG 2; adventures in
Playing Baldur’s Gate 2.
Started out with my character, Dredna Sweetstream, a female elf who is a Ranger (Chaotic Good), locked up in a strange torture prison. Imoen is there (the human female is now a Thief/Mage, Neutral Good), and joins me in my escape, along with Minsc (the human male Ranger, Chaotic Good)and Jaheira (the female half-elf is a True Neutral Fighter/Druid, as well as a member of the Harpers). We three battle to make good our escape from the powerful Mage who imprisoned and tortured us, one Jon Irenicus. Along the way, we discover that Jaheira’s husband Khalid has been tortured to death. Minsc, still mourning the loss of his witch, Dynaheir, tries to comfort her, but to no avail. Moving on, we meet up with another attempted escapee, the human male Bounty Hunter (True Neutral) known as Yoshimo.
Making good our escape at last form the evil underground lair, we find ourselves in the streets of a great city (Athkala) in the nation of Amn, South along the Sword Coast from Baldur’s Gate. Here, magic is outlawed, and magicians are locked up ‘somewhere unknown’ by the Cowled Wizards (ironic, ain’t it?). As we are in battle against Jon Irenicus, whose lair was caught up in a fight between rival ‘gangs’ (the Shadow Thieves versus the Vampires), the Cowled Wizards show up and take away Irenicus and Imoen, leaving the rest of us just standing there.
Nobody seems to know where Imoen can be found, or how to rescue her. We find a circus tent under an evil enchantment and save its inhabitants, and thus we let Aerie (a female Avariel Elf, a Lawful Good Cleric/Mage) join with us. She is a winged elf who has lost her wings, but still has a very bright disposition.
Off to the Slums area of town, to the Copper Coronet, where we rest, and then ditch Yoshimo, who nobody trusts. Dredna, Minsc, Jaheira, and Aerie are joined by Korgan, a male Berserker Dwarf (Chaotic Evil). We meet up with a guy, who tells us he can contact an organization that will help us get Imoen back, but it’ll cost us 20,000 gold pieces. We agree, reluctantly.
Back to the Copper Coronet, where we take up with Nalia, a human female (Neutral Good) Mage/Thief. She is from a rich castle far out of the city walls that has been overtaken, and wishes us to rescue her family and her castle. We agree, and travel there, only to discover that she hasn’t told us that it was taken over by Trolls! We fight our way through the Trolls, but in the end she discovers her father dead. Without a male heir, she loses the castle, so she continues to travel with us.
Having earned some money, we get into a few minor skirmishes in the city that help us out. A messenger tells us to talk to that guy again, who tells us the price has dropped to 15,000 gold pieces, which we currently have, so we meet with him, and he says that the Shadow Thieves are on the case, we should go talk to their second-in-command, Renal Bloodscalp, in the docks district.
Renal Bloodscalp has us running and doing many tasks for him, after which we are given a key that lets us in to see Arin Lindvale, who is in charge of the Shadow Thieves, who assures us a plan is underway to free Imoen. In the meantime, would we please do these tasks for him?
As part of all these ridiculous tasks, we infiltrate a sect of the Shadow Thieves that is led by a man who is not very nice; indeed, he is trying to take over the operation, as we are told by none other than the mage Edwin (who then tries to join us, but we decide to turn him down for now). Minsc wants to kill him outright, of course. Once we have this information, we take it back to Arin, who tells us to wipe out this guy and his thugs. Just before the battle starts, Minsc tells Aerie that he desires for her to be his new witch, and she agrees. Oh, Minsc is so happy! And then, in the ensuing battle, Aerie is killed…and, being the cold bastard that I am, I decide she can stay dead.
We then save Viconia, the female Drow Elf Cleric (Neutral Evil), from being burned at the stake, and she joins with us. Meanwhile, still a few more tasks to perform for Arin before he will help us get Imoen back!
Korgan is starting to bitch and grumble, and now we are looking to ditch him for somebody else as well.
Oh yeah, the evil (and crazed) wizard Xzar is also hanging out at the docks, and he says his little buddy Montaron has been captured by the Harpers, who are torturing him, and he wants to join with us and trash the Harpers and rescue the little Thief/Fighter Halfling. We said, ‘pass’. He still mutters at us every time we traipse past him.
Also, Jaheira got cursed by a guy who used to be a slaver who she exposed and ruined in her travels as a Harper, and said curse was quickly killing her. We managed to locate the home of the dude, and we got into battle with him and a couple of wizards. After killing them, we gained back a locket of Jaheira’s hair, which allowed the curse to be lifted and she was alright again.
We then find a group of theater players staying in an inn where they are performing. They are all ‘odd’, and we later find out it is because they are from a different plane of existence and are on the run from bounties hunters for something they did there. In the meantime, we agree to help them find one of their missing troupe, Haer’Dalis, who has been taken hostage why trying to recover a gemstone from an evil wizard in the sewers. Down to the sewers we go, to defeat said evil wizard and his hench-things. Haer’Dalis, who is a Bard and a nifty swordsperson, wishes to join us, so we ditch Korgan and accept him into our group. Korgan wishes to go up top and wait for us in the Copper Coronet, should we decide that we do want him after all, but we convince him to stay here in this hole-in-the-wall in the sewers and wait instead. Snicker snicker.
We head back to the theater group for our reward, and they come clean with us about who they are (‘they’ including Haer’Dalis), and that the gemstone wasn’t actually there’s, but is used to power a portal between the planes so they can escape as the bounty-hunters are getting too close to them again. They open up the portal, but a bounty hunter comes through, and next thing we know they have all disappeared into the portal (Haer’Dalis included, leaving our party short again).
A quick vote, and we follow them, ending up in an astral prison, from which apparently there is no escape. Well, we set the prisoners free,and then kill the jailor and the guards, and Haer’Dalis asks to join us full-time, which we agree to.
Back on our own plane, for shits-and-giggles we decide to take Xzar up on his quest to rescue Montaron from the Harpers. We are allowed into the Harpers’ HQ, but are warned to not go up to the second floor. After finding a necklace that, when worn, allows us to pass by the spectral guards on the top floor, we explore it, finding that it looks like the Harpers have turned Montaron into a bird. We take the bird and leave, presenting it to Xzar, who turns it back into a person through his spells…only it isn’t Montaron, it is a Harper assassin with a poisoned dagger who kills Xzar, then warns us to stay out of Harper business and tries to walk away – out of a sense of old loyalties to Xzar, we kill her.
We go back to the Shadow Thieves HQ to talk with Arin Lindvale, who assures us that if we go to the GraveYards and down underneath them and deal with Bodhi, the leader of the Vampires that have been hounding them (and us), that he will then get Imoen released to us. We grumble, but we agree.
Back outside, Jaheira is called away briefly on Harper business. We wait at the nearest inn, and she is back the next day, telling us that the leader of the harpers in this area, a man she does not particularly like, is asking to see me, and she strongly advises me to go and see this man; if I don’t, she can no longer travel with me.
At Harpers HQ, this man asks me about my heritage as a Bhaaal-spawn (prodigy of the lord of murder), and seems to have judged me before I even got here, as no matter what I answer he finds fault with it, which angers Jaheira to no end. Finally, he says that he will enspell me, and place me in a coffin deep within the earth so that I can never be a threat to anyone ever. Jaheira freaks out, as do I, and our party of six adventurers destroys the assembled Harpers.
Down under the Graveyard district, we defeat a bunch of Vampires (not an easy chore!); their leader, Bodhi, battles us for a while, but is much stronger than we and seems to be merely toying with us. Bodhi reveals that she has been working with Irenicus, and that she is just testing me. She even tells me that I “have ignored what is going on with Imoen right in front of my eyes”, or something to that effect. We battle her with renewed fervour, but she just laughs and leaves in a puff of smoke, telling us that maybe we shouldn’t trust the Shadow Thieves after all…
Arin Lindvale is not happy when we accuse him of holding out on us, but then admits that he has done just that. He says it was the Shadow Thieves who attacked the dangerous Jon Irenicus, and that when we walked away from the underground lair and were the only ones to do so, he had us closely watched to see whose side we were truly on. Arin tells us Irenicus is very powerful and very dangerous (which we really already had guessed). He then tells us that Imoen has been taken to Spellhold, an island prison for mages and troublemakers that the Cowled Wizards set up a long time ago. He has booked us passage on a boat, with Captain Saemon, to get there; it is about a 7 day sail. As this Captain may be an unscrupulous pirate, he also sends with us a Shadow Thief named Sime; her job is to stand by the Captain with a drawn dagger and make sure we arrive safely.
Arrive safely we do, but are immediately attacked by vampire son the pier, an ambush set up by Saemon, who runs off during the fighting. Sime advises us to look around the town of Brynnlaw and try to find a way to enter the Asylum (or prison, if you prefer).
So, here is the group at this point;
First…Dredna Sweetstream, a Level 11 Ranger, Chaotic Good, Female, Elf.
Strength=18, Dexterity=17, Constitution=17, Intelligence=9, Wisdom=15, Charisma=18.
She has a -5 Armour Class, and wields two swords, Namarra +2, and the Sword of Flame +1.
Second…Minsc, a Level 11 Ranger (and his giant miniature space hamster Boo!), Chaotic Good, Male, Human.
Strength=21, Dexterity=18, Constitution=16, Intelligence=8, Wisdom=6, Charisma=9.
Minsc has a -6 Armour Class; he uses the two-handed Sword of Chaos +2 (which used to belong to Dredna’s half-brother, Sarevok), and for long-distance fighting he wields the Strong Arm + 2 longbow.
Third…Jaheira, a Level 9 Fighter and a Level 12 Druid, True-Neutral, Female, Half-Elf. She is also a member of the Harpers.
Strength=18, Dexterity=17, Constitution=17, Intelligence=10, Wisdom=14, Charisma=15.
Jaheira has a -8 Armour Class, she uses the Staff Mace and a Sling +2.
Fourth…Viconia, a Level 11 Cleric, Neutral Evil, Female, Drow Elf.
Strength=25, Dexterity=19, Constitution=8, Intelligence=16, Wisdom=18, Charisma=15.
Viconia has a -8 Armour Class, and she wields the Dwarven-forged war hammer Crom Faeyr, as well as a Sling +1.
Fifth…Haer’Dalis, a Level 12 Blade (sub-category of a Bard), Chaotic Neutral, Male , Tiefling.
Strength=19, Dexterity=17, Constitution=9, Intelligence=15, Wisdom=13, Charisma=16.
Haer’Dalis uses two short swords, one in either hand; they are named Entropy and the Chaos Blade.
Sixth…Nalia, a Level 4 Thief and a Level 12 Mage, Chaotic Good, Female, Human.
Strength=21, Dexterity=18, Constitution=16, Intelligence=17, Wisdom=9, Charisma=13.
Nalia was a Thief who gave up that career to become a Mage, so she no longer advances levels as a Thief. She uses the short sword Cutthroat +4, and the Short Bow of Gesen (a magical bow that fires lightning bolts).
Started out with my character, Dredna Sweetstream, a female elf who is a Ranger (Chaotic Good), locked up in a strange torture prison. Imoen is there (the human female is now a Thief/Mage, Neutral Good), and joins me in my escape, along with Minsc (the human male Ranger, Chaotic Good)and Jaheira (the female half-elf is a True Neutral Fighter/Druid, as well as a member of the Harpers). We three battle to make good our escape from the powerful Mage who imprisoned and tortured us, one Jon Irenicus. Along the way, we discover that Jaheira’s husband Khalid has been tortured to death. Minsc, still mourning the loss of his witch, Dynaheir, tries to comfort her, but to no avail. Moving on, we meet up with another attempted escapee, the human male Bounty Hunter (True Neutral) known as Yoshimo.
Making good our escape at last form the evil underground lair, we find ourselves in the streets of a great city (Athkala) in the nation of Amn, South along the Sword Coast from Baldur’s Gate. Here, magic is outlawed, and magicians are locked up ‘somewhere unknown’ by the Cowled Wizards (ironic, ain’t it?). As we are in battle against Jon Irenicus, whose lair was caught up in a fight between rival ‘gangs’ (the Shadow Thieves versus the Vampires), the Cowled Wizards show up and take away Irenicus and Imoen, leaving the rest of us just standing there.
Nobody seems to know where Imoen can be found, or how to rescue her. We find a circus tent under an evil enchantment and save its inhabitants, and thus we let Aerie (a female Avariel Elf, a Lawful Good Cleric/Mage) join with us. She is a winged elf who has lost her wings, but still has a very bright disposition.
Off to the Slums area of town, to the Copper Coronet, where we rest, and then ditch Yoshimo, who nobody trusts. Dredna, Minsc, Jaheira, and Aerie are joined by Korgan, a male Berserker Dwarf (Chaotic Evil). We meet up with a guy, who tells us he can contact an organization that will help us get Imoen back, but it’ll cost us 20,000 gold pieces. We agree, reluctantly.
Back to the Copper Coronet, where we take up with Nalia, a human female (Neutral Good) Mage/Thief. She is from a rich castle far out of the city walls that has been overtaken, and wishes us to rescue her family and her castle. We agree, and travel there, only to discover that she hasn’t told us that it was taken over by Trolls! We fight our way through the Trolls, but in the end she discovers her father dead. Without a male heir, she loses the castle, so she continues to travel with us.
Having earned some money, we get into a few minor skirmishes in the city that help us out. A messenger tells us to talk to that guy again, who tells us the price has dropped to 15,000 gold pieces, which we currently have, so we meet with him, and he says that the Shadow Thieves are on the case, we should go talk to their second-in-command, Renal Bloodscalp, in the docks district.
Renal Bloodscalp has us running and doing many tasks for him, after which we are given a key that lets us in to see Arin Lindvale, who is in charge of the Shadow Thieves, who assures us a plan is underway to free Imoen. In the meantime, would we please do these tasks for him?
As part of all these ridiculous tasks, we infiltrate a sect of the Shadow Thieves that is led by a man who is not very nice; indeed, he is trying to take over the operation, as we are told by none other than the mage Edwin (who then tries to join us, but we decide to turn him down for now). Minsc wants to kill him outright, of course. Once we have this information, we take it back to Arin, who tells us to wipe out this guy and his thugs. Just before the battle starts, Minsc tells Aerie that he desires for her to be his new witch, and she agrees. Oh, Minsc is so happy! And then, in the ensuing battle, Aerie is killed…and, being the cold bastard that I am, I decide she can stay dead.
We then save Viconia, the female Drow Elf Cleric (Neutral Evil), from being burned at the stake, and she joins with us. Meanwhile, still a few more tasks to perform for Arin before he will help us get Imoen back!
Korgan is starting to bitch and grumble, and now we are looking to ditch him for somebody else as well.
Oh yeah, the evil (and crazed) wizard Xzar is also hanging out at the docks, and he says his little buddy Montaron has been captured by the Harpers, who are torturing him, and he wants to join with us and trash the Harpers and rescue the little Thief/Fighter Halfling. We said, ‘pass’. He still mutters at us every time we traipse past him.
Also, Jaheira got cursed by a guy who used to be a slaver who she exposed and ruined in her travels as a Harper, and said curse was quickly killing her. We managed to locate the home of the dude, and we got into battle with him and a couple of wizards. After killing them, we gained back a locket of Jaheira’s hair, which allowed the curse to be lifted and she was alright again.
We then find a group of theater players staying in an inn where they are performing. They are all ‘odd’, and we later find out it is because they are from a different plane of existence and are on the run from bounties hunters for something they did there. In the meantime, we agree to help them find one of their missing troupe, Haer’Dalis, who has been taken hostage why trying to recover a gemstone from an evil wizard in the sewers. Down to the sewers we go, to defeat said evil wizard and his hench-things. Haer’Dalis, who is a Bard and a nifty swordsperson, wishes to join us, so we ditch Korgan and accept him into our group. Korgan wishes to go up top and wait for us in the Copper Coronet, should we decide that we do want him after all, but we convince him to stay here in this hole-in-the-wall in the sewers and wait instead. Snicker snicker.
We head back to the theater group for our reward, and they come clean with us about who they are (‘they’ including Haer’Dalis), and that the gemstone wasn’t actually there’s, but is used to power a portal between the planes so they can escape as the bounty-hunters are getting too close to them again. They open up the portal, but a bounty hunter comes through, and next thing we know they have all disappeared into the portal (Haer’Dalis included, leaving our party short again).
A quick vote, and we follow them, ending up in an astral prison, from which apparently there is no escape. Well, we set the prisoners free,and then kill the jailor and the guards, and Haer’Dalis asks to join us full-time, which we agree to.
Back on our own plane, for shits-and-giggles we decide to take Xzar up on his quest to rescue Montaron from the Harpers. We are allowed into the Harpers’ HQ, but are warned to not go up to the second floor. After finding a necklace that, when worn, allows us to pass by the spectral guards on the top floor, we explore it, finding that it looks like the Harpers have turned Montaron into a bird. We take the bird and leave, presenting it to Xzar, who turns it back into a person through his spells…only it isn’t Montaron, it is a Harper assassin with a poisoned dagger who kills Xzar, then warns us to stay out of Harper business and tries to walk away – out of a sense of old loyalties to Xzar, we kill her.
We go back to the Shadow Thieves HQ to talk with Arin Lindvale, who assures us that if we go to the GraveYards and down underneath them and deal with Bodhi, the leader of the Vampires that have been hounding them (and us), that he will then get Imoen released to us. We grumble, but we agree.
Back outside, Jaheira is called away briefly on Harper business. We wait at the nearest inn, and she is back the next day, telling us that the leader of the harpers in this area, a man she does not particularly like, is asking to see me, and she strongly advises me to go and see this man; if I don’t, she can no longer travel with me.
At Harpers HQ, this man asks me about my heritage as a Bhaaal-spawn (prodigy of the lord of murder), and seems to have judged me before I even got here, as no matter what I answer he finds fault with it, which angers Jaheira to no end. Finally, he says that he will enspell me, and place me in a coffin deep within the earth so that I can never be a threat to anyone ever. Jaheira freaks out, as do I, and our party of six adventurers destroys the assembled Harpers.
Down under the Graveyard district, we defeat a bunch of Vampires (not an easy chore!); their leader, Bodhi, battles us for a while, but is much stronger than we and seems to be merely toying with us. Bodhi reveals that she has been working with Irenicus, and that she is just testing me. She even tells me that I “have ignored what is going on with Imoen right in front of my eyes”, or something to that effect. We battle her with renewed fervour, but she just laughs and leaves in a puff of smoke, telling us that maybe we shouldn’t trust the Shadow Thieves after all…
Arin Lindvale is not happy when we accuse him of holding out on us, but then admits that he has done just that. He says it was the Shadow Thieves who attacked the dangerous Jon Irenicus, and that when we walked away from the underground lair and were the only ones to do so, he had us closely watched to see whose side we were truly on. Arin tells us Irenicus is very powerful and very dangerous (which we really already had guessed). He then tells us that Imoen has been taken to Spellhold, an island prison for mages and troublemakers that the Cowled Wizards set up a long time ago. He has booked us passage on a boat, with Captain Saemon, to get there; it is about a 7 day sail. As this Captain may be an unscrupulous pirate, he also sends with us a Shadow Thief named Sime; her job is to stand by the Captain with a drawn dagger and make sure we arrive safely.
Arrive safely we do, but are immediately attacked by vampire son the pier, an ambush set up by Saemon, who runs off during the fighting. Sime advises us to look around the town of Brynnlaw and try to find a way to enter the Asylum (or prison, if you prefer).
So, here is the group at this point;
First…Dredna Sweetstream, a Level 11 Ranger, Chaotic Good, Female, Elf.
Strength=18, Dexterity=17, Constitution=17, Intelligence=9, Wisdom=15, Charisma=18.
She has a -5 Armour Class, and wields two swords, Namarra +2, and the Sword of Flame +1.
Second…Minsc, a Level 11 Ranger (and his giant miniature space hamster Boo!), Chaotic Good, Male, Human.
Strength=21, Dexterity=18, Constitution=16, Intelligence=8, Wisdom=6, Charisma=9.
Minsc has a -6 Armour Class; he uses the two-handed Sword of Chaos +2 (which used to belong to Dredna’s half-brother, Sarevok), and for long-distance fighting he wields the Strong Arm + 2 longbow.
Third…Jaheira, a Level 9 Fighter and a Level 12 Druid, True-Neutral, Female, Half-Elf. She is also a member of the Harpers.
Strength=18, Dexterity=17, Constitution=17, Intelligence=10, Wisdom=14, Charisma=15.
Jaheira has a -8 Armour Class, she uses the Staff Mace and a Sling +2.
Fourth…Viconia, a Level 11 Cleric, Neutral Evil, Female, Drow Elf.
Strength=25, Dexterity=19, Constitution=8, Intelligence=16, Wisdom=18, Charisma=15.
Viconia has a -8 Armour Class, and she wields the Dwarven-forged war hammer Crom Faeyr, as well as a Sling +1.
Fifth…Haer’Dalis, a Level 12 Blade (sub-category of a Bard), Chaotic Neutral, Male , Tiefling.
Strength=19, Dexterity=17, Constitution=9, Intelligence=15, Wisdom=13, Charisma=16.
Haer’Dalis uses two short swords, one in either hand; they are named Entropy and the Chaos Blade.
Sixth…Nalia, a Level 4 Thief and a Level 12 Mage, Chaotic Good, Female, Human.
Strength=21, Dexterity=18, Constitution=16, Intelligence=17, Wisdom=9, Charisma=13.
Nalia was a Thief who gave up that career to become a Mage, so she no longer advances levels as a Thief. She uses the short sword Cutthroat +4, and the Short Bow of Gesen (a magical bow that fires lightning bolts).
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Sex
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Sex changes everything.
That statement is neither a condemnation of what can be a wonderful act shared between two people, nor is it an attempt to absolve the way we treat sex with such contempt in our society, having made it into something either dirty or something inconsequential.
It merely is a statement of fact. Almost everyone on this earth is affected in some way, usually in many ways, by sex. Sex changes lives, changes world-views; sex is or can be both a blessing and a curse, sometimes at the same time. It can be our greatest need, or our greatest fear.
It very seldom is what it was intended to be, which is most of the problem with it. At its core, it was intended to be a pleasurable sharing between two people, one male and female, who were (wedded) attached for life in a significant and lifelong relationship, with the secondary purpose of the passing on of genetic material to give life to future generations.
Nowadays, sex is everywhere. Sex is on television, in print ads, on the internet, in books and magazines, in clothes, in cars…is there much of anything you can buy, without being influenced by an advertisement that in some way uses sex to sell its product? Sex is in the mall, at the hairdresser, at the car dealership, in the workplace, in the churches. Stop and think of this; like God’s love, where can you run and hide from sex?
Sex has become our greatest salesman. Add a dash of sex appeal, mix with humour or lust, and you have got a buyer’s frenzy.
Some people cannot get enough sex. Some people have had sex forced on them, and fear it (or misunderstand it, and misuse it in turn). But the truth is, none of us can escape its pull.
From (unfortunately too often) young children to senior citizens, almost not a day goes by where sex does not affect us in some way, like the moon affects the ocean’s tide.
Whether your thoughts on sex are pure as the new-fallen snow, or full of deviant desires not to be mentioned in the light of day, the plain fact is, sex rules our world, and it is here to stay.
The more I write of my online story, the more I find that I have to delve into the back-stories of the characters I am dealing with. And the more that I do that, the more that I find that the one driving and compelling force that shapes our lives right under our very noses, is indeed sex. As I’ve said, it affects us all. One little mishap, whether it be a good one or a not-so-good one, can affect the way we think, feel, and see for eternity. Journeying into some of these featurettes, gives my characters more strength and more 3-dimenionalism, as it shows the deep underlying roots of why they are and act the way they are and do.
It is…interesting…to me, if nothing else.
On another note completely, I am playing Baldur’s Gate through again, this time as an evilly-bent Fighter/Thief named Zezper Narttikulus. I have assembled a group of miscreants who see the world the same as I do, mainly Minsc (with the help of the helmet of alignment reversal) the Ranger, and Edwin the Conjurer, and Shar-Teel the Fighter, and Kivan the Ranger, and Viconia the Drow-Elf Cleric. Fun, fun, FUN!
.
.
.
.
Sex changes everything.
That statement is neither a condemnation of what can be a wonderful act shared between two people, nor is it an attempt to absolve the way we treat sex with such contempt in our society, having made it into something either dirty or something inconsequential.
It merely is a statement of fact. Almost everyone on this earth is affected in some way, usually in many ways, by sex. Sex changes lives, changes world-views; sex is or can be both a blessing and a curse, sometimes at the same time. It can be our greatest need, or our greatest fear.
It very seldom is what it was intended to be, which is most of the problem with it. At its core, it was intended to be a pleasurable sharing between two people, one male and female, who were (wedded) attached for life in a significant and lifelong relationship, with the secondary purpose of the passing on of genetic material to give life to future generations.
Nowadays, sex is everywhere. Sex is on television, in print ads, on the internet, in books and magazines, in clothes, in cars…is there much of anything you can buy, without being influenced by an advertisement that in some way uses sex to sell its product? Sex is in the mall, at the hairdresser, at the car dealership, in the workplace, in the churches. Stop and think of this; like God’s love, where can you run and hide from sex?
Sex has become our greatest salesman. Add a dash of sex appeal, mix with humour or lust, and you have got a buyer’s frenzy.
Some people cannot get enough sex. Some people have had sex forced on them, and fear it (or misunderstand it, and misuse it in turn). But the truth is, none of us can escape its pull.
From (unfortunately too often) young children to senior citizens, almost not a day goes by where sex does not affect us in some way, like the moon affects the ocean’s tide.
Whether your thoughts on sex are pure as the new-fallen snow, or full of deviant desires not to be mentioned in the light of day, the plain fact is, sex rules our world, and it is here to stay.
The more I write of my online story, the more I find that I have to delve into the back-stories of the characters I am dealing with. And the more that I do that, the more that I find that the one driving and compelling force that shapes our lives right under our very noses, is indeed sex. As I’ve said, it affects us all. One little mishap, whether it be a good one or a not-so-good one, can affect the way we think, feel, and see for eternity. Journeying into some of these featurettes, gives my characters more strength and more 3-dimenionalism, as it shows the deep underlying roots of why they are and act the way they are and do.
It is…interesting…to me, if nothing else.
On another note completely, I am playing Baldur’s Gate through again, this time as an evilly-bent Fighter/Thief named Zezper Narttikulus. I have assembled a group of miscreants who see the world the same as I do, mainly Minsc (with the help of the helmet of alignment reversal) the Ranger, and Edwin the Conjurer, and Shar-Teel the Fighter, and Kivan the Ranger, and Viconia the Drow-Elf Cleric. Fun, fun, FUN!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Baby Steps To The Father...
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A Step Behind by Joel Osteen
I talk to a lot of people who have lost hope in life. They are often grieving over past mistakes. They tell me they are sure they have messed up God’s plan so badly that they can never recover and experience God’s favour. On many occasions they have messed up – sometimes badly. But here’s a word of hope for you: God cares more about the next thing you do than the last thing you did. The people of Israel realized they had failed badly (Numbers 14:39 – When Moses reported the Lord’s words to all the Israelites, the people were filled with grief). But rather than accept God’s judgement and move forward in faith, they tried to undo their previous mistake by acting the very same way that had gotten them into trouble in the first place. They acted on their own rather than listening to God and obeying Him.
People who feel God is distant and unobtainable and people who feel God’s presence and intimacy have one thing in common. Both groups have failed and sinned. But those who continue to experience distance from God are people who conclude that since they have failed already, they might as well settle into failure for the long haul. Like the children of Israel, they continue on the same course rather than trusting God’s way, even if it includes correction and consequences.
Those who experience God’s presence and favour don’t live perfect lives, but they have learned how to respond when God points out their sins and mistakes. They humble themselves, ask for forgiveness, and move forward confident of God’s unlimited mercy. Our experiences in life’s wildernesses often depend on how closely we are determined to enjoy God’s fellowship.
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.
A Step Behind by Joel Osteen
I talk to a lot of people who have lost hope in life. They are often grieving over past mistakes. They tell me they are sure they have messed up God’s plan so badly that they can never recover and experience God’s favour. On many occasions they have messed up – sometimes badly. But here’s a word of hope for you: God cares more about the next thing you do than the last thing you did. The people of Israel realized they had failed badly (Numbers 14:39 – When Moses reported the Lord’s words to all the Israelites, the people were filled with grief). But rather than accept God’s judgement and move forward in faith, they tried to undo their previous mistake by acting the very same way that had gotten them into trouble in the first place. They acted on their own rather than listening to God and obeying Him.
People who feel God is distant and unobtainable and people who feel God’s presence and intimacy have one thing in common. Both groups have failed and sinned. But those who continue to experience distance from God are people who conclude that since they have failed already, they might as well settle into failure for the long haul. Like the children of Israel, they continue on the same course rather than trusting God’s way, even if it includes correction and consequences.
Those who experience God’s presence and favour don’t live perfect lives, but they have learned how to respond when God points out their sins and mistakes. They humble themselves, ask for forgiveness, and move forward confident of God’s unlimited mercy. Our experiences in life’s wildernesses often depend on how closely we are determined to enjoy God’s fellowship.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
5 days
In the last five (glorious, exciting) days...
- I have heard from one prospective employer in Kelowna via email, who wishes to meet with me on February the 11th.
- I dropped off a resume (and filled out an application) with another prospective employer in Kelowna, got to meet my prospective boss and talk with him, and have a distinct feeling he is interested in hiring me. He is going to talk to his Human Resources department on Monday, and get back to me.
- Learned that I have a potential "in" with a Christian lady who runs three apartment buildings in Kelowna.
- Got to see my parents' nice, new (to them) apartment.
- Went to my ex's and my daughter's place, to spend time with them, had some pizza and watched Critters 3 on DVD, helped them install Baldur's Gate on their computer.
- Started playing Baldur's Gate myself again; after leaving my game 6 weeks ago and not touching it since I am now back playing!
- Continue to feel that God is getting me to Kelowna, and soon. Blessings coming, doors opening, favor of God going before me. Thank You, Lord!
- I have heard from one prospective employer in Kelowna via email, who wishes to meet with me on February the 11th.
- I dropped off a resume (and filled out an application) with another prospective employer in Kelowna, got to meet my prospective boss and talk with him, and have a distinct feeling he is interested in hiring me. He is going to talk to his Human Resources department on Monday, and get back to me.
- Learned that I have a potential "in" with a Christian lady who runs three apartment buildings in Kelowna.
- Got to see my parents' nice, new (to them) apartment.
- Went to my ex's and my daughter's place, to spend time with them, had some pizza and watched Critters 3 on DVD, helped them install Baldur's Gate on their computer.
- Started playing Baldur's Gate myself again; after leaving my game 6 weeks ago and not touching it since I am now back playing!
- Continue to feel that God is getting me to Kelowna, and soon. Blessings coming, doors opening, favor of God going before me. Thank You, Lord!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Frumpy
frumpy - the art of being partly frustrated, and partly grumpy.
Right now, i do not know how else to describe how I feel right now. Partially calm...but also a bit like I want to weep?
At work, once again i am under attack. One person, let's call him"Simon" (cuz that's his name, maybe?), has accused me in writing of being a liar.
Am I? Of course not. In fact, all my reports, by law, have to proveable as correct and true by videotape evidence. Therefore, if it isn't true, i cannot say it. That's my job.
In an incident about fifteen days ago or more, "Simon" refused to follow company policy, as well as provinical government policy. Re-Fused. I could have reported him then and there. Instead, as I have had clashed with him before on the same thing (and been accused of having something against him personally after that, even though this is totally untrue and unfair), I took the more cautious approach. I documented everything that had occurred, and pulled aside all the video (and audio) evidence and saved it. I then phoned my boss and told him what was going on, and then left even more detailed notes for him about all this.
By law, I had to report that "Simon" had disobeyed the rules. That is in my job description; i have to. There are no other options. But, not wanting him and his co-horts (more on that later) to once again accuse me of having a 'personal vendetta' against "Simon", I waited. After five or six days, my other boss 9second in command) gave me the go-ahead to report this all. In fact, the report was opened and started by her, not me! I put in my information, as requested, being careful to only put proveable facts, no opinions allowed! I wa salso very careful not to point any fingers at "Simon"; very, very careful, although it was obvious that he was in the wrong.
But, "Simon" is an ex-cop, ex-RCMP. He know show to get people on his side, play up the fact that he was a cop, etcetera. Both of our last two General Managers have gotten behind him, and against me. Yup, this new one, too!
Our new GM came up to my department to view the video, and audio (which, by the way, is a breach of procedure right there! my boss was never even asked about this by the GM!), and left saying that it was a "mis-understanding between departments", which is always the first volley fired. Next will come, "personal vendetta", followed by "but 'Simon' was a cop!"
My boss, tonight, phoned the GM and gave him a piece of her mind, and told him to get "Simon" to write up why he did not follow procedures. "Simon's" official report, which was written after being sequestered away in the office with GM coaxing him on what to write, was basically to call me a liar, and say that i did not pass on to him the information that I said I did. He's blaming me, and calling me and my report a lie/liar. Both he and the GM are.
My bosses will support me, both of them will. But how can i effectively do my job, when people keep calling into question my morality and my ethics? They (GM/Simon, etc) are trying to slowly ruin my reputation, because i refuse to bow before them, becuz i refuse to compromise what is the truth.
Good thing God fights for me. Good thing i handled this one so gently and carefully, and gathered all my evidence and got my boss's approval before starting anything. Good thing I can look at this, and know that I am in the right, even if nobody else believes that.
I also have a witness to everything that happened during the original incident fifteen days ago or so. This witness has been kept out of it up until now, but can verify everything that i said and did that night. And nobody knows about her, outside of my department, which is a very good thing.
But it is still frustrating. Knowing you'll win the war, you still take a few dire beatings in the battle to get to the end result. And it hurts.
Right now, i do not know how else to describe how I feel right now. Partially calm...but also a bit like I want to weep?
At work, once again i am under attack. One person, let's call him"Simon" (cuz that's his name, maybe?), has accused me in writing of being a liar.
Am I? Of course not. In fact, all my reports, by law, have to proveable as correct and true by videotape evidence. Therefore, if it isn't true, i cannot say it. That's my job.
In an incident about fifteen days ago or more, "Simon" refused to follow company policy, as well as provinical government policy. Re-Fused. I could have reported him then and there. Instead, as I have had clashed with him before on the same thing (and been accused of having something against him personally after that, even though this is totally untrue and unfair), I took the more cautious approach. I documented everything that had occurred, and pulled aside all the video (and audio) evidence and saved it. I then phoned my boss and told him what was going on, and then left even more detailed notes for him about all this.
By law, I had to report that "Simon" had disobeyed the rules. That is in my job description; i have to. There are no other options. But, not wanting him and his co-horts (more on that later) to once again accuse me of having a 'personal vendetta' against "Simon", I waited. After five or six days, my other boss 9second in command) gave me the go-ahead to report this all. In fact, the report was opened and started by her, not me! I put in my information, as requested, being careful to only put proveable facts, no opinions allowed! I wa salso very careful not to point any fingers at "Simon"; very, very careful, although it was obvious that he was in the wrong.
But, "Simon" is an ex-cop, ex-RCMP. He know show to get people on his side, play up the fact that he was a cop, etcetera. Both of our last two General Managers have gotten behind him, and against me. Yup, this new one, too!
Our new GM came up to my department to view the video, and audio (which, by the way, is a breach of procedure right there! my boss was never even asked about this by the GM!), and left saying that it was a "mis-understanding between departments", which is always the first volley fired. Next will come, "personal vendetta", followed by "but 'Simon' was a cop!"
My boss, tonight, phoned the GM and gave him a piece of her mind, and told him to get "Simon" to write up why he did not follow procedures. "Simon's" official report, which was written after being sequestered away in the office with GM coaxing him on what to write, was basically to call me a liar, and say that i did not pass on to him the information that I said I did. He's blaming me, and calling me and my report a lie/liar. Both he and the GM are.
My bosses will support me, both of them will. But how can i effectively do my job, when people keep calling into question my morality and my ethics? They (GM/Simon, etc) are trying to slowly ruin my reputation, because i refuse to bow before them, becuz i refuse to compromise what is the truth.
Good thing God fights for me. Good thing i handled this one so gently and carefully, and gathered all my evidence and got my boss's approval before starting anything. Good thing I can look at this, and know that I am in the right, even if nobody else believes that.
I also have a witness to everything that happened during the original incident fifteen days ago or so. This witness has been kept out of it up until now, but can verify everything that i said and did that night. And nobody knows about her, outside of my department, which is a very good thing.
But it is still frustrating. Knowing you'll win the war, you still take a few dire beatings in the battle to get to the end result. And it hurts.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Me?
What is going on in my world?
I'm glad you asked!
Just finished playing Dungeon Siege (the first one) yesterday. A simple game, but highly enjoyable (like me!).
Need to work no my resume this week, as I plan to apply at another casino in Kelowna...
Very disappointed in the government. Specifically, the family mainenance portion of it. They were wanting to recalculate my child benefits that i pay. So, they requested a bunch of information by a certain date, and I faxed it all off to them the day before said date. Then i get a letter in the mail, informing me that SINCE I DID NOT GET THEM THE INFORMATION BY THE SAID DATE, they have filed without my tax information a court order, mandating my payments go up by ten percent. And the onyl way to fight it, is to file with the courts and go before the judge and argue it. How stupid is that!? I even have the fax receipt, proving that i faxed them 18 pages of documents, and on what day. They LIED. They lied about me, knowing i do not have the money to fight it in court.
It isn't the money that bothers me. Yes, i willl be overpaying slightly...but not enougbh to get upset about. What upsets me, is that the governemtn slandered me and lied about me to my face, knowing that i have proof that they are liars, and they didn't even care...they are just a bunch of bullies, and since my ex is on disabilitgy, all they care about is wringing every last penny out of me. Cheats, frauds, bullies. I pray that they DO NOT get what they deserve from God! Lord, bless them, cuz you said to bless my enemies...
Other than that, not much. 40th birthday went by, and I am STILL smiling. All is good. Life looks good.
See ya in the funny papers!
I'm glad you asked!
Just finished playing Dungeon Siege (the first one) yesterday. A simple game, but highly enjoyable (like me!).
Need to work no my resume this week, as I plan to apply at another casino in Kelowna...
Very disappointed in the government. Specifically, the family mainenance portion of it. They were wanting to recalculate my child benefits that i pay. So, they requested a bunch of information by a certain date, and I faxed it all off to them the day before said date. Then i get a letter in the mail, informing me that SINCE I DID NOT GET THEM THE INFORMATION BY THE SAID DATE, they have filed without my tax information a court order, mandating my payments go up by ten percent. And the onyl way to fight it, is to file with the courts and go before the judge and argue it. How stupid is that!? I even have the fax receipt, proving that i faxed them 18 pages of documents, and on what day. They LIED. They lied about me, knowing i do not have the money to fight it in court.
It isn't the money that bothers me. Yes, i willl be overpaying slightly...but not enougbh to get upset about. What upsets me, is that the governemtn slandered me and lied about me to my face, knowing that i have proof that they are liars, and they didn't even care...they are just a bunch of bullies, and since my ex is on disabilitgy, all they care about is wringing every last penny out of me. Cheats, frauds, bullies. I pray that they DO NOT get what they deserve from God! Lord, bless them, cuz you said to bless my enemies...
Other than that, not much. 40th birthday went by, and I am STILL smiling. All is good. Life looks good.
See ya in the funny papers!
Monday, January 10, 2011
What A Day
What a great day to be alive.
It’s January the 9th, 2011, as I write this. Tomorrow is my fortieth birthday – no worries.
This has been a great year so far, hasn’t it? I mean, here I am, turning forty, and I really do feel like my life is turning a corner; and not one of those winding-road-late-at-night-after-an-allnite-bender-party-crash-and-burn-type of corners, either.
Things are definitely looking up. I can feel it in my spirit. Revival. An awakening. Blessings.
On a day when many people would be depressed, faced with thoughts of their own mortality, I am in great spirits, having the time of my life; I feel like nothing can bring me down. My Facebook status for the last several days has been “Life begins at 40”, and I really feel like, for me, that is truth. Everything is optimism and sunshine for me. My future looks bright.
God is looking out for me. I am looking at getting completely out of debt this year, and for the first time in two or three years, I actually see the light at the end of tunnel, and I’m understanding that I actually CAN get out of debt this year – what a blessing that is! I am awaiting changes at work, whether it is where I work, or my job description, or my rate of pay, or my job title, or my hours; or maybe all of the above! I do not know WHAT is going to change, but something IS going to change, and it is all God doing it, not me, and I feel pre-blessed because of it. I’m looking very hard at changing towns, moving back to Kelowna this year, and feel like this is a move that I need to make, and I know that if God wants me in Kelowna, He will open a door and get me there. My daughter got baptized recently and has been showing a real interest in God, and that is a blessing so huge I cannot even describe it. Two days ago, my ex-wife and daughter took me out for a pre-birthday celebration, bought me dinner, watched a movie with me; what an incredibly great time I had! Just last night, I was chatting with a musician friend from Vancouver about his newest project while on Facebook, listening to his rough samples and encouraging him and giving him his just-deserved kudos. Plus, thanks to one of my online friends from the States, who has a successful website and who recently posted a link to one of my websites, more and more people are getting interested in what I am writing online, broadening my scope of influence and just totally encouraging me and making me feel important – how amazing is that!?!
I dunno; this feeling, it is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s…expectation. The held breath right before something truly amazing and wonderful happens. I feel…alive, without knowing why I do. I just feel loved, and blessed, and on the right path for the first time in a long time, and life is truly good. God is good, and God is good to me, and I love Him even more for it.
This is an amazing year so far, and this is an amazing day to live in. You know, the worse the world gets, the more evil it becomes, the more doom and gloom is out there, the more encouraged I am, the more I remember that all these things shall pass and God is returning soon for His people! Great days are ahead, don’t let your light go out while you are waiting! God is active and alive, and His Word predicts His second coming! Be encouraged; God is your Saviour, your friend, your counselor, your comforter, your God and your Lord. He is my all in all. I live in Him.
It’s January the 9th, 2011, as I write this. Tomorrow is my fortieth birthday – no worries.
This has been a great year so far, hasn’t it? I mean, here I am, turning forty, and I really do feel like my life is turning a corner; and not one of those winding-road-late-at-night-after-an-allnite-bender-party-crash-and-burn-type of corners, either.
Things are definitely looking up. I can feel it in my spirit. Revival. An awakening. Blessings.
On a day when many people would be depressed, faced with thoughts of their own mortality, I am in great spirits, having the time of my life; I feel like nothing can bring me down. My Facebook status for the last several days has been “Life begins at 40”, and I really feel like, for me, that is truth. Everything is optimism and sunshine for me. My future looks bright.
God is looking out for me. I am looking at getting completely out of debt this year, and for the first time in two or three years, I actually see the light at the end of tunnel, and I’m understanding that I actually CAN get out of debt this year – what a blessing that is! I am awaiting changes at work, whether it is where I work, or my job description, or my rate of pay, or my job title, or my hours; or maybe all of the above! I do not know WHAT is going to change, but something IS going to change, and it is all God doing it, not me, and I feel pre-blessed because of it. I’m looking very hard at changing towns, moving back to Kelowna this year, and feel like this is a move that I need to make, and I know that if God wants me in Kelowna, He will open a door and get me there. My daughter got baptized recently and has been showing a real interest in God, and that is a blessing so huge I cannot even describe it. Two days ago, my ex-wife and daughter took me out for a pre-birthday celebration, bought me dinner, watched a movie with me; what an incredibly great time I had! Just last night, I was chatting with a musician friend from Vancouver about his newest project while on Facebook, listening to his rough samples and encouraging him and giving him his just-deserved kudos. Plus, thanks to one of my online friends from the States, who has a successful website and who recently posted a link to one of my websites, more and more people are getting interested in what I am writing online, broadening my scope of influence and just totally encouraging me and making me feel important – how amazing is that!?!
I dunno; this feeling, it is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s…expectation. The held breath right before something truly amazing and wonderful happens. I feel…alive, without knowing why I do. I just feel loved, and blessed, and on the right path for the first time in a long time, and life is truly good. God is good, and God is good to me, and I love Him even more for it.
This is an amazing year so far, and this is an amazing day to live in. You know, the worse the world gets, the more evil it becomes, the more doom and gloom is out there, the more encouraged I am, the more I remember that all these things shall pass and God is returning soon for His people! Great days are ahead, don’t let your light go out while you are waiting! God is active and alive, and His Word predicts His second coming! Be encouraged; God is your Saviour, your friend, your counselor, your comforter, your God and your Lord. He is my all in all. I live in Him.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Thanx!
Thanks to two of my favourite young ladies, for taking me out for an early 40th birthday bash!
Good fun was had by all - went to The Great Wall for chinese smorg, then to Tim Horton`s for coffees, then watched 1985`s best movie, Critters, then had a quick game of cards and, alas, I had to travel back home.
Maybe we`ll do it again in another 40 years! lol
Good fun was had by all - went to The Great Wall for chinese smorg, then to Tim Horton`s for coffees, then watched 1985`s best movie, Critters, then had a quick game of cards and, alas, I had to travel back home.
Maybe we`ll do it again in another 40 years! lol
followers of Christ, should follow Christ (but most don't)
The lady behind the cash register at my local grocery store is a nice enough person, if a little ‘mentally simple’. And in telling this little story, in no way am I meaning to pick on her.
There she is, pushing my groceries over the scanner, when she tells me that I should get an air miles card. She then goes on to tell me how she just bought some CDs for her daughter, using her air miles. “Yeah, CDs by that singer, you know the one…she’s really popular…” I am looking at her blankly, of course. I’m thinking, “geez lady, can’t you just bag my groceries and grunt, like everybody else at this store does?”
“You know the one,” she says, looking to me for help. “She’s popular…not April Wine…” I almost exploded into a coughing fit at that remark…not April Wine…oh boy!
She goes on…”Oh, she just got out of rehab again!”
I shake my head. “Sorry, I don’t know, and I don’t listen to that sort of music,” I say to her.
“Oh, Lady Gaga!” she says, grinning, not paying any attention to the fact that I DON’T CARE! “Yeah, she’s a bit weird, but she is really good,” she says to me.
Now, here is the part that I don’t understand…
Why would you brag to a total stranger, about buying CDs for your daughter, when your moral compass is so broken that you would buy her CDs featuring a spoiled millionaire sex-addict drug-and-alcohol-addled singer? Why would ANYBODY want the lyrics their children are listening to and being influenced by, to be written by a singer whose greatest talent is acting like a total prostitute? Then, top this off with the fact that this singer is addicted to chemical substances…
Okay, I get it, this lady And her daughter probably aren’t Christians.
The problem is, you can’t tell a Christian from a non-believer anymore. The churches are full of wolves in sheep`s clothing, people who think they are believers, but do not have Christ within them. And these people, they are influencing the believers, causing them to become more and more like the world, to the point where there is no differenced anymore!
Congratulations, Christians. You`ve failed. All this, shown by a ga-ga lady talking about Lady Ga-Ga…
There she is, pushing my groceries over the scanner, when she tells me that I should get an air miles card. She then goes on to tell me how she just bought some CDs for her daughter, using her air miles. “Yeah, CDs by that singer, you know the one…she’s really popular…” I am looking at her blankly, of course. I’m thinking, “geez lady, can’t you just bag my groceries and grunt, like everybody else at this store does?”
“You know the one,” she says, looking to me for help. “She’s popular…not April Wine…” I almost exploded into a coughing fit at that remark…not April Wine…oh boy!
She goes on…”Oh, she just got out of rehab again!”
I shake my head. “Sorry, I don’t know, and I don’t listen to that sort of music,” I say to her.
“Oh, Lady Gaga!” she says, grinning, not paying any attention to the fact that I DON’T CARE! “Yeah, she’s a bit weird, but she is really good,” she says to me.
Now, here is the part that I don’t understand…
Why would you brag to a total stranger, about buying CDs for your daughter, when your moral compass is so broken that you would buy her CDs featuring a spoiled millionaire sex-addict drug-and-alcohol-addled singer? Why would ANYBODY want the lyrics their children are listening to and being influenced by, to be written by a singer whose greatest talent is acting like a total prostitute? Then, top this off with the fact that this singer is addicted to chemical substances…
Okay, I get it, this lady And her daughter probably aren’t Christians.
The problem is, you can’t tell a Christian from a non-believer anymore. The churches are full of wolves in sheep`s clothing, people who think they are believers, but do not have Christ within them. And these people, they are influencing the believers, causing them to become more and more like the world, to the point where there is no differenced anymore!
Congratulations, Christians. You`ve failed. All this, shown by a ga-ga lady talking about Lady Ga-Ga…
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