Toques

I love toques. I love the word. I love that it's Canadian.

I am especially thankful that we do not call them anything else. No offense (Kendra) but I just can't imagine teenage kids from Kansas looking around stores and asking, 'Hey, do you have any stocking caps here?'...! I mean, it's cute, don't get me wrong but I just think it's funny to think about the extreme.

Since I left Maui, I have worn a toque EVERY SINGLE DAY! It's great...toque-hair is the best and screams 'it's WINTER!'

On a different yet similar note relating to a Canadian winter...one of my favourite surprises is putting your hand in your winter coat from ages past and discovering a collection of old (and most likely used) kleenex tissues! Mmm...the best part is how thankful you are to be able to use them one more time when you've clearly not bothered to throw them out and replace them with a new one!

Tattoo's

Back in the day, I had wanted a tattoo because I figured that people would never think that I would get one. Now I have two.

I got my first tattoo in 2004. It's the typical 'Yay Canada' maple leaf (I just didn't get mine in high school) and it's on my ankle. Thankfully, I was honoured to represent Canada in 2008 so the tattoo has meaning there but in truth, I really am very proud to be a Canadian. The heritage of my family comes from Russia on my Dad's side and Scotland and Ireland on my Mom's. I am so privileged to be a Canadian and to know that a huge sacrifice was made by my Grandparents and Great-Grandparents to allow me to have the freedoms that I enjoy.

My Opi in particular has had an incredible impact on my life. He just turned 96 and is still going strong. One of his favourite words is 'Terrific' -- no matter if things are good or bad, he'll say it's terrific. I just love that! He has gone through so much in his life and he is the Godliest man I know who trusts God in everything and has lived so faithfully to follow Him. A few years ago, I had him hand-write the word 'Terrific' and I had kept it in my Bible with the thought of maybe, just maybe, I'll tattoo that on me some day.

The main question in getting a tattoo is where to put it on your body. I would always play with ideas of putting it on my foot, or ankle. All I knew was that I wanted it to be visible to me so that I could look at it and remember God's faithfulness and that all things, in fact, are terrific. So let me tell you that when I decided to put in on my forearm, I was surprised! I wrote it on with pen several times to be sure and bit the bullet on my 30th birthday. It was something to get used to but I love it! I've only had a few days where I wondered what I did but overall I am very VERY happy with it and it has definitely become a part of me.

I am so thankful for my family roots and am excited to share the stories with those I meet. Here's a picture of my Opi from our family reunion this summer. We had some face paint out so he got a tattoo of 'Annie' (my Omi...his wife of 70 years!). Don't be alarmed with the dolla' bills on his shirt...they matched brilliantly with his bright yellow plaid gangsta' shorts! :)

"The Bowtie Effect"

Let me explain the title of my blog...

I have been volunteering at the Haggai Institute in Maui for the past 3 months and it has impacted my life more than I thought anything possibly could. I grew up in a Christain home with church every weekend, prayer and devotions each morning at breakfast and I became a follower of Christ myself at a young age. I knew that God was BIG and 'out there' in the world -- I am always excited to find Him in nature, on hikes, by the lake, the ocean, on a mountain, in the stillness of a night and the powerful winds or gentle breeze -- and I'm in awe that this massive God knows me by name and cares for me with a love so deep.

My life has been pretty awesome and I have been blessed with a great ability in athletics and sports. I played field hockey at the university level and was named the Canadian National Rookie of the Year in my first year at university. All things looked to be moving along nicely to achieve my own goals of playing for Canada one day but with sport you are dancing on the line of injury at every turn. My turn came three times with tearing my ACL (twice on my left and once on my right). I stayed active in sport through coaching and was honoured to be asked to Manage the Canadian Women's field hockey team on two tours in 2008 -- one in South Africa and the Olympic Qualifying tournament in Victoria. I have most recently worked at two prestigious Independent boarding schools on Vancouver Island and had felt an urge that God was calling me to something different, something bigger than I could ever imagine. At the end of the 2008-2009 school year and 12 years on the Island, I packed my car with my belongings and my dog and moved off Vancouver Island and moved home (as any good 30 year old should!). My mind and heart were shifting to a greater cause of volunteering and a Christian environment was right where I knew God wanted me to be. He had some work to do in me and my experience at the Haggai Institute gave Him my full attention.

This is kind of where the 'bowtie effect' comes into play. I have met and worked with some of the most amazing people from literally ALL over the world! The sacrifices they have to make and the risks they put on their lives for the name of Jesus is inspiring, to say the least. The Haggai Institute trains leaders from around the world in more relevant ways of sharing the gospel based on their specific culture -- Doctors from Mongolia, business owners from Taiwan, corporate executives from Kenya -- all here to fulfill the great commission. I have been equally inspired by my fellow volunteers who I have had the absolute pleasure to work closely beside while we maintain and clean the hotel that the program is based out of. It is the connection and blessing from these people that made me wonder where we all were previous to this experience and how God has brought us together at this particular time and where He will take us from here. I remember so clearly having coffee with my dear friend Kendra where we were both beside ourselves blessed and were talking about how we heard about HI and what we were doing at certain points in the year previous to have each of us be available to volunteer when we did. The HI experience is the knot in the bowtie where God brought us in on a different path and is taking us out on a different path but we were tied together and knew that God did that on purpose. It's a cool thing and I just know that there will be many more 'Bowtie Effects' throughout my life...many more knots to tie where God will hold me still and close so to be sure that I am focused on Him and His ultimate plan for my life.

As for the Baklava...they pretty much make the BESTEST baklava I have ever tasted here and I just can't get enough of it! It makes me so happy and it is just soooo good! It is the sweetest thing!

So, basically, that's it. A reminder to trust in God's plan and the knot of His bowtie while rejoicing and delighting in the sweet baklava of life in celebration of His faithfulness. Woo!