working really hard makes God happy, and makes my body tired.  

back from a coffee run.

On my coffee run I made three new friends respectively. I meet really interesting people in coffee shops. For example:

Will - An english major, who loves hardcore (as in 'when 'hardcore' actually meant something'). Hooked me up with a DOA show for tomorrow night. Has two younger brothers who both play in bands. The elder of the two in a decent ska band and the youngest in what Will describes as a 'pitiful trash metal attempt'. Fell asleep in a couseling session at a coffee shop this morning. Likes the colour purple. Enjoys edge theatre and neologisms and spent at least ten minutes convincing Andrew and I to take the term 'clinch-poop' into the world.

'clinch-poop'
- one who clinches (or clenches) the poopdeck (or top deck) of a ship, presumably in fear. (A logical synonym for 'clinch-poop' would be 'coward'.)

There you have it. Call someone a clinch-poop today. Will says so.

Angela - A theatre major who is Christian and trying to figure out her calling in life. Frustrated with a lack of connections between the youth staff and youth group at her church (one of the biggest in the Fraser Valley). When we ran into her she was cramming for a course she was taking in youthwork. She's been on numerous missions trips all over the world. Thinking about becoming a teacher. Annoyed at having to go to lengthy scene rehearsals in which she has one line. We talked about men and women and the differences between, and enjoyed discussing the origins and significance of cusswords.

Helena - Twenty-three years old. English major. Kindly tried to help us out with logging on to the wireless internet at Ethical Addictions which we couldnt seem to master. Favourite flavour of icecream is tiger tail. Went to Western Bible College at seventeen, as their youngest student. Now considers herself only marginally Christian. Lives with roomates that she squabbles with and has a starving artist for a sister. Has been married and divorced already and considers herself a jaded human being. Her favourite book is one called Einstein's Dreams. She loved it so much that she gave away her own copy a couple of times. The last time she did it she couldn't find the book again in bookstores so she doesn't have a copy anymore.
We both have an interest in urban art. On her way out, she scribbled her phone number on a napkin and passed it to me.


Seriously, this is two hours in a coffee shop. And people wonder why I love humanity so.

bloody long week.


Yeah, this is one of those weeks that merits something other than a blog post. From Monday to Thursday I was at a regional YFC conference. That was alright, the speaker was excellent, it was Michael Frost from Australia... he had some awesome stuff to say about church, community and evangelism. I had fun learning from him over coffee between sessions. There's a lot of cool people in YFC and all of them are really good about talking about their lives and their work. I did the whole sponge thing and kind of soaked up the learning. I also chilled out a fair bit.

In addition to that I came down with a really wicked head cold. Sigh.

Yeah, it really does get worse though. As of Friday we have one less Lifeteamer, my friend had to leave because... I dunno, here just isnt the best place for him right now and it was God's choice for him. It's good really. But you know, it sucks too. I'm genuinely grieved about the loss, so the weekend was spent crying more or less... reading books and hiding out at Rob and Iona's house. I'll feel it for a while I know, but sometimes I wish life in general didn't hurt.

Tomorrow is this modules Day of Silence, and you can bet I'll be hashing this one out with God. There's just a bunch of stuff between Him and I right now that I need to work through. I know God is in the right, I know that He is good. I just don't get his plans... or anything about him really. It frustrates me that I can follow Him with all my heart and then get shaken up at times only to find out that my attitude toward Him is just dead wrong. So I've got the feeling that God and I are going to have this one out with me on my knees... as such matters should be dealt with I guess.

So this is me being candid, I'm sick and tired and overwhelmed. I've also got a ton to be thankful for in the midst of it. I'll chew on it some more and get back to you.

Peace.

.I think I was laughing at Jim. 

.legal drinking age and not a drop to show for it.

Yeah, yesterday was the big nineteenth birthday. Only one year remains of my seven year sentence as a teenager. I can now legally enter any show at any bar in Canada. This IS cause for celebration.

I had a grand day, more heavily celebrated than my birthdays at home actually. I like home birthdays, they have a tendency to be very low key. Coffee shop birthday parties and spaghetti dinners at home being good examples of the usual festivities. Lifeteamers sung to me at midnight and I recieved many gifts some of which include -

- a care package from mom, (cookies and books!)
- a book from shannon called 'Belong - a search for urban culture' (she knows me well)
- two dozen (!) roses from Josh
- ten Ethical Addictions dollars from Jimmy
- eternal love from Jo and Amanda
- a beautiul ink drawing of St. Catherine street in Montreal by Andrew
- A trip to the theatre from Laura
- A hemp necklace made by Faye
- a promise of a post-lifeteams beer from Chris
- A wonderful childrens book from Iona called 'At the Back of the Northwind'

Man, I just realized that I got a crapload of birthday gifts. I am absolutely surounded by good friends who know me well. Praise God for stuff like that... and shame on me for not thanking Him everyday for friends who care about me.

::In other news::

It's official... I'm coming back to Peterborough next year. I had the forms sent yesterday and will be a student of Trent University in the fall. I've been wrestling with where I'll be next year for a while, praying and thinking about it and whatnot. In the end I think that God just gave me a bunch of really good options and said 'pick'.

I'm starting to realize that God's call on my life might have a LOT less to do with where I am and more to do with who I am wherever He puts me. So it looks like Peterborough is where I'll be.

I'm glad, I miss it...