BUMMED.

WHISTLER:
EARLY SEASON
220cm SNOW BASE
SNOWIEST NOVEMBER ON THE RECORD.

We were going to drive up Tuesday night, have all day Wednesday on the mountain, hang out at night, and come back Thursday morning.

Then plans changed and we planned to leave Wednesday morning.
Then a work meeting was forgotten and we would have had to come back Wednesday night.
Then I didn't have snow gear, so I arranged to borrow.
Then I got stuck in rush hour and forgot to stop and rent gear.
When I went back later, MEC didn't have the right skiis, and Sports Junkies was closed.
Then I couldn't buy a lift ticket at 7-11.
Wednesday morning, we were about 30mins down the highway and had to come back for a forgotten credit card/ID... that had actually ended up being dropped on the street.
By that time, once we would have arrived in Whistler, and gotten rentals, it would have been 10:30, and the mountain closes at 3.

So I made a disappointing, financially wise decision and stayed in the city while my friends drove off for Whistler.
It seems like everything leading up to today wasn't working out, so maaaaybe I wasn't supposed to go to Whistler today.

Either way, I'm totally uber bummed and am sitting in my snow suit on my bed.

Weather Network: "A wind and rain warning are in effect..."

Big, stormy, windy nights.
The rain hits angry on the window pane, and the wind can her heard from in my safe, cozy, warm house.
I love them!
It reminds me of growing up on the farm - our farm house was 100 years old and the roof was made of tin. When it rains, me and my sisters' bedroom was loud. I suppose when I was little, I would run across the hall to Dad and Mom's bed, where the wind didn't blow and the rain didn't pour.
Hmmmm.
A parable, if you will:


The Wise and Foolish Builders 
Matthew 7:25-27
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."


I recently read an 'aside note' from this familiar parable that in Sunday School, I would colour colouring sheets on. What can we learn from this story? 
Build your life on something solid: Christ. Do this by listening and obeying.
What else.
Both the foolish and the wise man went through storms.
The rains fell, there were floods, the wind blew strong.
It didn't matter the men's family backgrounds, marital status, income level, nationality, life experience, colour of hair or what kind of address they had. The storms still came.


And they are hard... and painful... and sometimes all you do is feel the wind and not know what direction to go. You feel the thunder and think the pain will never leave. The waters rise simultaneously with your panic.
Where's your safe house?
Where's your parents' bed?


Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
But those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles,
They will run and not grow weary,
They will walk and not grow faint.
-Isaiah 40:30-31


Hmmm. So how exactly does that look. What about the wind, floods and rain? Those are freaking scary! And confusing and discouraging and unappreciated.


Iy yi, and this?...
"We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
(Romans 5:3-5)


HOPE. 
It never dies.
It never disappoints.
No matter the storm.
Foundation.
TRUST.
Truth.
...unwavering?
Even in mad confusion?
Unwavering. 
Even when society tries to redefine truth a million times - there's got to be something constant, something to cling to that doesn't change every generation. Right??
Man I hope so, or else life is being tossed in the waves without a PFD: directionless, out of control and with no indication that it could possibly get better.


ALL THAT SAID, Lord, be my peace, my strength and my direction when I have no idea what's up with life-weather.
And I wish BC had more thunderstorms.
Good night.

Newly Released: "Beauty Will Rise"

Dear Steven Curtis Chapman,
Thank you for being real about life and brokenness in your new album.
From,
Sarah

I Will [Not]...

I will not fall victim to relentless Christmas marketing that has invaded this city since November 1st.
I will park my car for the Olympics and walk everywhere.
I will not get this flu that everyone is getting these days.
I will eat more vegetables starting this week.
I will not become addicted to my new, shnazzy cell phone.
I will choose to move forward.

How to botch up a job interview 101

1. Get stuck in traffic

2. Show up late to the GROUP interview, where there are 2 others there... on time.

3. Miss the first part of the interview regarding pay and uniform, then ask about it at the end.

4. When giving him your resume at the end, realize there is no contact number on it for you.

5. Mumble something about just getting a new cell phone that afternoon (true story), and ask if you can WRITE it on your resume.

6. Forget your new phone number, and have to look it up.

7. Your phone is off, so you try to remember it by memory from the keypad pattern, but likely put the wrong phone number down for them to contact you on.

...and... fired, before you even get hired.

Hahahahaha...