I love you.

Love. love. love. love. love. love.
love. love. love. love. love.
love. love. love. love.
love. love. love.
love. love.
love.
me?

Reasons why I should live in the tropics.

1.) I am more environmentally friendly.
For some reason, once the sun starts to shine in the early spring and beginning of the summer I find that I switch all of my products from random spa essentials to Alba botanicals. (Alba botanicals is a brand of product that is all natural, 'committed to the environment - or so they say, and tropical themed). I also find myself wanting to bike or walk places rather than drive.

2.) I am healthier in body.
I find that there is a direct correlation between what I let into my body and the amount of sun that is shining. On gross, rainy days, I eat my pain away with chocolate and foods that are slightly higher on the fat factor scale. On sunny days I drink green tea, eat more than my quota of fruits and vegs, and lots of salad. I don't know why, but I crave healthy foods. I also like to get out and be active in the summer which equals a nicer bikini body!

3.) I am healthier in spirit.
I am more motivated, more dreamy, and more relaxed when the sun is shining. Summer and sun equals a happy Anne. Amen.

I.can.not.wait.

This summer will be my first 'independent' summer since I was in grade 9 (if you could call grade 9 independent). I am overwhelmingly excited. I have the privilege of being able to move back in with my parents, in a beautiful city that comes alive with sunshine and opportunities during the months of May to August. I get to pursue a job that will hopefully challenge my skills and advance me along my education. I get to pursue things that I am passionate about like dance during my free time. I've already found the best dance studio ever to train at during the summer and I am so excited.
I.can.not.wait.

It's learning time, kids!

Did you know...

Air pollution is a global problem. Although Greenland has about half the population of Nanaimo atmospheric pollution is still found there. (Due to air currents.)

We DO have a problem.

80-90% of energy in developed countries comes from fossil fuels. Due to rising populations and depleting resources, it is likely that these resources WILL be used up within the next 50 years UNLESS we do something about it. I've heard from so many people, "I'm a Christian. I have a passion for Jesus, I'm not willing to have a passion for anything else including environmental issues." I don't get that. If you have a passion for Jesus you should have a passion for His people. If you have a passion for His people you should be doing your best to live a lifestyle so that His people will have a future on this planet. If you aren't Christian and you don't care about other people, think about your kids and your grandkids. Do you really want to leave them with the problem of fixing the enormous problem that we (and past generations) have created? Think about it.

Spread thin

I'm tired. Exhausted to be precise. And I'm frustrated. Maybe it's just that stereotypical point in the semester where everyone is frazzled to the core, but right now I am extremely burned out and I don't think it has to be this way.

I'm involved in a lot. I have a full course load in school, I volunteer anywhere from 5-10 hours per week as a leader for the University Christian Ministries club on campus, I have relationships with many friends, a boyfriend, and I take a couple of extracurricular activities on the side. I'm busy and I generally enjoy what I do. But I find that by the end of the semester I have poured so much of myself into all of my activities that there is nothing left to sustain myself with. I'm exhausted. I feel unappreciated, and it affects everything that I do. It affects my relationship with myself, my friends, and most of all God.

I feel pressure all of the time to do well in everything that I am involved in. I work hard to excel in my school work. I pour my time and effort into relationships with friends and with students both at UCM and in my core groups. I work hard to be blameless and accountable to everyone in my life that I might be a witness to others. But when all this is done, what is left for me? And especially, what is left for God?

I'm so tired. I don't know how to cope at the end of the semester. I feel pressure from everyone around me to turn to God, acknowledge that I need him, lay my crap down at the cross, and walk away knowing that He loves me and is always with me. So simple a concept, yet so hard to do.

I feel judged for the fact that I am hesitant to let God fill me up. I feel judged that I have allowed myself to hit rock bottom. I feel judged for not being passionate about God because I'm not passionate about His people.

Oh how I look forward to Christmas break.

Love lead me

I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn’t resolve. But I was outside the Baghdad Theatre one night when I saw a man playing the saxophone. I stood there for fifteen minutes and he never opened his eyes.
After that I liked jazz music.
Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way.

Blue like Jazz - Donald Miller

My early Christmas list..

I know that October isn't over, Halloween hasn't sprung with it's skeletons and candy-overload, the first snowfall hasn't snuck up, and midterm exams aren't over, BUT I'm already writing my Christmas list. However this year's list is quite a lot different than years past. For one, it's not possible to buy anything on this list. And for two, you'd probably be putting God out of a job if you could wrap any of these things up to put under my Christmas tree.

So here is my list of everything I want for Christmas this year.

1.) My roommate's will to break and her to find Jesus in the midst of her brokenness. And for ups to stay up and downs to disappear.

2.) For my parents to still live in Kelowna, yet miraculously be only 15 minutes away from my apartment when I want to see them.

3.) For Kittens and puppies and all medium to large animals of this world to get the love that they deserve. And for them not to get abandoned on the sides of roads and flushed down toilets.

4.) Hillsong to come to Nanaimo.

5.) And world peace. Obviously.