My Date with the Kid

Oh, where to begin! What an incredible experience it was to go to Pittsburgh to a Penguins hockey game! So much fun, so much excitement! I got almost everything I wanted out of the trip. Our seats were AWESOME, Sidney scored a goal, and Pittsburgh won the game 5-1.
The only thing missing was the other half of the reason for choosing this particular game, and that was to also see Vinny Lecavalier who is the captain of the Tampa Bay Lightening. Unfortunately, Vinny fractured his hand and wasn't playing...in fact, he just had surgery on it yesterday. He'll be out for 6-8 weeks. So, that was a little bit of a let down, but in retrospect, it made it much easier to cheer for Pit all the way!!
Our hotel was literally across the street from the arena, so once we got there we stayed put in the downtown area. Pittsburgh is a nice city. We thought the people were great, and would go back in a heartbeat.
But most importantly, the atmosphere was insane. There is nothing like standing and screaming with people by the thousands, pounding the glass, cheering with the strangers beside you....it was really my favourite part of the whole experience.
Would I do it again? Oh YEAH. I am in 15 days in fact! Heading to Dallas to watch the Stars play 2 games! Now that the Pit experience is still fresh in my heart, I'm looking forward to this trip even more!
The epic saga of my hockey life continues,....
Stay tuned.

I'm Seeing Stars....(but I'm sorry, I guess you can't)

Yes, it's that time of year again.

Summer is my favourite season (weather wise), but there is only one thing that I struggle with during that time: NO HOCKEY.

For me, hockey season is the best season there is. And the extra blessing was that it started earlier then usual for me, and in such a special way.

About a month ago, I grabbed my friend Jenna and headed to PEI for the weekend. This weekend was going to be different than my usual visits to PEI because that always includes a long visit with my dear Blinders. This time, it was about hockey....and coming across an article online that I know for sure now, was NOT a mistake.

Charlottetown became home for the weekend to the Dallas Stars. It was on PEI that they were to have their training camp. I know most people don't find that exciting. But when you are me, and your favourite player of your favourite sport plays on that team,...yes dear friends, it's exciting!!

So, I got to watch Brad Richards practice and play hockey with his team....and meet him. Only for a second. I didn't want to monopolize is time with a lame attempt at small talk, so I shook his hand and walked away. I hope my actions were respectful and admirable....for that was my intention. But all in all, it was a great experience, with happenings I'm still reeling over and meditating about. I'm just so amazed that God could take something as simple as hockey and use it as a blessing to me. It really shows that he does care about the little things....even someone's joy in a GAME.

Experiencing what I have so far so early in this hockey season, I know it's just going to get better. And yes, if the Lord wills it, I'm hoping to head to Dallas sometime this season to see them play on their home ice.

Though it's still early (no team has played 10 games yet), it's wonderful to see the Stars have a perfect 4-0 season so far. And Brad is playing his best hockey in years. It does my heart good to know that I saw the start to this back in PEI a month ago. I'm hoping it will lead to a season of hockey that I will never forget.

P.S. I would have posted some pics, but I don't know how to get them off my phone. Sorry!

I See His Blood Upon The Rose

I see His blood upon the rose
And in the stars the glory of his eyes,
His body gleams amid eternal snows,
His tears fall from the skies.

I see his face in every flower;
The thunder and the singing of the birds
Are but his voice-and carven by his power
Rocks are his written words.

All pathways by his feet are worn,
His strong heart stirs the ever-beating sea,
His crown of thorns is twined with every thorn,
His cross is every tree.

-Joseph Plunkett

The Heavens Declare!

Ever since I was a kid, I've had a fascination with the cosmos. Stars, planets and galaxies...all of it is....well, pardon the pun,..ASTRONOMICAL. i've been known over the years to stare at a clear sky on a cool night, and having a hard time walking away.

As a Christian, the sky was always one of those things I never really felt right about studying. Any books you could find were either saturated with evolution or astrology. Well, in reading a recent fictional Christian novel, I found some resources of how the cosmos don't have anything to do with horoscopes. But the stars "speak" of their Creator....including the Birth of Jesus...the Son of God. FASCINATING STUFF.

I've really just started my study on this VAST subject...but if you'd like to experience something on this subject that's a good start, I'd recommend a video called, "The Star of Bethlehem". What this man has to say was so incredible, it blew me away. That God would be so detailed in the birth of Jesus to plan it in the cosmos at the time of creation...what LOVE.

I hope you take the time to experience it. It really makes you think...and thank God for all His extraordinary favour to us.

Some Interesting things about Erin....

Erin....the Green Isle....Ireland.

Here is a list of things you probably didn't know about the Ireland of the Dark Ages.

-Public Education began in Ireland.
-In one generation the people of Ireland mastered Greek, Latin and some Hebrew.
-In this same generation, the Irish language was so pure, there was no dialect.
-The Irish invented a secret language called Hisparica Famina, made up of parts of Latin.
-Ireland was the world's first publisher of books.
It was the Irish priests and druidic bards that preserved books on history and culture while libraries all over the world were being destroyed.
-During the Dark Ages, it was Ireland that shared the light of the gospel to the world. In fact, Ireland has turned out more missionaries then any other nation in time.

Thanks to Linda Windsor, Christian writer of historical fiction, for these green gems of historical facts.

A Little Different

I'm Back!! Although I doubt that many people out in Blog world really noticed I was gone.(:

I have missed sharing on this thing, but I have to admit, I wasn't writing because I felt I wasn't being INSPIRED. Nothing I felt was worth posting was coming to mind.....

Maybe it's because for some reason I thought everything I shared had to be about sometime spiritual and uplifting in some way. I do hope that whatever I post on here is encouraging to people, and after you read it you feel a little happier then you did before. But then I realized that this blog is to share who I really am. That definitely involves talking a lot about God, for He is the one who created me, and made me who I am. But I'm hoping that in sharing things that He has taught me, you can learn too!

God is, and always will be the centre of what I write here. I love talking about Him, learning about Him, sharing about Him. But He is the one who has given me all the different interests to learn about and share with others. I guess by nature I'm somewhat of a teacher. I love knowing things, but to me the best part about knowing something is sharing it with someone else.

So, from here on out, what's posted on here with be from a wide range of different sources. Sports, cultures, travel, recipes, photos, history, music, books, theology...little bits and pieces from many places and people.

Please read and enjoy!

Waiting with Anticipation

Psalm 130:5,6:

"I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His Word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning, I SAY, more then they that watch for the morning."

Everytime I quote this verse (which is done every day when I wake up), I think of the context of it. I heard a speaker once say that the waiting in this verse refers to soldiers who are fighting through the night, and are waiting for the morning. From what I understand about battle, there is anticipation with the coming of the dawn. If you just make it through the night.....

When I heard this description, I was reminded of "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers". I thought about the battle at Helm's Deep. They are significantly outnumbered , and there is little hope for those fighting for good. In the beginning of the battle sequence, Gimli says at 2 difference times, "Let's hope they last the night".

The goal was to make it until the morning. With the morning comes hope.

As the battle is in climax, defeat looks imminent. Surrender or death look to be the only options. Then, as the last glimmer of hope is fading, Gimli says with deep emotion, "The sun is rising". Then Aragorn remembers the promise of Gandalf. "Look for my coming on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the East".

Deliverence was possible. Hope was swelling. Victory was reality. Salvation was coming.

This is how we should wait for the Lord. Most of time, we sit back with folded hands, claiming we're waiting on the Lord, praying that He will deliver us from whatever trial we are facing. Soldiers who are in battle don't sit with folded hands....they are getting the work done. They are fighting for truth, they are pressing forward in hope, waiting with anticipation for the dawn, believing that in it's coming, so is their salvation.

We should be waiting for the Lord with great anticipation. Sitting on the edge of our seats, filled with excitement, knowing without a doubt that with the dawn, HE is coming. We are suppose for anticipate Him "...MORE then they that watch for the morning".

Let's stop sitting on our hands, in sorrow, hoping that He will rescue us. We are to fight the good fight, looking to the morning not just hoping for the dawn. We are to look with great excitement, great anticipation because with the dawn HE IS COMING.

We are to wait for the Lord MORE then they that watch for the morning. Because although we are looking for hope and deliverence, what we're WAITING for....is HIM.

My Favorite Thing About Autumn...

A Tree stained in crimson.

The Gospel really IS everywhere.

Pan meli, aisthanomai Grlik!

I know! What the heck does that mean? Well, I'm sure it's grammatically incorrect somewhere. But what is means is part of a new chapter that the Lord has called me to in my life.

In this time of stepping back, trying to figure what God wants me to do next, or where God wants me to go, one thing He has made clear...

"Pamela, learn Greek!"

So, I'm going to start with making myself familiar with the beautiful Greek alphbet (have you ever realized that the word "alphabet" is the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, Alpha and Beta?). I will go over it and over it until I dream about the letters and it's so familiar that I don't have to think about it. Then, I will start with Biblical Greek, followed by Modern Greek.

Greek is not an easy language! But if I'm called to it, I trust that I will have a knack for it. I'm sure there still will be times of frustration, and a desire to quit, but I pray that I will press on in obedience.

I don't know what it means for the future....but I will wait with anticipation on the Lord,..."like they who wait for the morning" Psalm 130:5,6.

I'm excited, but still need your many prayers. Thanks!

Where's My Sword? Part II

Here is something you might find interesting...

This morning I was gathering all my stuff together for church. I had my purse, my water bottle and my Bible.

Somehow, it the hurriedness of leaving, locking the house and telling my dog to stay.....I didn't grab my Bible.

I FELT LOST ALL MORNING!!!

Hallelujah!! It's working!!

The Word is becoming my prize possession, the ONE object that I can't live without, I feel lost without,...I am imcomplete without!!

Write Your Word on my heart, Lord. May Your Word become flesh in ME.

Where's My Sword?

This week, I've been spending significant time with The Word. Yes, I have been reading it all the time, but that's not exactly what I meant.

I went on a walk this past Monday, and had a push on my heart to take my Bible. Which isn't unusual when you're someone who loves to sit outside in nature when reading and studying your Bible. But the experience was more unique then even this...

I walked for a full hour and a half. I didn't stop to read my Bible. Not because I didn't want to, but because I felt as though I wasn't suppose to stop. So, I walked, and walked and walked. My iPod in ears, my Bible strapped to my back. I wasn't understanding why God wanted me to take my Bible if He wasn't calling me to stop and read it somewhere! But I still keep walking....

Then it hit.

One of the songs I was listening to was by Steven Curtis Chapman called "Bring It On". Suddenly I had this picture in my mind of me being a soldier. Walking through life with my Sword strapped to my back, everywhere I go, everything I do, my Word, my SWORD is present with me. Then this thought came to me: If I am suppose to be obedient according to what is written in I Peter 3:15, then shouldn't I have my Word with me ALL THE TIME?

How many times are we without our Word? Do we take it to school? Do we take it to work? Do we take it on a walk? Do we take it with us to do the dishes?

Sounds a little obsessive, I know. But think about it this way: If you were in the heat of battle, would you carelessly leave your sword somewhere? Would you say to your comrade, "I need to go talk to someone about how they can fight better, but I'm going to leave my sword right here. You watch it, ok? I don't want to lose it." What kind of fighter are they going to be if they haven't had proper training in how to use their sword? We tell fellow believers all the time that we're in a battle and need to be PREPARED. But while we're telling them that they should to do this, WE are unprepared to train them. Why? Because the tool we're suppose to teach them to use is sitting on our nightstand! It's not strapped to our backs, ready at any given moment for battle. And we go through life everyday wondering why we feel so defeated...

So, hearing this from the Lord, I put a challenge out to myself. Everywhere I go, my Bible goes to....no exceptions. Yes, even the bathroom! I know you don't need your Bible in the bathroom, but isn't it good to be a habit of having your sword with you at times when you are most valnerable? Would a soldier in battle put his sword down in the middle of the battlefield so he can go have some "private time"? NO! If anything, the exact opposite!! We can't EVER let our guard down.

I have to be honest though, it's so hard! I have easily forgotten it. But what's amazing about it is now I'm conscious of it. Now I'm more likely to carry it everywhere I go,....more and more everyday.

Are you up for this challenge? Where is your Sword right now? Strap it to your backs, my friends. The battle is on, and the opposition is getting more aggressive. Don't be without your Sword....be prepared to give an answer to those who ask.

Fight the good fight....keep your Sword at striking distance.

What's next?

Even though my last blog was a few months ago, I'm finding that I'm now experiencing what I was writing about: change.

Change is so hard when you have NO idea what direction God is leading you next. All you can do is wait, trust, and walk in obedience!

More to come....stay close.

Weak in the Knees

In the past few months, an intriguing subject has been the topic of many conversations with two close friends of mine: Knees.

Shawn, a Florida boy who has been raised being pulled behind a ski boat, had a very unfortuate incident happen during the summer months. While he was wakeboarding, his knee blew out on him. And he wasn't even doing a trick! The result has been painful surgery with a slow, uncomfortable recovery.

Laura, who is actually a distant relative of Shawn's (ironic,eh?), also had a knee incident within the last couple of weeks. She was on a run and jumped over a chain not even a foot off the ground, and suddenly she was down on the gravel with a gash in her knee all the way to the bone. She is off her crutches and gets her stitches out tomorrow, but her knee will still be sore for quite a long while.

What's special about these 2 people is that they are both children of God. God the Father is their Abba. Jesus Christ is their Teacher, Master and Rabbi. And the Holy Spirit is their Comfort and Joy. Because of injury and circumstance, they have been given the opportunity to spend more time at the knee of the Lord, learning, studying...just spending time with Him.

What have I learned from the knee injuries of my friends?

That I need to spend more time on mine.

What does it take for us to purposefully sit at the feet of the Lord? Pain, death, suffering? Shouldn't we be there at all times, just because we want to be?

I think we all need to pray for the heart of Mary, who spent her time with Christ at His feet. On her knees.

Lord, if you have to take us out at the knees, do what you have to do for us to spend that time with you.

Like Shawn and Laura, Lord, make me weak in the knees.

AHHHH Summer....Where art thou?

I have had a new and shocking discovery lately: I dislike cold with a deep passion.

This is shocking because I've been born and raised in the True North, the birthplace of hockey and Tim Horton's. I should love frolicking in the snow, and taking in a deep cold breath. I should like ice,....looking at it, seeing it, eating it. But the hard truth is this: I don't even like it in a drink. My water is always room temperature and my iced tea is NEVER iced. Cold wind makes me breathless and cold. Snow makes me wet and cold. Ice after I've slipped and fallen on it (which doesn't happen very often...let's face it, I am still a Canadian girl), makes me sore and cold. Which all makes me incredibly cranky and unpleasent to be around.

I love heat. It feels SO good. I didn't complain once this summer about it being hot because I knew it would be over way too soon. I love the sun, I love daylight, I love green grass, blooming flowers, the buzzing of bees and humming of hummingbirds. And why is it when everyone else in the office is hot, I still have my jacket on? Is the Lord preparing me to migrate south?

Am I living in the wrong place? Should it bother me that the change of two leaves on one tree cause me to what to burst into tears?

No matter what the case, I'm called to be content where the Lord has placed me. Sure the thought of getting snow tires on my car, and having to warm it up in the AM before I get into it makes me cringe, but shouldn't I remember that all things come from the Lord?

Posted on my mirror in my bedroom is Job 37:10. "By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen." I've placed it there so I can be reminded that winter is a beautiful gift that the Lord has given,...even if I'm not very excited about it right now.

So, winter is coming. I need to face the inevitable. Ice and snow....made by the breath of God. A time for God's creation to rest, and tough Canadians to grab their sticks and pucks.

I will eventually give in, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming about next spring and planning upcoming trips to Florida.

Life after NYC

One thing I can't say: Life is the same since going to New York City.

It was so big, so loud, so fast, so GREAT.

I know that might be a wierd thing to hear about NYC. It is such a materialistic place, and focus is mostly on self. But I found out quickly that people are the same everywhere. If you are kind to someone, most people will be kind to you. We all want to be happy, to find fufillment in life, to find a reason to keep living. People are people no matter where you are.

And it was in these people that we found the image of Christ. We saw Him in those He created, and because of this were able to love people and be Christ to them.

My team was amazing. I couldn't imagine going with a greater group of people. So willing to serve, so ready to give, so much fun! Because of this trip, I now have friends for life. We became a family, brothers and sisters loving and taking care of each other. We really learned what it means to be one as the Body of Christ.

This trip changed my life. Again, God allowed me to see the world in His perspective. He allowed a city that could be considered as a scary place become my new favorite place. I love this city, and I'm looking forward to my return.

Laura, Adam, Chris, Jonathan, Erin, Ashley, Marissa, Nick, Andrew, Christine, Lisa. What a blessing to serve with you all. When are we going again?

I know, I know...

Haven't written a blog in a long time....it's true!! I'll be on it soon, so keep checking back.(:

Christos Anesti!

I was thinking today about the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". Mostly because I have an interest in the Greek language, not that I want a big fat wedding!!(:

Why today you may ask? I was thinking about Easter. This glorious weekend of celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. In a part of the movie, Tula tells Ian that to tell someone "Happy Easter", you say "Christos Anesti". And then the other person responds with "A la tos anesti". I studied a little bit of Greek in Bible school, and I began thinking about the literal translation: Christos means Christ in Greek...(I know that's kind of obvious). Then, as a history buff, I remember what early Christians used to say to one another in greetings.

One would say:"Christ is Risen!

In response, the other would say:He is Risen Indeed!!

So, I looked it up.

Christos anesti does not mean Happy Easter, it means CHRIST IS RISEN!!!

We don't have to wait until Sunday to say this to one another! Christ is Risen! He is Risen INDEED!!! This is how children of God should greet each other every day!!

Celebrate!!! He is not dead, He is RISEN!

Christos Anesti!!!!!!!

Treasures from the Land of Promise

Last night I got to see my dear friend Laura for the first time since her return from the Holy Land. She said she had some things for me, and then started to pour out her gifts.

Being a lover of creation, my friend knows me well by bringing me back "pieces" of earth from the land where the Lord walked while He was here as the God-man. She brought me back sea shells from the beach at Joppa, and stones from the sea of Galilee. A small keepsake box made from stone in Jerusalem and a necklace charm carved from the wood of olive trees. Being a lover of history, geography and ancient truths, this was astonishing to me. To feel more connected to Yehweh and Yeshua of the past, and seeing how they are Lord and Savior to me today was captivating.

One stone she gave me from the sea of Galilee was bedrock, old enough to have been there when Jesus walked the shore after His resurrection and was speaking to His disciples as they were fishing. It was so profound to me. It was like it wasn't just faith anymore, it was reality. This stone was sitting on the beach when Jesus was there!

Before I went to bed last night, I was looking at the shells and their beauty, and found myself talking to the Lord about them. I shared with Him how special they were because they were from such a special Land. Then it was like He said to me, "they are special because I made them. Just like I made the seashells that you would find on a beach at home. Yes, they are from the Land where I walked when I was on this earth, but I walk with you EVERY DAY!".

My dear friend blessed me with very special gifts that I will treasure because I know they came from her heart and much thought was put into them. And she will be blessed to hear about the JOY that filled my heart because of the glorious truth that was given to me through them!

Oh, Israel! How blessed you are among the nations! To be chosen to fulfill the will of the Lord, to have the Savior come through this promised seed of Abraham!

And how Blessed am I! A Gentile! To have the Creator of seashells and bedrock live in my very soul and penetrate my very being....EVERY DAY.

Obsession

It's been a tough week....Or at least it should have been.

I found out some heartbreaking news on Sunday, something that affected me deeply. And at first, I wasn't sure I would emotionally make it through that night. I didn't sleep much, and just begged the Lord to get me through work the next day.

I asked a simple request of the Lord: That I trust Him. That I believe Him when it says that He will NEVER fail me.

Two friends of mine started praying for me that day, and I know that they're been praying for me all week. I've had unexplained strength, joy and confidence and I know that it's because of faithful children of God placing my needs at the feet of our Lord.

These words for Steven Curtis Chapman have also spoken to my very soul:

"Lord, you know how much, I want to know so much
In the way of answers and explainations
I have cried and prayed, but still I seem to stay
In the middle of life's complications
All this pursuing leaves me feeling like I'm chasing down the wind
But now it's brought me back to You
And I can SEE AGAIN

This is everything I want, this is everything I need
I want this to be my one consuming passion
Everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for you, Jesus
Be my Magnificant OBSESSION

So capture my heart again, take me to depths I've never been
Into the riches of your grace and your mercy
Return me to the cross, and let me be completely lost
In the wonder of the love that you've shown me
Cut through these chains that tie me down to SO many lesser things
Let all my dreams fall to the ground until this ONE remains

You are everything I want, You are everything I need
Lord, You are all my heart desires, You are EVERYTHING to me!

YOU are everything I want, YOU are everything I need
I want YOU to be my one consuming passion
Everything my heart desires, Lord I want it all to be for YOU, Jesus
Be my Magnificant OBSESSION"




Jesus is Life. I want Him to be EVERYTHING.


Things happen. But trusting and believing in Him turns mourning into dancing!


Thank You Lord, for who You are. And not just getting us through, but making us THRIVE.

And thank You for little things like Earl Gray tea, and March Madness.(:

Spiritual Insights From Rox

I'm often reminded in my workplace about what it means to be a new creature in Christ. How you may ask? From a Turtle.

Rocky is the turtle's name here at the Orthodontist's office where I work (Rox is what I call her. She is a girl, so I felt obligated to feminize her name!). She doesn't do much but sit on her rock, eat her food or chase around the finger of a patient who has become enthralled with her. But one thing she seems to do much of is shead.

Rox grows continually. At our last estimate, she is at least 35 years old, more likely closer to 40. And what I find fascinating is that it seems as though every time I look over at her from my desk, she is losing another piece of her shell. Her growth spirt has been more rapid in the past week and she has lost at least 2 pieces of her shell. And, from what I see, is working on AT LEAST 2 more! When she loses shell, she's getting bigger, she's growing, sheading the old shell for the new.

When we come to know Jesus and put our trust in Him, we become new in Him. Old things are passed away and new things come (2 Cor 5:17). Just like Rox's shell, the old has to leave to make way for the new. As the old passes, and the new comes, she grows. She becomes, bigger, better, older, and wiser.

This is how we should grow in Christ. Before we knew Him, we were like a turtle with an old shell. Then when we put our trust in Him, the new shell exploded from beneath. And as we grow in Him, the pieces of our old life continue to fall off. Either they float off on their own, or we are put through pain until it is forced to leave us.

This is what Rox does. She waits patiently for it to leave her at it's appointed time, or she will allow herself the pain of scratching off the old against a sharp-edged rock. In the between times, she rests on her rock, feeds on her food, finds joy in the chase or works to move heavy rocks. But in all that she does as a turtle, I think she grows because of the freedom she has been given to do so. As her large home gives her the freedom to grow, so our life in Christ does so for us.

We are free to enjoy the joy found in Him, free to work knowing there is a purpose for it, free to feed on the knowledge of His Word, and free to rest in all that He is.

You may think I'm stretching this. Why would I take the time to get spiritual insights from the life of a turtle? Simple: Rox has the fingerprints of her Creator all over her. I don't know if turtles know much, but I believe that Rox knows Who created her. So, with that in mind you can see how I would find something spiritual. The created who knows her Creator, placed in a tank across an Orthodontist office, was put there with His purpose: To bring man to God.

It is true that man has no excuse. God is not far from us. The gospel of Jesus Christ is in all that He's made. And once you're on this journey of knowing Him, you find Him in the most surprising places. He says that if we seek, we shall find (Matt 7:7).

I found Him among the rocks and algae of a turtle tank...