THOSE BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS...
and Gift Registries...

So, about registering...
what is the DEAL?!?!?!?

I like color... and I like new stuff... But then there is practicality, and:
"What does he have? What do I have?"
This involves THOUGHT!
I thought I could just walk into a pretty store and pick some pretty things that I really want... and then all would be well in the world! This is not how it is. No. But almost. I mean, despite the limitations that I thought would NOT be affecting me this evening... I am still pretty excited about the freedom that does remain...

Ah... the world is still beautiful! I think it could never STOP being beautiful... I could stop being beautiful... But the world couldn't... You know? Do you KNOW what I mean. And it's NOT beautiful because of the pretty things I could potentially have. No.

It is beautiful, because God consistently shows up in it. In subtle, or rather blatant ways... but when it stops being beautiful, it's usually because I have stopped looking... I heard this photographer from National Geographic speak at a worship conference... he was amazing. National Geographic picks him to photograph the worst places... because it doesn't matter where they send him, he always comes back with a beautiful picture! Where everyone else would find something dead, or lifeless, he finds life, and beauty... and he says: it's an attitude. If you recognize, that it doesn't matter where you go, there is something beautiful there... then you'll find it. It's your sight that is usually the problem.

So tonight is beautiful. Chicken and Rice, and then Home Outfitters...
Does it GET any better? And could I BE any more random? Think about it: from gift registeries, to BEAUTY - how to percieve it... Wow. I'm good... I mean, I'm reeeeally good...

Love. Shallom!
mariajane.

PS: sorry, no picture today... I became significantly less interesting immediately! oops.

WEDDING PLANS

Well, wedding days are upon us... Adrian and I have nailed down a reception site! Praise the LORD! It is beautiful... well, I love it anyways. We went and looked at it the other day... and it is VERY different without the green grass, gree trees, and bright sun... standing in a cold, tent in the middle of winter isn't necessarily the ideal way to imagine your wedding...
I love it. I do! These three pictures are inside the tent. It is a permanent tent... with sides that fold up, and the couple who owns it (near Nivervill, MB) will do all the set up and take down for us... etc... so my day will be stress free! Yay!

Also, there are some lovely features! Such as the dance floor! (no rentals for me!!!) And the lovely rafter ceiling! Yay!

Life and love is truly a gift. Anyhow... There are more things to do... But I thought I'd let everyone see the beauty that will be my wedding... (Just imagine it in summer... the sunshine, the greeness, the AMAZING flowers everywhere, tables buzzing, full of the people we love... candles, a fire blazing outside after dusk - the music of the dance - It will be amazing! *sigh*)

Have a wonderful day!
Sorry - no "insightful" or "inspiring" thoughts today... nothing from the "depths of my soul"... just some stuff. Life is full of stuff.
plain. boring. wonderful stuff.

mariajane.

Well, clarity comes in unusual ways, hm? Before I start, this picture is coming home from the WhiteShell in the summer... and the sky was so brilliant! There are more pictures... I am a bit of a fanatic, when I get going, hm?

Anyhow... I was reading John of the Cross yesterday (The Dark Night of the Soul)... and moments of bleakness... moments when your faith becomes "homely", and you are frustrated in the lack of color... it's alright. I think my problem, is that in those moments, instead of sitting back, and waiting for God... I want to get up and GO towards him. But sometimes the best posture I can take, is one of repose, and quiet. So yesterday I took a day to be peaceful. I wrote, I read, I made cinnamon buns... it was really wonderful. Well needed.

And (so John of the Cross tells me...) these moments of darkness... whether brief or lengthy, are times that God wants to draw us to himself... to replenish, strengthen and stretch us. The whole point, is that we cannot remain stagnant... we can't sit still in our faith... and those moments often come, when we are not recognizing that need to move, and grow to be more like Christ.
Anyhow... it made me content to be discontent... I feel like I then need to pause and sigh, and be joyful at once... Life, hm?

And I'd like to send a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS out to my friends, Janie and Dave Colvinson, who went and HAD A BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL!!!!!
Praise the Lord! We are loving, and praying for you both!

The end!

mariajane.

How long? How long has it been?!?!?
Somehow I knew that things would be this way... a fascination that I could not stay AWAY from for about a week and a half... and then it is a stretch to write regularly...
I believe it is because I do things all or nothing... so I can't come on and just "quickly write" something... IT MUST BE THE BEST!
oh... the best of the best.


This is where Maria is now:
I am working, at The Meeting Place... I have had a hard time feeling really motivated lately - just feeling unusually tired... but praying that God recreates vision and passion within me, to refocus, and be excited about this new year... of life and craziness...

I love worship, and I love singing... but when you do too much... and you are just working weekend to weekend... you start slowly ebbing away... draining out... and you need to replenish yourself. So I must replenish... not entirely sure how. What it means. But life must move forward. Even backward steps, are only tricky forward steps in my opinion... You just have to catch it!

I have considered, and might follow through, on quitting at Starbucks. This breaks my unusual heart... I love working there! Staff is super... and I get free COFFEE!!!! But my stressful life, and need to plan a wedding, and need to have time that is quiet, and also full of praise... it just outweighs my need for free coffee, and steaming milk, washing floors, etc... You dig it?!?! I DO!

I am making an effort to recapture what it means to fall in love with God. Not in the weird, romantic, nonsensical, lack of realism way... in the: My life is my faith - kind of way. I want to be known for Jesus. Man - it's easy to write... but to live? To be bold? To love well? I am a coward almost every day... no wait: I would say every day.

This must end. The thoughts, the madness.
I will most likely be off to to the "Wonderful Wedding Show" this weekend... if I can arrange it with work! I want FREE STUFF!!!!! Oh! And our reception site is SET IN STONE!!!!! So that is another gift. Praise the Lord! He is showering Adrian and I with gifts... We are SO grateful!

Anyhow. I thought I would include some lovely pictures today... Because yellow is happy and sunny... and because those leaves up there? They were the leaves in BC when I was there a few months ago... They are from the park, in which Adrian proposed, actually... (good times! good times!)
And while it was fall, and crisp, and clear in Abbostford is was freezing, and snow covered in Winnipeg... the joys of the West Coast! (tear, tear)

Ciao!

mariajane.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I know, I know...
Two days too late, you say.
Well, as my father would inappropriately say: "Go suck rocks."
DAD! I GAVE YOU AWAY!!!!!

Just so you are all aware: I just had to go look up "Inappropriately" up in my dictionary, cuz I really thought it had two N's, instead of two P's... sheesh. So I cannot be credited with the spelling of that word. Though I would like to be.


So: A new year. Thoughts? Meanderings? Quips?
I would like to say only a few things (however typcially a few things, take a reasonable amount of time... so we'll see how THIS goes...)

Yes: I made resolutions. I am getting married. I am going to have sex (after I am married!). I am going to lose weight. I am going to do my devotions. I am going to do devotions and pray more with Adrian.

I think those were the things.
Typical? Probably. But for me: ridiculously personal. Adrian: I am so sorry I reminded the "world" (by world I mean my small world...) that one day, we will be having sex... but WHY hide from it? This is highly unprofessional, and most likely embarrassing, but I have rarely been one to think too much before I speak/write... so I obviously wont start now. It wasn't a resolution anyways. And isn't that what everyone LOVES about me...? Except a few select family members possibly... heh heh...

Will I follow through on those resolutions? Some of them: Quite obviously. In fact most of them are 'resolutions' cuz I KNEW they would be happening... tee hee hee... not because I think they SHOULD happen, or would like to "work on" making them happen. I cheat. I know.

But the resolutions that are in my own hands? That require self discipline, and potentially restraint? Well: We'll see how my heart and will hold up... I am praying that the Good Lord gives me more will power than I typically own... But I can't just "put" this on my dear Saviour either... right? Oh Abba... because he also wants me to take ownership of my decisions... he wants me to be responsible, and develop characteristics that honor him...

So to close today, I will remark on the first fragments of wedding plans that I have begun... Jodi Epp (my lovely roomate) has begun to help me sort through a guest list... OH MY WORD!!!! So to those of you who have done this before: KUDOS TO YOU!!! Because this is going to be the hard stuff. The tough crap.
I am not excited about working my way through this sucker... cuz man: I want EVERYONE AT MY WEDDING!!!! But as I discovered yesterday: this will not be possible.
I don't think they have a tent big enough...

So I will keep you posted on the stressful workings of my wedding plans...
Hope to go dress shopping soon... which could potentially be AMAZING, and also be very depressing... so may I go with the best intentions, and love for my self... and leave with a strong optimism, and that same dignity and self-confidence that I started my day with...

Well: have a wonderful day everyone! May Jesus be smiling on all of us!

mariajane.