This is my after shot. The locks are cut and I'm lovin' it. And look how much light I get in my living room! Amazing... 

A creative angle :) Again...my living room is amazing. You should check it out. But not all of you at once.  

Where is home...

I can honestly say that I am enjoying my reading week. Yes, I am reading. No, it is nothing to do with school. I love reading the books that I get to CHOOSE. I remember last year on my reading week I read 1984 and Fight Club. This year, Brave New World, the Relevant Church and (hopefully) Searching for God Knows What. I'll have more to say about them later on.

People have been asking "Is it good to be home" and others "How are things back home" which makes me wonder...where is my home? I have never lived in the same house for more than 5 years. That is the max. So where is my home? Where my family is? They are all over the place. Where my parents are? Where I am? I know that there's that cheesy saying "Home is where the heart is", but I am talking more practically. I am about to graduate McGill this summer (if all goes well!) and then where? And for how long? This is a really eerie thing.

Coming to see my family I am visiting a house where I have never lived. A neighbourhood where I don't know the neighbours. I do feel comfortable here and at peace, but where will I start to feel the Home?

What is Home to you?

The Madness of Snooze

I must confess that I have a problem.
I have a compulsive snooze button addiction. I can't help it. It didn't always be this bad. When I lived with my folks, we'd always have to compete for shower order (aka more hot water) so I'd maybe press it once or twice. Now... oh my...
Honestly I wake up between a half an hour and an hour (on those bad days) after my original alarm goes off. In my groggy halk-wake state I am very good at convincing myself that another "snooze" won't hurt. It's gotten to the point where I have 3 different alarms going off. Still, no improvements. I am open to suggestions. What is wrong with me!?!
Anybody???

pensive 

This is my friend Sue who came to visit me last night and didn't want me to take her picture. Hahaha. Gotcha! 

BEFORE pic 

Hermit

I feel like such a hermit. I have four exams next week. Four in one week! Boo. I've been spending so much time reading and studying in my apartment and Second Cup. 4 hours a day, not including classes. I want to finish well because I'll be graduating McGill by the end of June. Praise the Lord!

I am definately craving some social action but, I have to be a good girlie as my mom would say and keep my nose in the books. My gospel choir came over for practice tonight. Always a good time. When we were done our rehearsal I put on some Snoop Dogg. I was working on my dance moves. Haha. Classic. Emilie, you're hilarious.

Because of my serious lack of a social life I don't really have much else to write, except everyone book off April 1st and 2nd on their calendars because we're doing a live recording c.d. with my choir. It's going to be da bomb! Be there :)

Blessings

Thanks for the smile. I like your hair.

Ha, someone called that I would blog about this...so here it is.
On Saturday night I was walking downtown, and just came from a cool worship time at my apartment. My roomate was gone at her parents place and there was nobody in my building so I blared the worship music as I dance my little heart out in my living room. That's the way I love to praise God the best. When nobody's looking and I can be undignified in His presence.
So I am in a good place spiritually as I leave my building and am walking. Do you ever have moments, when you are just doing your thing and then you look and someone is smiling at you? Isn't that a great feeling? There was this homeless man ahead of me in the street asking for change and I just felt the love of God for him and couldn't stop smiling. Eventually he looked over at me as I was walking closer to him. We locked eyes and I couldn't stop smiling. Then he caught it. The smile became contageous. We were smiling at each other for a good few seconds, then as I was passing him he said - "Thanks for the smile...I like your hair!" Classic. I wasn't expecting that. I just said "Have a great night" and went on my way.
Made me think that I should worship more before walking downtown. God's heart would be able to reflect more from me onto His children.
Just some thoughts...
Oh and p.s. lent is coming up - starting on Wednesday. Josh, I hear what you are giving up. Crazy dude. God be with you on that! As for me... don't really know. Maybe sex drugs and rock and roll :)

Holy Ground

Many times in life God gives me things or blesses me in ways that I don't even understand. I will attempt to encourage some people by what I am about to say or to shed a bit of light on the truth of God, because I stand here as a woman changed by the power of God's hand. Amen.

I realize that I am in a minority (unfortunately) of people, and in particular women that have a healthy body image and general self-esteem. Now, this certainly hasn't always been the case. Anyone who knew me up until the age of 16 can surely testify to this! But praise the Lord those days are over. Hallelujah. (And that is completely sincere).
First of all, something that God opened my eyes to about a week ago was this. We are vessels of the Lord's work. We are members of Christ's body (1 Cor. 12:27). We are united with the Lord, and are ONE with Him in spirit (1 Cor. 6:17). We are God's temple (1 Cor. 3:16). Got it? Good. So, here's the revelation. Our bodies are holy ground. We need to be able to respect ourselves because we are litereally one with God. So when you let someone make you feel like crap, or walk all over you, or try to get "frisky" with you (I know that there are some people being pressured into these situations) - you need to stop and say "Woah now, this is HOLY GROUND and you can't mess with that!" Now I am not writting this so that everyone will go on ego trips or whatever (and I hope that's not what you are receiving from this) because we ONLY boast in Jesus Christ. It is the Christ part of the equation (me+God=1) that we can boast about. But we can't seperate ourselves from Him, so we need to start loving and respecting ourselves.

Now for those of you who know this but are having a hard time really learning to love and accent yourselves, let me share with you some things that work for me and hopefully they might be able to help you too.

1)I don't weigh myself. The only time that I will get on a scale is in the doctor's office. This may be drastic, but I am boycotting because TOO many of my sisters out there are enslaved by a number. You are not how much you weigh! (Sounds a bit like Tyler Durden from Fight Club. I digress)
2)I don't read Cosmo, or Seventeen, or whatever other celebrity magazines are out there. I boycott altogether (this one is hard if you are in a waiting room somewhere, but bring your own books :P) We are already bombarded with images all around us that we can't avoid, so choose to avoid what you can.
3)I don't watch t.v. Now this originally was because I couldn't afford cable. But I honestly have noticed big changes in my life because of it. Now if I go somewhere to watch t.v. I have that shock value and how thin or how much make-up these people wear etc. Again, limiting what you can.
4)I go to the word - I shared some passages earlier and would love to share some more if you are interested. Search it out - how does God want you to see yourself? I have a friend (you know who you are) who tells me that everyone should look into the mirror everyday and say "I am a BEAUTIFUL creation of God". This friend actually makes me do it when I am with them...it's hilarious, but a good exercise.
5)I hang around people who are REAL. That accept me regardless of whether or not I have had time to make my self half presentable.

I could keep going on. But I won't. I'd love to talk more in depth with anyone struggling with this. I seem to keep forgetting how much of an issue this is, because I've dealt with it already, but I am here to talk if anyone wants. God's love is amazing and His healing power is OUT OF THIS WORLD! I hope that this has helped at lest one of you. Be blessed.

"For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body, and you are COMPLETE through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe". - Colossians 2:9&10 (NLT)