Mid Life Crisis?

I have turquoise highlights in my hair.

Wanna see?


K.
Well.
I got to the salon at 7 and watched Danica do her thing way over there, at her station.

So proud of her.
She reminds me of my sister back in the days when she worked in a salon.

She wrapped a warm towel around my neck then put a gown over my white sweater. She slipped away to mix some dye then came back and said, "What do you think?"

Haha. I think she is an amazing mind reader because those are exactly my favorite colours. LOVED them,

So she painted it on. And used foil. FIRST TIME ever with the whole foil process.

An hour later, voila. Peek a boo colour, just like I wanted.

That's an underlayer of peacock-coloured hair. My regular hair is on top. So you can't really see it unless I walk around with the top layer bunched up in my hand. Which I don't usually do. I need that hand for other things. Like holding my camera.

Seeing this pic, I can understand why my sister is planning on cutting off my hair after D + D's wedding. Holy smokes this is an inappropriate hair length for a 55 year old.


ANYWAY.
It  (the streaks of colour) is less obvious after I dropped the top layer of hair back in place.

(But it's kinda fun knowing they're under there...)

I'm getting a tattoo tomorrow.


Three things I'm thankful for:

1. I have fun hair underneath my boring hair.
2. Sort of like having a red lacy push up bra under my boring black tops.
3. And right now? My head is soft and smells awesome.

Thank you Danica.
I love it x  1,000.


Shameless plug for my Drew's girl:

She works at Vivid Hair Boutique  #190 - 8700 200th St Langley 604.371.3737


And this is her Instagram account.

Samples of her crazy ability to make hair wild and beautiful:

Makes my colour look tame now, doesn't it?


Shalom,
xo

Amen.


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So.

This pic:

Was taken by the man from India after an evening of walking and talking along the seawall with Kim. (City pics of walk and aqua bus jaunt are on Instagram. )

We'd just walked 7K and were relaxing on our recliners on the dock at Olympic Village, when this fella, who was busy taking selfies, noticed us.

He asked Kim to take a wide angle shot of him, so while she did that, I took at pic of her taking a pic of him.

Then he asked if I could take some pics of him and her together, assuring us he wasn't hitting on anyone. He has a wife and family back home...

Kim is such a good sport.

After a couple dozen pics, they exchanged email addresses so that I could get my pics over to him.

(I would have been part of the email exchange gathering too, except I didn't have my (reading) glasses along, so I couldn't see any of the fine print on my phone. Haha.)

So I just kept taking pics.

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Totally different topic.
From this article:

Important questions you should ask your parents:

1. What was your childhood like?

2. What were you like in high school?

3. How would your parents have described you?

4. When you think about a fork in the road in your life, what was it and why did you choose that particular path?

5.What happy memory will you cherish forever?

6. What was your second choice for my name?

7. What have you always wanted to tell me, but haven't had the courage to?

8. Growing up, who inspired you the most?

9. If you had to do it all over again, would you pursue the same career path?

10. What is your biggest regret?

11. Best trip of your life?

12. What amazes you most about society nowadays?

13. What do you miss most about the 'old days'?

14. Looking back at your life thus far, what are you most proud of?

15. What did you discover in the last decade or two that you wish you discovered sooner?

16. Favourite place you have lived?

17. What were you doing when you were my age?

18. What advice would you give your 40-year-old self?

19. When did you know that you wanted to marry mom/dad?

20. What do you remember most about your wedding day?

21. What do you wish you made more time in your life for?

22. What do you wish you spent less time doing?

23. What family tradition do you cherish the most?

24. What have YOU always wanted to ask ME?

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I love this photo series. 

Ten to twelves year old girl's faces taking about what they want to do when they grow up. 

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I love handwriting.

I think it's beautiful. 

And these examples? Are stunning. Like, artwork. 

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On addiction. 

I'm thankful that he has come out the other end.  Read Cory's story here.

On a hot June Sunday when he was two, Corey Reid was with his aunt beside the pool deck of the apartment building that his parents managed in London, Ont. A naked man jumped from the top of the building and landed, fatally, inches from him.

“He is too young to have any memories,” his 18-year-old mother was told, so no help was given to deal with the grisly trauma...

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Do you have a child in addiction? Is your heart broken? Are you living in fear? Are you worried that God isn't listening to your prayers? Are you mourning the family you used to have? Are you wondering 'why us'?

Here's what I shared with a friend the other day.

• Your child's story isn't over. You're just part way through. God's stories always have surprise twists and unexpected turns. And the best part? God's story lines always have the intent of bringing those in them closer to Him.
• Our children are not perfect and our families haven't turned out the way we thought they would. But we love them even more through the ugliness because that's what Jesus would do.

  The world is watching us love each other at our worst and this, more than anything is our testament that God is greater. Greater than addiction. Greater than depression. Greater than unmet expectations. Greater than gut wrenching fear. Greater than disappointment.
• 
  

  He can and will do great things in and through your family. For His good purposes.

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And one last thing.

It's from a Beth Moore devotional which was read last Monday at work. Everything about it? I loved.

The reason God wanted us to have the Bible?

Was so that we could learn about Him.

And what do we learn in the very first few verses?

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”

And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.

We learn that God is creative. 

He makes things. He creates. 

He enjoyed creating the world. 

He likes what He created. He called it good.

AND we learn that He is organized.

He had a plan. 

He knew on Day One what He'd be creating on Day Two.

And He knew what He'd be doing on Day Six. 

He created each day in the order that He did, because He knew what was coming next. 

If someone showed up on earth on Day Three, they'd be thinking, "What the heck kind of hot mess is this?" Because they were viewing things from a Day Three perspective. 

So, if you're viewing things from a Day Three perspective, relax. (Is it your life you're wondering about? Your child's life? Your spouse's?) He is creative. He likes making good things. And He is organized. He's got a plan. Day Four will be amazing. As will Days Five and Six. You can trust that He won't stop midway through this project. He finishes what He starts and It Is Always Good. Day Four? Will not look like anything you've seen before. It will be new. Because He can do that. 

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And that my friends? Is called a Brain Dump.

Out of my head and onto the screen. 

I should be able to sleep like a baby. (One of those sleeping babies. Not the kind that is up all night crying.)

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Three things I'm thankful for:

1. The series on Elijah that Northview is doing right now. I'd recommend this weekend's sermon if you only have time for one. 

2. Friends who invite you to join them on a trip to Vietnam and then make it the easiest trip to prepare for, ever, by making all the arrangements. 

3. Remote controls. Even if I have to point them at the components that are located behind me.

4. Weekends. 

5. White Spot.

6. The girls in my boys' lives.

7. Spring scents.

8. Moisturiser

9. Silence,

10. Clean sheets and fresh pillowcases.

Shalom,

xo

Midnight on Fri the 13th

I'm sitting on my mom's deck, listening to the night sounds. Crickets have packed it in, but the trains and traffic are creating a dull background noise. Other than that? So quiet.

It smells delicious out here. Well, not delicious as in Good Food Smells, but wonderful. Like in Spring scents. Floral blossoms. Fresh air. Candles.

I've pulled my hair up into a pony tail, but the light breeze is causing the wisps of hair on the back of my neck to tickle me and it's giving me the shivers, so I've put on my hoodie.

These are perfect blogging conditions.

Well perfect 'anything' conditions, for that matter. Playing a game. Having a conversation. Sharing a meal. Reading a book. Praying. Thinking. Planning. Posting pics to Instagram. Nosing about on Twitter. Looking into touristy things to do in Vietnam.


I know that most everyone in my world (except, probably my kids) is sleeping right now. I love that. Some people like being up before everyone wakes in the morning.

I like being the last one awake at the end of the day.

Here's what I've been thinkin 'bout:


This inspirational piece:

If you can't read it easily, here it is again:

By Roger Fields:

I am a minister. I minister to the largest mission field in the world. I minister to children.

My calling is sure. My challenge is big. My vision is clear. My desire is strong. My influence is eternal. My impact is critical. My values are solid. My faith is tough. My mission is urgent. My purpose is unmistakable. My direction is forward. My heart is genuine. My strength is supernatural. My reward is promised. And my God is real.

In a world of cynicism, I offer hope. In a world of confusion, I offer truth. In a world of immorality, I offer values. In a world of neglect, I offer attention. In a world of abuse, I offer safety. In a world of ridicule, I offer affirmation. In a world of division, I offer reconciliation. In a world of bitterness, I offer forgiveness. In a world of sin, I offer salvation. In a world of hate, I offer God’s love.

I refuse to be dismayed, disengaged, disgruntled, discouraged or distracted. Neither will I look back, stand back, fall back, go back or sit back. I do not need applause, flattery, adulation, prestige, stature or veneration. I do not have time for business as usual, mediocre standards, small thinking, outdated methods, normal expectations, average results, ordinary ideas, petty disputes or low vision. I will not give up, give in, bail out, lie down, turn over, quit or surrender.

I will pray when things look bad. I will pray when things look good. I will move forward when others stand still. I will trust God when obstacles arise. I will work when the task is overwhelming. I will get up when I fall down.

My calling is to reach boys and girls for God. It is too serious to be taken lightly, too urgent to be postponed, too vital to be ignored, too relevant to be overlooked, too significant to be trivialized, too eternal to be fleeting and too passionate to be quenched.

I know my mission. I know my challenge. I also know my limitations, my weaknesses, my fears and my problems. And I know my God. Let others get the praise. Let the church get the blessing. Let God get the glory.

I am a minister. I minister to children. This is who I am. This is what I do.

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This inspires me to write out a My Calling for myself. 

Maybe later. 

On a different perfect blogging day. 

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Do you have a long list of folks you pray for?

I have my 78 people's names written on the inside back cover of my work notebook. And a couple times a day, I'll flip open to the page, place my hand over all the names, and say a quick "Thy Will Be Done, Right This Very Minute" prayer for them all. 

I've been wanting to have them printed out in a nicer format, because, well, I DO work in a creative department, after all....

And tonight I finally found a Word Cloud Generator that works. 

Enter all your names in to the content area. Pick some colours and sizes. Then VOILA. 

I thought I'd post mine here, so you all could see what I mean, but someone might read the list and say, "Why is she on there, and not me?" Or (maybe even worse) wonder, "WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING ON HER LIST?"

So I found a random name generator. (OH YES I DID.) And requested 50 random names, both male and female. And then I plunked THOSE names into the Word Cloud Generator. 

Wanna see?

I'm not very good at picking colours. 

There are samples on the sight that look amazing. Go. Now. Have a peak. 

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Three things I'm thankful for:

1, Friday nights.

2. Dairy Queen Blizzards - M & M's.

3.Meandering conversations.

Shalom,
xo