A List of Stuff & Things For My Future Husband

I was browsing the big wide world of Bloglovin' recently and came across this listicle "May You Not Be Weird and 30 Other Prayers for my Future Husband" and it made me giggle. And I was a little nostalgic for that time I wrote out a list of everything my 'perfect' boy would be...and then he appeared a few weeks later. A few months after that we had, what I've come to classify as a 'whirlwind summer romance' and it ended because I forgot to include 'looking for a serious long term relationship' on my list. Okay, there were other reasons why it didn't last forever but I like to think that little omission also played a part. 

After that mess was cleaned up (it didn't end well) I decided to abandon the list and let the universe bring me something. The universe brought me J. who was essentially the anti-list. I went with it for awhile but at the 18 month mark it became clear that it was not what I wanted. Now, six months after that relationship ended I'm ready to return to the list philosophy. 

1. I hope you exist, and I meet you before my 30th birthday. 
2. May you be ready for marriage and looking for a serious relationship.
3. I hope you want multiple children and are open to the idea of adoption and/or being a foster parent.
4. I hope you're a camp person. That you can teach me one new campfire song and own a minimum of two tie-dye t-shirts.
5. You need to own a pair of work boots.
6. Please don't expect me to be in constant contact with you. I need to fuel my inner introvert and be able to spend time with friends without my phone. 
7. May you know the value of a hard day's work.
8. May you believe in something bigger than yourself.
9. It would cool if you were an RCMP officer, social worker, farmer or camp professional. 
10. It would also be nice if you shared my love of Disney.
11. I hope you love outdoor adventures and watching Netflix. Balance is important. 
12. You need to be financially responsible. I don't expect you to be a millionaire but you also shouldn't have mounds of consumer debt.
13. It's worth saying that I've always had a thing for males who play guitar. Especially if you can play Slide by the Goo Goo Dolls and/or a selection of country ballads. 
14. You're probably going to need to be a meat eater if you're going to attend my family gatherings.
15. I hope you know the value of eating vegetables, but also be open to eating chicken strips & french fries on special occasions.
16. I hope you are involved in your community, that you know your neighbours and they refer to you as the 'nice young fella down the road'.
17. Know that I'm using the term neighbours loosely, I expect you to be a a country boy.
18. I hope you are passionate about something other than making money.
19. May you meet the high standards of H. & R. and remember I loved them first.
20. May you be compassionate, humble and kind to others.
21. It would also be cool if you drove a truck. 
22. May you be blessed with a working knowledge of  basic vehicle and home repairs. 
23. And a desire to assemble any furniture that may come in multiple pieces.
24. Please be accepting of the fact most my skills conform to gender stereotypes. 
25. I hope you appreciate the little things in life. 
26. I hope you are surrounded by a good friend group.
27. I hope you love my quirks.
28. I hope I love your quirks.
29. To echo the inspiration for this updated list, "I hope you think the idea of praying for your future-but-maybe-doesn't-exist spouse is kind of silly but also sweet". 

Do/did you have a list of requirements for your future spouse?

Linking up with Stuff & Things

March Goals

I'm keeping things simple this month, but I'm also being smart. Last month I totally and completely failed at completing the One Little Word prompt. Even saying I failed to complete it is giving myself too much credit, I hardly started. The good news is I'm cutting myself some slack and tweaking it for March. And, since I also didn't get much accomplished on my 52 in 52 list last month I'm going to go ahead and kill two birds with one stone. 

One of the biggest goals on my list is to read the Bible cover over the course of the year. At first I was going to go the chronological route, but I don't think that's the route for me. I'm not going to follow any particular reading plan, I'm just going to read book by book. I whipped up a simple bookmark shaped checklist to keep track of which books I've read that I'll keep in my Bible and then transfer to my OLW album when I'm finished. How does this fit into OLW you may ask? Well, last month the challenge was to choose a practice and do it everyday. And I really struggled to decide what my task was going to be and then when I decided that I was overthinking things and my practice would be to simple interact with my word each day it was February 10th and the month was half over. I could have started then but I chose not to, I don't want to skip the month all together so my March goal is going to be to read one book of the Bible each day in March.

In addition to all the Bible reading I'm also going to read two books this month. And I'm also going to journal/write creatively 16 days out of the month. 

I'm keeping it simple with goals this month. I have a few things on my to do list that I would really like to accomplish but I'm intentionally not making them a priority this month. Verdict is still out about a contract extension, and it's possible there will be overtime each weekend in March so I'm choosing my goals wisely and reminding myself I can do it all....but I can't do it all at once.

What do you have planned for March? Let me know if you're sharing your March goals today as well! 

Coffee & Prayers

{one} 

I'm in the market for a new Bible. My current "all-purpose" Bible was given to me at the beginning of an LIT program I completed at camp when I was 16. It's very much highlighted and bookmarked and noted and has seen better days. I'm sure I'll save it forever but I feel like I'm in a phase of life where I need to start fresh. If you have any suggestions for a translation or specific Bible I should get I am all ears! I have been using God's Word translation but I'm open to change. I already have a copy of The Message that I read on occasion but would prefer something else for daily use.

{two} 

I posted yesterday on Instagram about my deep love for Salted Caramel Mocahs from Starbucks and I'm going to post about it again here. I know everyone goes head over heels for Pumpkin Spice this time of year but the PS Bandwagon is not one I'm interested in joining. I so rarely go to Starbucks but I had an appointment yesterday and picked some up on my way home. It's been a long week and I'm starting to feel the stress of not knowing what's around the corner. 

{three}

Somewhere along the way between April & Now I lost my planner. It wasn't so bad during the summer because the days schedule was always posted on the door and when I had errands to do during break I made a to-do list and got things done. Now that I'm back in the Monday-Friday real world I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing each day. I was trying to plan blog posts last night and realized I had nowhere to write them down. I'm way too cheap to buy a fancy Erin Condren planner or any of those other brand name books that cost an arm and a leg. So fingers crossed I can find something cute & cheap the next time I'm at Wal-Mart. 

{four}

I'm doing an Online Bible Study with Love God Greatly on Esther which prior to this month isn't a book of the Bible I've read a whole lot. I do feel like it's perfect timing though so much of the lessons we've covered so far is about trusting that God has you where you need to be. It might not be where you want to be but there is a reason why. I struggle so much with journalling and really making a specific time to pray and reflect during the camp season it's one of the biggest challenges I've found working at a secular camp. It's been lovely to get back into a routine of journalling every day and having time to really reflect opposed to a quick prayer before bed. 

{five}

One of the best things about working from home is waking up at 8:30, putting on a pair of jogging pants and checking my e-mail on the couch while I drink my coffee. My brother broke my favourite coffee mug earlier this week and now I can't seem to find another one that holds just the right amount of coffee. There are a million coffee mugs in the cupboard though so I refuse to buy a new one, but it just isn't the same. Please tell me I'm not the only one with an unhealthy emotional attachment to which mug I drink my coffee out of in the morning.

     

Into August

Pinterest

I can not believe that this summer is basically over. 

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of tears & laughter mixed fuelled by extreme chaos and moments when you are positively certain your life must be a TV show. For example, one morning last week I found myself digging through the camp dumpster in search of a spoon that had accidentally been thrown out. A lot of our campers bring their own equipment that has been adapted to help give them independence. This particular spoon belonged to a camper who without her adapted spoon isn't able to feed herself. After tearing the kitchen and dining area apart (including the dishwasher) it was determined that the only place for it to be was in the dumpster. Luckily we found it in garbage bag #7. Not only is it lucky because the camper got her spoon back but also lucky because we didn't have to dig through the other 10 bags that were sitting in the dumpster.

In all honesty the dumpster moments are the easy moments. They are funny. You know that it's going to be a funny story to tell a little farther down the road. The hard moments are being happy for the people around me who are moving across the country for the dream job, getting accepted into their first choice school to complete their masters, falling in love; etc. etc. overcoming the feeling that I'm not just getting left behind but I'm getting lapped. I am so thrilled for everyone else's successes and happiness. The bottom line is always that you want the people you love to be happy. Even if they're being happy with someone else or being happy 10,000 km away from you. 

Called To Be Woven

I had one of the best weekends I've had in a really long time. It seems like it's been so long since I've experienced God Moments but this weekend I seemed to be surrounded. I found them in the most unexpected places, but I am so grateful that I did. 

I'm grateful for the peace of not knowing the specifics, but knowing that I need only to keep listening and watching and following 'the call'. 

I'm grateful for coffee on rainy Monday mornings.

I'm grateful for fulfilled promises.

I'm grateful for songs that give me goosebumps. 

I am full of hope, praise, celebration, faith and delight that I know there are big things ahead. 

I am grateful for passion and opportunities to use that passion to make a difference. 

Faith, Fun & Food on Friday

{one}

I blogged back here about how much I love words of affirmation, usually I get all my word lovin' during the summer months at camp where writing "warm fuzzies" is a widely accepted & enjoyed activity. During the fall/winter/spring I rely on reading through old warm fuzzies, random messages from friends and of course your sweet blog comments! This week however I got the best surprise in my mailbox. A letter from a girl who was in the youth group I helped lead during university. We hadn't really kept in touch over the past year and although I think of her fondly I wouldn't say we were overly close during my time with the group. I never would have guessed I made any sort of impact on her life. I won't share the contents of the letter but it made me tear up and reminded me that even when we don't know we're making a difference it someone's life, we are. 

{two}

Speaking of youth and making a difference, yesterday I did something brave. I e-mailed a Christian camp in Texas to inquire about employment opportunities they have from September-April. It may not sound like a big leap of faith, but I've always said I'd love to experience living in the south and that I'd love to travel and work at larger Christian camp while I'm young. I've never taken any steps to make this happen though, because it's scary. Yesterday though I was browsing camps, (which is a pretty common activity for me) and I came across this particular camp and I just got this feeling. I can't explain it really, but it was just a huge push to send an e-mail. Even if nothing comes from the e-mail it's a step.

{three}

I've been re-watching Dawson's Creek lately, hands down one of my all time favourite shows since I first started watching in jr.high. I think it speaks volumes about how much I've changed/grown as a person that once upon a time I was a die-hard Dawson & Joey fan. There was just no other option. And now at the ripe old age of 23 (almost 24), I get it. Team Pacey & Joey all the way. I am embarrassed that I was ever 'attracted' to the whiney, dramatic and all together annoying Dawson Leery. 

{four}

Psalm 25 has been on my mind & heart a lot lately. I'm not exactly sure why but it started with a thought about footprints, steps and paths which lead to me read the entire Psalm and as I read with my Bible on my lap, highlighter in hand I couldn't decide what part to highlight, it all just feels so relevant right now. 

Especially verse 5 as it's written in The Message:  

Take me by the hand;Lead me down the path of truth.You are my Savior, aren’t you?Psalm 25:5 (The Message)

I am little to no idea what my plans are for 2014. It's incredibly scary, stressful and worrisome but it's also kind of exhilarating. Even if I don't know what my plans are, God does.

{five}

Ending things on a lighter note, it's officially Candy Cane Hot Chocolate here in Canada. And during last weekend's road trip to the City I discovered the amazingness that is the Gingerbread Donut. As depressing as it is not to have unlimited access to Vanilla Coke, cheap clothes and Trader Joe's Tim Horton's kind of makes up for what's lacking. If I could figure out a way to stock up on gingerbread donuts and keep them all year round I would be a happy person. And on a related note, putting egg nog in coffee is also one of the tastiest treats of the season! If you haven't tried it yet, make it happen. I usually just drink coffee with sugar and no milk/cream but once egg nog goes on the shelf I'm all over it. 

Linking up here! 

Patience is a Virtue...

I've been thinking a lot about patience and waiting and I came to a realization. When it comes to people I have buckets, dump trucks even, over flowing with patience, but when it comes to having patience to wait for something to happen I have raindrops. 

Via

Working with campers who have special needs I've developed a lot of patience when it comes to teaching a camper a new skill or encouraging independence. Without giving it a second thought I will happily wait for a camper to tie their own shoes and zip up their coat, it might take them 10 minutes when I could have done it in 10 seconds but that's not the point. If a camper wants to do something and is able to do it I am more than willing to support them, and sometimes support just means not rushing them. 

Via

I'm also pretty patient when it comes to waiting for Mr. Right. I fully admit I don't like waiting, but I am firm in my belief that waiting for the right person is worth every second. I would rather wait until I'm 30 for Mr. Right to come along than to settle. I refuse to settle for anything less than what I want. If I want a specific shade of nail polish I don't buy the closest thing to it, I wait until the one I want is back in stock. I'm not going to settle for a guy who is good enough when in a couple more weeks (maybe even years) I can have exactly the one I want. 

\

Via

It seems like every week I type the sentence "I should hear this week about the grant that will make my current seasonal job into a full-time/year-round position." And it still hasn't happened yet. All the paper work has been submitted. The case file has been assigned to a specific person. Ten days allowed for processing have passed. The status of the application has been checked 100 times. But it still has the same "Under Review" status. We've been told it's a good time to apply for this particular grant because they're not that busy, most organizations apply in the spring/summer so there's a better chance of getting approved. But there's still no change. So I'm stuck waiting. Trying to be patient. The longer the wait the harder it is to be patient. Even though the situation is totally out of my hands. 

Fall Bucket List

 

Linking up with Erica to publicly declare my monthly goals!

 

I'm combining my September goals with my Fall Bucket List. I'm really not sure what the next few months have in store for me which means some of my goals may not be fully attainable but between September & December I'm sure I will be able to accomplish them! Goals with a * are ones that are for sure September goals. The others are less time sensitive. 

 

1. Cut & Donate my hair.  I've always wanted to donate my hair to an organization that makes wigs for cancer patients. My hair is pretty long right now and I'm ready for a change so I need to do a bit of research to make sure I have enough to donate and then make it happen!

2. BLOG! There are some fun blog challenges and link ups happening in September and I really fell off the blogging wagon during camp so I'm jumping back on! *

3. Find a Guide Unit I really want to stay involved with Girl Guides even if I can't commit to taking on a unit for the full year. *

4. Read! Again, something that got neglected over the summer! But I want to read at least 12 books between now and December 1st.

5. Complete a Bible Study it's been far too long since I did a study start to finish! I don't have any in mind so recommendations are welcome!

Blog Friends...?

I wasn't going to blog today because the topic for the May Challenge I've been doing is favourite blogging friends...and I don't really have any blogging friends. I've got lots of favourite blogs but I'm pretty new to the blogging scene. I've "met" some people who I really hope to become blog friends with I haven't quite achieved that goal. All that being said I like making new friends so you should definitely comment and introduce yourself if you happen to be stopping by! :) 

Friday I got some super exciting mail! Last year was my first summer at a non-faith based camp and I really under estimated just how much I would miss that element of camp. This year I decided to be pro-active and find some sort of daily devotional for me to use. I searched and I searched to find something specifically for camp staff, or even 20-Something girls, just something that had daily readings. Which turned out to be a near impossible task. Finally I came across Character Building Ministries who have a 10 week devotional specifically for camp staff! Factoring in breaks between each session I'm actually at camp for about 14 weeks, but I can make it work and I am super excited about it!

I am also super excited that 2 weeks from today I will be at camp! Enjoying beautiful sunsets like the one below. Or at least making an effort to really take the time to watch and appreciate the sunset a few times a week in the midst of the various camper and staff happenings. 

Happy Monday!

My Monday got off to a really great start thanks to the Blog World!

On Friday when I linked up with Kelly's Korner for SUYL she shared a link from Beth Moore's blog that prompted 20-Somethings to post a comment about ourselves and our worries and in return a Non-20-Something would reply to the post and volunteer to pray for the 20-Something. I thought it was such a sweet idea so I commented and refesed the page for an hour in anticipating of somebody replying. After an hour I realized I was being crazy and decided to leave it until Monday.

Which brings me to this morning when I went through my usual morning ritual of checking e-mail, Twitter and blogs and remembered to check back with Beth Moore. And I was greeted with this comment. I was so happy to see that and I love that the lady who commented was kind enough to also leave her e-mail address. Things like this are such a refreshing change from the usual cattiness of girls and are such an encouragement!

For those of you wondering (which I'm pretty sure is nobody, but I digress) Operation Homemade Lipgloss with the Brownies went really well! The only hiccup was for some reasons the girls who used purple Kool-Aid to colour their gloss ended up with a grey-ish colour. So that's a lesson for the next time. But other than that they were all pretty happy with how they turned out, which made me happy too. 

The last week of April/first week of May is off to an excellent start!