Hair Raising

So...random thought.

You know how hair salons can give you hair extensions? A very handy thing I guess if you have short hair but need to be in a wedding, or maybe for a formal you want to have longer hair to do more things with.

Typically I reckon, hair salons use synthetic hair. However, I saw a sign on my way to work yesterday that said "Human Hair Extensions."

Hmmm

My question. Off of whose head are they getting this hair for the human hair extensions? I know that people donate their hair to organizations that make wigs for people who have lost their hair due to illness...but do people actually chop off a foot of hair to donate it to a hair salon for people with lots of money to pay to have longer hair??

So my thinking is, either the source of the hair is something dodgy...or I'm just seeing a new side to the materialism of our world.

Any brilliant minds care to shed some light on the subject??

Lizards and Losses

I'd like to share a little story of my moment this weekend where my true idiocy showed.

Friday night, as I was about to get into the car, I kicked something. Turned out..it was a blue tongued lizard. Yes, I did the girly thing, and screamed and jumped back...mostly because that was the last thing I was expecting to step on in the drive way. I told Matt what I saw and we both watched it as it ran and hid under the car. So, of course, I decided I needed to take a picture. I told Matt to chuck me the keys to get into the house, and thinking VERY logically, I put my wallet on the boot of the car so I wasn't carrying too many things in my hand. I came back, and took several pictures of the lizard (Frank, as I'd like him to be called) and then made sure he was away from the car as Matt backed out of the drive way.

Two hours later....Matt says to me "so, do you have any money on you?" OH CRAP. "umm...I think I left the wallet on the back of the car when we left the house...."

So what followed was 2 hours of searching the streets around Matt's house and knocking on neighbours doors, to see if they had seen my missing wallet. As well as me ending up in my bed, under the covers, crying for a great deal of the night. (Hey..try being a Canadian in Australia and losing all your Aus & Can ID! Especially when you're going home in 3 weeks!!)

ANYWAYS, Saturday morning, both Matt and I had another look around the streets, but with no luck. We ended up going to the local police station to fill in a report of lost property. After filling out the form, the police officer went back to photocopy the sheet for me so I had a copy. She came back about 10 minutes later....WITH MY WALLET!!! To say I was happy was an understatement. I danced and screamed and even fell on the floor I was so excited. Turns out, it fell off of the car on the first big turn we did by Matt's house, and a family in the neighbourhood picked it up and turned it into the police station.

So, what have I learned? Yesterday we did two hours in the prayer room at Resi, so I ended up spending some time reflecting and thinking about that question after the drama of Friday night. I've learned that I'm good at being calm and positive in a stressful situation...when it's not about me. I've learned that I'm good at having faith in God in big decisions...when I have time to process them and they're a long way off. But, as it turns out, I lack the ability to remain calm and to just trust God when a life line of mine is cut in a split second, and my "source" of identity and finance is gone with one very silly move. I also learned that through the entire ordeal of about 16 hours, I put myself down a lot. There was no one to blame for the mistake but myself...and boy did I ever blame myself. But I have also learned that yes it was a very silly thing to do..but I'm not the first person to do something like this, and won't be the last. So though my pride may have taken a blow, I need to suck it up, laugh about it, and get over it. As well as the fact that God is good. I was missing my wallet for a total of about 16 hours, and I had it returned to me with nothing missing. I've learned that I need to trust God to provide for all my needs (including ID and finance) in both the small and large things...and through Him, all things are possible!! He is good. This might not have ended with me finding my wallet...but I should have entered into the situation with the mindset that God will provide, no matter what the outcome, instead of thinking that if I didn't get my wallet back, my life was over.

And I guess that's about all I can say on the subject. A dramatic weekend, a good story to tell, some lessons learned, and a renewed sense of provision from God.

To finish off, here is Frank.

Has transporters been invented yet?

Holy crap.

It's 3 weeks until I go home.

Eek.

Dancing Dave

Last weekend we had the random experience of attending a proper dance competition. Our good friend Dave has been doing ballroom dancing now for the past year, and I must say he's quite good at it!

It was a bit humorous to sit amongst hundreds of professional and student dancers and to be in an atmosphere that I've only seen on tv. But, I definitely enjoyed myself and can appreciate the hard work that people put into training in this form of dance.

I was also very proud of Dave, and how great he looked out on the dance floor! We saw him do the quick step, the tango, salsa, the waltz, and about a half dozen others! We didn't stay quite until the end (as it was an all day competition) but he let me know that he won three 1st places, seven 2nd places, and one third place!

Here are two video clips I took of him dancing with his partner.

Congrats Dave!

Another one bites the dust...

And I've lost yet another friend to the black hole of myspace.

Can I just ask....what's the attraction?

Maybe it's because I'm no longer a teen so I don't understand the passion for blinking and sparkly clip art, horrible html coding, sporadic blogs all over the page about what your hair colour says about your sleep position, random comments that make no sense because they're either from very excitable teens or people who only post half a thought every couple of days, or the extremely long time it takes to load the page due to all of the above as well as the flash backgrounds and music added in for that extra touch.

I've heard the reason "it's for keeping in touch!" Well..what happened to msn? I know that every teen is still addicted to that, as well as many people who are 20+, so why can't you just say what you need to in a conversation on msn? And even in the latest version of msn messenger, you can leave messages for people who aren't online, so that they can receive it the next time they're on. Or...heaven forbid...just email the person. There's even the option (I might be stretching it now) of actually ringing the person you need to pass on a message to (or just sending an sms message which is the addiction that has captured Australia by storm). Though I know, none of the above are quite as fun as leaving a comment full of "!!!", words in capitals, statements like "you're so cool!", and random blurbs that fill me in on what colour eyes you had in a previous life.

And for anyone who will give me the reason that it's because it's faster then msn space....I will laugh. If you're looking for a quick and easy way to have somewhere to get blogs up, on a page that loads quickly....then I divert your attention to the engine that is powering this page....blogger.com.

For now I'll just have to accept the rational that people just need a space to put up their latest "rad" picture they've taken of themselves, as well as a way of leaving silly messages on other people's spaces because it's the "cool" way to communicate and tell everyone you have too much time on your hands nowadays. But we all know that I'm against anything that's "cool" and all that it stands for....

I guess that and the fact that I refuse to be apart of an online community that the children I work with use to keep in touch with their friends....who are also children.

And I think thats about all I have to say on the subject.

Rememberance Day Poem

THEY DID IT FOR PEACE

As we stand on the grass of Flanders Field,
he dew and frost beneath our feet,
We look at the crosses, the sadness and losses
of the soldiers who gave up their lives for peace.
The gunfire and bullets,
The cries and the tears
We know why they did it,
They did it for peace.
So now we remember,
Why we bow our heads
In silence to remember
The soldiers now dead.

By Isabel Grace West
Age 9

Honestification

Well, I've got a bit on my mind at the moment. Wait, that's a lie...I have a LOT on my mind at the moment.

I've been keeping some decisions I am in the process of making on the down low, but have decided that I'm just going to get them out there in the open right now with this blog. Mostly I think for the reason that this way I'm still out of the country and anyone who gets upset with me has to wait 6 weeks until I have to see them.

This probably won't come as a huge shock to anyone who I talk to on a regular basis, or knows me well....but I've decided to try and come back to Australia next year. It's something I've put heaps of thought and prayer into, and has been on my mind in some way shape or form for the past 5 months.

I've actually applied for the Bachelor of Ministries Program at Ridley Bible College, here in Melbourne. As well, I'm applying to do the Shop 16 'program', which is the Salvo church plant in Reservoir, where I've been helping with the children and youth programs for most of the year that I've been here. It would essentially mean that I was living in Reservoir as well as being on the children's team as well as doing school.

I'm actually very excited about the idea of next year and being in Australia, though terrified at the fact of not only being back in school full time, but also being in Bible College. It's just not something I ever grew up with the thought of doing, but in recent years it has been a thought that has continued to be in my mind, and I have now decided to take the leap and apply.

I guess you could say I've established a life for myself in Australia, as would be expected for anyone who spends a year in any place. I've been through a lot this past year. Been more home sick then I ever thought possible, done things and been places I never thought I'd get the chance to do, been the most miserable and the most happy I think I have been in my life, built some incredible friendships with people as well as children and youth I've worked with, and I've just experienced a lot.

Right now, a lot is uncertain. I've applied to College, but I'm still waiting to hear from them. If I get accepted, I then have to apply for a student visa, and wait some more. Then I have to try and work out flying back here to Australia, and juggle the best timing for that to happen. To say that the past couple of months has been an emotional roller coaster would be an under statement. I've had moments of absolute certainty, followed by mass panic and negative thinking.

It crosses my mind about once a week to just give up. Throw in the towel and don't even bother to continue with the hassle that trying to get back to Australia is causing me. It would just be SO easy, to get on that plane in December back to Toronto, and pick up my life where I left it, and figure out where to go from there. No big immediate decisions. I'd be surrounded by familiarity. No homesickness. People I know and have grown up with around me. My family supporting me through whatever happens. So easy.

But when have I ever done things the easy way?

I've learnt a lot this year. I've learned what I'm capable of....and what I'm not. I've learned that breaking and stretching hurts...but the outcome makes it worth it. I've learned that being away from family breaks your heart more then anything in the world....but it's while being away you learn how much you really do value and love them and how irreplaceable they are. I've learnt that it's extremely difficult to be in a room with no connections to anybody...but it's like starting life with a new and clean slate having no previous encounters for them to judge you on. I've learned that life is good if you take the easy path...but it's absolute extraordinary when you take chances.

On top of all that I'm repressing with my stresses and worries about this upcoming new year, I have a new fear. A fear that only crossed my mind today. I'm horribly scared that the entire time I'll be home (in Toronto) in December and January will be spent with people either trying to convince me to stay in Toronto, or guilting me with disappointments and other ill feelings about me hoping to return to Australia.

I don't know a lot at the moment. I don't know if I'll be accepted into College. I don't know if I'll be granted a student visa. I don't know if I am able to come back to Australia, when I will be flying back here.

But what I do know is...I don't want to be spending 7 weeks (or however long) with family and friends in Toronto, while I have guilt and sadness poured on me. I have been excited about seeing people at home for the past 2 months, and I can't wait. I don't want my time in Toronto, however long or short, to be anything but full of joy and contentment...and full of tears of being so stinking excited about getting to see my family again.

I also know...I just want those that I love to be proud of me. Proud of what I have been able to accomplish this year, despite absolutely nothing going according to what I had planned, and proud of the fact that I've stepped way out of my comfort zone and applied to Bible college.

I don't really know what else to say besides that. I guess just to conclude, I do have a prayer request. Please keep my application to College in your prayers...along with my sanity. I know God is good. He will see me through.

Blessings

Trying to get a 'Phil' of Halloween

Even though this is a few days late..

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Though I am currently in a country that does not celebrate this festive and fun occasion, I took it upon myself to carve a pumpkin anyways. The fantastic Mr. Atkins took me to a very random fruit market, and there I picked out the biggest, and most orange, pumpkin I could find (which still wasn't that big...nor very orange..but what can you do). They don't have the proper huge orange pumpkins that we have in North America...and they eat pumpkin a heck of a lot more often then we do (though never in a pie...they're missing out I tell ya!), so I did the best I could. Here are a couple pictures of "Phil" (his name is care of Matt).

I also ran into a lot of interesting discussions being over here in this great land over the time of all hallows eve. I've heard the discussion before about Halloween being about the devil and witchcraft and all that sort of thing....but never to the extent that people in Australia believe it to be, which is why this holiday is so frowned upon. As a rebuttal to this argument though...I direct all who read this to the following article..."A Snarky Halloween History."

Though it contains a lot of sarcasim and humour, it is very informative, and an interesting read.



And that's about all I have to say on the subject.

Oh and if anyone got too many Reese Peanut Butter cups in their trick-or-treat bag...save those for me.

Blessings!