Top Reasons why I could never be a reality show contestant

1. I hate flying in airplanes

2. I am way to skittish...it's true, I don't take many risks in life.

3. I am not a fan of the wilderness...true, I go to camp Hermosa, but that is not camping, that is cabining...and have any of you seen my reaction to being outside at camp after dark?

4. I have a very weak stomach...having to eat cow brains, would not make me happy

5. I am very much family oriented...I can't go a week without communicating with my family, friends and loved ones.

6. I have issues following rules and directions

7. I am a fan of consistancy

8. I give up on things way too easily...I have no endurance

9. I do not like bugs and animals (wild ones)

10. I am allergic to almost everything...seriously all the food on Survivor would kill me

11. I am accident prone...I would be the one to fall in the fire

12. I can't swim

13. I bruise very easily

14. I hate confrontations

15. I am way way to nice

16. I am almost dependent on technology

17. I like to eat all the time

18. I am not a problem solver

19. Plus I am indecisive

20. I am not a model

21. I really have no desire to be on one

Dante's Inferno Test

The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to Purgatory!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Extreme
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very High
Level 2 (Lustful)	Low
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Very Low
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Very Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Very Low
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)	Low
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Low
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Very Low

Take the Dante's" Divine Comedy Inferno Test

Random Thoughts about the trip

~I am home safely, after a little bit of nerves and one really hard landing, I made it back in one piece.

~Surprisingly, Beth did not have to force me onto the plane on the way there.

~We arrived and Graham was waiting for us at the airport, I was so relieved to see him, I'm pretty sure that every feeling I had showed on my face at that point.

~We recieved our rental car, it was a red Kia Spectra...with a CD player, we were happy. It was a great little car, except for when the spedometer stopped working, that was not cool. "Umm...I have a question? Why are we going zero?"

~We got to Lauren's and she was waiting by the door for us, we had a great reunion and then decided to go out for dinner. We went to East Side Marios...it was good food.

~After dinner, we all (Me, Beth, Graham and Lauren) went back to Lauren's house and watched a movie. We watched the Wal-Mart Baby Movie

~When the movie ended, Graham and me went out by ourselves. We went to Timmy's and then I got a little tour of Moncton. One of the best moments ever from the trip

~We went back to Lauren's after midnight and the girls were still up playing Jeopardy, so we joined in and we all ended up stay awake until 4 in the morning.

~The next day, we got a later start than we should have, but we took our first road trip down to Nova Scotia. We spent the afternoon in Halifax before heading off to Peggy's Cove. Which unfortunately we did not get there until after dark, so we really could not see anything.

~This means, I have still never seen the Atlantic Ocean.

~We drove back to Halifax and got a little lost looking for the Swiss Chalet in the business park. "Guy's I think I have seen that Wal-Mart before."

~The next morning, I got up early and walked over to Graham's house because the girls wanted to sleep in and I wanted to spend as much time with Graham as I could. We spent several hours together before Beth and Lauren showed up for what we called "Everything Moncton Day"

~We went out to ABU (Atlantic Baptist University) and got a tour of that, it is a very nice school, honestly, if I was considering continuing my education, I would go there.

~While there, we met up with Kyle Allen and we all went to McDonald's for lunch, before we returned Kyle to his dorm to do homework.

~From McDonald's, I forget the order we did things, but we went to Chapter's and the Crystal Palace (which is an indoor amusement park) Most things were closed because Rememberance day is a statutory holiday out east.

~We also went to Magnetic Hill and did that, it was really kind of cool...but weird at the same time.

~From there, we went back to Lauren's and Graham cooked us dinner, although I was not feeling well and only have two bites of my cappeletti...Graham made spagetthi...and I do not like it, so I ate my left overs...but then I was sick and had toast.

~After dinner, Graham and me went back to his apartment because we were being picked up for small group and bowling.

~Craig came to pick us up, it was really good to see him, I had missed him a whole lot.

~We went to Jeremy McWilliams (is that right?) house for small group (A Purpose Driven Life). When we broke up into male female groups, the girls spent the whole time asking me questions about me and Graham's relationship and my life back home. It was good times.

~After the group ended, we went bowling. I love bowling, although I always end up hurting my arm...but oh well, I still enjoyed it. It was good fun, and I laughed a lot, like when Craig started changing the names of people while they bowled. And I got to meet Debbie (Craig's girlfriend) she is really great, I could see us becoming really good friends.

~After bowling, Craig and Debbie, me and Graham went out for ice cream at McDonald's and stayed there until after midnight, then me and Graham got dropped off back at his house and we walked back to Lauren's.

~The next day, we got up extra early and started our trek out to PEI. Honestly, one of the top favourite moments from the trip. I love PEI. We got there just before lunch and spent some time in Charlottetown. We saw the Leuteniant Governor's house, which I want..and the six canons on the hill. We made fun of them and then got back in the car and drove around for a few minutes...seeing UPEI and some hospitals (always a good thing with me around)

~We headed up to Cavendish (the birthplace of Anne of Green Gables) and had to laugh at all the "Closed for the season" signs we saw...made me giggle.

~We were relieved that Green Gables was actually open, so we spent the 4 dollars to go in and see it, the house was basically what I remembered, but they added in a barn and woodshed. So those were really interesting. I wanted to go down some of the trails (like lover's lane and the haunted woods) but Lauren said no, so I backed off.

~We stopped in at the cemetery where Lucy Maud Montgomery was buried and took some pictures.

~We headed up the road to the famous Cavendish Beach, which was of course "Closed for the season" but we went in anyways, and it was really pretty, we took lots of pictures.

~From here, we drove down to West Point to see this lighthouse for Lauren, which was actually a hotel in the lighthouse, it was really pretty, although "Closed for the Season" I think it would be worth going back someday to stay in though...

~We then headed back to Summerside for dinner, and we ate in this cute little place called "Gentleman Jim's" and I hade the roast beef dinner, which was huge but I ate the whole thing, it was really yummy.

~We then headed back to the bridge, and back to New Brunswick. It was a long drive.

~The next day, Lauren decided not to come with us on "Fundy Day" but that is alright, Craig and Debbie came with us and we made a fun day of it.

~We drove through the mountains and by the way, it was really snowing and staying on the ground.

~We stopped in at Crooked Creek Lookout but we could not see anything due to the snow, but we tried anyways, Graham and Craig started a snow ball fight.

~From here, we went down to Alma to buy Lobster and eat sticky buns, but the place was closed, so we had lunch. and drove up to the Bay of Fundy, and I got to see it and taste it, I also got to see the tide go out. That was fun, Graham continued to thrown snow balls at Craig.

~On the way back to Moncton, we stopped at the Hopewell Rocks, they are famous, and very pretty...they are what happens to the rocks when the tide comes in and out. We took lots of pictures here.

~Then it was 'date night' which means that me and Graham had dinner together and Beth went out with Kyle.

~Graham cooked me a very nice dinner and then we spent the rest of the evening hanging out and talking because it was snowing too hard to go anywhere. But we did head outdoors at one point and built a huge snowman named Charlie. He is taller than Graham!!

~But then it was time to take me back to Lauren's. It was a sad time for me, because I was going home the next day. :*-(

~The next morning, Beth and me had to shovel the driveway in our church clothes. Not the most fun experience every!

~We went to church with Graham at Highfield United Baptist Church. It was a really good service, I like that church a lot, if I lived out there, I would probably go there as well.

~After church we went to Swiss Chalet for lunch, it was a lady from the church's birthday, so we went to celebrate with her. Her name is Dora...and the cutest little lady every!

~Then it was time to go to the airport. I cried, I really did. Saying "see you soon" or "good bye" hurts a lot. But I am going to make myself cry if I continue...so yeah...

~On Monday I started my new job...I really like it there. But it did not take long at all to get the flu. Yep, I got the flu Wednesday night and it is now Friday and I am still at home...I am moving a little bit more, but not leaving the house by any stretch of the means.

~That was my trip. I plan to do it again...maybe in the summer though. I was also thinking that if we do it in the summer, we can tent camp, and not have to drive as much in the days...just a thought.

Thought of the day...

Okay, so it hit me today, that people in this world use the phrase "life or death" very often. That these people are forever getting themselves into situations that they would deem in the category of "life or death." But as I pondered this phrase, it struck me...that the opposite of death is not life at all. The opposite of death is birth. So, what is the opposite of life?

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Way back in June, if anyone can even remember that far, I had a party to celebrate my graduation from Sheridan College...a good time was had by all, and one of my dearest and closest friends gave me a book, and honestly, I fell in love with this book, and ended up reading it to my Sunday School class one Sunday and they told me that it holds a message that the whole world should hear...now, I can't reach the whole world from where I sit right now, except through the internet, so I am posting the book here...or at least parts of it anyways....

Oh, the Places You'll Go!
Dr. Suess

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
You'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.
It's opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.
OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don't.
Because sometimes, you won't.
I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.
You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are then,
that you'll be in a Slump.
And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right and three quarters? Or maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, towards a most useless place.
THE WAITING PLACE...
...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring or the snow to snow
or waiting for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting...
NO!
That's not for you!
Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying
You'll find the bright place
where Boom Bands are playing
Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with a ball
will make you the winningest winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on T.V.
Except when they don't.
Because sometimes, they won't.
I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed,)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

Let's look at the Bigger Picture shall we?

On an average day in Canada,

~500 million cups of coffee are consumed
~School kids ride 12,720,000 miles on school buses
~10,205 people give blood
~$54,794 is spent trying to fight dandruff
~10,000 people take their first airplane flight
~205 animals are buried in pet cemeteries
~3 million people go to the movies
~9,077 babies are born
~4,109 people jump out of an airplane
~679 million phone calls are made (50 million are long distance)
~5,962 couples get married
~Each one of us produces nearly 6 pounds of garbage
~1,169,863 people take a taxi
~$10 million is spent on advertising
~5,041 people reach the age of 65
~Motorists pay $4,036,000 in tolls
~10 doctors are disciplined by medical boards
~88 million watch prime time American TV
~63,288 cars crash
~Industries generates nearly one pound of hazardous waste for every Canadian
~1.1 million patients are admitted to the hospital
~180,000 people buy new CD players
~28 mail carriers are bitten by dogs
~2,466 children are also bitten by dogs
~41 million people go to school
~19,178,000 snapshots are taken by amateurs
~240 patents are issued
~38,690 go to hear a symphony orchestra
~21,000 gallons of oil are spilled from tankers and barges

So what? That's trivia, right? Dull stuff that nobody really cares about, am I right? Well, think of it this way. When you multiply all those things by 365, you will get a general idea that there is a fair amount of energy, money, activity and trauma going on in just a year's time. And that is just in Canada---representing only a portion of the world's population. We may not be a big country, but we are very busy. In fact, we are so busy that it is easy to get selfishly swept up in the whirlwind of our own little playground sandwiched between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans...blessed beyond measure and rich beyond comparison.

Every so often it is helpful for me to stop the annual merry-go-round, get off and look objectively, and to think clearly. It is not only helpful for me, it is essential for all the Christians. In this circus-like Canadian lifestyle of ours, we tend to be deafened by the blare of our own band and blinded by the lights of our own spots, shining, always shining, on the ring of our own choice.

That needs to change. We need to hear the voice of the Ringmaster as He raises His hand to stop the band:

We interrupt this program to bring all of you a reminder that the world in which you live is not the whole world...but only a very small part of the world for which I died."

The Great Commission is still "the Great Commission," not "The Limited Agreement for My Corner of Canada." He still looks out across a wide world and weeps over men and women and children who do not know, have not heard of His healing, life-giving Name.

Can you feel His pain?

What can we do to reach farther, see wider, feel deeper? What could help us kindle a greater understanding, prespective, and compassion for this vast hurting world of ours?

~Taking a missionary out for coffee?
~Reading, really absorbing, a good missions magazine?
~Writing a letter to some battle-weary solider in the trenches of a distant land?
~Making friend with the lonely international student in our schools?

Sound risky? Maybe. But I've got a hunch that when the score is added up one day as we stand before our Lord, many of us would wish we had played more Risk and a lot less Trivial Pursuit.

What if nobody believed in you?

I watched him take the two strike call
He hadn't tried to swing at all
I guess he had all he could take
He walked away for goodness sake
His father’s voice was loud and mean
You won’t amount to anything.

That little boy quit trying
He just walked away
There were tear drops on his face
Tell me how would you feel
You'd probably give up too
If nobody believed in you.

That old man said, ''One more try.
''I know I’m not too old to drive
I promise son, I'll do my best
This time I'm gonna pass the test
Give me the keys, dad and get in
His father never drove again.

That old man quit trying
He just turned away
There were tear drops on his face
Tell me how would you feel
You’d probably give up too
If nobody believed in you.

We take his name out of schools
The lawyers say it breaks the rules
Pledge of allegiance can not be read
And "Under God" should not be said
I wonder how much he will take
I just pray it's not too late.

What if God quit trying
He just turned away
There were tear drops on his face
Tell me how would you feel
You'd probably give up too
If nobody believed in you.

Tell me how would you feel
You'd probably give up too
If nobody believed in you...

Update

Been a while since I last wrote, so here is an update on the things around me. Ready and Go

~Survivor: First Lisa and then John voted out...and oh yeah, stuff happened on the show

~I started my job...well sort of, I worked 4 hours both Thursday and Friday and I think I might just love it there, which is a very good thing.

~I am never going back to Camp Hermosa again...I know, I know...how could I of all people say that, but the choice has been made to hire Kathy back for another summer because she was "judged unfairly" and I for one will not be a part of that, seeing as she told me that I was emotionally unstable.

~I leave for New Brunswick in 7 days and counting, I am very excited, this is quite the adventure I am taking on...scared of the flying though...but oh well...lives goes on and I will get to spend some time with Beth and see Graham in the process as well, life is good.

~I've decided that I am the worst friend in the whole wide world...I barely talk to my girls anymore, so I publically apologize to April, Amy and Emily for my neglect...I promise that I will get better.

~So, my doctor asked me the other day when this summer I was getting married...apparently I missed that memo...anyone care to fill me in on that one?

~We had a youth rally at our church, it went really well...we had only 30 kids at the rally...but for anyone who has actually come to our rally...30 is pretty darn good.

~After the rally we had a concert, which went really well, the girls in the youth group fell in love with One Way Out, but you know, they are young, they fall in and out so quickly.

~Then the horrors of all horrors, we had a sleepover afterwards, there were 19 kids sleeping over and I honestly wanted to throw them all out the window...I even threatened one of them that I would do it to...and they said they would tell their mom, but I pointed out that their mother would have stood by and applauded and then maybe thrown money at me for doing it, this child agreed.

~I started to paint the mural on the wall of my church nursery...one of the sheep now look like baby poop...but that was not my fault in the long run...I hope to have pictures to put up soon.

~My cousin might be getting a divorce...but what is new with my extended family...we have the long standing record of 9 divorces in just the aunts and uncles alone...nice eh? Especially when there are only 4 of them to divide it through.

~My grandparents have arrived safely in Florida....and found that they have a lot of clean up to do from the...what was it 4 hurricanes to hit?

~My foot just fell asleep

~New favourite movie of all time: Casablanca...and I change who will play me in the story of my life...Ingrid Bergman

The End