It's OK to be WEIRD!

Be Nice to Me!

2013-05-09T21:14:30Z

My thought for today:

Note to Self:

Be Nice to Me!

Love,

~ Raylene

WW: Is it really a better deal? {linky}

2013-05-08T00:56:31Z

Welcome to WEIRD and Wordless Wednesday!
Almost always weird, and sometimes wordless, too.

This signage just struck me as interesting. I see this kind of thing a lot.
(Yes, I’m a nerd so I notice these thing! LOL!)

I’ll buy TWO 4-packs of bars for $9.98 rather than 8 bars for $10.99, thanks!

I’d even by 8 bars for $11.99 rather than TWO 4-packs at regular $14.58…

Do you check the prices on the sale signage to make sure it’s really a better deal?

Wordless Wednesday is meant
to be a simple post which features a photo
to convey a message that speaks for itself without using words;
well not a lot of words!

Please feel free to link your Weird and Wordless (or Word-full) posts below.

Check out more Weird Wednesday, Wordful Wednesday
and Wordless Wednesday here on my blog.

Royal Canadian Circus in Calgary!!!

2013-05-02T00:36:25Z

The Royal Canadian Circus is coming to Calgary!! For 16 (sixteen) shows in May!!

I’ve only been to the circus a few times, but ohmigosh I loved it from first sight. And I only saw small circuses. THIS is no small circus!

From their website:

THE ROYAL CANADIAN CIRCUS CELEBRATES 250 YEARS OF ZERBINI FAMILY CIRCUS HISTORY UNDER CANADA’S LARGEST & MOST BEAUTIFUL BIG TOP!

The Annual Royal Canadian Circus is one of the largest fund-raising events. The Royal Canadian Circus provides a quality, fun-filled, family experience with proceeds going to great cause in your community.

Why am I so excited about the circus?

Because the circus is coming to CALGARY with the first show on May 10th @ 7:30pm!!!!! And the Royal Canadian Circus theme this year is “Be Amazed“! I was always dazzled by the circus as a youngster – now I can BE AMAZED by the circus as an adult, and share it with my own family! (My kiddos haven’t been to a circus yet – what a GREAT one to see for their FIRST one, don’t you think!)

The Royal Canadian Circus has something for the entire family in this imaginative, exciting new show including:

the largest big cat act in the world with 14 Tigers,
the TARZAN Zerbini performing Elephants,
the Zerbini Liberty Equestrian Horses,
astounding Trapeze artistry,
Comedy and high-flying Acrobatics,
Classical Clowns,
and more!

You know what else? It’s affordable entertainment for the whole family. There is even a 2-for-1 coupon you can use online when you purchase your tickets: just enter the word FUN into the coupon code box when checking out.

The Circus will be in Calgary for 16 shows, May 10th – 20th, 2013, featuring a fresh mix of amazing entertainment in a traditional circus setting, all under the European-style Big Top.

You can purchase your tickets through Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoyalCanadianCircus/app_247084318769354

The Royal Canadian Circus has partnered with Kids Up Front Foundation, a charitable organization that provides access to arts, culture, sport and recreation for children who otherwise do not have the opportunity. So tickets can also be purchased for the event and shared with Kids Up Front (through their charitable agency partners) so that many kids will be able to experience the circus, even if they can’t afford it. That’s really COOL!

Avoid performance day lineups and get your tickets online! Don’t forget to enter the word FUN to use your 2-for-1 coupon when ordering your tickets and consider adding a ticket or two in support of Kids Up Front. (NOTE: the coupon is only good for General Admission Seating, not for VIP Seating.)

Run Away to the circus for one day
& “Be Amazed” at the
2013 Royal Canadian Circus!

Royal Canadian Circus online information:
Website: http://www.royalcanadiancircus.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoyalCanadianCircus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Royal_Circus

Finding God in the Dark

2013-05-01T02:33:46Z

If you know me in real life, you may or may not know that the last 2 years have not been the easiest for me. There has been a lot of uncertainty and lots of change. I’ve not felt far away from God through it all, but I’ve struggled with faith and hope in general. When I saw the title of a new book (or maybe it was the subtitle), I knew this would be an important book for me to read at this time in my life. Baker Publishing sent along this new book for me to read, and I’m very thankful for it!

ABOUT Finding God in the Dark: Faith, Disappointment, and the Struggle to Believe by Ted Kluck and Ronnie Martin

Whether you’ve lost someone you loved, suffered career failure, or simply been let down by a fellow Christian, it’s natural to wonder whether God has forgotten about you. You’re not alone. But as a believer, you can trust that overcoming individual challenges will prepare you for a greater purpose. Kluck and Martin’s raw revelations about their mistakes and disappointments will help you on your own journey to finding God when you’re standing in the dark.

My Review

I was right. Finding God in the Dark definitely came across my desk at the right time. The subtitle is really what stood out to me: ”Faith, Disappointment and the Struggle to Believe”. THAT was really what I was personally dealing with.

At the very beginning of the book, Ted says, “Pain is real, and it’s not necessarily unspiritual to acknowledge it.” I would agree with that, though some churches and some Christians like to spout platitudes like, “It will all be OK. All in God’s time. Nothing happens that God hasn’t allowed to happen. God won’t give you more than you can handle. etc. etc. etc.” Those statements are probably also true, but they don’t acknowledge the pain of the present, pain that REALLY hurts, pain that cuts to the core of your beliefs and through all reserves of strength and faith you have.

What I appreciated most in this book was the way Ted and Ronnie both put words to their painful experiences. I was finding it tough to be able to explain to people around me what I was feeling. God wasn’t far from me, and neither had I walked away from Him. But disappointment, dashed hopes and dreams, and lots of hurts had me feeling battered and giving a lot of thought to my faith and my struggles, and how they ‘worked’ together. Ted and Ronnie said so many things that I didn’t know how to say. I highlighted and underlined many sections, and took notes in the page margins…

“I knew in my head that God was real, and I even believed that He loved me. I just wanted, and needed, to feel it.”

While grieving a particularly difficult loss:

“Music didn’t sound good. Food didn’t taste good. The world seemed dark and bleak. Life seemed a series of disappointments, peppered with occasional rays of hope [that always seemed to quickly disintegrate].” [words in brackets are my own, added to Ted's.]

“…I had been disappointed by professional Christians at every turn, which I have to admit is harder than being disappointed by regular people…
“My questions were practical as well as theological: Does knowing God make any difference in my life, as well as in the lives of the believers who are (I felt) wronging me? And more important, can I trust a God who would… allow me to be disappointed by Christian colleagues, and allow me to miserably fail financially?”

These passages, and many more in this book, I read and reread, and cried every time. I read them out loud to my husband, so he could hear the words I didn’t know how to formulate for myself, the words that began to explain where I was really at. I sobbed while reading the words out loud, because they really did capture a lot of how I felt.

How do you resolve the seeming conflict between God’s sovereignty and man’s will, especially when it seems to be men’s choices taking you deeper into a pit of disappointment and doubt? I still don’t have THE answer… But knowing that I wasn’t the only one who asked this question really made me feel better.

Both Ted and Ronnie turn to Scripture to answer their questions -

to the Psalms, where David pours out his heart, but somehow never turns cynical in light of the disappointments and disasters he faces;
to the Parable of the Prodigal Son, where God’s goodness is clearly displayed;
to the story of the Garden of Eden and the Fall, where God promised and provided, even in the midst of sin;
and to Jesus’ last hours before his torture and crucifixion, where even He struggled with the pain and darkness of what was coming, which was fully God’s will.

I can say it again – I really did not lose God in the dark. But I did discover that, while I was standing in a dark space in life, finding God in that space looked and felt different than anything I’ve ever done before, different than any way I’d ever connected with God before. The very raw reality shared by Ted and Ronnie helped me to know that I wasn’t alone, and that struggling with faith and disappointment is very much a part of life, even Christian life. Maybe even more than that, their honesty allowed me to be honest with myself and my loved ones – and to take more concrete steps out of the dark and toward the light.

Honestly, I’m not completely out of the dark yet, and I know that I’ll experience dark times again in life. These highlighted pages of Finding God in the Dark, and the Scriptures that they reference, will undoubtedly prove to be a comfort and a resource to get through those times, as well!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group”.

Pruning and Refining – a new perspective

2013-04-13T20:53:00Z

Life can get tough sometimes. And we can take it really personally. A pastors’ wife friend of mine recently said to me, “Lessons, pruning, sifting, refining…etc…it’s all of this and more…it’s completing us!”

Right now, I really am working hard to remember the pruning process, and to allow myself to be refined. I really thought these processes would make less of me…. but I think there’s more going on than I previously understood.

The pruning picture resonates with me based on what I’ve seen in life.

Previously, I’ve always envisioned that God’s perfecting process would round off all my rough edges. I thought overall that God would be break ME down and that would make me somehow less. However, a lot of this process has felt like it’s defining more edges in me.

My experience with pruning real trees in real life, much like the process I’ve been going through, has shown me that when the pruner knows what they are doing, the plant/tree takes on a MORE defined shape, and with the unneeded bits removed, the plant is stronger, sturdier, healthier, MORE of what it’s supposed to be.

Refining makes sense, too.

I’ve always envisioned the refining process as myself being heated up and poured out… put me in the fire to watch me melt! (That melting process renders me weak and vulnerable, gooey, hard to handle,…). And when I finally cool off, I’ll be stronger. (I have a blacksmith in the family – heat / cool / heat / cool – I understand that process which strengthens steel.) It’s always felt like this process was a rather brute force approach – throw me in the fire and see what happens!

But a refiner, who knows what they are doing, pours off all the bad stuff that separates from the true metal, leaving behind a more concentrated, purer form of the metal. A master refiner can separate the impurities without losing any of the preciously refined metal, too.

The refiner knows how hot to heat each metal, how fast to heat each metal, and how long to heat each metal to get rid of the impurities (which separate at different times and different temperatures). The refiner also respects the metal in its molten state – it is perilously hot, and great care must be taken when handling it. Containment of the molten metal is essential, or it will spread out and be contaminated by the environment – all the separating work would be for naught.

So when the metal cools, it is purer, more METAL than it was before, and will have taken the shape of the mold that the refiner put it into, according to the purpose for that metal.

Either way – whether by pruning or refining – the process hurts and is hard. I have felt like I’m being hacked and burned, sometimes a lot. I’m trying not to take it personally (my first reaction is to be offended that I need to be pruned!) and to let it work, to let the Gardener and Master Smelter do HIS work.

Does pruning or refining resonate more with you, when you think of your times of growth?

images linked to sources. credit: © Miguel Saavedra & © Kristin Smith

Free Week of Summer Camp: #CircleSquare Ranch and #PioneerCamp

2013-04-09T17:35:12Z

Inter-Varsity Camps are at it again! They have a contest this year to win a FREE WEEK of Summer Camp PLUS an iPad Mini!

(Click the photo to enter!)

Inter-Varsity camps include Pioneer Camps and Circle Square Ranches. Their kids camps are near and dear to our hearts, especially the people and programs at Circle Square Ranch Halkirk.

The facilities are awesome, the staff are incredible, and the activities are life-changing!

As parents, we love knowing that our kiddos are safe and having a great time. We’ve never met a kid yet who didn’t have a great time while at a kids camp at Circle Square Ranch Halkirk. I imagine the other camps are much the same.

This contest for a free week of kids camp also includes a promotion where you get a 15% off coupon to be used for summer camp registration if you share the contest with your friends!! The contest ends on June 28, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. ET. So there’s plenty of time to share!

For all the details, visit the Rules and Regulations page, and make sure you ENTER the contest and SHARE it with your friends and family!

Weird English: Seen vs. Saw

2013-04-07T22:15:58Z

Seriously, I am not a grammar nazi. The English language is so weird, that it’s no wonder we make mistakes in it all the time. But, I do have a few grammar pet peeves!

Correct: I ‘saw’ him at the store.
Incorrect: I ‘seen’ him at the store.

I have very few grammar issues that drive me as crazy as this one.

I thought it was a southern USA ‘thing’ because I heard it all the time when I lived down there, and still hear it WAY too often when I visit. But NOPE, it’s not limited to one geographic location apparently. I hear it a LOT here in Alberta, too, and I see it a lot in tweets and FB posts from people all around the world.

One simple reference I found online might be helpful: The Proper Use of See, Saw, and Seen

You can say, ” I have seen him at this store before.” You can also say, “He was seen at the store.” You can even say, “He is seen at the store most evenings.”

You should not say, “I seen him at the store.”

Just don’t do it! OK? OK!

No Freaking Way! Father of Lights DVD Review

2013-03-19T07:18:01Z

Our family really likes to watch documentaries, and real life stories – not “based on a true story” kinds of movies, but REAL stories of real people as they are going along, or being interviewed after the fact. A movie called “Father of Lights” came into our lives, and it’s just that kind of movie – and it’s pretty amazing!

About Father of Lights

If God could be filmed, what would He look like? In this explosive documentary, filmmaker Darren Wilson attempts to do the impossible: film God and understand His character. Along the way, Darren and his team encounter powerful witch doctors, violent gang leaders, Hindu holy men, and everyday people with extraordinary experiences to tell. Father of Lights attempts to tear away much of the bad press the Almighty has received over the years, and reveals a God who is far better than anyone could have possibly imagined.
Prepare to see the impossible. Prepare to meet your Maker.

Our Review

When you read that movie description, does it seem a little far-fetched? I’ve been known to be somewhat skeptical about things, and this was one of them. REALLY? Filming God Himself? hmm…. that sounded a little ‘out there’. But, I embrace weirdness on a daily basis, so of course I was interested to see what Father of Lights would be like.

We all watched the movie as a family, and watched it again with the grandparents when they were in town – I know we’ll watch it again and again.

We all had lots to say about it, but I asked my 13-yr-old daughter, Sweetheart, to write a few words about “Father of Lights”:

I thought that the message was very powerful. I liked it when those people healed all the other people! And when those people that where healed learned about the power of God it was amazing. I really liked it when they went healed these two people and the first person was a friend of the second. The first person was able to get them into the one building they wanted to go into. I also thought it was funny when they went and saw a witch doctor, he was to afraid to come and see them because he knew the things they had done for God. The witch doctor was later reported missing [after the Christians left, he disappeared on his own, and even his wife didn't know where he went].

Sweetheart alludes to a few of the things that really got our attention – healings, of course, being one. “Chance” encounters between people being another. And God’s power being shown in many different ways was another thing that was clearly communicated through the film.

Even my sons and their grandparents loved the film. Gram said, “I’m not surprised, but I am surprised, you know. I know God can do amazing things, but it’s always really awesome to see what He’ll come up with next.”

There are many powerful things shared in the movie, but one of them, sort of the climax of the whole film, left me saying, “NO FREAKING WAY!” I was astonished, excited, thrilled, dumbfounded, gobsmacked, and quite literally awe-struck. All I could say was, “NO FREAKING WAY!” (that’s very holy and reverent isn’t it!? LOL!) There was absolutely NO way that what happened could have happened the way it did without God’s hand. NO WAY! And it was truly awesome. Even writing about it now I get a chill – just, WOW!

What was the thing that happened that left me so awed? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out! It’s really worth it!

You can order the film (and even get an instant digital download of it) at Wanderlust’s web store, in the Father of Lights section.

I was sent a copy of this film to view with my family. As always, my opinions are my own.

Some phrases don’t go together in my head: Weird Wednesday

2013-03-13T17:54:08Z

Welcome to WEIRD Wednesday!

One of my friend’s friend’s Facebook posts recently caught my attention.

There are just some phrases that never go in the same sentence together in my head. “Thank Jesus” and “f—ing hell” for instance. This made me laugh out loud – maybe inappropriately, but you know weirdness always strikes me as funny.

Check out more Weird Wednesday here on my blog.

If you like, leave me some words to tell me
what weird or wacky things you’ve seen this week!

Funny finding you here – WW {linky}

2013-03-06T03:56:54Z

Welcome to WEIRD and Wordless Wednesday!
Almost always weird, and sometimes wordless, too.

I grew up in a small town in New Mexico (USA) called Belen.

I’m always surprised when I see the name pop up outside of New Mexico, much less in Canada.

This is on a Sorb-It Can – a tiny little canister that goes inside medication bottles to keep them fresh. I guess they are made in Belen. Who woulda thunk it?

Wordless Wednesday is meant
to be a simple post which features a photo
to convey a message that speaks for itself without using words;
well not a lot of words!

Please feel free to link your Weird and Wordless (or Word-full) posts below.

Check out more Weird Wednesday, Wordful Wednesday
and Wordless Wednesday here on my blog.

If you like, leave me some words to tell me
what weird or wonderful things you’ve seen this week!

Investing in Your Child’s Future with #CircleSquare Ranch

2013-03-03T10:03:32Z

Kids have a fantastic time at Circle Square Ranch; activities like horseback riding, climbing, tripping adventures, and time spent with friends. That is why so many families send their children each year. But did you know that children that attend accredited summer camps are more self confident, independent, and more socially mature?

Sending a child to Circle Square Ranch is actually an investment in that child’s future.

We had a great family time at Circle Square Ranch in Halkirk, AB. I know that my kiddos are looking forward to being able to go back!

Register today at www.csranch.ca!

I may be cracked but I’m not broken

2013-02-22T17:12:56Z

As I was drifting off to sleep last night, this came to me. I was so excited to still remember it when I got up this morning that I thought I better put it ‘on paper’ before I forgot it forever!

This image has been important to me this year (I just love it) and when this message came to me last night, I felt like it belonged with this image!

Here’s the text:

I may not be perfect.
I may not have reached my full potential.
I may not be functioning at what I think is 100% of my abilities.
I may not have accomplished all that I’ve set out to do.
I may not have experienced life, so far, the way that I had hoped or expected.
I may be cracked but I am not broken.
I am embracing my imperfection.
I am learning that possibilities are as important as capabilities.
I am moving forward toward great things I had never even considered.
I am further on this unique journey than I’ve ever been before.
I am on an amazing adventure, more wondrous than I could have imagined.
~ Raylene

Easing into dreamland last night, this phrase resonated in my heart and in my mind: ”I am not broken.”

For too long, I think I’ve considered myself broken, needing to be ‘fixed’ in one way or another (lots of ways actually).

The truth is: I’m just where I am – for better or worse, it is what it is.

I. am. not. broken.

I said it many times in my head before falling asleep, each time with emphasis on a different word.

I am not broken.
i AM not broken.
i am NOT broken.
i am not BROKEN.

Each one of those ways is meaningful.

I am NOT broken.

This seems to fit best today. It sure resonates in my heart.

Does this message speak to your heart at all?

It's OK to be WEIRD!

Be Nice to Me!

WW: Is it really a better deal? {linky}

Welcome to WEIRD and Wordless Wednesday! Almost always weird, and sometimes wordless, too.

Royal Canadian Circus in Calgary!!!

THE ROYAL CANADIAN CIRCUS CELEBRATES 250 YEARS OF ZERBINI FAMILY CIRCUS HISTORY UNDER CANADA’S LARGEST & MOST BEAUTIFUL BIG TOP!

Run Away to the circus for one day & “Be Amazed” at the 2013 Royal Canadian Circus!

Finding God in the Dark

Pruning and Refining – a new perspective

Free Week of Summer Camp: #CircleSquare Ranch and #PioneerCamp

Weird English: Seen vs. Saw

No Freaking Way! Father of Lights DVD Review

Some phrases don’t go together in my head: Weird Wednesday

Welcome to WEIRD Wednesday!

Funny finding you here – WW {linky}

Welcome to WEIRD and Wordless Wednesday! Almost always weird, and sometimes wordless, too.

Investing in Your Child’s Future with #CircleSquare Ranch

I may be cracked but I’m not broken

Welcome to WEIRD and Wordless Wednesday!
Almost always weird, and sometimes wordless, too.

Run Away to the circus for one day
& “Be Amazed” at the
2013 Royal Canadian Circus!

Welcome to WEIRD and Wordless Wednesday!
Almost always weird, and sometimes wordless, too.