Why learn that?

Jennifer Ivany is---DONE!
I am finished up with my first semester back to school today, yes today.
It feels great! I learned what I needed to and I admit the things I thought I would never need to know, or ever need to care about-- well let's just say I've let it go in one ear and out the other.
There are some ridiculous things that you are required to learn some times. I learn them for when I need 'em I suppose.

Like for example:
We learned about the little tiny hairs in your ear that help you hear and the shape of your inner ear; all in psychology. Yes, I admit it was a bit more 'interesting' than some of the other info I had to learn BUT still why in the world would I have to carry this information around with me? Unless I was becoming a Psychologist, which I am not, or unless I was becoming an ear specialist, which I am not-- why in this whole wide world would I need to know this stuff?
Just to cram my brain I suppose.

Enough of that rambling.
In just 4 days Josh and I head to Toronto for a few days and then to Rhode Island. Visiting with family is going to be a refreshing time compared to all the business we have had around here lately. We are really excited!
Plus nothing like giving gifts to the ones you love.

Yeah, yeah...
I hear ya.
I'm done. fine.

Deep Peace.

Randomness

I've been promoted. First promotion ever. I have now started my traing as Shift Supervisor at Starbucks. Quite exciting-- means more challenges, more responsibility, more organization on me. But I'm all about that stuff.

Anyway.
Lately it has been work, school, sleep. Or school, work, sleep. Nothing to over exciting.
I am really looking forward to going away for Christmas. It will be so nice to be with family and to relax.

Life seems pretty dry. Nothing really quenching my thirst. Ya know?
I think I will get back into painting some more.

Ever feel like you want to just catch a plane to a foreign country for some excitement? I think I may have to chat with my husband more about this... make it happen.

This blog lived up to the over all title ... Pieces of me.

Deep Peace.

It's been a long time...

Well, well...
It has been quite a while since I have been blogging. All I can say is... I've been quite the busy bee.
I have been taking courses online and working and being in community-- then sleeping and doing it all over again. God has been good through this busy time.
I feel like I am actually falling into a balance some where. Where right at the beginning I was a bit overwhelmed with it all.
Now I feel that I can take a sigh of relief. No, I am not done with all my courses BUT I feel I have found a balance.

On another note-- lately God has really been stirring me more and more about our calling to take care of ALL of creation. That means to the tree in your backyard to the little child working in a sweat shop. As far as the action I can take into these things-- God is still revealing Himself to me... but for now I've been buying Fair Trade Certified products, so that I don't partake in something that underpays the worker for-- buying more organic, which is better for the environment and better for you-- sponsoring a child-- collecting money for Africa...
Yeah, so.. there is a lot more that God is teaching me, and I am a willing student.
Humm..

Where can I go from here?
Only God can show me...

Deep Peace.

Ringing within me.

Today during my worship time this song rang within my spirit:

"Oh LORD, You're beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
And when Your eyes are on this child
Your grace abounds to me

Oh LORD, please light the fire,
That once burned bright and clear,
Replace the lamp of my first love,
That burns with Holy fear."
-Keith Green

I suppose this jumps within my spirit because this is how I feel..
I want to be immersed in seeking the LORD's face. I want my eyes to be locked with His eyes of fire-- and for my spirit to ignite-- to consume me.
I want to spend my days in heaven..

Any one else?
Ah to be like Jesus..

Deep Peace.

Revelation

I was doing some listening and reading the other day and was thinking about commitment.
I was thinking about the things that I have wanted to commit to in my life-- and how successful I have been..
I continued to dwell on this and realized:

"To commit is to be faithful."

Give it a thought.
It was a revelation for me.

Deep Peace.

Salvation Spring Up From The Ground

Tonight I had some good reading time and listening to the LORD.
Lately I have really felt such a urge to pray for my co-workers. I guess since working with all of them and realizing what great people they are I want them to know their creator.. to walk in His Fullness-- to be provided for, to be happy, to be established and full of love.
This prayer request is rising from deep within me-- something only God could place in my spirit. I want to make sure I am a faithful servant and do what I need to do. I want to be bold where I need to be bold and wise where I need to use wisdom.
********

On another note-- while I was listening I heard "Be like a tree."
So I ask, as humbly as I can, if and when you think of me, pray that I would "be like a tree"-- rooted, strong, bearing fruit, a provider of shade, planted by living streams.
As I pray the same for you.

Deep Peace.

Concert!

I just bought some tickets for Josh and I to see Three Days Grace in concert-- I am very giddy.
It just so happens that they will be here on September 12th.. right it 'lil 'ol London Ontario-- and we're invited.
I've been diggin' their music lately and am really looking forward to getting into a concert-- I haven't really been to many..
Nice.

On another note, I woke up early this morning to Riley (our male cat), standing on his hind legs on the top of our T.V. cabinet staring at the ceiling-- he found it-- a NASTY centiped (or how ever you spell it.. I shouldn't know how to spell it, even the word is sick..)!!! ON THE CEILING? What was this thing thinking?!
So right away I ask Josh to get up and kill it. Mind you, it is 4:30 in the morning and Josh isn't too thrilled about waking up to a nervous wife, anxious cat, and icky bug.
He went to smash it and the darn little bugger wouldn't die.. it fell to the ground, where it should have been in the first place, and scurried away-- I'm sure with a few broken legs. Shucks they've got enough any way.

All I am saying it better have run off and died.
Yeah, so that's all I have to share with you.

Peace.

Act as an example.

Lately I have really had the opportunity to be an example through my actions.
After all, Jesus was an example through his actions.

Think of was to encourage people through your actions-- and not asking for anything in return.

Deep Peace.

Yarboochies.

Just had Kirsten here for a visit. What a blessing to have her here. I believe she helped spur us on to walk in Fullness-- and it is always great to see family.

So as many of you may already know I have been working at Starbucks for about a month no-- I really enjoy it.
I keep telling everyone that it has been a while since I have had a job where I enjoy waking up in the morning to go to.
The people that I work with are lovely-- there is a good sense of community and encouragement.
I think there is a lot for me to look at in the way Starbucks is run, and learn a lot from.

I am also developing a heart to see my co-workers saved. I realize how great these people are and long to see then run in fullness. Let it be.
I think that is God's intention on seeing us take jobs outside of the church-- that we would long to see beautiful people saved.

That's all for now.
Deep Peace.

Pray.

I sat down today to do some listening and preparing for our Monday night prayer meetings and really didn't even know where to begin.
The Lord brought me right back to the start-- "why do you have this prayer meeting?"
" To meet with You (the Lord) and to see your Kingdom come to London.."

I felt the Lord respond.. "exactly... pray for London."

Some times I want to make things more complicated then the Lord has in mind...

Deep Peace.

Being Involved.

Well since getting back from a lovely trip to visit my parents, I have stepped into a new job.
A barista at Starbucks.
I've worked there for about 4 days and I quite enjoy it. It's nice to have a job that I enjoy going to.
The people that I am meeting are really great and of course the coffee tasting ain't so bad!

I realize more and more each day that I go to work that the only way to connect deeper with people is to be involved in what they are involved in.
So, that pretty much speaks for itself I think..
Let it speak to you.

Deep Peace.

Interview and Off

Well, just the other day I attended a job fair at Starbucks.
I arrived at about 3:30 to get a coffee and hang until 4, when every thing was starting.
I didn't really have a clue what to expect BUT I was pretty calm about it all.
Then all these people started coming in and asking "where do we go for the job fair..", "what time does it start?", "what do I do..?" -- I began to be swept up into this whirlwind of people who were very anxious...
I then again had to center myself and the job fair began.

I went through the first interview, on to the second and then the third...
I believe it went really well. Praise the Lord!
Now all I am supposed to do is wait for a call back-- let's hope I get one!

Ah yes, Josh and I head out to see my parents on Monday morning-- for a week and a few days. It's going to be so nice! We haven't been into the states for a LONG time. I am really looking forward to it. It's about a 10 hour drive.. geesh BUT it is so worth it.
Pray for safe travels for us.

Deep Peace.

No go

The news came in yesterday-- they already hired another Superintendent.. huge bummer!
So now Josh and I are at an interesting point-- both just lost our jobs, not because of our work ethic but because of circumstance.. and now have to figure out how to make money to live where we live now. So many different decisions but we are open and wanting to listen to the voice of God.
Please pray that we believe wholeheartedly that God provides... no worries.. and that jobs would come through-- jobs that we are happy to do.

thought I would leave that quick update before I head to look into some jobs.

Deep Peace.

I wait

Still no word on this Superintendent thing-- argh.
Hopefully tomorrow it will all happen.
So it has been 2 full days of waiting for a call-- and nothing has happened yet. So cruel.

But I've had some good time with the Lord..
That's a plus.

Deep Peace.

Your Prayers

Ah yes, if you would like to fight along side me for today:

My boss has officially sold the building I am a Superintendent at-- SO this means, no more job for me-- BUT the possibility for a new one. It is quite possible that the new owners of the building could pass the Super job to me; God grant it.
Again, if you feel like fighting with me, could you stir up a prayer for the new owners and the job possibility going through.
Nice.

We aren't a body if we can rely on the other parts for support.

Deep Peace.

Jays

This past weekend we went to a Jay's game-- sorry Dad. I believe the sun and the company was the best part. Here are some pictures, hopefully they stay posted:



More posted later... i missed some good pics on here...

Deep peace.

Boredom leads to Niagara.

One day we were sitting around thinking of what there is to do in London, Ontario...we came to the conclusion that we have done a lot-- so I said, let's go to Niagara Falls-- we left at about 6:30 and got home around 3. Nice.

Here we all are-- minus Emily who is taking the picture.

We arrived and it was PACKED!! We forgot it was Canada Day or something like that-- we got to see some rad fireworks.

Beautiful Niagara at night with all the colors..


Yeah, so that was our trip-- I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Oh yes, and did I mention I am a Permanent Resident of Canada FINALLY!
Thank the Lord.

Deep Peace.

Back to basics

Today the power went off in our apartment building. Bummer.
At first it was alright because the emergency lights came on and you could at least see in the hallways-- but then about an hour or so passed and those lights went off-- SO DARK. Our building has no windows within the hallways, as most apartments do not, and you had to feel your way through the halls.
Those residing in the building weren't too impressed but hey, not something that I could have fixed on my own.

So that pretty much turns off the TV, turns off the computer, turns off the music-- leaving you to figure out what to do with your time. It was actually kind of nice. Back to basics I suppose. It left me to go and hang out with Tash and Gabe for hours-- it was really nice. Where normally I would be keeping myself busy with work and all-- but this time I couldn't do that-- I had some quality time.

Turns out that this whole breaker thing behind our building crashed-- complete trash. So they brought over a truck to remove it and then a whole new system-- still we had to wait a few hours for it to be fixed up.
Then the lights came back on-- and yet again the business of life begins to creep back in. Maybe we should take time to fake an "electricity outage" within our homes-- let's call it an "aw shucks but oh well day"-- sort of how I felt today-- and get ourselves back to basics, remind ourselves of what really matters.

So what do you think? Maybe it should even be integrated into the Christian calendar to refocus ourselves, move away from technology..
I can see it now:

WHAT: "aw shucks BUT oh well" Day
WHEN: THE 16th OF EVERY MONTH
TIME: ALL DAY
WHO: THOSE WHO CLAIM TO LIVE IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OF IT...

I like this idea.
Deep Peace.

The weekend

Happy Mother's Day yesterday to you mother's out there! Your children appreciate you...

So Josh and I went into Toronto to surprise his Mom for Mother's Day. It was nice, even though it was just a few days... we went out to breakfast me, Josh, Bev, Joel, then for a nice walk through the Distillary, had a nice scrabble game in a coffee shop-- good times.

I'll post some pictures later, don't have my cord on my now.

Deep Peace.

Life..

Things have sure been busy for me lately-- I've been the Superintendent of the apartment building we live in for a month and a bit now, it isn't easy work. Yet I really enjoy meeting the people within the building and being able to serve where I am needed. People really begin to let you in on their stories..

Ah yes and the other day we woke up to a smashed windshield-- you get it fixed and move on.
Also just the very next day our next door neighbor had some things stolen from her home-- bummer!

Um, not too much else to share at the moment.
Life is good, the weather is good, God it good.

Deep Peace.