To All My Single Ladies...

It's almost here. The most dreaded day of the year for single girls desiring marriage everywhere. Yes, it's Valentine's Day. The day of love....blah blah blah. I rarely, actually pretty much never blog about my singleness but tonight I feel a little bit brave. Tonight I'm going to do it. I'm taking a deep breath.....and here I go....

I'm 22, out in the working world and single. I've never dated anyone and I'm still holding out for my first kiss. I've had 3 major crushes in my life, one of them being Mike Fisher, and yes it's the same Mike Fisher that just got engaged to Carrie Underwood. Most people would think 22....you're just a young thing and I am but it doesn't feel so young in this country town that I live in. The norm here is to be married by 21 or at least be seriously dating by then, which makes me sometimes feel like the odd one out. Even if no one thinks it, I feel like they think it. Sometimes I feel less, which is quite ridiculous and not true but still that feeling is there.

One of the biggest desires in my heart is to one day be married. I believe it's a God given desire. One girl that I respect once wrote that the longing is not desperation, it's design. When I first read this I felt understood, I felt like I had just read truth, I wanted to shout it out to all of the people who need to hear it most....perhaps you know who you are! That feeling in the pit of my stomach and that ache in my heart when I attend a wedding (not because I'm not happy for the couple) is design, not desperation, design.

It's funny the things coupled people say when talking about relationships to the singles....things like "oh it will come when you least expect it" or "when you stop thinking about it then it will happen". I usually find myself responding in my head by saying "well when it's a huge desire in your heart and you live in the town of coupledom would you like to tell me how the heck you just stop thinking about it?" One day when I've moved out of singleland, I vow to never tell someone that.

I think I've been learning a lot about relationships while being single. I've been watching and listening and I believe that with each day that passes I feel more equipped to actually be in a relationship. The truth of the matter is that my singleness is a gift and one that I have finally realized I don't want to waste. I know there is purpose in this stage and I want to learn how to be the best me alone so one day I know how to be the best me with someone else.

I'm holding out for a special guy who I know God has for me. I pray for him regularly and while God's working on his heart, He's also working on mine. And let me tell you one thing, when I meet him....I am gonna give him some serious LOVIN!!!!

So for all my single ladies out there waiting for some special guy to put a ring on it.....remember that your singleness is a GIFT! Even though the ache is still there enjoy this time.....seize the days of singleness, pray for your man and don't settle! That feeling in your gut is not desperation, it's design!

You're not alone in the waiting!

So Happy Valentine's Day to my fellow girls who are waiting for Mr. Right.....get your single ladies together and head out on the town for a night of celebration for the woman God has made you and to the woman you're becoming.

Cheers to Love and to the God who is love and made you to love and wants you to experience it at it's best.
Keep holding on.

With LOVE,
~The Kindred Spirit

Making a Difference, One Penny at a Time...

So I learned about the cutest and most amazing thing at church this past Sunday. One of the mom's who had a little boy in 2:52 Basics (the Sunday School program that I'm really involved in) came up to me to share her son's latest project. Back tracking a little bit....we've been talking about helping others in 2:52 and our latest offering project is Helping Haiti....we're raising money to help them in any way we can. Well this little boy has been working so hard on making these necklaces that have penny at the centre and he's called the campaign....helping Haiti one Penny At a Time. His mom owns a store in St. Catharines called Once Upon A Child and she made a little sign with his picture and the necklaces that people can buy for a dollar. So the boy has been putting tons of time and energy into making and selling these necklaces. He came into Sunday School on Sunday holding a little baggy with $40 to put in our offering container....and this boy is not one to brag but I had to share with the other kids what he's been doing. This story breaks my heart in a good way.

Small things can make a big difference, take it from a little boy in grade 1.

Seize the day,
Darc

Carpe Diem...

It's been a while since I've written. I always have these thoughts that I want to blog about but I never really make it a priority. My last post was Thanksgiving, oh dear....it has been a while. Well, good news....I have a job! I've been working for the last almost 4 months for an organization serving people with special needs called Bethesda. You can find the link under my favourite links on the side of this page. More specifically I work in a group home called Willow Heights. There are 8 lovely ladies that live in the house. It's a dual diagnosis home so there have been and still are many learning curves for me but the Lord is helping me major!

Some of you may remember from some of my blog entries my best friend Diana who serves in Haiti as a teacher at the Mission of Hope. Most of us have probably seen footage and pictures of the devastation from the earthquake that hit just a few short weeks ago. Please keep Diana and the Mission of Hope in your prayers as they seek to help the Haitian people in every way possible. You can also find Diana's blog under my favourite links at the side.

I've been thinking a lot lately about life and it's elements in all their uncertainties. I've been reading Donald Miller's latest book entitled "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years". The book is all about what he learned while he edited his life. I'm enjoying the book and as usual it's giving me lots to think about. Donald explores the idea of 'story' in great detail. What makes a story? How do you know if you're living a good one? How do you change your story? I think I find myself resonating with these ideas in a big way. I'm a contemplative thinking person which sometimes drives me nuts because I feel like I am always overanalyzing things and my mind rarely stops for a break! These are the kinds of things I'm thinking about at this stage of my life...and maybe you think about them at every stage, I'm not really sure? I'm in my 20's and I want to live a great story. I want to make choices that I won't regret. The message at church last Sunday was about Seizing the Day. The message made me want to see the movie 'Dead Poets Society' where the term 'Carpe Diem' was made famous. I rented the movie last night and watched it. It's kind of a dark movie with a very meaningful message. If you haven't seen it I would highly recommend it. The ending of the movie caught me very off guard and it didn't go where I thought it would go. Endings like this leave you thinking about what happened long after the film is over. I won't give the ending away in case you haven't seen it.



What I believe is the number one thing you take from the film: CARPE DIEM. The latin term for SEIZE THE DAY.

Seize the day. Grab it, take hold of it, be fully present in the moment, it's yours, don't let it slip away. How do I live like this? I love to dream. I dream about the future and what it might hold. Sometimes I get disappointed when things don't turn out like I thought they would. I suppose maybe the dreamer in me sets me up for disappointment sometimes. I think it's wonderful to dream but I also want to live in a way that I am seizing the day. If I had to go back and edit my life I don't want to have regrets. As I've been thinking about this more and more I realize that seizing the day requires me to act. I need to be the one making intentional choices. I want to make the most out of my relationships, I want to love with my whole heart, I want to laugh and cry. I want my heart to be so soft that it breaks over injustice and hurts for people when they hurt.

I heard this artist that I like being interviewed the other day about what's going on in Haiti. His name is Matt Morris. I can't remember the exact term he used but he described this latin word that means "we"......he said in Africa they use this term that essentially talks about connectedness.....so if your grandma is sick you wouldn't say my grandma is sick, you would say our grandma is sick because if one person is hurting then we all are hurting. We are so connected that when you hurt, I hurt. So if Haiti is hurting, we all are hurting and so we all must get involved in helping. I love this term. I love this description. I've seen this happen as I've watched people get involved with Haiti. Like Jay Z says '"let's get's involved with them, hand in hand with them, until they get strong again". It's empowering to see people love well. I think loving well is seizing the day.

I need to think about this more. I think it should be thought about and it should be talked about with other people. I have come to believe that living passionately is contagious. If the earthquake in Haiti has reminded us of anything, it's that life is precious and we need to make the most of each moment because today is a gift. What we do with that gift is up to us. So I think I'm going to start trying to seize the day, I'll let you know how it goes!

And maybe if it's contagious, you'll try it too?

Sweet Dreams and may you love well today,
~Darc

Oh How I Love Thanksgiving...

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving. I love this time of year, I love that we stop and think about all of the blessings that we have. I love that we get together with the people we love and eat and laugh and are merry. I love that this holiday reminds us to be thankful not just on this holiday. So I thought I would take a chance to write down some of the things that I'm thankful for......


~ My wonderful Family
~ Grace, even when I can't figure out what it means
~ A place to call home
~ Such a great church family
~ Job Interviews (even though they make me nervous)
~ My best friend Diana
~ Skype so I can talk to my best friend Diana in Haiti
~ Chocolate
~ Lovely Friends
~ Starbucks
~ My Jr. High girls small group
~ Music to groove to
~ 2:52 Basics and all the wonderful people involved
~ Love stories
~ Being able to see Nashville in September
~ My Health
~ Protection
~ Having a Heavenly Father
~ Scarves
~ A tree swing (I always wanted one and now I have one at my new house)

There's so much to be thankful for. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving whoever you may be and wherever you may find yourself. May you recognize the blessings in your life and thank the Lord for them.

Happy Thanksgiving,
~The Kindred Spirit :)

The Downfall to a Really Good Nap...

It's now 1:38 am....yes in the morning and here I sit wide eyed on my bed. Why you may ask.....because I took a very long nap today. Clearly my body got confused and thought that my nap was really bed time.....I just kept sleeping because it was one of those sleeps where you just can't wake up....your whole body is in it! And now I sit...awake. It's been an interesting evening really....I actually haven't had one like it in a while. Are you ready to hear what I did......I watched tv and chatted with my best friend....haha! I know you were expecting something more but I haven't had a night where I just sat and watched tv in a while and it was kind of nice. I watched Extreme Home Makeover; it was the season premiere and it was quite good. They do such great work on that show, it gives you a warm feeling inside to see the good that they're doing. So I watched tv and then I went upstairs to get ready for bed about 3 hours ago and found that I was wide awake and then I somehow stumbled upon a movie called "If Only" and I watched it on youtube. It's a good movie but quite sad at the end, it does offer a good message though. So now I sit and look at the clock and wonder what time it will be when I actually do fall asleep? Any guesses?

Well tomorrow begins another week. I'm still on the job hunt and waiting for an interview from a particular organization. I hope that they call this week. It's interesting when you become an adult and enter the workforce. I mean I only know that it's interesting to think about getting a job and joining the workforce because I don't really know if it's interesting when you actually have a job and are in the workforce? If and when I do get a job I'll be sure to let you know how it is!

It's a little unusual when you've spent most of your life in school preparing for this time and even if you didn't always like it you could depend on that predictability. Even if you complained you knew school was there and in the fall that's where you'd be. And then you graduate and then someone asks you what you're doing in the fall and you say that you have absolutely no idea! And after you've repeated that to the many people who ask you, it's hard not to feel a sense of panic somewhere in you. What's worse is when the fall comes and then people ask you what you're doing now and you say "oh I'm just looking for a job". It's normal, most of us have been there....but this morning at church someone asked me that question and I felt somehow less. And by less I mean I'm no longer a student, my education is no longer in progress. I mean I'm a lifelong learner and there's a good possibility that I may go back to school in the future but currently I have completed my program and I'm no longer studying in hopes of finishing. I'm finished. Somehow when you say "oh I'm just looking for a job" out loud it doesn't sound as good as "oh I'm currently studying _____(fill in the blank) in hopes of ________ (fill in the blank)! I know that this is what happens when you're done school, it's a natural process....but it doesn't feel very natural. It's like you've worked so hard to get through school and then you have to try and sell yourself and prove yourself just to land something hopefully in your field. It hardly seems fair. I suppose life isn't fair. The one truth that I somehow can rest in is that I serve a God who is bigger than all of this. He made me, He knows me and He has plans for me and He won't let my gifts go to waste. So I'll do my part and step through the doors that I can and trust God to open and shut them according to His plan and perhaps show me a window or two that I never knew was there.

So perhaps I'll get a call this week.....perhaps something else will come?

If I do get a call....you can be sure a new wave of panic will come.

But it's natural right?!?

It's now 2:05 am and I think I might try sleeping. We'll see how it goes!

Sweet Dreams,
~The Kindred Spirit

Heaven is the Face

I'm not sure if you're familiar with Steven Curtis Chapman but he is a popular Christian artist. He's been singing for quite a long time.....I grew up listening to his stuff. A few months ago his daughter was killed in a horrible accident. Anyways he wrote a song called 'Heaven is the Face' for his new album 'Beauty Will Rise' coming out in November. The song is beautiful and the words are powerful. I've included the link....please check it out.

Blessings,
Darcie

Link = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9JTwJ_1lzE

I Caught The Bouquet!!!!

This is Amber's bouquet from her wedding 2 weeks ago! I caught it after she threw it and can you believe that this is the first bouquet I have ever caught? I actually fought for the thing...I knocked it right out of my best friend's hands....it was great! Anyways it is a beautiful bouquet.....the flowers are starting to dry out now but it's still gorgeous. Everyone was asking when I was getting married....I told them that I need to meet a man first....I'm really quite disappointed I didn't meet a Tennessee boy when I was in Nashville....boy I love those accents! I just had to share the pic of the bouquet.

My life is pretty exciting, eh?

Hope ya'll had a great day (like they say in Nashville),
Darc

I'm Back!!!!

Summer is over and I'm back in Wainfleet. I just got back on Sunday from my road trip to Nashville with Joy and can I just say that is was the best trip of my life! Nashville is an amazing city and there is tons of stuff to do. We spent our 5 days there going to the Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, going to a Nashville Preds game, eating at some cool restaurants, spending some time in Franklin, roadtripping from Nashville to Memphis to tour Graceland....and those are just a few highlights. I have tons of pictures on facebook but I'll post a few of my favs.....




So my family has moved into our new house....which hopefully I will post some pics of soon. I'm adjusting very well to life in my large new room! I've also started job hunting which I must say is very stressful. I just hate the time between not having a job to getting an interview to transitioning into life at the new workplace.....but I'm just praying that the Lord has a job for me and hopefully I'll be able to stumble into it. I'm still working part time at my church as the children's ministry assistant which I'm enjoying so I'm thankful that I have something to work at until I find another something.

Yesterday was my 22nd birthday and it doesn't seem like long ago that I was blogging about turning 20! I guess a lot can happen in 2 years....I wonder what will happen in the next couple of years? It seems that this age brings about a lot of change and a lot of independence. I spent my summer living at camp (as you can read below) and it's a lot different coming home and trying to adjust back to living with your family. It's also different learning how to adjust to living with your parents when you somewhere along the way have become an adult too.....at least somewhat. The lines start to appear blurry and I guess it's quite frightening for me. I'm hoping once I find a job and settle into that then this new normal will actually begin to feel normal. I guess it's a lot of change at once. My best friend Diana left last week to return back to Haiti to teach for another year. I know she's where she's supposed to be but it's still hard that she's so far away. Pray for her if she comes to mind....she's doing great work!

Well I think that's all for now....I'm hoping to start getting back into blogging now that fall is here and summer is over...but I guess we'll see how it goes!

Sweet Dreams Y'all,
~The Kindred Spirit

Only 3 Weeks Left of Summer!!!

It’s hard to believe that the summer is almost over. It’s weird for me to think that I won’t be going back to school in the fall, which may I add is 3 weeks away. I hardly know what to do with myself except panic but somehow I know that I just need to keep trusting God about my future. It seems that there’s a lot to trust Him with.

This summer has been jam packed and full of a little bit of everything….sunshine, rain, campfires, pool parties, hoe down’s, timmy’s runs, port elgin cruises, beautiful sunsets, poop (haha), dances, room 14 bonding (wink wink), tears, raspberry turnovers and some wonderful people! I’ve been blessed to meet so many amazing people in such a short time…..that’s one of the nice things about camp.

For those of you who don’t know I moved into the Christian Horizons Conference Centre (CHCC) in a small town called Paisley at the beginning of May to work as the program coordinator for the camp ministry. I share a very tiny room with 5 other beautiful ladies. CHCC serves people who have exceptional disabilities and we have the pleasure of trying to ensure they have a wonderful vacation when then join us for a week or two or sometimes even three! I feel as though the Bruce Country has become my second home. My family rents a cottage about 30 minutes away from Paisley and so it’s funny when we drive into Port Elgin (the closest bigger town to Paisley) I feel like it’s my town because I spend so much time there!

I love taking pictures and editing them. I tried to choose my top five pics of the summer….these are them….






This past week was my family vacation at Chesley Lake. It was a wonderful week…you can check out facebook if you want to see some more vacation pics.


So there are 3 more weeks of camp and then I’m heading home to move into my new house and start up 2:52 Basics. I’m also roadtriping to Nashville with one of my best friends Joy. On top of that I will be on the hunt for a full time (or whatever I can get) job! In my spare time I plan to paint my new room, purge myself of all the junk that I’ve piled up over the course of my lifetime…..so basically that means a quarter of all the junk since when I begin purging then I also begin reminiscing as to the reasons I’ve kept the junk this long in the first place. Please call me or send me a message if you’d like to go out for coffee….I’d love to hit up a Starbucks (something they’ve apparently never heard of in the Bruce County) and chat.

Anyways I think that concludes this update.

Hope summer’s finding you well!

Sincerely,
Darc

A Sonnet For Your Evening...

I like this sonnet.....it's also in Sense & Sensibility :)

Sonnet 116
by William Shakespeare

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixèd mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved

Sweet Dreams,
The Kindred Spirit