A True Story...

I received this as an email today and thought I would share it with you... if anyone is actually reading this! Be blessed!

-shel

The Washington Post won a Pulitzer in the feature writing category for Gene Weingarten's April 2007 story about the following experiment on Perceptions and Priorities.

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately two thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle-aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule. 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. 6 minutes:A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children.. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly. 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.17 1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one applauded, and only one person had recognized the performance.The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, played on a 1713 Stradivarius reportedly worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days later, Joshua Bell played to sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context? One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made...... how many other things are we missing?

Courage is – The Strange Familiar

Take all my vicious words, turn them into something good.

Take all my preconceptions and let the truth be understood

Take all my prize positions and leave only what I need.

Take all my pieces of doubt and let me be what ‘s underneath.

Courage is when you’re afraid but you keep on moving anyway

Courage is when you’re in pain but you keep on living anyway

We all have excused why living in fear something in us dies.

Like a bird with broken wings, it’s not how high he flies but the song he sings.

Take all my pieces of doubt and let me be what ‘s underneath

Courage is when you’re afraid but you keep on moving anyway

Courage is when you’re in pain but you keep on living anyway

you keep on living anyway

It’s not how many times you’re been knocked down, it’s how many times you get back up.

Courage is when you’ve lost your way but you find the strength anyway

Courage is when you’re afraid

Courage is when it all seems grey

Courage is when you make a change

You keep on living anyway

You keep on moving anyway

You keep on giving anyway

You keep on loving anyway

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXrWRM0E6YA&feature=rec-fresh+div-f-6

Salvia

Hey peeps!

When I teach about drugs, I have been asked more than once, about a drug known as salvia. This is a hardy plant that is grown all over the world (including Alberta). It produces a drug that can be smoked, drank, injected, etc. and is yet to have legal consequences surrounding it. I have read some info on it and will put together more for your viewing pleasure, but let me say this much - just because it is not illegal does not make it any less stupid! You can attain a high much the same as it you were on LSD (a big drug in the 60's - a chemical that causes hallucinations and altered reality and has it's users having bad trips more than 10 years after ever touching the stuff. Drugs mess up your brain FOREVER people!!). Anything that gives you a high is altering brain functioning whether illegal or not. Sniffing glue is also legal and one of the stupidest things you can do.

Use your heads when it comes to what you put in your body. Ask these questions: do I want to do something that could kill me? Do I want to do something that can make me stupider for the rest of my life? I hope and pray that the answer to both of those questions is a very large NO! If it is not, drop me a line and we will have coffee and chat for a bit!!

Also, my dear ladies and gentlemen, I have gathered more information from AADAC and Health Canada on different drugs, smoking (and quitting smoking) and parent resources regarding helping their young people who are using. Let me know if you are need of any of this information!

Blessings all!

-shelley

Happy Bithday Jesus!!

Hey all my little ones! I hope this Christmas is one filled with joy and wonder! Have a great day! Here is my favorite Christmas song for you today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLShxhQwwwA Love and blessings to you all! -shelley

Silliness

Today's silliness comes from youtube! Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR0c8RBfyiU&feature=related

Kelley Shares...

Hey ya'll,

Kelley wanted to share something she heard while attending First Assembly today with a friend:

" Today at First Assembly, the pastor was speaking about how Jesus comes at the darkest hours of the night. (midnight, far from sunset and far from sunrise). How when we feel like darkness has been here for so long and light is so far away. Jesus is sitting right there with us when our life is at our 'midnight' hours.(and as well all the time)

I hope that makes sense to you haha! I thought it was a really cool way for putting it and just wanted to share! always remember there is hope.. even when the clock strikes midnight. "

Got something to share? Drop me (Shelley) a line and let me know!

When life sucks...

Hello friends!

Sorry for the long pause before writing again. I am sure you are all busy with Christmasy stuff anyways! Phil and I were off to Vancouver last weekend for a Canadian Youth Workers Conference. It was great! The worship was awesome, the speakers genuine and the weather fab! Not a cloud in the sky the whole time while the blizzard blew back here! Phil stayed with some friends of mine from Rosebud and it was great to see them again. We also has dinner one night with Melissa (Hugo) whom I adore! So it was good all 'round!

Today there are a few things on my mind, but mostly it has been you guys. It has been a hard season for many of you and my heart goes out to you all. I had been writing to one of you who asked a commonly asked question, "Where is God when it sucks?"

How does one answer this? I, too, have asked this question several times over the years. There are times when we are traveling through the valley; the dark night of the soul, if you will, and feel like we are all alone and that God has left us high and dry. Is He there? Has He abandoned us? Everything people have taught us suggests that, no, He has not left. So why do we feel so alone?

First, I would like to remind you that God is not a feeling. If He is just a feeling you are counting on then He exists only when you are having certain emotions and I am sorry, but God's existence is not something you can create! You are powerful and awesome but you are not THAT good!! God is not dependent on you but you are dependent on you (whether you wanna believe it or not!).

So? Where is He? Well... He's everywhere ;)

I remember something a guy I met said. He was directing a show I was stage managing. A nice guy - he was living in Rosebud and had recently going through rehabilitation after falling off a roof and landing on his head! The show was two about teenagers who were dating. It ends up that between acts the female character was raped by some boys who had been harassing the guy over the years. As we dealt with the tough subject matter, the director shared with us his own case of abuse. He was molested by his piano teacher when he was just a child. When he was dealing with the matter in therapy he was reminded that God is always with us. He is holding our hand when others misuse His freewill and do things that can hurt us deeply. He is crying with us. He is hurting over it even more than we do ourselves. He is breaking over His child hurting - He feels everything we do. He is also crying over His child who is doing the hurting.

Bad things do happen, but we have to remember that it is not God who is doing the hurting. He granted his people free choice and loved us enough not to make those choices for us. Sadly, we humans are sinful and abuse our right to choose. We make mistakes and we hurt each other.

Sometimes the things that hurt are not someone else's actions. When people get sick or pass away before we think they should it can hurt for a long time. In these cases I try to remember that God's plans are not our plans and although it sucks, can be used for good. For example my Grandfather's first wife died very suddenly from a brain aneurysm shortly after my aunt was born. As tragic as this was, it was necessary for me to be able to be born who I am! My Grandfather's second wife had three more children, the third being my Mom. I keep that in mind when I lose someone I love.

I have a theory as to why God feels far away when we are hurting. I find when I am upset about something I tend to push people away somewhat. I do it for various reasons I can think of (which is a topic for another day). In our sorrow and sadness we feel like everyone is distant and could never relate to what we are going through. We feel alienated from those around us, even if they are reaching out to us more than normal as they know we are hurting. If we are pushing ourselves from our other relationships, why would we not do the same to our most important relationship? As we hide from others, I think we also hide from God.

I want to encourage you to do a few things as life is hard currently:

1. Remember that God is not a feeling and He is here with us as we laugh and as we cry and He wants to support, love and encourage us.

2. God often uses other people to be His hands and heart. We need to let other people be there for us.

3. God often uses other people to be His hands and heart. We need to be there for each other! We need to pray for each other, encourage each other and be willing to be a shoulder to cry on and a person to turn to!

Keep praying, keep dreaming, remember that you are amazing, beautiful and utterly loved! Stay strong, keep that faith and don't do drugs! Most importantly, keep in mind: Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

A video for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM&feature=related

Or try this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHNbvIplvVQ&feature=related

Or this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGUb8G0H-7I&feature=related