the value of time...

To realize the value of a sister
Ask someone who doesn't have one.

To realize the value of ten years:
Ask a newly divorced couple.

To realize the value of four years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize the value of one year:
Ask a student who has failed a final exam.

To realize the value of nine months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realizeThe value of one month:
Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of one minute:
Ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize the value of one-second:
Ask a person who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.
You will treasure it even more when you can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend or family member:
lose one...

Talk about an interesting way to look at things! A friend of mine from school sent me this in an email and I have to say - it certainly makes you look at time in a different manner!

Another interesting issue surrounding 'time' for me came from reading my cousin's blog...(she is a missionary in Northern Ontario on an Aboriginal Reserve). She has just finished reading a book called "flabbergasted" by Ray Blackston and this is a quote from there...

"I had always pictured myself living on the face of a huge clock, running just ahead of the second hand that would slam me in the butt every time I tried to slow down. But in Ecuador I felt like I was being pulled along by the minute hand, slow and steady, with enough leisure to enjoy circumference, the arc of a day. Now, finally, I understood the difference between tick and tock. Tick flips from the end of the tongue like something fast and hurried, as something instant, surfacy, and shallow. Tock comes from a deeper place; it's a bass note, or at least a tenor. Tocks moves more slowly. If there were a tocking time bomb, I would not run out of the building, but rather stroll through the lobby, order a cafe mocha, check the sports page for standings in the American League East, then hold the door open as a good Southerner should."

Time... to everything there is a season, a time for everything under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Everything in life is revolvant around time... we as humans measure time in second, minutes and hours... days, weeks, and years... Papa doesn't live in such a limited existence... he has eternity where years are seconds and seconds are decades - this is incredible to me!

So in essence, time is a gift to us - each second of our day is a gift to us from the author of our existence - we are stewards of our time and accountable for how we spend our days and for who we spend our time with... for me this causes me to take another look at procrastination... a huge fallout of mine, one that I will definitely have to continue to lay down... and so I say "My times are in your hands (Ps 31:15)"

I love how Laura ended her blog... "and life goes on... tock, tock, tock." I am going to try to live my life as more of a tocking kind of life as opposed to the fast paced ticking that I have been living... I'll settle for a slowdown...

stupid computers!!

UGH - just got back from campus - had to bring in my computer because last night it shut down...screen went black and it wouldn't boot up! YIKES and I have an assignment due today... so I am going to get on that one... I'll update later...
For now I am just happy that they were able to get it going again - even if I did lose a zillion appointments and contacts from my outlook calendar! :S

sing with me... lovely day...

It's one of those days... you know the kind when you feel so awake - so alive! The sun is shining and I just feel destiny! I don't know how to explain the wonder that I feel... today isn't even a special day of any kind - other than the small factor of 'papa created today for me' - tee hee...

In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. - Joel 3:18

The LORD within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame. - Zephaniah 3:5

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. - Lamentations 2:23

Its a great day to be alive... to dream in the arms of Papa... to watch destiny unfold... to be truly ALIVE!

Jack N Jill

The Jack and Jill was a huge success!!! We raised $2,300 for the bride and groom!!! YAY - hope it helps you guys with your wedding Jonas n Theresa! Love ya lots!

Here are a few pics from last night... but only the beginning - waiting for the others to send theirs! (these ones are mostly Chan, Lana and I) There is one of my friend Steve, and then another of me getting ready for the pig race)

survey says

1. What is your occupation? Student Nurse

2. What color are your socks right now? grey

3. What are you listening to right now? some jazz thingy

4. What was the last thing that you ate? witches finger cookie (Jilly made them for the Jack n Jill tomorrow)

5. Can you drive a stick shift? I can drive a stick

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? I would be a happy orange

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? my taxi driver Jilly - tee hee

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? of course... Victoria (friends lil sis) - such a sweetie

9. How old are you today? today I am 22, tomorrow 0ver 2000 (gonna be a greek goddess or yore)

10. Favorite alcoholic drink? hmm I would have to say malibu and pineapple juice

11. What is your favorite sport to watch? lacrosse

12. Have you ever dyed your hair? I have

13. Pets? My darling Koda...(black lab)

14. Favorite food? umm peanut butter?

15. What was the last movie you watched? Over the Hedge (while babysitting today)

16. Favorite day of the year? CHRISTMAS!!!! (coming soooo soon!)

17. What do you do to vent anger? call a friend... or go for a walk and talk to Papa

18. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies!!!

19. What is your favorite fall or spring? I love the autumn colours! But I love the 'newness' of spring also!

20. Hugs or kisses? I am a big fan of both!

21. Cherries or Blueberries? Cherries for sure

22. Do you want your friends to email you back? I love receiving personal mail

23. Who is most likely to respond? not sure really

24. Who is least likely to respond? again, no sweet clue

25. Living arrangements? Currently reside with Jillybean, BJ Beaver, and Koda...

26. When was the last time you cried? almost cried today!

27. What is on the floor of your closet? my laundry basket

28. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? not sending it... but person who will prob read this that I've been friends with longest would be Chan - love ya gorgeous!

29. What did you do last night? Played MONOPOLY! with Jilly and BJ

30. What are your Favorite smells? love cinnamon, vanilla, and 'outside'

31. What inspires you? nature... friends... my Papa

32. What are you afraid of? spiders, failing, hurting people

33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? cheese please

34. Favorite dog breed? none are as beautiful as black labs...

35. Number of keys on your key ring? 6 or 7 (and I don't even have a car!)

36. How many years at your current job(s)? been babysitting for this family almost two years

37. Favorite day of the week? Sunday

38. How many states or provinces have you lived in? I have lived in 2 provinces... ON and BC

39. Favorite holidays? if you've gotten this far - you know... CHRISTMAS!!!

40. Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery? um no - not a good plan for me!

41. If money was no object, what would you be doing? I would probably do what I do... at least some form of it! But I think that I would also like to incorporate ministry of some sort into it... not sure how yet... but someday!

cva with right hemiplegia

for the past two days I have had a patient who is a recent cva with right sided hemiplegia... translated into english... stroke with right sided weakness... gotta love medical terminology! So anyway, the point - they pt (patient) has made tremendous progress over the last two days... and today was actually feeding themselves! I was super happy - and the family is being so supportive so that makes a great big difference! smiles... all my other pts were great also... I had one pt who was Italian... it was fun to speak in Italiano with them and to reminisce about my visit to Italia... The staff are great - and I am loving my placement there - sooo hard to believe that October is almost over! yikes! but that means... ho ho ho CHRISTMAS! (oh I better not get started... or I'll be on a tangent...)
So halloween... the Jack n Jill is on Saturday night... its gonna be great fun! I am excited to dress up - so much fun pretending to be a kid again! I hope we raise lots of money for Jo n Theresa!

Ok... totally zonked... been up since 5:30am... now almost 11pm... and worked 13 of those hours... whine whine whine... yes I know, welcome to the world of adulthood - giggles... thank you Papa for the ability to work...

Goodmorning Beautiful

And he says to me... "goodmorning beautiful, how was your night?"

Those are lyrics to a song that I adore... and they are the words that my sweet Jesus says to me each morning...ahhh

Well... off to the cardio pulmonary unit for 12 hrs... Hopefully I'll be able to give a decent post at some point in the next few days... giggles... but for now - Goodmorning to all of you 'beautifuls' out in blogland!

ER Star...

WOW - sooo much has happened since my last post (prior to my celebration post!)... I don't think that I recount it all... so I'm not gonna... smiles

Some news that I do have to share though... I received my confirmation for going to Terrace on Friday night... I got home late from 12hr shift on the cardiac floor and found an email from my clinical coordinator at UOIT. She told me that I had received the ok to do my consolidation at Mills Memorial starting Jan. 15 in the ER with Sonja Comerford!!! YAY for me!

Sooo tired - busy day today after my super late night (4am)... I spent the day with Ethan and Carter we did a zillion things - painted rocketships, flew to space, coloured, had baths in the kitchen sink... must I go on! Those kids sure do keep me hopping!

celebrate

ok - paper submission time 3:39am Monday October 23, 2006... what a day - what a paper! SOO glad to be done that section of the assignment... now on to the next part... well maybe tomorrow! giggles...

Its late - but had to celebrate the conclusion of the paper! More tomorrow

BJ has the monopoly....

OK - just got my butt whooped by BJ in Monopoly... it was good times all around, nice to take a break from my homework (procrastinate really) and spend some good quality time with some of my favourite people ever...

So a semi-productive day it has been thus far... lost all my money - my property... sigh... (good thing my worth is not based on material things! tee hee) I also was able to get my portfolio in some resemblance of order for tomorrow... and organize myself for another round of clinical... I am looking forward to going back! Being at clinical makes all the work to get there seem worth it!

So tonight - some more work on the HUGE paper due monday... and some Grey's to make it all worthwhile!

Worth-ship

Hey guys - here's a few treasures that I found this morning...

Psalm 135:3 "Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; Sing praises to His name for his name is lovely."

Worship, where did the term come from? Well, if we were living back in the times of Chaucer or Shakespeare the term would just be coming into use. It would be a shortening of the term worth-ship. The concept being to attribute worth to someone who was worthy. We attribute praise to God because of His worth-ship. This was eventually called worship.

We praise God because of His goodness. (PS. 135:3) There is nothing that God has ever done that He could have done better. Nothing! Remember in Genesis 1 where God reflects on the things that He had created and says, "And God saw that it was good". The actions of God are good doings. God is the quintessential do gooder. He always does good.

We praise God because of His electing love. (PS. 135:4) Lots of people do not like to talk about election. They shiver at the thought that God choose them, before they choose Him. Shiver all you wish, it is all over Scripture, For example Romans 9. Our response should be warm praise to the Lord for His graciousness to us rather than a cold shiver that says, I choose you and saved myself. We ought to give thanks to our saving God, whose electing love has been upon us all our days, yes, even into all eternity. "All in the church may hear the Word of Christ, but few hear Christ in the Word." George Swinnock "It is a poor worship to move our hats, not our hearts." Thomas Adams

as per request

UOIT - UB Building

This is the UOIT Campus Library...

This is the UOIT Nursing Lab in SW206 (South Wing - second floor)

One of the Health Science faculty in the Simulation Lab

A Simulation Dummy in the Nursing Lab

The lovely Rachel practicing away in the practice lab

Relentless Rain

The sound of the rain pounding down is definitely one of my favourites...
but when I hear that I want to curl up in my jammies with a coffee and a good book or a good friend....
What I don't want to do... is go outside get soaked on my way to the car, and drive to school only to get more soaked as I walk across campus... no definitely not what I want to do!

On my way in though, I stopped for a tan... Joe is the greatest! He saw me coming in and says... "Carin, you know what I want to do for you today - I want to put you in the platinum lay down... take the edge off of this nasty day!" (blessings raining from heaven!)

That was the beginning of my glorious day thus far... once I got to the Health Centre on Campus for my appointment with the MD - I didn't even have to wait! I went right in to see the doc! Sweet deal! All is well... so what's next in my downpour of blessings today?!?!

my very own personal mocker

She is my sweet love... my gorgeous friend... owner of the hat in the picture AND my very own personal mocker!
Mocker you say? How could someone so darling, so precious be a mocker?!
Well, she is! She calls me Jesus' girl.. says that my sandals are 'Jesus sandals'... and tonight... she came to pick me up for dance class... saw my new shoes for halloween costume... and says "new shoes?! more Jesus ones!"

Its ok though... I know she loves me... and her criticism of my Jesus is simply cuz she's jealous (wink)...

I know she's reading this probably seconds after I enter it and thus my remarks... we have some good laughs about it... and she's asked some pretty cool questions... some I don't have the answers for.... all I can say is faith...

Dance class (Hip Hop) was great tonight - at first I didn't want to go... I'd had a long day with Ethan and Carter... busy busy busy But Chan was there knocking on my door... and we ended up having a great class... we decided tonight that we are going to have a recital in 4weeks... oh my! And so we started learning our recital dance... Sean Paul - Give it up

Topped off the evening with a nice walk with my love... we had some laughs... I hurt my ankle... and then we had some talks... now.. tired is the word (still)

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY Birthday!

It's a happy happy happy birthday wish to all today!

**close your eyes and make a wish**

birthday squishes

Devin

"Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again. ~Menachem Mendel Schneerson

*Pray your day is full of blessing - pressed down shaken together and pouring down! Squishes

Ethan

"Fly free and happy beyond birthdays and across frorever, and we'll meet now and then when we wish, in the midst of the celebration that never can end." ~ Richard Bach

*Pray that you continue to have adventure in all your years to come - I will always remember the ones we've had together! Squish

Shannon

"The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." ~ Oprah Winfrey

*Your life is truly worth celebrating! A true princess you are... beauty from within radiating in this world! Let the celebrations continue Princess Shannon! *Smushes

For those of you who don't know... I LOVE birthdays... I love to celebrate people's lives - who God made them and who they are becoming as they embrace all that 'life' has in store for them!

a little rambling...

Matthew 14:23 - he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.

Mark 1:35 - Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

In living my day to day life I am surrounded by numerous people that I can aspire to be like - people who are good, who lead extraordinary lives, people who have paved the way, who have gone through their valleys and risen to mountain tops in their lives... they lead their lives by example. These people however, leave nothing to be desired when you compare their lives to that of Jesus... he knew what it meant to get his strength from the source
He is who I want to be like each and every day... every day I fall short - but that is not the point... the point is that he is always raising the standard higher and is there to walk with me through the battles and storms that life sends my way.
When I begin to hang my head in shame, he is there to lift my head and declare to me that he is faithful even when I am not, that he will never leave, that he is in it for the long haul, that he is always there to pick me up and give me something to run toward.
There is one example (well numerous really) that I long to be faithful in... like those verses in the beginning... spending alone time with my heavenly husband... there are days when it is easier than others, but I must admit that my 'environment' certainly doesn't support a day spent with someone whom you can't even 'see'... I want to try to get up earlier so that I have time while everyone is sleeping to be 'on the mountainside' or in a 'solitary place'
Days that I miss these times I feel the draw - and the longing... sometimes I wish that I was all done school so that I could just spend my days with him...
Anyway... school is calling now, sigh... for those of you who read this and believe in the power of prayer - pray that the intimacy would deepen, that I would learn to be obedient to the things that my Papa reveals... For those of you who read this and aren't too sure what you believe about this whole 'God' thing (smiles), just be happy that this is making me a better person - we hope!

glorious day

I am super tired right now as it is past midnight here... but I just had to say - what a glorious glorious day I've had!
I went to Trinity today - cuz I woke up late and couldn't make it in time out to Pickering - and it was fantastic... such a great time in the 'house of God' - great message too - I will share more later... for now... sweet dreams in my Papa's arms... ahhh

guys and girls

Ok... so I was sitting at the table having a conversation with two of my friends... one male, one female. I had just finished a whole 'paragraph or so' of words when Mike says - "um what did you just say?! I was listening but all I heard was a bunch of chick talk - I didn't understand a word of it!"
I am telling you it was a moment of epiphany for me! I thought that I was being very clear at that moment - but it just goes to show how differently men and women communicate and how important it is to check in to make sure that you are understood. (most men wouldn't speak up and say that they didn't know what you just said - nor most women for that matter)
Anyhoo just a tidbit to share with you - something to look at the next time you are having a conversation with someone of the opposite sex... how often are we misunderstood??? wow... it was almost more than my mind could handle!

just arrived!

Amazing Alaska

Just got my picture CD's yesterday from my trip to Alaska! YAY! They are a little out of order - and I am definitely not a photographer... but enjoy!!

Marry me?!

wow... not quite sure what I thought it would feel like... but it sure wasn't quite like this...

I was sitting at the dining room table listening to Mike and Cara talk about their courtship (what an incredible story!) - and I heard him whisper...

Mike had spoken about how he had been 'dating' God... and it was time to marry him...

That's when he said it... "my love, will you marry me?"
Wow... in the excitement and anticipation of someone in love my heart bursted - YES! Yes, I will marry you... I will spend my todays and tomorrows with you - the lover of my 'me'ness - the lover of my life - the lover of my soul - the lover of all of who I am and have been and ever hope to be... I will

Earlier this year (around the middle of the summer) he had spoken to me about marriage. I had already committed to a time of celibacy before God... I would not date anyone but God until the new year as a minimum... God told me that he was using this time to prepare me for marriage - to renew my mind and to 'create a right spirit in me'...

I have to admit - moving to Terrace certainly did not fit into my idea of 'a great place to find a man - there really aren't so many of em that match my list'... my heavenly lover has answered my heart in words that I still have yet to ponder... "my sweet love... you don't need 50, you just need 1" Now, I still don't know how that is going to work cuz I don't even see one... but God knows... and I am learning that all I have to do is trust and follow... it really is simple.

And so... back to "will you marry me?" It's incredible to me how much I can misinterpret what I hear... when God told me he was preparing me for marriage... he was and is... I am his bride... though I have been living as his girlfriend...hmm

I challenge you - take a look at that one... granted I have just done a ton of rambling, which may not even make sense in the morning... but there was soooo much that hit my spirit tonight...and I wanted to make sure that I could look back and at least glean the principles...

My heart is full tonight - I will go to sleep in love...

kids say the darndest things!

Ok... these certainly made me giggle... thanks to my dearest gum girl for sending them to me! If only things could be as simple as all of this!

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY? (written by kids)
- You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. -- Alan, age 10

- No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with. -- Kristen, age 10

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
- Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then. -- Camille, age 10

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
- You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the>same kids. -- Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
- Both don't want any more kids. -- Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
- Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough. -- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)

- On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that Usually gets>them interested enough to go for a second date. -- Martin, age 10

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
- I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns. -- Craig, age 9

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
- When they're rich. -- Pam, age 7

- The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that. -- Curt, age 7

- The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do. -- Howard, age 8

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
- It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -- Anita, age 9 (bless you child)

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
- There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there? -- Kelvin, age 8

And the #1 Favorite is....
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck. -- Ricky, age 10

Smiley Cookies!

You learn to like someone when you find what makes them laugh, but you can never love someone until you learn what makes them cry...

Smiley cookies with my girlies make me laugh! Especially when the guy at Tim Horton's is sooo chipper!

"would you like to try one of our smiley cookies today?" (chipper worker guy)

"actually we would like two..." (hot driver girl)

"I want one too!" (hottie from the backseat)

"ok... make that three smiley cookies!" (hot driver girl)

Giggles... too much fun - but the guy was waayy too happy, no jokes! Thanks girls for a great time eating smiley cookies and for making me laugh...

Now, what makes me cry....

The Jaspers-Fayers

This is almost the whole Jaspers-Fayer Family.... giggles - there were a few missing but only one or two!

And these are the originals... tee hee... Julie, Joanne, Evelyn, Hennrietta, Diana, and Henry

It really was quite the weekend... and I went back up there today to take Kailee and Brittney (my pseudo sisters) to visit my siblings... I had the chance to talk with Mama some more... very interesting to see the dynamics within such a large family - and to see through the eyes of being and 'adult' were also very different indeed! I have learned a great deal about my family and their 'workings' and have to say that there are some seriously strong women in my heritage! Thank you Lord for such a legacy of faith... may I pass that legacy on to future generations!

enemy of the best...

"I have held many things in my hands and lost them all; but the things I have placed in God's hands, those I always possess." ~ Joyce Earline Steelburg

I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. ~ 2 Timothy 1:12

"Pursuit of 'good things' can hinder obedience. It has been said that 'the good is the enemy of the best.'" ~ Elaine Creasman

God has said, "Never will I leave you; Never will I forsake you." ~ Hebrews 13:5

Casting the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on Him; for he cares for you affectionately, and cares about you watchfully. ~ 1 Peter 5:7

He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. ~ Psalm 121:3

"Christ has no body now on earth but yours. Yours are the only hands with which He can do his work, ours are the only feet with which he can go about the world, yours are the only eyes through which his compassion can shine forth upon a troubled world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours" ~ Teresa of Avila

So it has been an interesting battle going on inside of me for the past few days... I went to a seminar on campus for Canadian travel nursing and heard about an incredible opportunity in California... $15 000US signing bonus, $35.85US/hr with a $4.25 shift differential... really there isn't much that can top that - and I haven't signed my contract in Terrace yet... and the recruiter seemed to take interest in me... could this be God?!!!
My cousin, I have just found out, is working in northern Ontario as an administrative missionary... she raises her own salary... wow! We've had some really great talks this past weekend and I really do feel that God is leading to Terrace... there is ministry there and I feel that God wants me to entrust my future into his hands... I truly believe that this oportunity in Cali is a distraction and that it would be the 'good' that is the enemy of the best... enemy of what it is that my Papa has planned for me in Terrace... There is so much that doesn't make sense about Terrace to me and yet something inside of me feels 'the peace' and I know that Papa wants 'peace to be the umpire' - the decision maker in my life... Cali is my Isaac and I am laying it down for the greater call knowing that God will perfect the work in me that he has begun and he will not let me slip and fall... he will be with me... I am entrusting my future into his hands... Funny how surrender makes things clearer... obedience really is the easiest route to take! Wow - I must be growing up! giggles.. oh Papa, I love you!

Talk about a BIG family!

(scary family picture - last morning - evry1 with bedhead and puffy eyes - better one to come)

Just imagine with me... sitting down to Turkey dinner with over 50 people! It was crazy! And more than a little interesting to see how much everyone has changed over the years...
The Jaspers-Fayer's (mom's family) had a reunion this past Thanksgiving weekend - wow are there ever a lot of pples! Everyone was there though - for the first time in 10 years! People have changed and grown and gotten married, had kids... wow - its such a beautiful thing!

just makes me love him more...

As the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing, She was still groggy from surgery.
Her husband, David, held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news. That afternoon of March 10, 1991 , complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver couple's new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing.
At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs. "I don't think she's going to make it," he said, as kindly as he could.
"There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one"
Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived.
She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on. "No! No!" was all Diana could say.
She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four.
Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away
But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana.
Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw', the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.
There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger.
But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there.
At last, when Dana turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted. Five years later, when Dana was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life.
She showed no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she was everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.
One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving , Texas , Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing.
As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked, "Do you smell that?"
Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain." Dana closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?"
Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet. It smells like rain." Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells like Him.
It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest."
Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily hopped down to play with the other children. Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along.
During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

Seasons...

The leaves are changing their colours so very quickly... it is absolutely gorgeous! My world is alive with colour! I love the colours of autumn... it seems to take away from the decline in temperature that I love so much! (not) I am especially looking forward to being up in the Rideau area for thanksgiving... sooo many beautiful trees...
Also, a family reunion! All of the aunts and uncles and cousins of my mom's side of the family will be meeting up this weekend... even mom and the kids are coming down! YAY - I am super excited! Some of them I haven't seen in years because ever since mom moved out to Beautiful BC, I have missed the Christmas get-togethers so that I could be with my family on Christmas (my birthday also :P)... so needless to say - its going to be wonderful!
Ok, its been about a week since I have last written... and I haven't even been that busy! I mean I am always busy -but no excuse for not updating here!
I am supposed to be writing an assignment right now which is probably why I am writing here instead... I still have not overcome my procrastinating ways... semi-trying though! giggles... So a quick recap of my week...
last Wed...um nothing special really - I had a meeting with my faculty advisor to go over a few things for clinical
Thurs.... I had an 8hr shift at the hospital - 8hr shifts are a joke! It goes by so fast!
Fri... went for a run and um... oh yeah - stayed in watching movies all by myself! I decided against going out with some people...
Sat... Arrrgggoooo's went to the Toronto Argonauts football game at the Roger's Centre (formerly known as the SkyDome) - it was Somer's bday... she won a leather chair during one of their promo breaks.... yay for her!! We had great seats... closest row to the field! I ditched Chandra n AJ to sit with Graham and Aaron... it was great to see Graham again, he is such a great guy! ...anyhoo, after the game was over (I thought it was only halftime... yes its true) we headed over to Armadillos for some eats and some drinks... good times...
Sun... I finally had a free Sunday and I was not going to miss church - I was exhausted as anything (we didn't get in until about 3am!) but forced myself outta bed... jumped into some clothes and took the roomies car to go check out City Heights Church (Raoul and Wendy's Church) It was really good... very friendly people... and some people that I already knew! One of the guys that I went to Bible College with was there! Such a small world!
Mon... yesterday... oh yes! I got up to do some homework before I had to meet a new family for potential babysitting - it went well and I am sure she'll call sometime... feels silly to me that I am still babysitting but its something I enjoy and something that fits into my lifestyle... and it pays better than a pt job... anyway - after that meeting I headed off to Ethan and Carter's... my boys... we had a great day together - we made treasure maps and parrot puppets the week before so this week I brought along those halloween smarties packs and hid them outside... we followed the treasure map - and found treasure! Carter was adorable... he finished his and went back to the same spot to find some more! too cute! They were filthy after playing outside so I gave them a bath before dinner... after dinner we played down in the basement until Kara got home... THEN later last night was my Hip Hop class... which was the best one yet! I loved the routine!
So now we are at today... and I need to do that assignment! It sure does take a long time to recount my not busy week!