Merry Merry Christmas

   O Come All Ye Faithful by rocacruz
vocals:Donita Sabater
guitars: Filbert Wong

O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of angels

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ, the Lord

O sing, choirs of angels
Sing in exultation
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above
Glory to God
Glory in the highest

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ, the Lord

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee
Born this happy morning
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given
Word of the Father
Now in flesh appearing

Need to hear God's guidance?

"The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring." Isaiah 58:11

Though the Bible never uses the word guidance, it does speak of a Guide. We may seek guidance, but God provides something better--himself.

Many of us struggle to understand and discern God's guidance for our lives. We ask questions like: Should I marry or not? Should I marry this person or that person? Should I have another child? Should I join this church or that one? Which profession should I follow? What job should I take? Is my present line of work the one to stay in? Herein lies the major distortion of knowing and doing God's will. Does God lead and direct in these areas? Yes. Does he come out and overtly tell us what to do? Rarely.

So how does God guide us? Consider these principles:

God's guidance concerns itself more with our steps than our overall journey.

God's guidance is more preoccupied with the present than with the future.

God's guidance has less to do with geography and more to do with morality.

God's guidance is more interested in our character than our comfort.

God's guidance is not insider information.

God's guidance is that we pursue the Guide more than guidance.

In seeking God, his plan will be revealed. His way will lead back through his Word. If the step is more critical than the journey, and the present is of greater consequence than the future, and the Guide more essential than the guidance, what is needed? We need to know the right step to take. We need to know what we must do in the present. We need to know the Guide. God does not guide us magically; he guides us relationally. Therefore, the Bible must be studied so we may become acquainted with the ways and thoughts of God. God's aim is that we become his companions who walk with him. He already knows us. Now he wants us to understand and know him. The more we understand him, the more real our relationship will be with him and the more likely we are to keep in step with him in the direction he is taking us.

By:Laverne Riley

Mill Bay to Vancouver to Banff

Mill Bay British Columbia - Vancouver British Columbia
Trip length - 3 hours Greyhound  ( 30 day discovery pass)


    Met up with an old friend who I haven’t seen in years. I met her daughters and mother in law. Vancouver is one of my favorite cities!!!

 Vancouver British Columbia - Banff Alberta
Trip length - 20 hours Greyhound  ( 30 day discovery pass)

    I liked Banff but it really felt very touristy. I did some hiking, Gondola ride and walked around the  town. The town was filled with tourist like me LOL. I enjoyed my Bisson Burger  and riding the gondola. I stayed in Hi-Hostel Banff, I recommend getting a Hi-Hostel card

Canmore Alberta to Victoria British Columbia

Canmore Alberta - Victoria and Mill Bay Vancouver Island British Columbia
Trip length - 1 day Greyhound  ( 30 day discovery pass)
I enjoyed the scenic view from Canmore to Victoria. The mountain ranges are majestic. I also saw some animals like deers, bear and woodland caribou on the road.

    When I got to Vancouver to take the ferry to Victoria, I learned that the Greyhound bus lines do not  ride the ferry anymore and i would have to pay for another bus company to reach Victoria from Vancouver. I did not want to pay so  I asked around and i found out that I can take the Greyhound bus to Nanaimo, there is a Greyhound bus that will meet you as you crossed the island. That bus can take you to Victoria. (I hope i was clear.)

    I was housed by beautiful people who were so hospitable and loving..

Toronto Ontario to Canmore Alberta

Toronto Ontario - Canmore Alberta via Greyhound Bus ( 30 day discovery pass)
Trip length - 2 days and 9 hours

First experience in traveling by bus in North America. I read allot of tips in the internet about traveling by bus, I have taken note of it and used it but these tips I have are from my own experience.

1. Make your itinerary clear and take note of the bus transfers and length of lay-overs.
2. Bring food most of the stops are fast food chains. My food suggestions are Trail Mix, veggie snacks, sandwiches, water, and fruits.
3. Pack very light and you don’t have to bring a sleeping bag. If you are hosteling most hostels do not allow sleeping bags (fear of bugs) they provide sheets, towels and blanket already. For my 45 day journey i brought just 5 shirts, 2 under shirts, swimsuit, 4 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of underwear, 2 trousers, 1 long sleeve shirt and a jacket. Laundry service are available in most areas.
4. Avoid drinking coffee. Its a diuretic and will make you “pee” all the time. There is a toilet inside the bus; however, its so difficult to use it while the bus is moving.
5. The bus can be cold so be prepared. Neck support is good, small blanket for the bus. I used my long sleeve shirt as blanket.
6. Use the stops to stretch arms, back, legs and neck. The bus stops 3-4 hours.

    Canmore is a great place! Lots of hiking! http://www.tourismcanmore.com/activities/ I recommend Georgetown Inn http://www.georgetowninn.ca/ great food!! and The Hostel Bear http://www.thehostelbear.com/ its walking distance from the Bus Terminal and is in the heart of the town.

Emabarking a new journey part 3

One week to go!!! My semi-final itinerary ...
Destination:
Canmore, Alberta
Vancouver, British Columbia
Victoria Island, British Columbia
Banff, Alberta
Japer, Alberta
Yellowknife, New Territories
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Thunder Bay, Ontatio
Montreal, Quebec
Quebec City
Sainte-Anne-des-Monts
Gaspe, Quebec
30-45 days journey!

Bottled Water or Tap Water

Is bottled safe? Not really.. Tap water is monitored every 3 mins
Does bottled water taste better? NO taste test FAILED when compared to TAP water
Is it cheap? NO .. its 2,000 x more expensive
Bottled water fills our land fills!! Trashing our environment.
Its a Manufactured Demand .. Scaring us, misleading us and seducing us to believe that bottled water is safer
Please help redeem our planet .. our mandate.

Embarking on a Journey Part 2

Backpack Travel Preparation - Pack and weight training

I have made my skeleton itinerary and my plan has widen. I now plan to travel from Toronto-Vancouver Island, Canadian Rockies, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick then back to Toronto in a month and a half.

I packed my backpack with the following items:

sleeping bag
5 t-shirts
bathing suit
one pair of trousers
1 shorts
quick dry towel
2 tank tops
wet ones
toiletries (toothbrush, tooth paste, soap for clothes, coconut oil and baking soda)
a month supply of vitamins
5 pairs of socks
underwear
tights and gloves
pajama
slippers
5 finger vibrams!

The sack itself and the sleeping bag are the heaviest.. but everything in total is under  15 pounds. I packed early so I can start walking with the backpack for a month as weight and endurance training. My goal is to walk every night around with my backpack! Sounds crazy but I’m no spring chicken anymore. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Backpacking and Hiking

Preparation is a key. Preparation is fun and I love the process. Im starting to understand   and enjoy every part of every plan. Its not only a natural or physical preparation but also a spiritual one.

I pray that God gives me the key to every city and town I visit. That I will be a blessing every where.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Gal 2:20

Embarking on a Journey Part 1

Planning a trip from Toronto to Vancouver and back to Toronto on August 2011 via Greyhound discovery pass. Budget tips for greyhound women riders

Preparation Stage 2 months:

• Set-up a prayer shield to cover me in my travels.
• Haircut, from my mid-long hair to super short hair. Its such a hassle to have long hair and travel. So will have to chop off my hair, and turn it into a wash and wear hairstyle. Hair idea the 2nd to the last picture
• Make an itinerary
• Make reservations in hostels
• Check out friends if they are willing to house me.. il be like an “angel” in disguise
• Work-out ! There will be allot of carrying uggh!! and walking (love walking! not carrying)
• Packing list .. super pack light! (2 trousers, 4 t-shirts, 2 tank top, 1 jacket, sleeping bag, pajamas, 2 long sleeves polo, toothbrush, comb, hat, scarf, gloves, flashlight, underwear, baking soda, flip flops, bathing suit, extra glasses, 1 walking shorts) guide to packing

Tentative Itinerary:
1. Toronto to Canmore Alberta  (2 days and 16 hrs)
2. Canmore to Vancouver (13 hrs)
3. Vancouver to Vancouver Island
4. Vancouver to Banff (13 hrs) Moon Canadian Rockies: Including Banff & Jasper National Parks (Moon Handbooks)
5. Banff to Jasper (whole day traveling the Icefields) dream destination banff
6. Jasper to Edmonton (5hrs) 

7. Edmonton to Saskatoon (7 hrs)
8. Saskatoon to Winnipeg  (13 hrs)
9. Winnipeg to Thunder Bay (9.15hrs)
10. Thunder Bay to Toronto (20.5hrs) hostel in thunder bay

No-Soap Challenge

No-Soap Challenge

I started the “No-Poo” challenge last April 28 and at the same time i started the “No-Soap” challenge. Its been great! It is only a challenge during the first 2 weeks, but as time passes it becomes a way of life.

The Disadvantages of Soap http://www.soapalternatives.com/benefits.php
Soap is the simplest type of surface-active agent - surfactant - and works by making fat and oil water-soluble and easily removed by wiping or washing. Made from fatty acid salts, soaps clean by reducing the surface tension of your skin with anionic agents such as carboxylate, sulfonate and sulfate ions which are potential irritants.
At one time, it was thought soaps caused irritation by removing only fat from the outermost layer of the skin, but research indicates that soaps damage affects both the fat and protein structures of this top layer. This can cause unpleasant skin reactions and lead to a rougher skin texture. More bad news: the soap salts that emulsify dirt and oil are by nature alkaline and will raise the skin’s acidic pH as well as provoke swelling of the skin surface. Some studies have shown long-term use of a neutral or alkaline surfactant, such as soap, can increase the amount of bacteria on the skin, while swelling can lead to cellular damage or even breakage. Soap salts can also remove natural moisturizing factors and disrupt the skin’s protective barrier. The fatty acids in soap can have harmful effects too, by plugging follicles (pores) and causing acne.
No-Soap Advantage
-hair and skin softer than ever before
-hair less greasy than before
-saving money

I use Baking Soda for my hair and body and i feel very clean.My hair and skin is very soft. I used to get allergies from an unknown source and now its gone. For almost a month now i have not had an allergy attack.

Oh after i take a shower i use Virgin Coconut Oil as a moisturizer. I stopped using lotions.

Taking the "No-Poo" challenge

No-Poo means No Shampoo..

I'm now trying to get into a more simple way of consuming products that are 1st healthy to my own body and eventually contributing my lifestyle to a healthier environment for everyone. After all, aren't we called to be part of God's redemption?

This is a challenge to simply  not wash your hair with the toxic, chemical-laden, store-bought shampoo that damages the hair and strips it of natural oils and leads to all kinds of diseases in the long run, like cancer.

Suggested "new" way of washing hair:

Dump one to two tablespoons of baking soda in a container (those they use for coloring)
Add to it a cup or so of hot water.
Shake until the baking soda is dissolved.
Pour it in small amounts over my scalp, thoroughly massaging the portion of the scalp that the baking-soda-water hits, until it feels slippery (at first it will feel gritty).
Continue the pouring and massaging until my whole head feels slippery.

Rinse thoroughly. It should feel squeaky clean now.

To condition the Hair:
U can use Lemon Juice
or Apple Cider Vinegar (this can have vinegar smell)
or White Vinegar (no smell) a small dab of coconut oil

Rinse thoroughly. It should feel silky soft now.

Saved by Grace not by works

Woke up this morning like any other morning, I pray, I get my bible and read a chapter or two. Today was somewhat mundane yet special. 
I came across one of my favorite verse in the bible. 
 Ephesians 2:8-9 
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.(NLT)
I know this verse by heart, the gift of Salvation! ... but this morning I got to notice the verse after.. 
Epheisans 2:10
 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
It explains the product after receiving the gift of Salvation through faith. "He has created us anew in Christ Jesus." Being re-created in Christ.. (or born-again, re-birth,etc) "so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." A plan He made, for His glory and I can be a part of, by being me.
So I am a new creation in Christ, I just do good works. Its my new nature now, nothing to brag to God about, not to myself and others. A revelation that I don't have to feel guilty if I have done enough. 
Have a great Spring season.. wohoo!! Its a new season..


 Has Christianity Failed You? 
Who Made God?: And Answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith 
 

I have a choice to be Better or Bitter

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Great words of Paul... Delighting  in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. Not being bitter but BETTER! For when we delight in God's grace we are made STRONG (better).

Bitterness is neither consistent nor rational. A bitter person is his own worst enemy. It is very difficult to maintain any kind of relationship with a chronically bitter person; and bitterness is a major contributing cause of marital and family problems.

The Results of Bitterness

• Bitterness is antisocial. A bitter person is selfish, inconsiderate of others, withdrawn from society, indifferent or adverse to conformity with conventional standards of social behavior. Even strangers avoid bitter people, Prov. 14:10. No one is happy around bitter people.
  
• Bitterness is a sign of the fragmented life, Jer. 2:19.
  
• A bitter person rejects Bible teaching. James 3:14, "But if you have bitter jealousy and strife, stop being arrogant and lying against the truth."
  
• Bitterness shows total lack of grace orientation. A bitter person does not understand the Plan of God, let alone how it affects individuals. In Job. 9:17-18, Job's complaint against God. "Why does God let this happen to me", is a statement of bitterness.
  
• Bitterness accompanies the sin unto death, Job. 21:25.
  
• Bitterness motivates complaining, Job 7:11, 10:1. People who habitually complain are bitter people; they have no self esteem.
  
• Bitterness motivates gossip, Psalm 64:3
  
• Bitterness fragments other peoples lives. Heb 12:15, "See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by it many be defiled.
  
• Bitterness is self induced misery, and it produces chain sinning. Bitterness is misery to others in the periphery. But two wrongs never make a right. You cannot build your happiness on someone else's unhappiness.

 FREEDOM

The Holy Spirit fills you and controls your life when you have no unconfessed sin in your life. You can trust the Holy Spirit to reveal sin to you when you commit it, or even before. When the Holy Spirit in control, He produces His fruit (Gal. 5:12). The fruit of the Spirit does not include heaviness, bitterness, discouragement, disillusion, anguish, sadness, dejection, or loss of productivity. Consider these points:

o Love is free from bitterness.

o Joy pushes bitterness out.

o Bitterness can not coexist with peace in the soul of the believer filled with the Holy spirit.

o Longsuffering gives the ability to deal with bitterness and other troubles.

o Gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance are fruits of righteousness, which is divine good. Divine good takes the place of bitterness.

Friends we can choose Grace ... we can be better!

Motivation

The definition of motivation is to give reason, incentive, enthusiasm, or interest that causes a specific action or certain behavior. To empower you and set you on track to achieving your goals.
There are 2 ways to motivate us:
1.Mastery- the more we practice and master our skills the more we will enjoy and have fun. We can experiment, be creative and grow in what God has already given us.
2.Purpose-   Mat 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

John 1:4 In Jesus was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
 Motivation and Personality Motivation and Personality 2nd Edition Psychology for the Curious: Sensation, Perception, Motivation, Emotion, Cognition, Brain and Behavior, Learning, Memory, Consciousness, Personality, Psychopathology, ... Psychology and Deviance, Scientific Method

Enjoy practice and be who God made you to be SALT and LIGHT to a dark hurting world!