drano.

Drano.

I’m rarely home. This thing we called life takes me many different places that it’s insanely rare for me to watch a TV show on my actual television at the actual time it debuts. I sleep, eat breakfast and the odd dinner and that’s pretty much the time I’m home…ok I do shower on occasion. I’m not complaining. I’m blessed to do what I do and He enables me to do it and I really do love my life.

…Just sometimes my dishes pile up. Let me clarify: as in dishes I mean 4 cereal bowls at maximum. And my dad…he’s a little different. I love him but he doesn’t like dishes in the sink, fair enough, it’s his house. So on Friday afternoon I started to do the dishes. As I viewed the initial water coming out of the faucet, I noticed it was draining terribly slowly. Of course I couldn’t even start washing dishes until I found the blockage! (me procrastinating from the real job)  So I discovered some dirt blocking some of the holes and the first thought that came to mind was DRANO!

Of course Drano fixes everything.

I proceeded to run downstairs and grab some Drano. It was the Max-Gel kind. I poured half of it down the drain and let it work its magic.

20 minutes later I peered in and tested the water. Nothing happened. I poured in the remainder of the bottle and waited.

20 minutes later… still running slowly. Then I had the brilliant idea of hacking at the dirt build-up with a knife. I managed to break it up but as soon as I turned on the water it proceeded to stay in the sink. So not only did I have a slow drain, I had a quarter of the sink filled with dirty water that was not going anywhere. The only solution I could think of? More Drano! I tribute my brilliant thinking to the fact that the fumes had made me a little loopy…ok, sometimes I’m just really blonder than I pay to be (thanks Beth Moore!)

So off to the store I went to pick up some more Drano. I quickly located one that was foam & liquid…how amazing! So fully believing that the Drano would do the trick I poured the magical liquid into the murky water. And I waited.. I went for a run in the mean time and had a shower.

I excitedly approached the sink, fully believing that the Drano would have worked. No dice. The sink was still murky and the water didn’t go down one bit and to add a little salt to the wound, my whole house smelled like chemicals. I texted my friend who is a plumber and simply asked is Drano is the solution for a plugged sink. He called me back immediately and said, “No, don’t use Drano. You have to plunge it.” My heart sunk as my dad walked through the door that minute not only seeing a countertop of dirty dishes, but a sink full of murky water as well. Thankfully he said he would plunge it.

Eventually the water went down (after 10 hours!) and our drain is good to go but it made me think of something and alas a new blog entry! (I know it’s been ages, I’m truly sorry.)

Sometimes this is how we see our faith. Sin gets in and clogs up certain areas of our lives. We see it, like how I saw the initial dirt and we freak out and know we want it gone. But getting rid of it seems like so much work, and we seek a quick solution i.e. Drano. In my own life I have had situations where I have quickly repented at that one camp, that one conference, that one church service, but didn’t actually turn away from the sin and eventually I found myself with the exact same problem. The Bible calls us to repent (“From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’” Matt 4:17) 

Don’t just use that quick solution, that one camp, that one conference, that one church service to get you back on track. A quick solution will not sustain. Identify sin, repent from it and really truly turn away from it, and begin to walk with God in real relationship. And it may take hard work. Let me change that, it will take work. But you will reap the benefits. Reading His Word. Seeking Him. Talking to Him. Serving Him. Worshiping Him. All these things will take time & effort & work. But the joy, the peace, the love, the relationship you will discover is worth it all.

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you…”- Jeremiah 29:12 & 13

stay gold,

s.s.♥. 

i still heart america.

In light of the olympics, and the oh, so new found Canadian pride, I thought I’d repost this. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE CANADA. But during the olympics I found myself getting mad at America for winning so many medals, and found myself nodding in agreement with those who would trash talk our southern neighbours. I wrote this on fb in July and thought you might enjoy it… 

Oh America, I’ve been so wrong.
I’ve judged you, and I am ever so sorry.

I felt that I had to make my apology public and share this tale of pure kindness.

Three young women (me being one) left Vancouver very early on Saturday morning to venture into the great shopping of the U S of A. After visiting a few outlets and feeding Visa at Forever 21 (she was very hungry) we started to make the drive back to dear old Canada. We had a few stops on our way back. Three stops at three Targets to be exact. (I finally found the bikini from the Nylon ad!)
My coolant light suddenly appeared as we exited the third Target.
Knowing we worked my little Cabrio hard that day and knowing there is a leak in my radiator, I thought we should probably stop at the nearest gas station and fill up on coolant.
Back on the I-5 we went. (Which is a great joy to all drivers, because people actually know how to drive.)
We spotted a sign for gas, so we took the first exit.

We arrived around 7pm, most definitely haggered from a long day of border waiting and shopping but that did not affect the great kindness we received.

As we entered the Shell gas station, we were immediately greeted by the gas attendant (he was standing by the door), “Hello girls, how can I help you today?”

Shock, was the first emotion I felt as never in my twenty-two years on this planet had I ever been greeted by a gas station attendant.
I replied with, “Coolant.”
He then escorted us to the back aisle warning us it was pretty pricey.
I was relieved when i saw the $9.32 price tag. (Pricey in my mind was maybe $40?)

Before purchasing he wanted to make sure my engine hadn’t over heated so he walked with me to my car. I popped the hood and we started to examine my engine. At that time, another American with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth came over and asked what was wrong. He started squeezing some sort of tubing in the engine. Both of the men praised me for catching the problem quick and agreed I only needed to fill the radiator with the coolant.

So back into the gas station I go. The three of us girls had $14.52 US dollars left and wanted to spend it all. I was quite excited to purchase a Butterfinger Crisp. Hailey grabbed a Big Hunk for her big hunk. To the counter we went. But soon Hailey was distracted by the amazing flavors of Orbit gum. “Ohhhhh Mint Mojito! Look, they have Sangria gum!!” Obviously we had to add those to the lot.
Our total rang up at $15.02.

We spent a few minutes digging through our wallets, and pockets not noticing the long line forming behind us. The gas attendant told us we could give him Canadian quarters but then suddenly a US 1 dollar bill appears to our left. We turned around to see the man behind us handing the gas attendant the rest of our bill. We thanked him and gave him the 50cents change and grabbed our coolant, gum and chocolate.

I unscrewed the cap and started pouring the coolant into the radiator when all of a sudden a young guy starts running toward my car screaming “FUNNEL!! YOU NEED A FUNNEL!!” At the same time, the gas attendant was furiously knocking on the window screaming the same thing. The young guy let us borrow his funnel and we proceeded to fill the radiator. Just as it was almost to the fill line, another American drove by us and asked if we needed any help. We politely declined as my dear Cabrio seemed good to go. I returned the funnel to the nice young guy and waved to the gas attendant.

We left that shell gas station, hearts sparkling with joy.
Who knew three young girls in a red convertible would receive so much kindness from so many strangers.

Oh America, I really do love you.

Even though I really love America, I REALLY loved when my future husband scored that winning goal on Sunday.

Until next time,

s.s.♥.

keys that please

I found this picture awhile back and knew I would have to write about it.

The fingerprints, dirt, cracked keys…all of it makes my heart sparkle.

There is something that has always drawn me to the piano.

Not drawn me to play it, but to listen.

Whenever I hear it, I can feel the effect. The sound of the keys doesn’t just sit in my ear. It travels, deeper, much deeper to my heart.  Such raw emotion is poured into the piano; it’s as if each key sings a moment too powerful for words.

From upbeat & jovial to depressing & dark, I find it all hauntingly delicious.

“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible, is music.”
-Aldous Huxley

stay gold,

s.s.♥.

♥

in celebration of valentines day/national single awareness day (which was yesterday incase you didn’t know) here is one of my favourite classic love poems

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)

i am never without it (anywhere i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear no fate (for you are my fate,my sweet)

i want no world (for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

-e.e.cummings

beauty.

s.s.♥.

and here is a picture of me and my future husband.

apology accepted?

hello friends.

I am very sorry. I haven’t written in over a month. Life gets busy, hectic, you know. This past month was one of those. But thankfully inspiration still rises amidst insanity. So I’m being presumptuous I know, but I’m hoping you’ll accept my apology and still follow what makes this heart sparkle.

so will you, please?

i really do miss you.

stay gold,

s.s.♥.