"Everyone Loves Marineland!"

There's a place I know in ONTARIO...

(1998 Promotional Video and Theme Song)

Yesterday I took Melissa & three of her friends to Marineland in Niagara Falls as we all have season's passes through their school year-end trip. Gotta make the most of these! I know summer will fly by and I don't want to let this opportunity get away on us. So, we went early for 9:00 AM and there was hardly anyone there until the afternoon. It was great! It got busier in the afternoon...and HOTTER. It was a beautiful day though ~ couldn't have asked for better weather. Got a little sunkissed...the temp was nearly 30 degrees! We walked A LOT too, which was okay but by 5:30 PM our feet were pretty tired.

We went on lots of rides ... well, mostly the girls did while I took pics, but I did go on a few. Dragon Mountain Rollercoaster and the Sky Screamer were great! Fear of heights anyone? I loved it =) ... you have to keep your eyes open though or you miss the thrill. One of the girls' favorite rides was "Magic Experience" (aka the Bear Ride). We also watched King Waldorf's Stadium Show starring dolphins, walruses and sea lions. The best part is that we can go again anytime we want this year for FREE! Yeah!!! =)

Here's a few brief video clips of some of the rides we went on, starting with "Magic Experience" ...

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...and here's a slide-show of pics from our day!

Toronto Challenge

Right now at this very moment (from July 4-18) is Toronto Challenge ... an exciting evangelistic outreach happening right here on "our doorstep!" Just to give you an idea of what it's all about, here is part of a report from our Associate Director of OM Canada:
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"What does a Canadian, American, Irishman, Ethiopian, Burmese, South African, German, Scotsman, Phillipino, Jamaican and Tanzanian have in common? These are the nations that are represented this year at Toronto Challenge in sharing Christ. We have 45 participants this year and we praise the Lord ~ after one day of ministry we have already seen 2 people accept the Lord and over 100 homes visited! Many of the families have requested a follow up visit."
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Please pray for physical strength for the whole team as well as the host church and their Pastor.
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...and another one's gone!

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So ... early this morning Jordan boarded the camp bus ... he's off to participate in the 2-week CREW program at Camp Kahquah!! Have a GREAT time, Jordan!! =)

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Meanwhile, it's "Detective Week" for the 8 to 11 year-old campers at "NOVA" ... praying Rachelle's first week of cabin leading goes well, that the kids have an awesome week of making friends, doing all kinds of fun activities & learning more about God!!! =)

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Blessed Be His Name!

I love the song "Blessed Be Your Name" by Matt & Beth Redman which talks about blessing the Name of the Lord through all circumstances, whether things are going great or not so great. In general right now I'd have to say I feel very blessed and certainly have nothing to complain about ... but I guess with life just being so crazy as the kids are growing up before our eyes and so many transitions & decisions to continually face ... there are so many mixed emotions that come with "letting go" (as I talked about in the previous post). Even "when the world's all as it should be" as the song says, it can be so hard to trust Him and always say "blessed be Your Name." On the one hand there is a definite inner peace that as a Christian I know only comes from God ... yet at the same time there is also a bit of a storm raging inside (or at least trying to rage). The bridge of the song says "You give and take away" ... okay, this is the letting go part. We do not know what the future holds, only God does and He is sovereign, so what is there to worry about? Ahhh!!!!

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A few months ago in our bathroom I 'stragetically' :) placed a little calendar with daily Bible readings called "Choice Gleanings." Yesterday's passage was Psalm 31:14-15 ..."But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, You are my God. My times are in your hands..." And the reading said..."Our Lord desires us to experience His peace day by day. Surely we desire to possess it too. So why do we worry and fret? We know that He does all things for our good and for His glory, yet still we find ourselves beset with stress and worry. Life goes so fast, so perhaps what we need to do is STOP. Be still. Know that He is God. He cares for you. He desires only good for you. Your times are safely in His hand. Rest in His tender love for you and be at peace." ~ V. Gaynier

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WOW! STOP! Be still ... trust the Lord, know His peace, bless His Name always!

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As I already said, ultimate peace comes from God and it runs so deep it "transcends all understanding" (Philippians 4:7), so no matter what life brings we can know His peace ... however, we still need those times of refreshing and I think as we "stop to smell the roses," so to speak, there is also that opportunity of rediscovering God's peace. This reminds me of a poem I wrote which also kind of fits with this theme of trusting God & knowing His peace ~ it's called "Amid The Storm." I wrote the original poem about 26 years ago when I was 13 ... this is the edited version.

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AMID THE STORM

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Under the shelter of the old maple tree,

Fields of memories encompass me,

Of childhood days so happy and free,

Now gone for all eternity...

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The tall thick grass seems motionless,
And yet I feel its soft caress;

Then a gust of wind blows violently

As if to try to startle me...

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My heart returns to bear its pain,

When suddenly there's pouring rain!

The tears now flowing like a stream,

I lose myself in clouds, and dream...

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The rolling thunder I forget

As quenching rain still makes me wet;

I count the drops that touch my nose

Until I see that precious rose...

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I gaze in wonder at the sight

Of its strength to stand with might

Against the drowning of the rain

Which molds the soul, but not in vain.

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By Brenda Thiessen (1983/1998/2009)

Photography by Brenda Thiessen; one of my Mother's Day roses from Harv

(taken June 2009)

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This is not a slide-show. Click on play to listen to the song "Blessed Be Your Name."

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Letting go...

Rachelle Marie Thiessen

Grade 12 Graduation ~ June 25th, 2009

Rachelle's 1st day of school (on the Doulos) ~ Feb 6, 1996

Last night was Rachelle's Grade 12 Graduation at Port Colborne High School ... there were a total of 111 grads! Wow, what a night! Rachelle came away with 5 awards/scholarships ~ way to go, Rachelle! She received a Visual Arts Award, Niagara Korean Presbyterian Church Scholarship, Excellence in English Award, Memorial Scholarship and DSBN Silver Medal. Needless to say we are extremely proud of her! Today we were busy finishing up some last-minute stuff before Rachelle heads up to Camp Kahquah tomorrow for the next 5 weeks. Truly it has been a crazy crazy month, but at the same time we are feeling so blessed and on the verge of bursting from so much pride and joy. ...So what's next for Rachelle you might ask? ... Well, for starters it's going to be Art Fundamentals at Sheridan College..

I thought it was so cool today reading the Bible passage 1 Samuel 1:27-28 in which Hannah is speaking of her miracle son Samuel who became a priest, a judge and a prophet. "I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he shall be given over to the Lord." This has been our prayer and desire for our kids ever since they were born and now as Rachelle steps out into the world it becomes even more of a reality. Another great verse we all know very well and I think is one of Rachelle's favorites is Jeremiah 29:11 ~ "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." What better place to be than in God's hands?!

The following is a glimpse of last night's grad ceremony ~ a couple of brief video clips (sparing the speeches, although I must say they were very good ;) ~ plus a few photos with a very fitting song called "I'm Letting Go." Letting go certainly is not easy but knowing that God is in control & trusting in His perfect sovereignty helps so much in taking that step of faith.

Rachelle, God bless you as you enter College and discover what the Lord has in store for you... with your whole future ahead of you we wish you His very best!! =)

Love,

MOM & DAD

xoxo

...another G2!

Today Sonja passed her driver's road test ... way to go Sonja! =)

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Married 19 Years!!!

Hard to believe, but true!! ...through thick 'n thin it has been an incredible, wonderful, adventurous 19 years filled with MANY joys and blessings from the Lord! Happy Anniversary, honey! I love you!!! =)

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To Harv...Love, Brenda