Trebellion at its Best

Hi there,

I am happy to anounce that I am moving my blog to my own website www.trebellion.com. It will still be in a blog format, but I will most likely do more things like put up cool photos or songs that I have created. It will be easier I think. We'll see. So this blog will still be here, but there will be nothing new on it. If you want new cool updates, then come visit my site.

Thanks!
Treble

I have finally discovered an artist who thinks that we as Christians should be the most creative people on the planet and use that to change the music industry...and maybe even the nation? Not by preaching through music or different art forms, but by simply doing well and being creative.





"I believe Christian Musicians should be the ones who write the most creative music in the world. I believe God intends to see an industry changed, so He can in turn, turn a nation towards Himself. I often hear people praying for God to change a nation in a day, and I wonder what would happen if He did. If God showed up to every person in the world in a vision and everyone was miraculously changed, I wonder if everyone would still be in the same place the next week. The truth is, there is a stronghold and a willing submission to immorality rooted in the music industry. I am pushing to make the coolest and best music end up being Christian. God has called us to be the head and not the tail. (Deut 28). I believe when we as Christians, who know the most creative being who ever existed, step up and challenge themselves and write the most creative music ever, that we’ll be in a place where we can disciple an industry back to playing moral music. This is my heart. To see a nation changed. I just have a heart for the music industry." - Ian McIntosh

Today, Patrick wrote and recorded a song for me. I had dared him to sing a song and record it so I could listen. Instead he actually composed the song, sang it and recorded it, sent it to me, AND allowed me to put it on my blog - all in 15 minutes I might add.

This is what he thinks of me. :P



Download Here

Yo,

I am sitting in my new room, which is actually really cool because we didn't have internet for a couple of days and I could only find wireless in the living room. Now I can be wherever I please. Adina already has some new little neighbour friends and right now one of them is playing "Oh Canada" on the piano and I hear my mom saying, "Oh hello. Who are you?" Speaking of new neighbours I have met only one and he is 5 years old. I can't remember what his name is. Maybe Michael? Anyways I pulled in the driveway yesterday and before I could even step out of the van he eagerly announced...

"Hi, you're our new neighbours!"
"Oh yeah? And what's your name?"
"Michael. What's your name?"
"My name is Jessica."
"Hi Jessica."
"Hi Michael."

I had my backpack which helped continue this exciting conversation. He asked...

"Are you getting back from school?"
"No, I don't go to school anymore. I work"
"Are you a teenager?"
"Yes I am"
"You're a teenager and you work?!"
"Yup"
*giggles*


Twas fun.

Moving went fairly smoothly on Wednesday. The piano exceeded all other furniture in difficulty and took about 5 or 6 guys to move it out and then in our new house. The only way we could get it in this house here is through the sunroom. So that's where it shall stay. The sunroom has got to be the nicest room in the house, though, and I really like having it in there. It's a peaceful room that looks out to the backyard, a backyard that reminds me of a secret garden.

It really is a beautiful house and I love it much already. It has yet to feel like home, though. I keep thinking that we are going to go home soon, after dinner, perhaps. It's a strange feeling of being displaced...which is exactly what we were, I guess. :P
So Wednesday we moved all of our stuff and Thursday we unpacked allot of boxes. I haven't touched any of my boxes yet except to shove them in my huge closet. I have no motivation at all to unpack anything because I won't be in this room for too long and then I will be moving to the basement. Besides, all I really need is my bed, lappy, and Bible. I have a feeling I will get rid of allot once I've realized I can live so long without it.
Friday I went back to work. It was a relief to have some normality back in my life. I also babysat last night, and I had that same feeling of having something stable, which was nice.

Do you know what it's like to go on vacation and, because every routine and stable thing is gone, God is kind of pushed to the side? That's what it feels like now with moving. I hate that. It makes it seem like God is just a routine thing that I do and once I'm thrown out of that routine He goes with it. He has been teaching me in this area, to be in His presence all the time, even when things are crazy and abnormal. HE never changes. I can take comfort and be at home with Him no matter whether I feel at home physically or not.

So, maybe I'll post photos later. I should probably take some first because people here haven't taken many photos yet. I'll see what I can find.

Until next time,
Treble

I want to say thanks to all the boys and men who continue to do chivalrous deeds in today's society, a time when such behaviour is very rare, and often not even accepted. I appreciate you. :)

Lately I have been reading books like "The Jesus Style" from Gayle Erwin and "Crazy Love" from Francis Chan. I want to be more like Jesus and know Him more. Not just know about Him or talk about Him, but know Him. To look at His life in the gospels and truly believe that I can have that same power that He had....to love, serve, resist temptations, pray, etc.
I hope that I can share with you any great things that God shows and teaches me on this journey of faith. At the same time ...I don't want to always just be in the state of learning... I want these things to totally change the way I think and live.

For now...here's an article from Francis Chan. He raises some challenging questions that confront our "Christian" life.


I think it’s time we stop asking ourselves the question: “Am I a good Christian?” We live in a time when the term “Christian” has been so diluted that millions of immoral but nice people genuinely consider themselves “good Christians.” We have reduced the idea of a good Christian to someone who believes in Jesus, loves his or her family, and attends church regularly. Others will label you a good Christian even though your life has no semblance to the way Christ spent His days on earth. Perhaps we should start asking the question: “Am I a good Christ?” In other words, do I look anything like Jesus? This question never even entered my mind until a friend of mine made a passing comment to me one day.

Dan is a long time friend of mine. In fact, he’s the pastor who performed my wedding. He was talking to me about a pastor named Von. Von has been working with youth in the San Diego area for decades. Many of his students have gone on to become amazing missionaries and powerful servants of God. Dan described a trip to Tijuana, Mexico with Pastor Von. (Von has been ministering to the poor in the dumps of Tijuana for years). Dan didn’t speak of the awful living conditions of those who made their homes amidst the rubbish. What impacted Dan the most was the relationship he saw between Von and the people of this community. He spoke of the compassion, sacrifice, and love that he witnessed in Von’s words and actions as he held these malnourished and un-bathed children. Then he made the statement that sent me reeling:

“The day I spent with Von was the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to walking with Jesus.”

Dan explained that the whole experience was so eerie because he kept thinking to himself: “If Jesus were still walking on earth in the flesh, this is what it would feel like to walk alongside of Him!” After that discussion, I kept wondering if anyone had ever said that about me: “The day I spent with Francis was the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to walking with Jesus.” The answer was an obvious “no.” Would any honest person say that about you?

What bothered me was not that I hadn’t “arrived,” but that I wasn’t even heading in the right direction. I hadn’t made it my goal to resemble Christ. I wasn’t striving to become the kind of person who could be mistaken for Jesus Christ. Isn’t it ironic that a man can be known as a successful pastor, speaker, and CHRISTian even if his life doesn’t resemble Christ’s?

Exactly one week until the moving day. Packing: not completed.

For those of you helping out. Tip!

I bring you yet another blog post today because I was reading through one of my old journals from last year and I realized that it has been a year since I have had my braces put on. This is what I wrote to God a few days after I got my mouth full of metal: "Thank you for the grace you have given me through this time with braces. They aren't all bad. Actually, it's cool to see my teeth move." Haha.

I thought I would mark my anniversary with a couple of photos. Here's to being half-way there! For that is really the exciting part :)

Saturday was the day we had our garage sale here at GFA. The forecast was supposed to be rain and thunderstorms. Well....we got sunburns. Because it was sunny, and not raining like it was supposed to, I knew that God was going to do something great! Before we could even get all the stuff out on the lawn there were people pulling in to check things out.

Work and play makes for a satisfying day. Especially with my GFA family.

Dylan and Cassandra are going to India in July on a youth vision tour. And tomorrow we are having a garage sale to raise money for this. Up until now we have been taking donations and we had to sort through all of that today. We have soooo much stuff to sell! Hopefully it doesn't rain and we get lots of people going through buying things!


After that we had a bbq and played with water balloons which turned into a war in which you would use any water you could find.

Joan (now nick-named G.I.Joan) was ganged up on by the kids and is armed with a jug filled with water and a water bottle. I think she won. :D

Bean bag toss!

Then we played soccer for awhile on our new property next door. Now, not only do we have enough people for soccer, we have somewhere to play it!

It was a nice sunny day-awesome for a picnic and it was especially nice to laugh and play with the family.

My friend, Patrick, and I were reminiscing about the one and only day we had a really good snowfall this past winter. After work we went out and made a snowman along with Becky. Yes, we had wet jeans, soggy shoes, and really cold hands, but it was a good day. :)

There are no photos of Patrick because he was behind the camara, but he prefers it that way. And I wouldn't want to be the one to reveal his identity. :P

"Under the Sea" was the theme of Adina's party yesterday. There were 10 little kids here and they had a fish-shaped cake, went fishing, had a treasure hunt, and got to take a real live fish home with them. This was a big event that took lots of preparation on my mom's part and it was a big deal because it was Adina's first real birthday party. She also just turned 8 which means she no longer has to be in a car seat. BIG DEAL!
I was the privileged one who took her on her first drive (to church so that we could get her out of the way in order to do last minute surprise preparations ;) without a car seat and she was sooo happy.
Fishing for peices of the treasure map.

Victory!
So, that's why it's better down where it's wetter



Photography: VP Studios (Click on the title to go to link)

Time for another moving tip! Bubble wrap is awesome for poppin...but you must resist the urge! Save the fun for unpacking. :)

And so begins the E and J series on my blog. That is, Elizabeth and Jessica. The fact is, the "series" has really been going on for as long as both of us can remember, it's just new for my blog. I thought it would be cool to record some of the fun we have even though we're kind of grown up now...and lots of things have changed. THIS remains the same, folks...the 2 of us...still friends, able to start back up again where we left off - no matter how long it has been.

Jenny Vinson and I made this cupcake garden for my mom's birthday. She really liked it and was quite surprised!

-The lettuce is a green m&m with cornflakes (died green) around the m&m to make the leaves.
-The carrots are orange starbursts molded into a carrot shape. We rolled them in cinnamon to make them look dirty. Green icing for the carrot leaves
-The peas. Green m&m's tucked in the pea pod which was green gum "chewed" with our fingers. :P Green icing for the an added touch.
-The radishes are the red runts dipped in melted white chocolate for the tips. Green cornflakes for the leaves.
The kids liked eating their veggies for dessert!

Just keep it PG. Like dang, damn, or darn. Maybe even friggin if you get desperate.

But...there will be no cursing of any kind at the piano. ;)

I have added a couple of pages at the top along here --------------------------------------------->
labeled "About the Blog" and "About Me" just in case you care to read and/or have time. Or maybe you are just so curious it's killing you and that's why you will check them out. Whatever the reason is I hope you enjoy. :)

Keep it real.

Treble

Yo.

We have a moving date! June 23rd. So, what...5 weeks away? WOW! I have packed exactly 3 boxes with stuff from my room.These contain lots of books, a few candles, a couple of small rugs, some movies, cds, journals, frames, a whistle, a photo album, a coffee mug, a little box of accessories, and a box of old letters from friends. :)



BTY, I will be putting up moving tips on the blog every now and then as I prepare to move. This is the first one. My question to you is...have you ever done this to someone?!

I have!! :D

P.S. Remember these are only tips...not rules. ;)

Taken from "1000 Awesome Things" website. http://1000awesomethings.com/.

I know we all had good times like these when we were kids. :)

#834 Building an amazing couch cushion fort

Building a family room stronghold is no joke.

No, it’s a kindergarten lesson in teamwork, trust, and the art of war. Follow these six steps to construct your domestic defense:

Step 1: Clear and collect. Get the coffee table, throw rugs, and plastic toys out of the way, then begin hunting for materials. Couch cushions are your obvious first targets but pillows, sheets, and sleeping bags will be needed too. And I don’t need to tell you that if your family just got a new fridge delivered, grab that giant cardboard box, because your fort just got a den.

Step 2: Main construction. Some people opt for the sleeping bag carpeting technique. Others move directly into building sturdy walls and laying down a roof. Wall possibilities include turning chairs and couches around, tipping coffee tables sideways, or just piling up cushions. As for the roof, carefully toss a few sheets over your castle walls and hold the corners down firmly with Trivial Pursuit boxes, barbells, or an iron.

Step 3: Add-ons. Now it’s time to ammo up. Your fort needs windows to spot your enemies, a secret back door getaway in case of surprise attacks, and plenty of flashlights to navigate this harsh carpet-burny terrain. Plus, don’t forget a TV with Nintendo in the barracks for those long, lonely nights.

Step 4: Hiding spaces. All forts should include several hiding spaces in case of surprise enemy break-ins. Plan a couple behind false wall cushions or underneath a pile of dirty blankets. These also serve as excellent jail cells, where you can trap your victim, give them noogies, and force them to watch you play Zelda for three hours.

Step 5: Rations. You will need a hidden pile of snacks to get through the day. See if you can make do with a pile of Cheddar Cheese Combos, open Froot Loops boxes, and warm cans of soda. Hey, we’re at war here, people.

Step 6: Finishing touches. Finally, it’s time to add extra perks like a Speak & Spell doorbell, cardboard periscope, or a wide strip of bubble wrap laying outside as an Intruder Alert System.

After that, you’re pretty much done. Your family room fortress is a tall, plush tower of strength, and you can just crawl in and enjoy defending your cozy new confines.

Yes, as long as nobody’s parents buy the pre-packaged Super Fort from the Cranium buzzkills, cushion forts sure do give kids a great burst of creative energy on rainy days. They plan and design and build and ultimately sit back and relax deep in the bowels of their secret sanctuary. For kids, it’s nearly impossible to get away from it all, so the amazing couch cushion fort serves as much more — it’s an army barracks, a bat cave, a weekend at the cottage, and a trip down South, all rolled up in a pile of stained cushions, old blankets, and big ideas in middle of the room.

AWESOME!

The answers to all life's questions right here. Haha...not even! But I hope you get something out of my ramblings......


As Christians, we say we want to give our all to God…for God. And maybe we do. At least I do. But it's hard to know what that looks like in this country. The Bible says to be ready to suffer, and to be honest, I don't think I really suffer at all. I look at Christians in some countries who go through hunger, beatings, prison, and horrific situations, and I wonder why my faith doesn't cost me as much as it does them.

Anyhow, I read a little booklet tonight from Watchman Nee called, "Have a Mind To Suffer." All 4 chapters are based on 1 Peter 4:1, which says, "Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind…." All who serve God must have a mind to suffer.

The biggest revelation I got from this book (and maybe you have already had this revelation) is that, "it is not about how much you suffer but how much you are willing to suffer." I have to ask myself, "When I am in the most favourable position, do I still possess the mind to suffer?
And then there's the opposite. Isn't it true that there are people who suffer greatly yet don't have the mind to suffer? I think I have been guilty of both of these situations. When I go through something tough sometimes all I do is complain and wine about it. And when life is good, I don't have a mind or heart prepared to suffer.
"Having the mind to suffer speaks of my readiness before God to suffer. I am willing to go through trials, and I choose the path of hardship. It is up to the Lord whether or not to put suffering in my path, but on my part I am always prepared to suffer. Thus when His providential changes comes and trials fall upon me, I will not be surprised but rather feel that this is what I should go through in the first place."

And what I find so awesome is that the devil has NO HOLD on us if we have this mindset. If you have a mind to suffer and you stand up and declare to the devil that you will keep serving no matter what trial comes your way, then when Satan threatens you with suffering, you stand firm and the devil flees. Check it out! Revelation 12:11 says, "They overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." To that Watchman Nee asks, "What can the Enemy do if your conscience is void of offence, you have the word of the testimony of Christ's victory, and you love not your life even unto death? The Enemy has NO WAY in the slightest to deal with those who love not their lives." Wow!!
When this attitude is lacking (willing to suffer even to death) I find I am tempted with the very things of which I am afraid. Without a mind to suffer we are subject to Satan's attacks at the very point of our fears. And I think it can be true what Watchman Nee says here. "The failure of God's workmen can be plainly perceived right here - that they love their lives too much. "

I think it's important to state that God does not desire to see His people suffer, but still, that is not to say that He does not test His children. He gives grace to teach and discipline us through trails.
I don't think we should go searching for suffering. God likes to bless His children and we shouldn't say no to these blessings just because we think we need to put ourselves through more suffering. Does that makes sense? Does any of this make sense?

Closing quote: "According to God's providence, we may not have to suffer many pains; yet because we desire to serve Him, we gladly choose a path which differs from the common one. And this is what is meant by having a mind to suffer.'

Tomorrow is Friday! Praise God! There are many good things about Friday. The obvious: it is the last day of the week. But, it is also jean day! And my dear friend, Audree, brings in donuts, or sometimes cinnamon buns, to the office. Yes, Friday is a good day. I think I depend on it too much actually...like I do a lot of things. Like my day just isn't the same if I don't have a donut on Friday morning. Seriously, what difference should that make?! Some other things I depend on maybe a little too much...

-Weekends. I depend on Saturday and Sunday to help me make it through Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, and Fri.
-People. Sometimes I depend on people to just accept me and make me happy.
-Chocolate. "I just need some chocolate....yeah, that will make me feel better." ??
-Internet. This includes ALOT of things.
-Food. Need it to live. But I love it too much sometimes.
-Lyrics. To make a song good.
-Melodies. To make a song good.
-Clothes. How I look...I depend on that way too much.
-

Anyways...maybe I'll add more later, because I hadn't planned on writing any of that. No, actually what I was going to say is that we are now officially moving!! At least I think so. It's hard to keep track of all that has been going on...kinda like a roller coaster. We have bought a house and are moving into the battlefield! Battlefield Drive, that is. I haven't been to the house yet, but the photos make it look really nice.
I will miss my attic room, for it has been good to me. :) But home is not a room. Nor is it a house or a place. I think it's the people you are with that make it feel like home...anyways...you knew that. Moving on.
I keep thinking about my new room. Of course, I have no idea what it will be like. But, I'll probably be rooming with my sis for awhile and there definitely will not be a bathroom in it like I have right now. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I think I could probably add "my room" to the dependency list. Haha. Notice how "God" isn't on the list. I guess you can't depend on Him TOO much, but I need to maybe replace all of these things with Him. No, not "maybe"...I DO need to look to Him, rather then all these things, for my happiness.

Such a random post. I hope you enjoyed it, nevertheless, and I will try and keep you updated on house things. Maybe some photos later?

New discovery: I love running.
New discovery: There are really neat trails on the side of the mountain near our house. Dang, I wish I knew they were there sooner.
New discovery: Lots of firepits up there!
New discovery: Do not throw other peoples water bottles over the side of mountain. (Will explain later)

Tonight we went for a hike on our new-found trails. My brothers, Dylan and Reuben; sister, Adina; other "brother", Alex. (Neighbour who is here so much he is now one of us:); and me.









Cool blurry photos



This is something that we found along the way. Reuben: "I think there's a dead body in there."



It was empty! Looks cool though...perfect for Adina.







These are stairs that go from the bottom to the top. We came to them on our hike and the boys wanted to go up. This is where things get fun! I let them go up and me and Adina hung out here ...about halfway. The boys were gone for a few minutes and then suddenly I see them running back down with a lady on their heels yelling and swearing at them.
I guess Alex saw this random water bottle up there and thought it would be a good idea to throw it over the side. Turns out it was her water bottle. I thought I would wait and talk to the lady...but decided against it. As soon as the boys made it across the street...we booked it! "Let's run guys!"- me. "I'm following you!"- phsyco lady. But I guess she didn't plan on takin' the trail; we didn't see her after that.
What was she going to do? Beat the kid?

It was quite comical. We made jokes about her all the way home....like how she will haunt those trails now. :P



We made it down just before dark


It looks like I have no braces! (Photography:Dylan Harris)



Blossoms. (Photography: Dylan Harris)