Saturday, November 26, 2005

24 hours in a day

i cannot quite believe how fast this whole week has gone for me. it has been one of the best weeks i have had in a while. doesn't that always happen...good weeks always go by fast and boring or rough weeks seem like they drag on forever but no matter what happens everyone always has 24 hours in a day. over the last few days i have really started to think more about how i spend my time. what are the things that are important to me? getting my priorities straight.
how am i investing the life God gave me?
i certainly do not have all the answers to this question but it is making me think and i like it.
more on this week later...

posted by Rachel @ 2:28 am 2 Comments

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

How Great You Are

here i am back blogging again. im not quite sure where time has gone these last few days but they seem to have flown by.

on monday evenings i am part of a group at a local church here in vancouver that teaches english to asian students in a converstation club style environment. we discuss topics relevent to the students that come, eat dinner together, have a time of musical worship and over the past few weeks we have begun the alpha course with them. i am finding that through this outreach i am also learning so much both from the christians and non-christians there.
i am really enjoying making friends from countries like china, hong kong, south korea and japan.
all that to say that when i was there last night i was reminded again of how great God is.
God's character never changes. His posture towards me is always an open hand. He loves me and is always pursuing me.
i walked away from last night with an overwhelming sense of God's greatness and majesty.
How great You are. i stand in awe of You my God.

for me, there is nothing that reveals His splendor and majesty more than being in His breath taking creation. the mountains here in vancouver had an early dump of snow this year which meant they could open early. so this week i was able to get up there and it was exhilarating.
a lot of my thoughts these days are planning my next trip to grouse mountain. i just cant get enough of it.

when i was up there on my snowboard, flying down the mountain with the wind in my hair (well maybe not quite flying!) i felt for the first time in a long time, graceful!
snowboarding isnt really a sport that i have ever thought of as graceful but it was almost like a dance between me and God and i felt amazing.

thank you God, You are awesome!

posted by Rachel @ 7:05 am 2 Comments

Monday, November 14, 2005

O Canada

it was the rememberence day service at church yesterday and i think it is actually the first one i have been to since being in canada for one reason or another.
anyway, for as long as i can remember, rememberence sunday for me has always been important. it was always an honour for me, as a girl guide, to carry my countrys flag into church, to stand as we sung our national anthem and lay a remeberence wreath at the memorial.
im not sure what it is about singing my national anthem but i always get emotional.
yesterday we sang the canadian national anthem, "O Canada" and it hit me again that canada is home. i love this country and feel proud to sing these words...

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

canada will always have a very special place in my heart!

posted by Rachel @ 10:37 pm 0 Comments

Saturday, November 12, 2005

a day with friends

audrey, ben and i spent the day in downtown vancouver.
what an incredible city i live in!
shopping, great food, great drinks, a walk around the waterfront looking out over the mountains and to end the evening, caramel apple cider at starbucks in the new christmas cups...and all this with 2 incredible people and very dear friends!
hanging out with ben and audrey is always interesting. i love it...you never quite know whats going to happen next. its so much fun!!
ben and i did our dts together in 2002 and i am sad to have to say goodbye to him at the end of this month. he is going back to australia to pursue his career as a pilot. i love you ben, i will miss you!
thanks ben and audge...today was great!

posted by Rachel @ 6:14 am 1 Comments

Friday, November 11, 2005

the season begins

the snow is falling, the pistes are being groomed, snowboards are being serviced and i am happy to announce that grouse mountain will be opening next weekend. i can't quite put into words how excited i am about this.
last season when i was up on the mountain i just felt a million miles from everything. it was so peaceful, a chance to clear my head. there is something about being up there that makes everything seem ok. i was continually reminded of the awesomeness of God and His creation.
audrey and i are planning to go up to grouse as soon as possible and we are prepared for the fact that we won't be able to move the next day but somehow it's worth it!
woo hoo...snowboarding!!!!

posted by Rachel @ 9:43 pm 0 Comments

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Gone Fishing

i would like to introduce my dear friend kristina to anyone who doesn't know her. we were on the same dts and she is currently with ywam in norway and she posted this photo on her blog a few days ago! i like it so much that i want not only the people who look on her blog to see it, but everyone who looks at mine too!
i love you kristina and miss you lots!

posted by Rachel @ 6:29 pm 1 Comments

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Beautiful Anna

posted by Rachel @ 11:17 pm 0 Comments

Welcome to the world...

this post is a congratulations to lisa and stephen on the birth of their daughter, anna mcardle born at 4.39am on Monday 7th November weighing in at 8lb 6 1/2 oz.
i am so excited for you both and can't wait to see you and meet anna when i'm in england at christmas!

i also have a number of friends who are pregnant at the moment:
congratulations to heather and dave, mary and jay, janalynn and shiloh, and mika, who audrey and i met in japan.

i love you all!

posted by Rachel @ 10:47 pm 3 Comments

Let the season begin

what you see to your left is the beautiful site of grouse mountain, vancouver, canada as it was on sunday 6th november!!
this is a very exciting moment for me as it means the snowboarding season is almost here.
with 15.5cm of fresh snow falling overnight, im on the edge of my seat to hear when they will open the mountain.
i am somehow more ok with the fact that it is raining here in the city due to the comforting fact that it is snowing on the mountain.
i'll keep you posted...!!!

posted by Rachel @ 6:35 pm 0 Comments

Monday, November 07, 2005

Scouser...

just to clear up any confusion about the title of my blog, a "scouser" is a person from Liverpool, England...so that means me!! funny, i know, but there we have it. hope that helps.

until next time.

posted by Rachel @ 7:33 pm 3 Comments

Aaahh...Coffee

there is something special about going for coffee with a friend.
looking back on the week, sharing stories, just being with someone who knows you and you know them.
the laughing bean is probably my favorite coffee shop in vancouver and this afternoon, andrea and i spent an hour there just chillin', sipping coffee and eating a cinnamon bun!

posted by Rachel @ 1:26 am 5 Comments

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Bonfire Night


Remember remember the 5th of november, gunpowder, treason and plot...
last night was bonfire night or fireworks night or guy forkes night, whatever you like to call it and for the first time since being in vancouver we brits got together for the occasion.
the photo you see to your right is my friend henri and i with our paper "guys" before they were cremated on the BBQ (see photo below)!!!


Fun was had by all what with sparklers, burning guys, a guy forkes quiz, lots of yummy food...including trifle made by joanna, recipe courtesy of joannas english mum, hanging out with friends and to end the evening, watching the movie "snatch"!











posted by Rachel @ 10:09 pm 2 Comments

The time has come...

well the time has finally come for me to make a blog!
ive heard so many great things about it so here goes me entering into a whole new world of blogging...


posted by Rachel @ 6:33 am 1 Comments