Days Off

Going from a college student to a person with an actual job I have come to treasure what one would call a "day off". At first I felt really guilty when I took the day off. Here is the thing with being a pastor - there is always more work that can be done- there is always something else that needs your attention. My previous professor told me when I started this position that I would need to put up boundaries and make sure that I took my time off when I needed to etc. So I have learned the art of taking the day off.

Yesterday should be summed up as a sweats and home day - I got out of bed at noon - yes noon - (in my defense I was awake at nine - I just decided not to get up) and spent the afternoon in my little apartment which (miraculously) I tidied up (although you wouldnt guess it now) made homemade peanut butter cups. I went over to my neighbors apartment to watch their two year old son so they could go to an appointment. After that I fell asleep on the couch and woke up at 8 (might I state evening naps are the WORST - it totally messes up your sleeping) so I had to stay awake a bit so I baked meringue cookies (I had costco amount of eggs to go through) and i decided I will let my youth binge tonight while we bake for Christmas day.

The best part was talking to my childhood best friend Katherine on the phone late last night. We have 13 years of friendship and she is the only friend I have that knows me inside and out - she understands my dramatic flair to life (border line appreciates it) and has crossed to the other side of relationships (married almost a year now). Its funny how history friendships work - there is this all powerful trump card in the relationship that even if we dont talk for a month or two - once we do its as if no time passed and its a comforting relationship to have in my life.

I have a handful of friends that I have kept close to my heart and I know that they will morph and change over time but thats okay - God has always put the people I needed in my life - in my life at the right time.

Days Off I think are more about comfort than anything else - I get to adventure to NYC next week so I needed the day to "putter". I needed to process (I over think all the time) and I found that comfort level I needed to be able to be at peace again.

Yesterday was a day of comfort - like putting on a favourite hoodie - it just fit perfectly.

Now the ridiculous amount of baking I have done has led me to the following conclusion

i need a set of metal or glass mixing bowls, I need tupperware to put it in and I dream of a kitchen aide mixer *sigh* and an actual counter to bake on! One day haha!

Life Event 2

I love my life!

I really do

I love where God has brought me

it has not been an easy path but it has been the very best path

In February an old professor of mine asked if I would be interested in a youth ministry job - I politely declined.

But he insisted we have coffee. (My cheapness knew he would pay so I agreed)

The friday he first texted me I cried and cried (yes I have an incredible ability to tear up and cry - dont judge me)I cried out of fear, out of grief, out of doubt, out of insecurity out of it all...

I had a great plan in my mind a few jobs I knew would open up and I was just passing time till it came up than I would apply...

So I had tons of people praying - pastors mentors board members, grandparents everyone was praying for this meeting between myself and an old prof

so in the end I met with him and I was excited at the end - I went to Cuba then I came back and preached for two weeks in a row

my first sermon was terrible - actually T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E
second one was better - and on Friday that week I was offered the position.

That whole month between the text message and the job, was a month of battle

I had grown to love MWPA and I had a passion for all I was doing - I loved my preschool kids, my bosses, the staff, the areas of volunteering I was involved in - something in me said stay - at the same time something else in me was saying go. I didnt know which one was God and what was me - I will never forget that Friday when I met with Elder Kwon and the Senior Pastor Sim. I was a wreck - I called my mom in the parking lot and I was shaking - I ended up walking into the church (most people would have assumed I was lost) and the groundskeeper just asked me about myself - I said a little then I asked his story and he poured out his story from his heart - God spoke so clearly through him - I knew this is where I belonged and I was more terrified than ever before.

Elder Kwon was running late and a young adult I recognized came down and said I could wait upstairs - I dont think he realized how terrified I was inside - so I just kept talking to this gentleman who is now on the missions field because God told him to "go".

Anyways I met that night and I accepted the position.

So I am the English Ministries Pastor at Edmonton Korean First Presbyterian Church.

its been 8.5 months and I am so thankful I surrendered to God's plan for my life.

Grad Photos

I hate bad photographers - I dont mean the random person with a cam wow app, I mean the school photographers that make you look so awkward in photos and give no passion to you as an artist.

needless to say I strongly disliked my photos - there was no cap - I forgot it was picture day - and he was a stone man - no excitement - so the pictures turned out unlike what I like or appreciate or want my family to display so in came my hero - Christine with Uncontained Photography based in Fort Mac but does work throughout ALberta

She is AMAZING!!! Actually Amazing!!!


I am so glad I know her - she is worth the investment!
















This was perhaps one of the first times I no longer thought of myself as a girl - or as a child - slowly this was growing up time - this was time to become a young lady or maybe even a young woman. It was going to be the beginning of truly being an adult - taking care of myself and being proud of who I am and what I have accomplished and the life God has led me too

Life Event 1

So to update you on my life of the past year and a bit this is probably the second biggest thing ---- GRADUATION


I finally graduated with my 4 year (although it feels like a blink and a trillion years all at once) Bachelor of Arts in Intercultural Studies with a Children and Family Studies Minor.





I can remember my last assignment, a 10 page personal reflection paper for professor Big Mac (name is a whole other post to explain) and I pounded it out in 3 hours (yes a record for me)it was the weirdest feeling knowing full well that was my last assignment - the one I had been counting down to for the previous 8 semesters, the feeling that a major accomplishment had been achieved, but I was the only one done - so celebration had to be postponed till Nova was done - she took forever mind you







anyways I can remember in my first year when I crossed the stage for my hms certificate I heard a fourth year saying that I had no idea what real graduation was like - this was just a premature grad for me - I had a long way to go still - man they were right... so finally it was my time and I soaked it in... (random fact about me - if i have an opportunity to soak it in - I will - welcome to why I love birthdays and christmas and all of these distinct moments)





so graduation was the second biggest event this year





Okay now before you say why is she barefoot let me explain...

I love heels - 5"10 being my height I secretly enjoy clearing 6" - actually
So Grade 12 grad I bought beautiful heels - 7 weeks before grad I broke my ankle - no heels for 2007....
I bought a beautiful pair for grad this year - in fact I wore them all day (minus from am service to car - I was barefoot then)


When it was my turn to cross the stage my feet were sweaty (grossness >.<) and I was shaking - so I simply kicked them off - barefoot vs falling on my face in front of people - I went for barefoot - welcome to my life...



This is one of my absolute FAV couples - RandC are perhaps one of the most inspiring couples I know - R graduated a couple years before me - but he was one of the most influential guys at school in my life - I could ask him a question and he would simply give me an honest answer, and he has perhaps the biggest heart ever! Then his wife C graduated a year before me - she is one of the most amazing lady I know. She doesnt apologize for who she is nor does she make excuses - she gets stuff done and does it in an incredible way - she has walked with me and Nova through alot - I admire her tenacity and her commitment to the people in her heart is amazing - it is an honor to know these two!



This is Elder Kwon and His wife - you will find out about them later - lets just say this is the beginning of that area of my life

I became my worst pet peeve

So here is something that most people do not know

If I follow your blog (and by follow I dont mean that it is clicked that I follow you - I mean that you are bookmarked as a fav) I check your blog almost everyday. Yes Everyday that I am on my laptop I check blogs. I dont know why I necessarily likle blogs so much, I guess its because at your own convienence you get to keep up with various peoples' lives and such. Any ways I HATE when people dont post forever, or they have a blog for a season and then its done.. So essentially what I have done is my biggest pet peeve.

Oh well, I dont really care if you read or not, but I think more than anythign blogs have become personal memories. A lady I know made a blog while pregnant that in it she wrote many posts for their now 2 month old baby girl. It would be neat to be able to read what your parents thought of you and dream for you since the beginning....

So I guess this is me making a stake in the ground for myself. My own personal memory lane and thoughts that in the end other people get to see (slightly creepy perhaps but oh well)...


I think for me this is my story, this is what is important to me and what has made me into me.