A little can go a long way…

(Pretend the date says January, 31...I couldn't put it up then because I didn't have internet.)

So I’m on my way home from a class that seemed like a total waste of my time. I really would rather have been in bed. My head is pounding and I feel like there are little knives in my eye balls. Not to mention I feel and look totally gross.

 

Not my best moment... Then something happened. Someone gave me a compliment that put a silly smile on my face. I stopped off at the convenience store at the Go Station and the Asian man behind the counter asked me if I was still in school.  I replied yes and he then went on to say various times “You’re a very pretty girl. No, I’m serious. You’re a very pretty girl.” I just started giggling. The last thing I feel today is pretty…pretty awful is more like it. But then this compliment came along and changed my attitude. It made me realized that in my sourness I had been cranky with Lucas over the phone and I realized I needed to apologize to him for taking out my grumpy mood on him. Then I got inspired to write another post for my little bloggy. And all because someone took the time to make me smile.

What if we all decided to give someone a compliment, a little lift, a word of comfort each day…what would happen? What would that look like? Let’s give it a try. Once a day, try to go out of your way to make someone smile (and not the same person…a different person every day). You never know what that little comment, hug or bit of encouragement might do…maybe one day you’ll be in need and that same person will be there for you. Apparently I’m ending with a rhyme and just in time...to catch my train.

Stay tuned for my next post about my big move!

{Insert cool, catch-all phrase to say goodbye},

Mandie

Thoughts on the way to school...

Well, here I am on my way to school…up before the sun is and I’m especially tired. Usually, this would make me sluggish, sleepy and cranky, but not today…because I am still pumped from yesterday’s Attic with the Downtown Toronto Meeting House at Yonge Street Missions Evergeen! What is The Attic you might ask? Well, it’s a time when our community gets together to praise God. There’s lots of music and singing and time for prayer. It’s an awesome time for people to connect with God and each other. Yesterday, I had the privilege of being part of the team that led the music for the evening. It was AH-mazing!  FAN-TAS-TIC! I had the best time! 

I love to sing. I love to worship God through song. There’s something about music that soothes my soul. It connects me to God and those around me in a way like nothing else. But, as much as I love to use music as a way to worship God, worship is not singing. Worship is not songs. Worship is an action; it is a lifestyle choice. 

At the Attic, we took some time to pray for the city of Toronto. We live in this amazing, multi-cultural, wildly unique city where we have people from around the world all gathered together in one space. It’s a pretty neat place to call home. Yet, there is so much suffering, sadness and brokenness that goes unnoticed by our society. We prayed and chatted together about ways that we can make a difference in our city. There are some super practical things that we can do every day that can make a difference. Easy things, simple things, stuff we can do even as we pass by strangers on the way to places of work, school or wherever you may find yourself. For one, simply…smile.  That’s it. Just smile.  

It may sound cheesy, but a small smile goes a long way. Look up as your walking around the city doing your daily routines. It seems that as a society, we are so busy, worried or even too afraid to look around and see who shares the space we inhabit. I’m telling you, smile and people will smile back. And even if they don’t, you never know what it might inwardly mean to them. Some other simple things could be holding the door for someone, giving up your seat on the streetcar or helping someone who’s having trouble keeping balance on the subway (that one might just be me). Trust me when I say that it’s appreciated.  

As I’m writing this, I just had a perfect opportunity to put these words into practice…but I missed it. There was a girl on the train who dropped her pass. There was a guy standing close by who I assumed would bend down and pick it up for her. He didn’t.  What’s the problem with this picture? I’ll give you a hint; it’s not the guy who didn’t pick up the pass. It was me. I assumed that this other person would take responsibility. I need to stop doing that.  We need to stop doing this. If you see a Mom with a stroller trying to get on the streetcar, don’t wait for someone else to help her out. It you see an older gentleman struggling with a cane or wheelchair to get through a door, don’t wait for someone else to hold it open for him. And when someone drops their pass on the train, well Mandie, assume responsibility and pick it up! Even if five other people bend down and try to help at the same time and everyone feels a little silly or bumps heads trying to get to the pass first, that girl who dropped it is going to smile and appreciate the fact that so many people stopped to help her out.  

If these are things that you’re already doing in your daily lives, then kudos to you! Let’s talk about what more we can do. I know that I am guilty, very guilty and ashamed of this next one. How many of us see people on the streets asking for money or food and we pull up our coat collars and walk on by like we never saw them? I know that I do and it’s something that I’m not proud of. Maybe last year I might have tried to give you an excuse or not even tell you that I’m guilty of this, but this year I’m trying this new thing called authenticity…but we’ll save that for another morning. Back to the person we just passed on the street. Are we really so busy that we can’t pick up a coffee for that person as we get our own on the way to the office? Are we really so quick to judge that we automatically assume the worst of the person selling newspapers outside the grocery store that we don’t buy him some dinner as we’re picking up our own? Shame on us. Shame on me. Let’s do something about this.  Let’s start some change.  Let’s make a difference.  

Well, I’m in my 8:00am class now…yay me, I made it on time! If you’ve read this to the end, thanks so much for taking time out of your day to read my morning thoughts. This blog is still in its very beginning creations stages, so stay tuned! Let’s see what happens next!

Mandie

Clip of the Day: Cat-tastic!

Oooh, the things I stumble upon whilst perusing youtube. If you love animals (especially cats) and music (especially on piano), then you will be sure to adore this video. I know I did! Happy Joy of the day!

PS. If you think this is wild, guess what? She had her own website! She's more famous than most of the people I know! Check it! http://norathepianocat.com/

Song of the Day: Keep Your Head Up!

I've just disscovered this artist named Andy Grammer and I am in musical love! He is fantastic! He's got a great soulful sound and fab lyrics. This is my #1 summer jam!! Check it!

Quote of the Day:

"Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."

~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Clip of the Day: Guitar Greatness

So, let's talk about talent...actually let's just watch this video which should be the dictionary definition for talent.

Clip of the Day: Proof that Women are Born this Way

Ladies, we're all talkative, loud and proud...right from the beginning. Watch this...

Clip of the Day: Don't blow your nose in front of babies...

This little guy's expressions are sure to bring you joy today!

 

Quote of the Day

 

“They can't order me to stop dreaming.” - Cinderella

Quote of the Day

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." 

~ Dr. Seuss

Clip of the Day: The Cat in the Hat

26 seconds of pure cat hilariousness!

Quote of the Day

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” So said St Catherine of Siena whose festival day it is today. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their deepest and truest selves.

~ The Bishop of London's Sermon for Prince William and Princess Catherine

Today's Joy: A Royal Wedding

As we all know, today was the royal wedding of Prince William and Princess Kate (yes, I know that the title is Duchess something or other, but whatever, she's a princess now!). As much as I would have loved to watch the spectacle live, there's no way I was waking up for 5am. I love my sleep too much. I barely woke up in time for my own wedding! But luckily, I caught the highlights later on.

It was a lovely cermony and Kate made a beautiful princess bride. It really was a fairy tale moment as Kate walked up the aisle to meet her prince. And let me tell you, that walk up the aisle was not a short one! I think I would have freaked out and ran the other way!

 I had both of my parents supporting me as I walked to meet my handsome prince, and I still shook and cried the whole way!

 
Kate was so elegant and calm and so was Prince William. It's easy to forget that even though they are "roy-als" they're still normal human beings, just like we are. This came through when Kate was just about all the way up the aisle and Prince Harry (the daring rascal he is) turned around to get a look at the bride. He then nudged his brother and mouthed "Wait till you see her!". Prince William tried to keep it cool, but he evetually gave in a turned around for a sneak peek at his bride. When she finally reached him, he leaned over and whispered "You're beautiful". It was such a lovely moment.

 
I didn't realize how emotional I would get as I watched this momentous occasion in history, but it did bring me to tears. There were, literally, billions of people sharing this moment together to celebrate love, joy and hope. The ceremony touched me as it brought back memories of my own special day, which was not too long ago (July 17, 2010...we're almost one year old amor!) There were so many stresses and issues surrounding our wedding, that I couldn't be sure exactly how our day would turn out. But God had it all planned and the day was beautiful and perfect, my dream come true. 
 

 
So here's to the new Prince and Princess! Let us continue to celebrate the promise of love, the hope and dreams of a young bride and groom and the joy that is marriage!

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

~ Matthew 6: 25-34

Clip of the Day: I guarantee this will make you smile...

This is one of the sweetest videos I have ever seen! What a beautiful voice coming from such a little child!

Clip of the Day: Grey's Musical

because this was amazing...

Quote of the Day

"He who has not looked on Sorrow will never see Joy." 

~ Kahlil Gibran

Today's Joy: Lists of Joy

Lately joy has been hard to come by, so I've decided to create a list of the lil' things in life that make me smile:

1. Babies!!

2. My cats (or cat babies)

3. My puppy

4. The smell of spring

5. The ocean

6. Classic Films

7. Jazz 

8. Condensed Milk (thanks to my husband)

9. Vanilla scented candles

10. Orange creamsicles

11. Handmade soap

12. Watermelon

13. Painting

14. Finishing an excellent book

15. Listening to my jams

16. Taking photo walks

17. Vintage clothes

18. Celery with peanut butter

19. Jewelery (especially the shiny kind)

20. Singing real loud when no one's home

21. La Rocca b-day cake

22. The feeling after you clean your room

23. Naps

24. Audrey Hepburn movies

25. The first spring robin

26. Disney characters

27. Swimming in the lake

28. The smell of clean sheets

29. Playing super mario

30. Hugs and snuggling

Just a few things to help me remember to stop and focus on the happy things in life.

Quote of the Day

“Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.”

~ Mark Victor Hansen

Photo Entry: My fat boy in his pink house

Let me first introduce you to my big fat baby, Nipper.

Quite the looker, ain't he? And, well, what can I say? He's huge!

All the more to cuddle with! He also likes to wear hats.

And on rare occasions, has been know to wear tye-dyed t-shirts.

Not many could pull this look off, but it's slimming on him don't you think?

Now let me introduce you to the Queen of Sheba, fondly know as Nickels.

Yeah, she's gorgeous and she knows it. She likes to use her queenly powers to get away with everything.

Yeah, that'd be her lounging on my piano.

And later playing my brother's X-box when he's not looking.

She's also quite dramatic.

Her famous guillotine impression.

And playing cat casserole. 

So here's why I've introduced you. First, cause they're awesome. Second, because you have to know them in order to get why these next two pics are so great. My babies were recently given a new present. It's this little cat house.

When Nickels is inside, we can hardly even see her.

But when Nipper gets in there, well...

Half of him sticks out!! He's so chubby!
I just love them. And they love each other.

Alright, you can say it now. All together...
awwwwwwwwwwwwwww!