One blog...two blogs!?

   I have decided to try something a little bit different than what I had planned.

  This blog will now be consecrated for personal entries, and this one:

   http://rudimentaryjoviality.wordpress.com/

  will be for paintings and creative writing.

  I am currently working on a quadriptych, one image split onto four canvases. As for writing, the bulk of it has been devotionals. I miss poetry, but once I am thoroughly settled into my new house (and get the variety of things tidied and scrubbed the way I like'm), I will try to get back into my writing groove.

  Have a good day!

Spotlight on: Samantha Bruce!

  Hello art fans!

  I am devoting this post a young artist, Holland college grad and fellow Canadian.

  A young lady who has a degree in Video Game Art and Design, Samantha Bruce has been drawing for seventeen years. Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Samantha has flexed her art skills in both the physical and virtual realm. If you are a fan of video games (WOW, Diablo III, and Zelda are three influences that you can find in her works), you may be delighted by her WOW-inspired trolls, her haunting Lich King, and adorable chibi-style Blizzard characters. 

  Why do I like this artist? Her work with actual people is lovely! One of my favorite drawings, entitled 'I'm looking at you...' where we see a set of dreamy green eyes fixated on the viewer. I was fascinated by the delicateness of the skin beneath the eye. Furthermore, her portrait of Ray William Johnson balances comical glee with wonderful accuracy. Furthermore, her portrait entitled 'With one look...' has a rough charm. The edgy play with light on Abe's skin has granted a comic book appeal, and the slashes of line on his shirt play nicely with this. Another favorite, which can be found on her Facebook fan page, is 'Tyrael from Diablo'. Although I am not a true gamer girl by any means, I really appreciated the detail put into the armor and the wings.

   If you are not one for nudity, pleased be advised that some of her work has featured nudes. Her Deviant Art page, when accessed by a visitor (IE, individual who has not logged in), will not display her nudes.

  I would like to invite you to take a look at her works on her Deviant Art page : http://artisticaltalentry.deviantart.com/  or her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brucer-Artistry/148479615270990, offer some honest and constructive feed-back, and encourage a young artist! If you are looking for a commission, Samantha also offers her services to lucky individuals in the Winnipeg area. You can find her prices on her Facebook page, as well as her terms and conditions concerning commissions.

  Hope you enjoy her work as I have!

Das Mugshot!

Ta-da!

  My shoulders look massive! My hair was a bit messy because I took off my cap directly before.

  One less thing off of my list...now to fend off this cold and get to work!

Haiku for you

Enrollment today

So many smiles and pictures

So glad that I flossed

Uniform fits well

Seven hours to find shoes

Totally worth it

Signed the covenant

Wore my blue with such great pride

So many, many hugs

Oh, and guess what folks

Paul looks good in uniform

Forty-one more days

Wedding planning is

As much fun as cuddling

With a loving skunk

Yet, on the plus side

My family is helping

I am so grateful

Happy Mothers Day

The older I get, the more

I realize she was right

Today my post is

Entirely in haiku

It's a free country

Hello, my Name is Sarah, and I'm a Caffeine Addict

  Probably one of my top five pet peeves would have to be hypocrites. I can't stand the 'do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do' parent, the Christian who cannot wait to pass on hurtful gossip, the televangelists that are capable of feeding third world countries while they shove prosperity gospel down our throats , and even the people who claim to be earth conscious and throw their fast food bags, complete with cup, in the trash without sorting the leavings properly.


  That being said, I am also keen on weeding out my personal hypocritical tenancies in an effort to become a better witness, example, and eventually minister. The eleventh doctrine in the Salvation Army is:


'We believe that it is the privilege of all believers to be wholly sanctified, and that their whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.' -source: www.salvationist.org


'Preserved blameless' is what we find in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 


  'May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.' - source: www.bible.cc


  Spiritual salvation is multi-dimensional. We are all entitled to salvation. When we accept Christ as our personal savior and allow Him to reign, we also make a commitment to keep ourselves from sin. It is sin that divides us from Christ, and once truly united, we are moved to better our relationship with Him. Some ways of growing closer to Christ include divorcing ourselves from repetitive sin, growing closer to Him through studying His word, and regular prayer. It is every Christian's responsibility to continue on the path of sanctification by safeguarding our minds, bodies and spirits from sin. 

  The Salvation Army requires that Soldiers take an oath that includes '(abstinence) from alcoholic drink, tobacco, the non-medical use of addictive drugs, gambling, pornography, the occult and all else that could enslave the body or spirit.' - source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articles_of_War_of_The_Salvation_Army Correlating with 1 Thessolonians 5:23, it is imperative that Christians take care of themselves. Addictions can also be defined as 'a state of being and a way of life in which our desires become "attached" and our energies enslaved to certain specific behaviors, things, or people.' On one level, an addiction becomes a pseudo-idol. It robs the afflicted of their focus and ability to function normally. An individual will become dependent and compulsive. This may even lead to other sins, such as mismanaging finances, lying, or stealing. The problem with sin is that it usually grows, like a run in pantyhose. We will let small things slide, like the 'borrowing' of a quarter, that third cookie, or an f-bomb when completely stressed and burnt out. We are human, after all, right? 

  Even at my most forgiving, I will readily agree that sin often grows. When we let little things like that 'borrowed' quarter slide, we become desensitized to the notion. How long does it take before that quarter becomes a dollar? How long before it's a toonie? How long before it's twenty dollars? C.S. Lewis illustrated in 'The Screwtape Letters' that “Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts,..." Source: http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2920952-the-screwtape-letters. 

  One day, I wiki'd 'addictive personality', and found several character traits that I possessed. I know that web diagnosis is dangerous, and that one shouldn't proclaim to be something without a professional diagnosis, but in the identification of certain personality traits, I find a scary correlation. Even my fiance read the page, and agreed. The past three weeks have been brutal. My schedule was all over the page, I have not finished planning my wedding, and I was (no, make that am) severely lacking sleep. At a Christian conference in Nova Scotia, I was bound and determined to sleep in the car to catch up. Before leaving the Charlottetown city limits, I was 'sawing logs' as my darling mother would say. Unfortunately, even after arriving into the warm reception of fellow Salvationists, my brain was fuzzy and I felt generally disconnected. 


  Free Starbucks coffee!? I rejoiced! In one day, I had devoured four cups of just-cooled liquid mana. I was alert, grasping the points, taking notes effectively, and had a wide-eyed sense of euphoria that came with a caffeine high. My friend, Hana, quickly labelled me 'Java' after noticing how much I was sipping. I normally limit myself to one cup, on occasion. 


  After the week-end finished, I 'sawed logs' all the way back home, only to start work on the following Monday feeling less than stellar. After sipping pop normally kept in the refridgio for Paul's night shifts, I found myself in a slump. I took advantage of the free coffee at work. I kept denying myself sleep, which is detrimental considering that I am unable to sleep in (which made for awkward teen years) and found myself buying 'gasp' a Monster Dry! I figured it was small and concentrated, that I also had Zumba and Red Shield, and that it was only once...


  It's never only once. Being somebody who doesn't need a whole lot to keep herself awake, finding herself sipping on an energy drink was a low. Even tonight, I remembered it, and was thirsty. It's not just caffeine in those drinks, either. My pancreas doesn't need to work overtime on the insulin to combat the sugar. I don't need the jitters. I don't need the high. I just need sleep! I allowed my body to become weak, and in doing so, I developed a pseudo-idol.


  In society, we make light of coffee/caffeine dependence. How many products do we see carry the phrase 'Give me the coffee and nobody gets hurt'? Why? If there is one thing I've noticed about the human condition, it's that we love to bond over sin and weakness. Some drug addicts will claim that an older sibling got them involved when they were younger. Why? If the sibling snitched on them, they would be in as much trouble or the brother or sister who introduced them to that type of behavior. We reveal similar secrets with a dark sense of camaraderie. Why? Does it offer solace? Does it offer validation? Do we get to breathe and realize that somebody is struggling? Do we see that maybe our 'struggle' is not a struggle, if this person is living and coping fine with the shared problem? Does their acceptance of sin in their lives make it alright for me to live with it as well. Every Christian knows the answer to that last one...


  Tonight, I opted for one more black coffee with two sugars. In one week, I will be a soldier. I will vow to adhere to the Soldier's Covenant, and to live my life accordingly. I'm also going to bed, pulling the shades, putting on an eyeshade, and keeping my alarm clock off. When I wake up, I'm going to do laundry, devotionals, and go for a run. I will not do these things out of compulsion. 


  I think most officers/church volunteers will agree and understand that I will, at times, need a cup of coffee every now and then. That is an inevitable reality. I will drink it again, but tonight, I bury 'Java' in the wastebasket.


  God Bless You, and have a marvelous week!

A Year on the Island!

  Tonight, work is quiet. I can hear myself think, and tonight, I'm thinking about the impending one year anniversary of my arrival to the big red rock.

  I can still remember arriving here, seeing the bridge loom out of the misty greyness like the animated skeleton of an ancient dragon, twisting towards the shore, head down, waiting for me to ride on its smooth, narrow spine. I remember the wash of excessive rain and fog as I marveled at the names 'Crapaud' and 'Souris', wondering which Acadian was to blame for the Francophone joke. I have since been educated on the matter, don't worry!

  Since I have arrived, I have to say that there are a few things I have noticed that I have to note. No, this is very far from an anti-Islander rant, this is just a notes of things that have tickled me in the past twelve months.

  The first is the fixation of food, particularly the potluck. I must confess that I have never been to an open potluck back home, however, I am not certain if they happened on such a frequency as they do here. It is the funeral potluck that has marveled me the most. When I was first asked by a congregation member to help for an upcoming potluck, I agreed, and when I asked what the occasion was, she replied '(individual's name)'s funeral.'

  I was floored! After burying the deceased, the party of mourners get together and break bread (or to be more accurate, snag Nanaimo bars, pasta salad and sandwich quarters) made by members of the congregation, grab some coffee or juice, and regale colorful anecdotes about the deceased, as well as catch up on interesting news and the odd tidbit of gossip. Gaspesians, correct me if I'm wrong, but I've never been to a potluck after a funeral back home. Does anyone do it? My inner coffee enthusiast and chocoholic is amused and delighted on the idea of potlucks after a funeral, but the concept still seems foreign.

  One thing that Islanders do have in common is the small-town maritimer vibe. For example, if I say 'Fournier' to someone back home, they could almost picture the details of the family that almost every Fournier possesses. The same goes with, again, another example, with 'Gallant'. There is a specific notoriety that certain names and families have. The same can be said for the pride that comes with people that are born and raised as Islanders. 

  One dish that I miss the most: poutine. If it is made with grated mozzarella, it is counterfeit! You need the squeaky curds! Kudos, however, on the chocolate covered potato chips. The satisfaction of salt and potato dipped in chocolate, perfect whenever you can't decide whether or not you want to snack on chips or chocolate... or for the I'm-not-paleo-for-the-next-20-minutes moments.

  Not sure if this next one is something limited to my family/immediate circle back home, but when visiting, I was under the impression that it was rude to continue speaking by the door for any more than five minutes after you are ready to leave. With my experiences in PEI, on the other hand, it is not uncommon for us to stay by the door and elaborate on conversational highlights of the visitation period. Although it is a minor detail, it is one that has drawn a bit of perplexity from my fiance.

  Essentially, I have enjoyed my Island experience. I am tickled by the differences, and comforted by the similarities. The soil is red, the sand is soft, and the salt air is just as strong as it was back home. I wouldn't be surprised if I forgo my paleo ways for about twenty minutes sometime tomorrow afternoon...

So, what have I been doing? + Painting

  Hello world!

  So, many, many things going on!

-New job at a hotel! Awesome people, awesome work, and good hours!

-Two more Soldiership classes left! I will be able to wear my uniform at my induction on May 13th. Then we can start the Officership process.

-Got the aforementioned uniform at my week-end at Oak Island while attending the 'Lead Like Jesus' conference. It was epic! I attended seminars on Social Justice, Evangelism, Officership enrollment and the Church's Role in Society. They were all very informative, and offered chances at introspection for the purpose of re-evaluating our methods and approaches. Also, free Starbucks. I've never ingested so much coffee in my life, but with the lack of sleep, it was a delicious necessity.

-I have challenged myself to read the Bible in its entirety before the end of the year. I had initially wanted to get it done before September, however, it took me over a month to get through Genesis and part-way through Exodus. I've been mad busy, but I have been reading through various other sections on a regular basis!
-In less than two months, I will be married. Let the stress-off begin! I need to find a photographer, a cake, and a tailor for the dress. Also have to book hair appointments, make-up testing, and my friends are suggesting nails and waxing. Then there's the wedding favors and decorating. I want to explode, but I can't. I really don't have the time.

-If I do not schedule some time to create, I think I will explode. I have two paintings that need finishing. I've also found myself in the worst rut a writer could be in: to be inspired, but to have trouble putting it into proper words. This is worsened with the multiple tangents/ideas/story lines tangled in the base of my mind like Christmas lights. 

-I think I have caught a friend's son's stomach flu. I seriously do not have time to be sick.

As soon as I write something, I will post it. In the meantime, I have something that I don't normally post...a picture of one of my paintings! My minister back home is moving, and she posted a picture with a link via Twitter. It made me a little misty eyed. I remember waking up as early as 5:30 and going to bed as late as 12:30 while working on this one. I had a specific goal with this one: creating something with the three basic colours. Inspired by my then recent conversion, my thoughts were on afterlife, including heaven and hell. Merci, Rebecca!


https://p.twimg.com/Aq3s-7kCQAAmnic.jpg

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