My Two Best Friends

Since I have mentioned them a couple of times and probably will continue to mention them, I've decided to introduce Kurt Friesen and Ashley Plett, my two best friends.

This is Ashley, Kurt and I at College. (in that order).

Kurt

     Even before we were born, Kurt and I were destined to be friends.  Our moms knew each other and were very close friends.  Kurt is 6 months older than me (which unfortunately puts him a grade above me) and we often joke about how we would talk to each other in our mothers' respective wombs when they would be sitting together.  It's actually how we've started some of our testimonies if the other was present.  We grew up together, our whole lives had started to be intertwined from the moment our moms became friends and became a strengthened reality when I popped out on January 10, 1991. 

     Like I said before, our moms were close friends, so it made sense for them to become even closer, now each  having a young baby.  So, Kurt and I were around each other a fair bit when we were younger, at least when I wasn't moving all over the place.  When my dad had leukemia I spent a huge amount of time at the Friesen's house because my mom was often at the hospital supporting my father.  Each summer Kurt and I would go to camp.  for the first couple years we kept on changing camp until at last we found Winkler Bible Camp.  It was loads of fun, my favorite things to do there were Archery, Horseback riding, the ropes course, the climbing wall, having canteen (tuck), playing the huge group games (capture the flag was the best, especially because we were playing it with toilet paper rolls), and chilling in the cabin.  Basically everything about camp I loved.  I would have liked to go back as a counsellor but never did and now it wouldn't give me the money that I need for school.  There was only one year that I went to camp and Kurt didn't.  I think he was in Wisconsin during that time, so I don't think he minded too much.

     Kurt and I didn't go to the same school until the high schools of Portage La Prairie amalgamated  in my grade 10 year (Kurt's grade 11 year).  then we went to the same school and spent 2 years having our lunches at friends' houses and having one class together, Spanish.  Ashley was in that class too.  we all decided to take it because we were going to Mexico that Spring break on a Church mission's trip.  we wanted to be able to communicate a little bit.

    After he graduated, Kurt decided to work for a year to save up his money for school.  He definitely worked all year (outdoor construction in -50 degree Celsius), but I don't think he saved up too much.  Kurt loves to buy all sorts of cool things like skim boards, skateboards, snowboards and all the gear that goes with those, and I think he also bought a car that year.

     The next year Kurt and I set out for Columbia Bible College in September only to be joined by Ashley Plett in the second semester.  All three of us are going back for at least one more year.

     That the short form of our story, I assure you, there is much, much more.

Ashley Plett

     I didn't know Ashley Plett as long I'd known Kurt.  Kurt and I were helping out on a church project called, "The Ridge".  It was eventually supposed to be a kids camp but the project never was completed e to a lack of funds.  Kurt and I were going to play dutch blitz and we wanted two more people  play with us.  We found Big Andrew and Ashley Plett.  I love bringing this story up to Ashley because she was in the hole the entire time.  If I remember correctly, she got to +1 and we quit because it was 2:00am.

   The next year he three of us were buds.  Kurt and I both had a bit of a crush on Ashley, and she had a crush on Kurt.  I know, heart breaker.  Nothing really ever came out of these crushes and we're all still friends today so it's all good.

   The year after that, Ashley hated me.  There was no real reason behind it and she always apologizes whenever it comes up, but she thought she was too mature for me.  We were in grade 9 and most of her friends were her older brother's also so they were older and it went to her head a little and she just decided that she was too good for me.  The first day of grade 10 she came to her senses and we've been super tight ever since.

     Ashley and I are a lot alike, probably even more alike than Kurt and I are.  It's actually kind of crazy.  Other people pick up on this and tell us to date and get married.  Both of us think that it will never happen but acknowledge that we both want spouses who are similar to the other.  We hang out a lot and encourage each other constantly.  I would have probably accomplished far less things in my life if I had not met Ashley Plett.

     The thing is that we've both adopted the unofficial motto of, "Let's make a difference", so if one of us comes up with an idea we tell the other and embark on it together.  We may be very similar, but out brains work quite differently.  I think Ashley would agree that her brain is a little more analytical than mine and my brain operates a little more creatively than hers.  it works perfectly though.  We've spent many hours where I throw out ideas of things we should do and she either approves of them or shuts them down because they're dumb.  I throw out a lot of dumb ideas (although usually I know they are dumb, I just throw out what comes to my head because It helps us come up with other ideas that aren't dumb).  It always used to be her leading and I would always be there to assist.  through her constant encouragement I have become much more of a leader and often help pull her through things.  We're always there, often just a phone call away, whenever the other one is in need, and for that I will always be grateful.

     Throughout or high school years, Ashley and I were like glue, especially in grade 12 when Kurt had already graduated.  we pursued different ways to make a difference, including Big Brothers Big Sisters program and running an OCC shoebox campaign throughout our school.  IT was a terrific year.

     Ashley loves to travel, so when Kurt and I took off to BC for school, she decided to backpack around southern Europe.  She had a friend going with her, but her friend's parents decided the friend wasn't going to go, so Ashley made the decision to continue on alone.  She will tell you  it was worth it and she loved it.  she'll tell you she met some amazing people, had some amazing experiences, saw some amazing sights, but most of all, had some amazing time with just her and God.  I've noticed her personal growth through that experience.  On, or just after, her trip, she decided that she wanted to know more about God and Jesus and the Bible.  She asked me how school was and I told her it was awesome and she decided to check it out for herself.  she enrolled and was at school to the second semester.  She is planning on coming back for at least one more year to finish her Biblical Studies diploma

Those (briefly) are the stories of me and my two best friends.

Inspiration

wow, every time I come home from work I feel inspired!  It sucks on those days when it wears off after a sleep and my mind "rationalizes" my way out of whatever my idea was.

I just finished "Blue Like Jazz" two nights ago. wow!  I love the book, I was a little skeptical at first, I didn't want to get my hopes up because everyone was saying it was amazing.  I found I have a different definition of amazing than most people, but in the case of this book, it actually did turn out to be amazing.  Donald Miller writes it so well I think.  As I was reading it I felt like I could relate so well; from the ways he processes his thoughts to the different things he thought were "cool" or got caught up in.  Though it happens very rarely, I found myself actually laughing out loud at some of the things he writes, I found myself caught up in his humor and then being perfectly transitioned into a deep insight that felt very relevant to my faith.  Everything that he's done and experienced and his undeniable emphasis on love and living your faith, not just preaching it struck a very strong chord in my heart..

"Andrew is the one who taught me that what I believe is not what I say I believe; what I believe is what I do." (pg.110)

I just want to experience the fullness that Miller writes about.  I want my life to mean something, by that I mean I want to be a tool for the Living God.  Someone willing to do whatever he asks, no matter how scary, no matter how hard.

Well, on that note, I read to chapter 11 in "Do Hard Things" today.  Being a teenager and reading the stories of other teenagers defying the expectations placed upon our generation was extraordinarily inspiring.  I so deeply want to help in this movement.  I want to not only defy the low expectations that the establishment has placed upon me, but to also empower others around my age to do the same.  we have so much untapped potential it's ridiculous!  and nobody is going to know what we are capable of if we continue to sink to what people have come to expect of us.  I think it's pathetic that I get dirty looks when I walk down the street just because I'm 19.  I've done nothing wrong, so please stop judging me.  Maybe if so many store owners didn't expect teens to shoplift there wouldn't be as many that do.  It's been shown time and time again that if others have placed expectations on your head, either high expectations or low ones, people will generally rise or sink to those expectations.  we've been set up to fail.  I've thought this for a very long time and I'm very glad that I found this book. actually I got it from my grandparents, thanks grandma and grandpa!  It's awesome to find that there is a Rebolution movement (rebolution is a word made up my Alex and Brett Harris (the authors) that basically means teens rebelling against low expectations).  I know that I can't wait to finish this book and suggest both of these books to my friends and family.

It also helps to inspire me when the sun is out.  Yesterday was an amazing day.  I got off work and went to the Island in the middle of my town to read, pray, type and meditate.  It was so beautiful I was energized on the gorgeousness of God's creation.  I stayed there for almost 2 hours and decided to go to Ashley Plett's house.  I drove over, woke her up, gave her some music, she gave me breakfast, and then we jumped into her pool.  The refreshing cool of the water was heavenly against my skin.  I love swimming.  then i pulled the trampoline next to the pool and we had a blast until she had to go to work.  I then went back into Portage, found Ashton, another good friend of mine, and went back to Ashley's pool with Slurpees and hot dogs and spent the day there until about 2:45, at which point we were both starting to burn and I had to get some sleep before work that night.  I went to my grandma's house and had a wonderful chat with her and then went home and slept until it was time for work.  I loved that day and I hope for many more like it this summer. 

I've realized that what I get out of an experience largely depends on what I put into it and what I expect to get out of it.  ya know, that's a lot like teenagers.  maybe if adults would put more into the kids of today and expect them to succeed and help them succeed, then they would succeed!  gah!  now there's an idea! ;)

Blah, I still suck at Summer!

So many goals and so many aspirations, and now, too many plans going through my head.  I realize that I just don't have enough time to do it all, but when else?  There's school for eight months of the year, and parents like school, and then I'm stuck with summer where I have to work all the time to pay for school.  now don't get me wrong, I love school, that's why I'm on student council this coming year (I go to school at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford BC, Canada).  But really!  I get myself involved in so much at school that I don't really have time for anything else.  And on top of stupid summer and school, I have a decent amount of debt built up from school and there's no way I'm able to work it off in the Summers and I don't have time during the rest of the year.  ya know, I kinda just want to become a beach bum in California and work for some board shop or be a waiter on a cruise, or anything really.

I do really want to go to California soon.  I've spotted the ideal time and it's this Summer right before going back to school. I don't think it will be an overly expensive trip and I'm young, I have plenty of time to work off debt right? I sure hope so...  I plan to fly into LA around August 23 and possibly stay in a hotel that night.  the rest of the time I think I'd just like to sleep in a tent, hostels if I can find them, and the SUV that a friend it probably bringing.  the plan is that I fly in possibly with another school friend and meet a friend or two in the SUV (who will drive down from BC).  meet up that night hopefully, and then do whatever for the next 4 or 5 days until we have to start driving back north.  or...  we could start driving up earlier and make some stops along the way.  I was actually inspired to plan this little trip after listening to Katy Perry and Snoop's song 'California Gurls'.  Cali Girls are unforgettable you know! ;)  Well, I'm super excited about this trip, and I'm going to try and force it to go through, but I know guys my age have a tendency to mess up plans and have everyone drop out.  I don't want that happening.  and you know, while I'm at it, why don't I just go and start making more plans!  (blah, too much in my head)  this one came about at about 2:00am in a Tim Horton's in our town.  Maybe, just maybe, I won't move back home to 'friendly Manitoba' next summer!  bam!  Well for me that's huge, for some probably not as much of a big deal, but for me, like i said, huge!  I've never really been independent on a large scale before, sure, I moved 3 provinces away to go to school, but everything's taken care of at school, so I don't count that.  I've went on two, two week long mission trips to Lima, Peru but it was perfectly safe and i was in groups all the time, and again, everything I needed was taken care off for me!  I'll turn 20 next January and I feel like I have no actual independent life experience.  so...  why not stay in BC for the Summer?  well, I won't be able to live for free at my parents' place and won't have a vehicle, and will probably not make as much money because I've got a really great paying job here at home.  but the way I see it, if I live with a friend or two, or three even, it won't cost any of us a lot of money, If i can nail down a job that I enjoy, possibly they'll let me stay on as part-time for the school year (making money still), and I'll be learning and gaining valuable life experience.  I wouldn't even have to take a full course load if I was living nearby and working, I would be content continuing to learn and finishing whatever programs I want while I figure out what I actually want to do with my life, as a career I mean.  then next summer comes around and I'll still have a place to live, possibly could buy a vehicle, and will have built a life (a student's life mind you) for myself!  I guess I should look at jobs second semester and if I find something, I'll consider putting this plan into motion.  I have so many other plans too, plans for myself (health, fitness, etc.), plans for future house, career plans, social plans for back at school, just too many plans.  I like knowing what I'm doing, but when my plans start to restrict me I don't like it at all...

On a different note, I finished the last 2 books in the "Harry Potter" series, they were actually quite good, especially the last one (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) in my opinion.  It had my imagination going like you wouldn't believe.  I was impressed by her writing as well, I think she manipulated the characters very well, especially Severus Snape!  I'm not sure what to read next, I have 3 more series' to read through this summer and then a stack of other books.  I think I'll read "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller first, then maybe move on to the Chronicles of Narnia series.  sounds like a plan!  (another plan...)

I'm having trouble arranging things still, I think I have the work out thing with my uncle almost figured out  and I've decided to basically move into my Grandma's for the summer. She's closer to work and basically everything except church and it's quieter since I have to sleep during the day (I work the night shift).  but I have to organize meeting with my BBBS little Brothers soon, I worry that they think I've forgotten about them.  I'm just sucking with organizing my time and using it wisely.  Maybe with the lessened distractions that my Gma's house provides I'll get better.  Hopefully.  I need some social time though.  so...  going clubbing with some girls tonight, should be fun. A release at least.

Love the movie Avatar, I saw it a couple times in theaters and I just watched it again last night.  The speech he makes gives me goose bumps.  is that weird?  i hope not, I'll just blame it on my imagination.  I picture myself there about to fly off into the fight for Pandora!  epic. 

That's it.

June 2 - Beautiful

Wow! on Saturday, May 29 there was the most amazing Manitoba Thunderstorm!!! I mean ridiculous!!! The creek next to my house rose at least 4 feet! which, by the way, completely covered a childhood fort of mine that I still love to got to to get away. I wanted to bad to just run around in it, like so incredibly bad... unfortunately I was wearing a suit at the time. It was the prom at my old high school and I was asked to be my friend's escort. so... no rain for me. but I still got to look at it and it was beautiful. :D This might not really seem all that exciting but I've been in BC at school all year where they always have this measly drizzle that they call rain. pfft... I had been looking forward to a downpour all year, and now I fear I've missed it. on a more positive note, prom was good! their theme was "A Fairy Tale Ending" (aka, "happily ever after" as I understand it, haha). Isn't it the best how corny prom names are? I love it, they make me laugh. :) mine was 'A Night in Paris', and no, it wasn't decorated after the reputed 'adult video' is you get my drift. actually it was decently classy. we had a 20 foot tall Eiffel Tower in the room and a nice little park are with a cute swing, and the area with the tables was modelled to look like a french cuisine. I enjoyed it. This year, just like last year almost everyone was gone about halfway through the prom. last year I stayed to the end (12:00) and then went to a bonfire at a friend's house. this year we left at 11:00 because there was literally around 15 people left and we went to a house party on the island. interesting, all I have to say. What happens at a party should probably stay at a party. and I was the DD, (designated driver, not my initials) so don't worry.

I baked something else out of the book, caramel-chocolate brownies. They're ok, super sticky though, love that. and I got the courage to try the ice cream cake that I was reluctant to try!!! my sister said it was good so I grabbed a piece and it was decent! *sigh of relief* I was worried about that one because the ingredients said to use something called 'malted milk powder' which I'd never heard of before and was informed that it's not sold in Canada (apparently). As far as I know Portage doesn't have a specialty baking place to look so I settled for a substitute.

books. I started read "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and I'm currently at Chapter 13, I'll hopefully work though a lot of it tonight.

at College and Career on Monday we talked about meditation, Christian Meditation. I'm not going to explain what we talked about, but don't worry, it's not sketchy (read Richard Foster's 'Celebration of Discipline') on thing that stuck out though was during the conversation someone made a comment. I think it was Laurel. She said that she once heard someone rhetorically ask if 'busy' stands for Burdened Under Satan's Yoke. That sort of struck a not with me. I'm busy, often times too busy for myself and also too busy to find time to actually be with God. It's like I'm doing all this stuff for God that I've forgotten why I'm doing it, I've said to God, "move over, I don't have time to talk, I have to do this stuff for you!". well, Does God really care about all that? probably. It's good stuff and it's serving those in his image, what's wrong with that? What I need to keep in mind is where my heart's at. Correct that, I know my heart's generally in the right place, I need to make sure that my mind is in the right place.

I still haven't arranged anything with my little brothers or my uncle yet, but I'm planning on doing both tomorrow, I'll go onto facebook right now and contact my uncle... done. and I can call my little brothers tomorrow and arrange stuff. ok, I think this is going to work.

not much else has really happened lately. oh wait, I bought Nair. haha!!! it's the funnest stuff. :P