CarlyeMarie

Homemade Calzones

2012-02-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

Pizza Dough Recipe

2 1/2 to 3 cups flour (can use a combination of white and whole wheat if you prefer)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) yeast3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil1 cup very warm water

Combine yeast, sugar, 1 cup of the flo

ur, and salt in a large bowl. Add the warm water and oil and mix. Stir in remaining flour slowly until dough is soft but not sticky. Knead until smooth. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes before making the calzone.

Roll pizza dough into a rectangle the length of your baking sheet. It can be wider than the sheet because you will be folding the

sides in. Place the dough on the baking sheet an

d let the sides hang off.

Just like pizza, add your toppings (our favorites are pepperoni, olives, and mushrooms). Calzones can be a good way to use up leftovers. Any small amounts of meat, cheese and vegetables can be put into the calzone.

Then add cheese.

Now comes the special part. Cut the dough on the sides at about 3/4 inch intervals. Don't cut all the way to the filling.

Then "wrap the baby." Start at the bottom and alternating sides, overlap the strips of dough onto the filling in a lattice pattern. You can stretch the pieces to fit all the way over the filling.

Once your calzone is wrapped and ready to go, put it on a baking sheet and put in a preheated oven at 375 for 25-30 minutes

recipe and photos found on http://www.squidoo.com

No lights, no signs. I'm at a loss for words....

2012-01-07T23:33:00.000-08:00

Tonight, with the help of a friend I was reminded of an album called "They're only chasing safety" by Underoath. I immediately dug through my old cd's and ripped in onto my computer and started the first song. In a moment, I was flooded with hundreds of high school memories of sleepovers, long walks with friends, local shows, road trips, and everything else that happened in my life during the time I was obsessed with this album. I will continue to listen to this album all week.

Infused Oils! Must Do!

2012-01-06T14:51:00.000-08:00

Infused Olive Oils:

Garlic-Infused Olive Oil

Ingredients:

- 1 head of garlic

- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

- 1 4-oz glass bottle with cork

Steps:

(1) Peel the garlic by breaking each clove with the side of a wide knife. You want to break the cloves, not smash them. Remove the peel and cut off the stem end of each clove.

(2) Slice cloves in half, and drop them all into your glass bottle. Set aside.

(3) In a sauce pan, heat olive oil until a few small bubbles start forming .

** If your oil starts smoking, take it off the stove and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.

(4) Carefully pour warm oil into the bottle over garlic cloves. Don’t overfill.

(5) Cork the bottle and store in the refrigerator.

** Your oil will get cloudy and congeal in the fridge, but if you bring the bottle out before you start cooking and allow it to reach room temp again, it should become clear and liquid again.

(6) Serve with bread, drizzled over salads, or in everyday cooking.

from: http://www.justputzing.com/2011/12/diy-infused-olive-oils.html

2012-01-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

I came across this website through pinterest and it is absolutely amazing! I definitely want to use my slow cooker more during this coming, busy semester and this website is exactly the place to gain inspiration! try it out!

http://www.365daysofcrockpot.com

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder (In the Crock Pot!)

2011-11-13T23:45:00.000-08:00

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 stalk celery, finely chopped (feel free to add more celery if you like celery; I don't, so I don't add much)

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes. Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender. Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened. Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through. Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Recipe From: http://luluthebaker.blogspot.com/

Scrapbooking!

2011-10-07T00:31:00.000-07:00

I was most recently at the BC crop for kids conference here in Abbotsford! I have to say, spending the weekend with my lovely mother-in-law was amazing! I got our entire wedding album done! Here are some of the layouts I did... (sorry for the flash)

The Cabin

2011-07-21T14:08:00.001-07:00

This post is not about food or recipes.
This weekend in Nanaimo is bathtub weekend. Bathtub weekend has always been the weekend every year where my family gets together and enjoys each other's company. My grandparents used to own a cabin where we spent most of those weekends. This place is and was simply and permanently my idea of paradise. The cabin is full of so many memories that I get goosebumps when I think about it. My mind fills with days that consisted of bike rides on the dirt and gravel roads... I basically just feel like making a list of all the things I loved about the cabin.... feel free to add any if you have some

- All of the signs grandpa had around the cabin like "kangaroo crossing" and "beware of alligators"
- Sitting on the "poop deck" being shaded by that huge umbrella that looked like a hula skirt
- Listening to all of grandpa and grandma's stories about all the animals that lived on Protection Island
- That styrofoam surf board that always gave you a rash on your stomach
- Picking all types of berries that grew around the island (huckleberries, blackberries)
- Pirates park and the old wooden playground
- The ferry driver that always had the crazy converse runners
- Poking geo ducks with our toes and always freaking out when they squirted us (even though it happened every time)
- Playing games in the mud and having to wash off with the rain bucket in the back yard
- The outhouse
- Tractor rides with grandpa
- Happy hour: filled with soda, banana cake, chocolate chip cookies and everything else that is great!
- Fishing for bullheads and perch (the perch were always hard to get)
- Mr. Ruff next door and his dog max
- Rides in grandpa's boat
- Making the long trek to the lighthouse to watch the bathtub races (seemed like the longest walk EVER)
- Granny's clam chowder
- Feeding Louseal. Truly an experience I will never forget.
- All the toys we played with: like the little cast iron kitchen set and the felt winnie the pooh set
- The bikes that grandpa worked so hard on to keep them working for us
- That old stroller that we all rode in at one point
- The ice cream bowls that looked like boats and oars
- Horseshoes!
- The granny tree on newcastle island across the bay
- Always wanting to row to snake island, but never succeeding

I think it's safe to say that a big part of me every summer wishes that the cabin was still around. It was seriously full of so many memories it's hard to name them all. I love you guys, and I hope you have a wonderful bathtub weekend!

-Carlye

Almond Milk!

2011-07-05T21:47:00.000-07:00

After having a conversation with my sister in law about what soy milk does to your body, I started looking for alternatives for my lactose-intolerant husband. Lactose free milk is so expensive. Then I thought about Almond milk and found this instructional video, I wouldn't use dates myself, I would probably use vanilla or honey... but whatever you would like to sweeten it with would work!

Possibly the best meatloaf ever

2011-06-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

I made this with my mother-in-law when we were cooking one day and Jordan and I were very sad when they were gone from our freezer.

Meaty mixture:
2 pounds of ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs or saltine cracker crumbs
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup of onion, chopped finely
2 eggs
1/2 tsp pepper
1pkg or 3 tbsp onion soup mix

Sauce:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1Tbsp dry mustard
1/2 cup ketchup

Place meat and sauce on top in an 8x8 pan and bake @350 for an hour uncovered

The creepiest way to make Iced Tea

2011-06-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

I dont know if I can ever drink iced tea again....

Super Tasty Caesar

2011-06-13T18:56:00.001-07:00

1 coddled egg (1 minute)
3/4 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 to 3 cloves garlic

Place coddled egg in blender and turn on high speed; pour oil in slow steady stream. On low speed, add remaining ingredients. Pour over Romaine lettuce and croutons.

Cinnamon Buns

2011-06-03T16:07:00.001-07:00

I've never really enjoyed baking other than cookies (those are hard to mess up). But recently I've started to enjoy baking other things such as cinnamon buns (obviously), bread and other adventurous things. I think it started a couple months ago when I tried to bake my Great Grandmother's German buns (seriously so delicious). They turned out exactly how I remembered them. Then I thought I could definitely get a handle of this. I love making cinnamon buns because you get to knead the dough and do many other things with your hands. But mostly I love cinnamon buns because 1. Cream cheese icing is probably one of the best things in the entire world, 2. Even if you mess up, they will still probably taste delicious, 3. Everyone loves cinnamon buns! (except maybe people with a massive amount of cavities!)

I found this recipe on "foodess.com", it's a cute little site with some great pictures and recipes!

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (from 2 envelopes yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray (I just use butter)

Filling:

3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Icing: note to self: do not lick beaters without thinking about what you are doing. Your lip ring MIGHT get caught in the beaters.

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method for Dough:

Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add 21/2 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. Form into ball.

Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Filling:

Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl.

Punch down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15×11-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over butter. Starting at 1 long side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, cut dough crosswise with thin sharp knife into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide).

Spray two 9-inch square glass baking dishes with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up.

Icing:

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tonight's dinner

2011-05-29T18:18:00.001-07:00

Tonight's dinner was a chicken caeser pizza. The main idea was from a restaurant in Ucluelet called "Romans Pizza and Pasta" that had the most amazing pizza. I used the dough recipe from my breadmaker cookbook (a little bit of a cheater, I know). We used caeser dressing for the pizza sauce, then added parmesan and a tiny bit of finely grated cheddar. Then we added mushrooms and red peppers and a little bit of rosemary and oregano. We baked the pizza for about 25-30 minutes at 350 (or until it is golden brown) When the pizza came out we added fresh spinach and grated a tiny more cheddar on top of everything...

simply delicious!

Falafel

2011-05-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

While on our honeymoon in France, Jordan and I found a fast food falafel place called "Maoz". They served falafel pitas, and it was the first time I had ever tried them. I immediately fell in love and we ate there about 7 times over the course of our two week vacation. I wanted to find out how to make my own, but I was scared that they wouldn't taste the same. I found this recipe online and they turned out amazing! Easy, simple and fast to make.

Ingredients:

1 Can of chickpeas

1 onion, chopped

2 (or more) cloves of garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon of coriander

1 teaspoon of cumin

2 tablespoons of flour

salt and pepper

and oil for frying (I use sunflower oil because it's lighter than the others)

Method:

Blend your chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin and salt and pepper together in a food processor or with a hand blender. Add flour until it reaches the consistency of cookie dough. Roll the mixture into balls about the size of a ping pong ball and fry them in about 2 inches of oil until they are golden brown (about 5 to 7 minutes). Place on paper towel to drain. Serve warm.

You can serve with hummus, tzatziki, or any other sauce/dipping apparatus that you are a fan of.

I personally love this recipe because you can taste your falafel mixture as you go along and you can add other things if you want to as well.

I found this recipe on "about.com"

Tasty Tasty Pot Roast

2011-05-29T00:06:00.000-07:00

Jamie Oliver's Pot Roast

(this ain't your grandmother's pot roast!)

I found this recipe very VERY easy to do. Very quick and tasty and doesn't take up a lot of the ingredients in your refrigerator.

Ingredients:

1 pot roast

2 or 3 carrots

1 onion (or half if you're not too big on onions)

4 potatoes (I like red and yukon gold the best)

3 or 4 bay leaves

fresh or dried rosemary (fresh is always better)

5 or 6 garlic cloves

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (this is something I ALWAYS forget to do). Peel and roughly chop all your veggies and place them in the bottom of a roasting pan. I like to give them a little toss in some olive oil so it keeps them moist. Add your garlic cloves and bay leaves around the veggies and sprinkle with some rosemary. Place your roast on top of the veggies (in the one in the picture I actually stuffed some garlic cloves inside the roast). Sprinkle some rosemary on top of your roast as well (if you are so inclined). Place your roast into your preheated oven for about an hour. If you prefer rare, take it out 10 to 15 minutes earlier and if you like it well done leave it in for 10 minutes longer.

And there you have it. The best roast I have ever tasted. It's moist, it's flavourful and the veggies are very very tasty to use as a side dish!

(this recipe is in Jamie Oliver's cookbook "Food Revolution")

Almost June...

2011-05-28T23:46:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's almost JUNE.

I've been working at school as a housekeeper, so I feel like my days are relatively the same, but I'm not ACTUALLY going to school... The temperature outside is staying at a mild sort of warm state and I'm okay with that. I'm not looking forward to the nights that are so blistering hot that I don't know what to do with myself... but I'll take those when they come. Jordan and I have been watching a lot of Jamie Oliver's cooking shows and it has definitely inspired us to eat more locally and to be more adventurous and experimental with our cooking. There's a weekly farmer's market here in Abbotsford that we would like to check out this following weekend. Cooking is something that I've always loved to do and I'm finding that it's something that really relaxes me. I love finding new recipes and finding out new ways of doing things that I never thought of. My good friend Hillary and I are trying new recipes every week or so. We did stuffed mushroom caps and falafels. The next on our list is strawberry rhubarb pie and raspberry lime cupcakes. If you've ever seen the move Julie and Julia you will probably think I'm a total copy cat, but I would love to share recipes that I have found, made and loved. I've always wanted to find a reason to blog. A reason that isn't just me rambling about my boring little life. Maybe I've found it....

These days...

2011-04-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the semester is almost over! It went by SO FAST. I'm in the process of transferring to the ECE program at school (all I have left to do is a tuberculosis skin test... gross) I'm excited to work with children and to learn how to work with them better. I think it will be a good switch for me. I've found I'm not into psychology as much as I thought I was. Even though people say the first psych courses are the hardest, I'm still not as passionate about it as I thought I was. I'm hoping I find passion in the ECE program, because I love kids and it would be amazing to have that be my career.

On a different note, I bleached part of my hair the other night... first time I've dyed my hair in about 5 years... It was fun! (just a little section behind my ear)

But I don't think anyone reads this anyways... so who cares?

Awake My Soul

2011-03-30T00:20:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to this song on repeat all day...

God Is Not A White Man

2011-03-20T19:52:00.001-07:00

Abbotsford.

2011-03-19T23:06:00.000-07:00

I've been slowly adjusting to life here in Abbotsford, but I think it's coming to a point where I'm actually feeling like this is the place to be. When I'm not here, I find myself missing our apartment, our cat, our friends, our tiny japanese grocery store down the street... Our friend Darcy sang a song last night at his house show, it is currently untitled but he sang a line that really stuck with me. He sang "Home isn't home until you go away..." and I understood that. Home isn't home until you're somewhere else and you have that longing to be where you are comfortable and safe. The Island will always be my home, and I find myself missing it terribly the last couple weeks coming on to summer. I will miss the river, I'll miss hikes and beaches in walking distance. I will miss the bathtub races in Nanaimo and protection island... But I am intentionally in Abbotsford to build community with my friends and within CBC. Abbotsford is my home these days, and I'm okay with that...

2011-02-26T22:01:00.000-08:00

This summer I am going to....

*Begin/Finish our wedding scrapbook

*Read 3 whole books (this is big for me, seriously.)

*Grow a herb garden

*Go for long bike rides

*Spend some serious time in natural bodies of water

*Attempt to get a tan for the 3829752385th time

*Start taking photos again

*Possibly sell pre-made scrapbooking pages on Etsy.com

*Finish photo wall in our apartment

...I'll add more later as I gain more ambition...

Thinking..

2011-01-18T14:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I find it hard to gather my thoughts. It's almost like I'm trying to collect them in a colander and they keep sifting out the bottom. But sometimes it does happen. Sometimes I can make sense with the multiple situations, possibilities, stresses and thoughts floating around in my head. I enjoy those times when I can sit and actually think about one thing for more that a millisecond. When I can sit on my couch and enjoy a nice cup of tea with a book and not get distracted by anything that moves or makes noise around me...

It's interesting being taught to think again....

Thoughts..

2011-01-17T10:23:00.001-08:00

I've never really felt comfortable sharing my writing with anyone... which makes me wonder why i started a blog in the first place. I've recently decided to get over this fear.

It would take me days to summon up the courage to read an essay I'd written in front of my class, or it would take tears to share a story I'd written in elementary school... I was told today that in one of my classes that we were going to have to make copies of all of our assignments and hand them out to the other students so they could critique them. My first reaction was fear. I didn't want people to read anything I've read at all.. But then some weird switch happened in my brain. All of a sudden it was like I took it as a challenge. I took it as a challenge to make myself a better writer so I would and could be confident about the things that I was handing out to the rest of the class, and my papers in the other classes...

Writing? bring it on...

I'm Alive

2010-03-28T02:21:00.001-07:00

YARRRR

2010-02-16T15:05:00.001-08:00

Instead Of A Show - John Foreman

2009-11-28T16:25:00.000-08:00

New Creation - Leeland

2009-11-13T18:48:00.000-08:00

Standing at the gate of love
Waiting for the life of the Son
To follow me 'til I am undone

Oh, you pulled me out of the mud
Up from the miry clay
You washed all my sins away
I've been redeemed

I am a new creation
I have been born again

I'm here in the world
But my home is in a heavenly place
Far above the stars out in space
I'm not afraid

Death where is your sting
Hell will never conquer me
A love pure and holy
Has set me free

And I am a new creation
I have been born again

I am a new creation
I have been born again

For behold! The old has passed away!
There's a hole inside of me
And I'll never run away from you!
Anymore, anymore

I am a new creation
I have been born again

I am a new creation
I have been born again

The old has passed away and the new has come!

I am a new creation
I have been born again!

Via Dolorosa - Way of Suffering

2009-11-13T18:45:00.000-08:00

Start Freedom

2009-11-10T21:45:00.001-08:00

November 4th, 2009

2009-11-05T18:39:00.001-08:00

Franklin - Paramore

2009-11-02T19:45:00.001-08:00

you remind me of a time when we were so alive...

do you remember that?

Hey Ocean! - Fish

2009-11-02T18:53:00.000-08:00

$2 Halloween costume, awesome!

2009-11-01T18:48:00.000-08:00

I'll Fight - REmix!

2009-10-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

While guys and girls snort, swallow, sniff, shoot and smoke tons of drugs like they do now, I’LL FIGHT
While young punks swarm, curb stomp and bully others like they do now, I’LL FIGHT
While kids, teens and young adults cut and self-injure as they do now, I’LL FIGHT

While cliques are more concerned with their appearance and making money more than caring for others, as they do now, I’LL FIGHT
While adults physically, emotionally, verbally & sexually abuse youth, as they do now, I’LL FIGHT

While sex is freely given away to boyfriends & girlfriends,
While teens check out porn & young adults are engaged in sexual promiscuity,
While getting hammered, partying and clubbing is a generation’s choice and source of fun, while there remains one young dark soul without the light of God,

I’LL FIGHT… I’LL FIGHT to the very end!

Psalm 142

2009-10-15T14:23:00.000-07:00

I cry aloud to the LORD;
I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.

I pour out my complaint before him;
before him I tell my trouble.

When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who know my way.
In the path where I walk
men have hidden a snare for me.

Look to my right and see;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.

I cry to you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living."

Listen to my cry,
for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.

Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.

DeviantArt

2009-10-05T02:19:00.001-07:00

Saskatchewan

2009-09-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

So i'm ACTUALLY here! I'm in Saskatchewan! I've been here for a week now and things are just starting to pick up. Starting to hand out resumes and get used to my surroundings! I spent last weekend at Beaver Creek camp for their Youth Councils weekend and I was seriously blown away... Mark Hall (our new TYS) was the main speaker for the weekend, and he told it like it is. He delivered a straight forward message that really showed it's impact when almost all of the 39 kids that attended were at the mercy seat on the last day asking for forgiveness and leaving past sin behind them. The whole weekend was called "FREE"... no, it DID cost money to go, but the whole weekend was based on Human Trafficking and modern day slavery... We did an amazing freedom walk where the kids went through a series of stations about trafficking and slavery. I really think that they got something out of it, because during the hour walk, my group hardly said one word. I'm pretty sure this is one of the most powerful Youth Councils I've been to in a long time. The Lord moved in AMAZING ways, and I think God has a huge plan for the youth in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Everywhere I look I see potential for great leadership and discipleship. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me here.

Run - Snow Patrol

2009-09-09T10:40:00.001-07:00

I'll sing it one last time for you
Then we really have to go
You've been the only thing that's right
In all I've done

And I can barely look at you
But every single time I do
I know we'll make it anywhere
Away from here

Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear

Louder louder
And we'll run for our lives
I can hardly speak I understand
Why you can't raise your voice to say

To think I might not see those eyes
Makes it so hard not to cry
And as we say our long goodbye
I nearly do

Light up...

Slower slower
We don't have time for that
All I want is to find an easier way
To get out of our little heads

Have heart my dear
We're bound to be afraid
Even if it's just for a few days
Making up for all this mess

Nanaimo

2009-09-09T00:53:00.000-07:00

So I'm extremely bad at this blogging thing, mostly because I feel like I have nothing constructive to say in these little spaces, because everyone knows what I'm doing already because of facebook, twitter, or just actually talking to me personally. But I know there are a few people that actually check blogs stilll... so Caitlyn, this is for you. I've been in Nanaimo for a while now, and to tell you the truth it's weird, being back with my friends here, doing what we used to do all the time.... Josh and Courtney are here this week which is really exciting that I get to see them. I really do miss Vancouver and everything and everyone there, I know I'll be back there in the future. At the same time I'm super excited for Saskatoon, to see everyone there when I get there, The Rands, Josh, Sarah, Rin, Steph... I'm stoked to see everyone and to start my life in a new province.. We'll see if I can survive the winter though! haha. It's going to be hard leaving BC, but I know it's not permanent and I know that I will be back. So I'm not going to let it be as hard as it has to be... I'm going to be positive and I'm going to make it enjoyable!

well, im boring myself
BYE.

OH YEAH! I'm flying to Saskatoon now, not driving.

QB + Rusty

2009-07-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

Mission: Saskatoon

2009-07-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

So I seem to be terrible at this blogging thing. I haven't even been journalling lately either..UGH! Crazy. A LOT of things have changed in the past couple weeks in a really dramatic way... first things first... I'm moving to Saskatoon! surprise! (I guess if you read my blog you would already know from some other way anyways...). Here's the story of WHY (since everyone wants to know!). I was told that I was going to be helping out at the music camp at Beaver Creek in Saskatoon, and of course I was extremely nervous. I was going to a camp where I knew absolutely no one and I didn't like that. Almost immediately I clicked with Shelly Rands, who I was counselling the oldest girls with for the week. She was very very nice as soon as I met her, and we became friends that instant. Within 2 days I felt like I had been there for years. Everyone who was there was amazing, including the kids, who put up with me when I didn't know where anything was! I have never met a group of people who have impacted my life so much in a week.... Shelly was talking about different opportunities to do ministry in Saskatoon and I got really excited! After thinking and praying and thinking and praying and after making some hard decisions... I decided that moving to Saskatoon was the right thing to do. So, I started making plans... and here is my plan if I haven't told you yet

*Take the bus back to BC on August 8th
*Graduate War College on August 22nd, and stay in Vancouver for a week or so.
*Go home to Nanaimo for 2 or 3 weeks, and hang out with my family (also have a job at the coffee shop for 3 weeks!)
*And at the end of September, we're loading up my Dad's Van and heading out to Saskatoon!

I'm so excited and I can't wait to get out here and to start my life in a new place. and I'm SO EXCITED that I'm going on a roadtrip with my dad! how awesome is that!!?!

I love you all SO much and I'm going to miss you! ♥

FORT WALSH, FTW!

2009-07-25T21:52:00.001-07:00

Adventures in Saskatchewan!

2009-06-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hey there!...anyone who reads this.. (probably no one..) If I haven't talked to you, heres a quick update on what im currently doing! I'm spending the bulk of my summer in Saskatchewan with the Ramsay family (who are awesome!). Im currently in Nipawin, but the family is moving to Swift Current in a week, so I'm going with them! Saskatchewan is WAY different than BC, no mountains, no ocean! I do miss Vancouver and all my sessionmates, but I know Ill see them again soon. There's lots of great people here and theyre all willing to talk and to carry a conversation! Im really excited about going to music camp at Beaver Creek! I've never been to another Salvation Army camp before, so that will be a good expirience!

Oh well..
if you know me.. text me!
Love and Blessings, Carlye

Bowies In Space

2009-05-26T08:14:00.001-07:00

Leeland - Brighter Days

2009-05-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

Time keeps moving on
Through the sunshine and the storm
And my dreams are set in stone
And someday I’ll be who I want to be
For now I’ll wait 
For the sun to shine again
And for now I’ll wait 
For the rain to pass away

And I’m looking for the brighter days
When all my hurts seem to fade away
I’m looking for the brighter days to come my way

Faces come and faces go 
But none seem to look my way
And walls have stood and walls have fallen
But my heart seems to wait
For now I’ll sit at the end of the road
And for now I’ll wait 
At the end of the pathway

I’ll see the sun one day shine upon me
I’ll see the sun one day
And watch the nighttime turn to morning
But for now it all comes back around

Stones by Kester Brewin

2009-05-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

Before plants, before animals, before fish;
after light, but yes, many days before you,
He called us up from the sea.

Hard and strong,
we were the firstborn of all creation,
not you - soft, malleable, pliable, always yielding,
you who were created from our very dust.

We remained silent then.
You inhaled his breath, tried to forget your roots,
trod on us, though you knew our primacy.
We were your quarry;
You dug us out, cut us and piled us up.
We were your weapons;
thrown in anger, from sweating palms,
boiling blood with merciless indignation.

But no more:
He came.

He came, and refused to turn us to bread.
He came, and said only the sinless could hurl us.
He came, and knew that if you,
with your language and art and religion did not,
then we would cry out.

Now we cry out:

He came and you killed him.
The true cornerstone, the foundation,
came and you ground him down and trod him like dust,
back into the earth, forgetting your roots,
and cast him to us, rolled up and sealed
in an opening we had prepared.

For three days we kept silence.
But then cried out:
No! We refused to hold him.

No soldiers had to heave that stone,
nor was it that the earth could not hold him;
simply that it would not.
You buried the creator, and we pushed him back,
this God-man that gave us form and strength.

So speak now, you breath-filled creatures of dust.
Sing now of the miracle of your supple lives,
or we, the stones, will cry more,
as you are lowered to us in your caskets,
and hold you until the day that you do.

One Day Without Shoes... can you do it?

2009-04-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

I Will Follow You Into The Dark...

2009-04-05T13:52:00.000-07:00

Love of mine some day you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark

No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark
If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule
I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black
And I held my tongue as she told me
"Son fear is the heart of love"
So I never went back

If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

You and me have seen everything to see
From Bangkok to Calgary
And the soles of your shoes are all worn down
The time for sleep is now
It's nothing to cry about
'cause we'll hold each other soon
In the blackest of rooms

If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the No's on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark
Then I'll follow you into the dark

by: Death Cab For Cutie

I am the planet. You are the sun

2009-04-01T21:59:00.001-07:00

NEW TERM! New Classes! New beginnings!
I seriously can't believe I'm starting my last term at the War College! I don't even feel like I've been here THAT long, yet I feel like I'm a completely different person. I do definitely miss Nanaimo at times, but I love my new life here in Vancouver. I love my community, I love my session mates, and I love the place I'm in right now. Summer assignment soon! whoa! this is all happening so fast! I've been waking up at about 6 every morning for a little bit now (for those of you who know me really well, you're probably shocked) It definitely sucks, but I figure if I get myself into a schedule It will eventually get easier for me (even though I love sleeping in so much) I can do so much more in the morning, and I feel good about it. The War College is giving me 4 days off for the Easter Weekend, but I haven't decided if I'm going to go home just yet. I still might just stay here for the 4 days off... because I haven't done that before. Maybe Ill go 2 nights or something like that, who knows. Anyways, better head off to bed.. (waking up at 6am tomorrow!)

-------------

Sow for yourselves righteousness,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the LORD,
until he comes
and showers righteousness on you.
Hosea 10:12

Me, Myself and I

2009-04-01T21:56:00.001-07:00

Enter This Temple - Leeland

2009-03-25T07:38:00.001-07:00

We are saved in a world that’s lost
All our hope rests in Your Cross
God of strength, our weakness shows
We need You
We need You, Lord

Father, enter this temple
Come touch Your people
We need to be where You are
And children living as their Father
Washed in pure water
We need to be like You are

We are searching for Your presence
We are knocking on Your door
Let Your wings cover us with promise
For communion
For communion

To be like You are
To be where You are
Father, come touch Your people

To be where You are
To be like You are

.

2009-03-20T23:59:00.000-07:00

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

Underoath = March 7, 2009

2009-03-12T18:19:00.001-07:00

The other night was the one of the best nights of my life. I had a chance to meet my most FAVORITE band. Me and a couple of my friends went to go see Underoath, Norma Jean, and Innerpartysystem. We ended up sitting next to one of the members of Underoath who happened to remember us from the last time they played in Vancouver (awesome!). Caitlyn wanted him to record her voicemail again because It got lost. Their set was completely amazing. Its an interesting feeling worshipping surrounded by non-believers. The Lord was definitely there. They played a lot of old songs, so there were a lot of people screaming the lyrics, and moshing (definitely fun). After their set was over we made it to the alley in the back of the theatre and waited for them to come out... they were all freezing cold because they just finished a tour in Australia... but now theyre in the blistering Canadian weather. ANYWAYS.. We ended up talking to all of them and telling them that the Lord was definitely there. We got a chance to pray for Chris, and to pray for Underoath and their tour that there would be fruit and that they would be humble...After we talked to Chris and the other members of the band, we got pictures and all that fun stuff...He invited us out for pizza...so we met up at the pizza place and Josh ended up talking to Aaron about their tour, and Caitlyn mentioned that their music helped her through a lot of things in her life, and they were very authentic.

It's cool because usually when you meet "famous" people, they want nothing to do with you. It's cool to see a humble group of guys that are into following Christ and making him known to the world! Keep on truckin'!

Utter boredom

2009-02-19T10:58:00.000-08:00

Part 1: How I Came To Be

Were you a planned baby?: Yesm
Were you the first?: Sure was, the first and the favorite!
Were your parents married when you were born?: Sure were
When is your birthday?: August 19th, 1989

Part 2: My Family

How would you describe your family?: dramatic/funny
Are your parents married, divorced or separated?: divorced
If you have siblings are you oldest, middle, or youngest?: Oldest
Did you wish you had any other siblings?: younger sister
Which parent do you get along with best?: My momma
Do you have step parents?: Sure do.

Part 3: The Friends

Do you have more than one best friend?: Yes sir, gotta love em
Do you share the same interests?: Some
Which friend can you tell anything to?: Hard to say...
Whos the shyest friend you have?: Courtney is super shy when she first meets someone
Whos the funniest friend you have?: Caitlyn, and my Conq's
Who can always make you laugh?: see above

Part 4: Your Personality

How high/low is your self esteem?: Its good
Do you get depressed about things easily?: Sometimes, depends what mindset I'm in.
Are you happy?: Yes, I am!
Do you live life to the fullest?: I try my best
Do you regret anything?: I try to have no regrets, but it's hard
Are you funny?: I like to think so
Are you shy?: Depends on the situation
Are you loud? I'm loud when I want to be...

Part 5: Appearance

Are you comfortable with the way you look?: Yeap
Do you have any piercings besides your ears?: Lip, Both nostrils, tongue web, navel
How do you dress?: Not like anyone else I've seen...
What colour is your hair?: RED!
What colour are your eyes?: greenish
Do you wear makeup?: when I can...

Part 6: The Past

Were you a strange child?: I wouldn't doubt it.
Were there people you used to love that you no longer do?: No, I don't think so.
Do you have the same friends?: From school? No.
Was there anything in your past that was traumatizing?: Probably.

Part 7: The Future

Ambition?: Happiness and Love (hipppiiieeee)
Do you want to have kids?: Yes, yes I do.. So i can be my own baby hog.
How many?: 2ish
What would you like to name them?: Not sure yet.

Part 8: The Outdoors
Do you prefer indoors or outdoors?: cold weater = indoors, warm weather = outdoors
What is your favorite season?: SUMMER
Favorite weather?: SUNNY HOT
Do you like walking in the rain?: no, my hair curls

Part 9: Food
Are you a vegetarian?: Heck no, I love bacon too much
What is your favorite food?: SUSHI!
What food makes you want to gag?: cooked spinach
What is your favorite dessert?: Cheescake
What is your favorite restaurant?: I love Red Robin
Are you a fussy eater: I can be, but usually not. I won't complain.

Part 10: Relationships and Love
Are you single or taken?: Single
If taken who is the lucky boy/girl?: see above
Do you think love is the best feeling in the world?: Love is great.
Do you believe in love at first sight?: No.

It's fun, It made me LOL

2009-02-19T10:48:00.000-08:00

1. Go to google.ca
2. Click on Maps.
3. Click on Get Directions.
4. From: New York, New York.
5. To: Paris, France.
6. Then, read line #21.

Freedom - Run Kid Run

2009-02-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

Oh my chains, I can't disengage
I don't believe that I want to
One hand sings your praise
The other brings me shame
I have selfishness to blame

And I'm singing for freedom,
I know I'm not the only one praying to the One,
Who can bring me this freedom,
I'm ready for change, change, change, change

Looking down I lay
I keep holding my chains
No longer bound but here I stay
I scream, Father please, I need rescuing
I need and you alone

And I'm singing for freedom
I know I'm not the only one praying to the one
Who can bring me this freedom
I'm ready for, I'm ready for

Still You patiently await
Yet I won't just let go
I see You and You alone
Saying come, follow me
Dispair has come so You can see, release

So I'm singing for freedom
So I'm singing for freedom

The time has come-separation lost the war to love
Take my hand, grace is found, yeah where Your words begin,
You're alive, You're alive, in the waking of new life,
Take my hand, in the end there's only love, there's only love

There's only singing for freedom
I know I'm not the only one praying to the One
Who can bring me this freedom
I'm ready for, I'm ready for
Father please, I need rescuing
I need You and You alone

This is my worship....

2009-02-11T00:24:00.000-08:00

So I've been spending some time in the war room lately, and it's really really awesome. I had a shift this morning from 5-8am, and I definitely was not in the right head space and I actually didn't really want to pray at all. I got into the war room and just wanted to sleep as soon as I could. I had this really weird feeling that I should go to the stairs (which took a lot of motivation seeing as I was laying on the other side of the room...) ANYWAYS. I got up and went and looked outside and Leslie was standing at the bottom of the stairs (Leslie is one of my good friends down here, and I hadn't seen her in a while and was a little worried...) It was crazy because she had told me that she had a dream about me but apparently didn't have time to tell me about it because she had to go get her methadone... All day these coincidences have been happening. God has been showing himself to me in the physical, and it's fantastic to see that.
I'm heading home to Nanaimo in about...4ish days.. Im going on Sunday to spend some time at home (we have a week long reading break), and I'm really excited to see Michelle and other people on the island. My cousins are planning to come see me because I didn't even get to see them at Christmas which was weird. Pray for me to keep up my disciplines at home, because it's really easy to fall away when you have no accountability. So if I could ask that from you (anyone who reads this and has my cell phone #/facebook) PLEASE. Ask me if im doing rations, ask me how my book is, ask me what God is saying to me. I have a habit of not listening when I'm at home because there's so much to distract me from everything that has grown in me since being here.

Be Blessed
xoxo Carlye

The Vision - Pete Greig

2009-02-11T00:06:00.000-08:00

So this guy comes up to me and says,
"whats the vision? whats the big idea?"
i opened my mouth and the words came out like this...
The vision?
The vision is Jesus:
obsessively, dangerously, undeniably JESUS.
The vision is an army of young people.
You see bones?
I see an army.
And they are free from materialism-- they laugh at 9-5 little
prisons. They could eat caviar on Monday, and crusts
on Tuesday they wouldn't even notice. They know the
meaning of the matrix,
the way the west was won.
They are mobile like the wind,
they belong to the nations,
they need no passport.
People who write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their
strange existence.
They are free
yet they are slaves
of the hurting, dirty, and dying.
What is the vision? the vision is holiness that hurts the eyes.
It makes children laugh and adults angry.
It gave up the game of minimum integrity a long time ago to reach
for the stars.
it scorns the good, and strains for the best.
It is dangerously pure.
Light Flickers
from every secret motive,
every private conversation.
It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan
games.
This is an ARMY
that would lay down its life for the cause
A million times a day
its soldiers choose to lose that they might one day win in the great
"well done"
of faithful sons and daughters.
Such heroes are as radical
on Monday morning as Sunday night.
They don't need fame for names.
Instead they grin quietly upwards
and hear the crowds chanting again and again:
"COME ON!"
And this is the sound of the underground, the whisper of
history in the making, foundations shaking ,revolutionaries
dreaming once again.
Mystery is scheming in whispers, conspiracy is breathing...
This is the sound of the underground
And the army is disciple(in)ed -- young people who can beat their
bodies into submission. Every soldier would take a bullet
for his comrade at arms. The tattoo on their backs boasts
"for me to live is Christ and to die is gain"
Sacrifice fuels the fire
of victory in their upward eyes.
Winners.
Martyrs.
Who can stop them? Can hormones hold them back? Can
failure succeed?
Can fear scare them or death kill them?
And the generation prays
like a dying man who groans beyond
talking, with warrior cries,
sulfuric tears and
great barrow loads of laughter!
Waiting.
Watching:
24-7-365
Whatever it takes they will give:
Breaking the rules,
shaking mediocrity from its cozy little hide,
laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs.
laughing at labels,
fasting essentials.
The advertisers cannot mold them.
Hollywood can not hold them
Peer Pressure is powerless
to shake their resolve
at late-night parties
before the cockerel cries.
They are incredibly cool,
dangerously attractive (on the inside).
on the outside? they hardly care!
They wear clothes like costumes:
to communicate and celebrate but never hide.
Would they surrender their image and popularity? They
would lay down their very lives, swap seats with the man
on death row, guilty as hell:
a throne for the electric chair.
With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights
and fruitless days,
they pray as if it all depends on God and live if it all
depends on them.
Their DNA chooses Jesus
(He breathes out, they breathe in).
Their subconscious sings.
They had a blood transfusion with Jesus.
Their words make demons scream in shopping malls. Don't
you hear them coming?
Herald the weirdos!
Summon the losers and the freaks.
Here come the frightened and forgotten
with fire in their eyes!
They walk, and trees applaud,
skyscrapers bow,
mountains are dwarfed
by these children of another dimension.
Their prayers summon the Hound of Heaven and invoke the
ancient dream of Eden
And this vision will be.
It will come to pass;
It will come easily;
It will come soon.
How do i know?
Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of
the Spirit, the very dream of God.
Tomorrow is His today.
My distant hope is His 3-D.
And my feeble,
whispered,
faithless prayer
invokes a thunderous
resounding,
bone-shaking
great "AMEN!"
from countless angels,
from heroes of the faith.
from Christ Himself.
And He is the original dreamer,
the ultimate winner,
Guaranteed.

Stained Glass Masquerade

2009-02-10T06:07:00.001-08:00

Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feeling so small

Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they’ll soon discover
That I don’t belong

So I tuck it all away, like everything’s okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I’ll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the part again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them

Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation’s open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who’s been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who’s traded
In the altar for a stage

The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart

But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be

Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay

Well if the invitation’s open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin’ so small

Watch Me On The News!!

2009-02-06T17:55:00.003-08:00

http://www.globaltv.com/globaltv/bc/microsites/phoenix/index.html

It's the clip called "Project Lockstep"

Journal Entry from Jan 7th

2009-02-01T23:01:00.000-08:00

I found this journal entry from Jan 7th (it says 4am, harsh) and I really thought I should type it out so more people than just me could see it.

"Wow! what a change of pace! I finally realized why I can't sleep and I'm a total idiot! This year is going to be fantastic. It's a year of new beginnings, new life and REVIVAL. This year is about advancing in faith and in obidience to the Lord, it's about showing your authentic self to him and everyone around you (be real with yourself) If you're covering up yourself with a mask, how will people see Jesus in you or anyone else? How will they see the immense shining light pouring out of your heart and soul?
At pray the bible today God really convicted me about neglecting his word and how I need to really dive into him and the word fully and really expirience who he is.

Father I pray that you would bring new life and new motivation for the conquerors session. I pray that we would all be washed completely clean and able to start a new year off right. Father I pray for myself that you would give me clarity of mind, I pray that I would understand how I'm feeling and I wouldn't be afraid to let people know how I feel. Yahweh, you are holy and blameless, thank-you for everything you have given us, and everything you WILL give us. You are the one true God."

Fling out the banner!

2009-01-31T23:29:00.000-08:00

For the first time in a while, God has been filling my head with things to say and things to do... fancy that! I have this book called "Beautiful Poems on Jesus" it's a really old book and uses a lot of old language, but I'm totally in love with it, and most of the time find it hard to even put it down (which, if you know me.. would be suprised) Anyways, I came across this poem, and God really showed me that it was something that needed to be shared with my session, so I thought I should blog it aswell, because you know... blogging is good.

The Banner Of The Cross by Bishop Doane
Fling out the banner! Let it float.
Skyward ans seaward, high and wide;
The sun that lights its shining folds
The cross on which the Savior died.

Fling out the banner! Angels bend,
In anxious silence, o'er the sign;
And vainly seek to comprehend
The wonder of the love divine.

Fling out the banner! Heathen lands
Shall see from far the glorious sight,
And nations, crowding to be born,
Baptize their spirits in its light.

Fling out the banner! Sin-sick souls,
That sink and perish in the strife
Shall touch in faith its radiant hem,
And spring immortal into life.

Fling out the banner! Let it float.
Skyward and Seaward, high and wide
Our glory only in the cross;
Our only hope, the Crucified

Fling out the banner! Wide and high,
Seaward and Skyward, let it shine;
Nor skill, nor might, nor merit ours;
We conquer only in that sign.

It really reminded me that there is no way we can truly be conquerors unless we are paired up with the almighty, because there is absolutely no way that we could do all this in our own strength. We are under the banner of Christ, and we conquer only in that sign.

moi.

2009-01-31T23:23:00.000-08:00

Too Bright To See, Too Loud To Hear

2009-01-30T22:57:00.000-08:00

Good God, if your song leaves our lips
If your work leaves our hands
Then we will be wonders and vagabonds
They will stare and say how empty we are
How the freedom we had turned us up as dead men
Let us be cold, make us weak
Let us, because we all have ears
Let us, because we all have eyes
How they knew that this would happen
We're so run down
Good God! Can you still get us home...
How can we still get home
I'm not dreaming
We're forgetting our forgiveness

Rest & Relaxation

2009-01-04T22:29:00.000-08:00

My break is coming to an end here in Nanaimo, and I will be heading back to Vancouver on Tuesday morning!.... This has been an interesting two weeks. Being home for such a long time has been both good and bad. I started swearing more, which is so weird, and I don't like it at all... I guess I just started talking like everyone around me. I feel dissconnected from my sessionmates, and I can't wait to have that back. I had mixed emotions coming here, and I'm leaving with them aswell. Home is weird now. Not the same as it used to be. I don't have things here, I don't have a bed, I don't have a room, I don't have anything. Vancouver is my home. Vancouver is where my heart is, and I think that's why I feel so discontent here.
Of course the temptation of quitting war college has been there, that was inevitable. But of course, I'm not listening to those lies that life will be easier if I just stay here, If i just quit everything.

I need prayer for perseverance, motivation, and a hunger and thirst for the presence of God, and his word.

I seem to think this situation is pretty dior.

it's.... CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-23T23:30:00.000-08:00

I love these people...

2008-12-17T18:06:00.001-08:00

even though you can't see all of us... we're awesome.

Carlye hates it when...

2008-12-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

people use their ear/eye medication in public..

EW!

Best Kettle Shift Ever

2008-12-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

Nothing for the rest of the kettle season can beat my last kettle shift, and I really would like to see something that could, because I think it would be amazing.
ANYWAYS....
The night started out relatively normal, I forgot my bells so standing there became boring really really fast. All of the sudden, I hear a band.. and I look down the street and a Salvation Army band is standing down the street with a kettle... my first reaction was (what the junk? they're stealing my thunder!) So, being the curious person I am, I pick up my kettle and head down to the band to see whats going on... Once I get there I realized its the CTV tv station and the Harbourlight mens choir is singing on the news. I saw all the guys and they all told me that they were worried about me standing there all alone. I dont mind it (but's its good to know someone actually cares). I hung out with them for a little bit because there was no way I was going to make any money at my kettle if there was a band 10 metres away from me... I eventually wandered back to my kettle and about 4 of the band members came out to my kettle and played for me for about 15 minutes! it was awesome! THEN Darrin and a couple other people came out to my kettle and talked to me for a while and Darrin bought me a coffee (hot coffee = awesome on a kettle shift) My night ended with about 20 guys singing christmas carols around my kettle. Completely hilarious and I loved every second of it.

Foreign Silence

2008-12-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

Sally and I were in New West the other day for a band concert we were volunteering at, and we were waiting at the bus stop to go home, and we looked at the streets, and they were empty, and everything was quiet. We started getting really weirded out, because a quiet street has become something totally foreign to us. Then a guy walked down the street and we started getting really uncomfortable because there was no one around, and Sally mentioned that she was scared. It was funny to think about, how we're scared of an empty street in New West more than we're scared about walking down Hastings.

something to think about...

(p.s - the guy turned out to be a 15 year old who was probably scared of us...)

Nanaimo

2008-12-04T18:40:00.001-08:00

I had a really interesting day yesterday, seeing people in treatment that I really doubted (HALLELUJAH!) Had a kettle shift at HMV which went by really fast. I was listening to the comedy of Mitch Hedberg, and it was really funny when I would laugh at it and people would walk by thinking I was laughing at them...So kettling every day has finally kicked off, and it's not that bad...yet. Right now I'm just content with whats going on, but ask me again in a month and you'll get my real opinion.
Lately I've started to feel homesick, and that doesn't really happen very easy for me, but it's just starting to set in. I miss my brothers, and my mom and my dad...I just miss Nanaimo, which is weird to think about because before I left I couldn't wait to get out of that place. and I was thinking about it, and I think I really just miss being comfortable, being at home and being comfortable with where I am, (not that I'm not here, just more so at home...) Im excited to be home for 2 weeks at christmas, that will either help me... or really make me miss home more... We'll see what happens. Im just counting down the days until I get to have a break from this place and finally hug my mom, and go to terminal park mcdonalds, and go to woodgrove mall and eat poutine from pirate chips and go to my CORPS! I'm just so excited to go home!

20 days!

He Is The Redeemer!

2008-12-03T12:39:00.000-08:00

Hallelujah!

Today I was waiting in the harbourlight line for my lunch and a guy wearing a Santa hat walked (key word, I'll explain later) past me. I knew I recognized him, but I couldn't place where I knew him from. I suddenly remembered who he was and I couldn't breathe. I had met him previously while we were doing an open air in pigeon park and he was drunk out of his mind in a wheelchair. He sang with us the whole time, and I remember him asking us to sing amazing grace over and over again, and here he was in front of me, completely sober and WALKING around... I was completely flabbergasted and I couldn't believe my eyes. PRAISE THE LORD! Answered prayer is so sweet. After I saw him I went back to my house and opened up my prayer journal and found about 2 or 3 pages of prayers for this guy. Right now I'm just overcome with happiness that he's found sobriety. He didn't remember who I was when I talked to him today, but he thanked me for whatever it was that I did. Give glory to God!

Praise The Lord!

I Am A Soldier In The Army Of My God.

2008-11-27T15:33:00.001-08:00

The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer.
The Holy Bible is my code of conduct.

Faith, love, prayer and the Word are my weapons of warfare.
I have been taught by the Holy Spirit.
Trained by experience,
tried by adversity,
and tested by fire.

I am a volunteer in this army,
and I am enlisted for eternity.
I will either retire in this Army in the end or die in this Army;
but I will not get out, sell out, be talked out,
I am faithful, capable and dependable.

If my God needs me,
I am there.
If he needs me in Sunday school to teach children,
work with the youth, help adults
or just sit and learn,
He can use me
because I am there!

I am a soldier.
I am not a baby.
I do not need to be pampered,
petted, primped up, pumped up,
picked up, or pepped up.

I am a soldier. No one has to call me,
remind me,
write me, visit me,
entice me, lure me.

I am a soldier
I am not a wimp.
I am in place, saluting my King,
obeying his orders, praising his name,
and building his kingdom!

I am a soldier.
No one has to send me flowers,
gifts, food,
cards, candy,
or give me handouts.
I do not need to be cuddled, cradled
cared for, or catered to.
I am committed!

I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around.
I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside.
I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.

When Jesus called me into this Army,
I had nothing.
If I end up with nothing,
I will still come out even.

I will win.
My God will supply all my needs.
I am more than a conqueror.
I will always triumph.
I can do all things through Christ.

I am a Soldier.
Devils cannot defeat me.
People cannot disillusion me.
Weather cannot weary me.
Sickness cannot stop me.
Battles cannot beat me.
Money cannot buy me.
Governments cannot silence me.
and Hell cannot handle me!

I am a soldier.
Even death cannot destroy me.
For when my commander calls me from this battlefield,
He will promote me to a captain
and then bring me back to rule this world with him.

I am a soldier,
marching Heaven bound.
Here I stand.

Will you stand with me?

DTES {Art}

2008-11-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

Have You Heard The Bells Yet?

2008-11-20T21:08:00.001-08:00

This Saturday was the official "kick off" for kettles in downtown Vancouver. A bunch of us got all "hockey-ed" up and set up our kettles at the gates outside of GM place, because a Canucks game was happening that night (WE WON). I remember just when we started, there was a homeless man standing there waiting to panhandle when the game was out. It was really funny because Hannah and I knew that he was trying to tell us to leave in the nicest way possible. There were a lot of people who didn't seem into the Christmas spirit at all, or people who were yelling at us because the band was playing Christmas carols. But I kept ringing those bells. There were 2 amazing parts of the night that are still sticking with me today. The first was a little boy, and in his hand he had his first allowance he had ever recieved. His father told him what happens to the money that goes into the kettles, and the little 7 year old boy decided to throw his 5 dollar bill into the kettle. Also, the homeless man who was trying to get us to leave in the first place came up to the kettle and said "Here's everything I collected tonight, and I realized it belongs to you guys..." it was SO BEAUTIFUL!

PRAISE THE LORD!

Drive Away

2008-09-05T00:14:00.000-07:00

So it hit me tonight when i was saying goodbye to Michelle, Molly and Deanna...that I'm ACTUALLY moving. I'm not going to be living in Nanaimo anymore. I'm leaving the house I've been living in for 15 years. It's just scary to me, it's all new and undiscovered and I'm scared crap-less of it. Don't get me wrong, I'm super stoked to move in with girls that i already love a lot, but it's still a new place...the last time i had to deal with a new place to live, i was 4...so it wasn't that traumatizing.

it's just all so new...

48 hours of safety

2008-09-03T19:29:00.001-07:00

Yeap, 2 more days until I make the big move to Vancouver. Getting all my stuff packed and put into bags and boxes, moving my life to another city completely opposite of where I live now.. I'm excited and scared at the same time, I'm scared it will be too much for me. I'm scared i wont be able to handle it. Im moving out of my comfort zone, im moving away from the place I call home, to the place I am GOING to call home. It's going to be an interesting move for me, and I really hope im going to be able to take it, and really get something out of it, you know? I'm prepared to see God's kingdom in a different light, and I'm super excited to see what the Lord has planned for me, but I'm still super scared at the same time... you know?

-Carlye

remember carlye....

2008-08-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

LOOK TO THE LORD AND HIS STRENGTH

SEEK HIS FACE ALWAYS

PROVERBS 105:4

remember carlye....

2008-08-20T17:06:00.001-07:00

TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART

AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING

IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM

AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT

PROVERBS 3:5+6

September the 6th

2008-08-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

The end of the summer keeps getting closer and closer, and in some ways..I just want the fall to start. and in some ways...I want this summer to last forever. As it stands now, I make the move to Vancouver in 16 days. SIXTEEN. It's just getting closer and closer and I dont even know what to make of it. I'm scared, I'm nervous..and I dont know what else to do to prepare. I don't feel ready to take all of it in, i feel like im going to crash and burn. I need to fully rely on God, but it's really hard and I'm not letting myself. Im just so full of mixed emotions as to what this year is going to be, and I know it's different for everyone and I know theres no way I can predict whats going to happen, but I'm scared of letting go of all control and letting God lead the way, and I know that sounds stupid and selfish, but that's just what I feel right now...

Please pray for me.

Money makes me nervous...

2008-07-29T22:51:00.000-07:00

The title explains it all, War College is coming up soon and im getting more and more nervous every day. Not just because im moving into the poorest postal code in Canada, but because i dont know if i have the money to pay the tuition. Here is my cry for help, could you PLEASE pray for me and my family, specifically my mom. She's having severe back problems and has been unable to work for a number of months now. If you could pray for some healing, strength, faith and comfort withing my family that would be amazing. Also ive been just nervous about moving out in general, like...i know that im going to be around people who love me, but it's still not home, and it's still making a new place home....something ive never done on my own before...so if i could also get prayer for strength and reassurance that im where im supposed to be and that im doing what im supposed to do. I really have to lean on God this time, and it's something that really isn't easy for me.

Thankyou to whoever happens to read my blog...
(probably not many)

Love Carlye

VBS - North Van 2008

2008-07-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Alright, so... VBS in North Van is coming to a close tomorrow (officially)
and I'm going to say now that it went awesome. Yeah the kids can be a little rambunctious at times, but what group of kids isn't. They all have something to give and I love their little quirks and remarks. We had a BBQ tonight at the Grice residence and the group of ladies on the leadership team are absolutely amazing. There's one french canadian lady and i have no idea how to spell her name, but she gave me and jose nicknames... Jose = San Diego, and i am "Melody" or "Rainbow". She's completely hilarious and i could sit there and listen to her talk for hours if i could. Tomorrow we're doing a "pie the leaders" day, and we're doing it so all the parents can see (which will be quite entertaining if you ask me). The hospitality of the Grice's this week has been amazing, Mama-Lynn and Dave are awesome people and if you get a chance to meet them or spend time with them, do it.
Also i've found i have quite the knack for bocce ball and frisbee (but im not too good with that aero-bee thing)
I love my team and everyone on it, and i think for our first week of VBS we did amazing.
God's moving, and it's awesome.

woot!

2008-07-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

MY NEW HOME!

(maybe)

Camp Sunrise, the only camp for me...

2008-07-06T00:14:00.000-07:00

I'm into my second week of actually working for camp sunrise and i still cant believe this is actually my JOB. I'm getting paid to have fun with my friends and work with kids, basically my dream. My VBS team is as follows...

THE DREAM TEAM

Mark Touzeau, Carlye Morris, Rebecca Grice, Jose Benitez, Pearlanne Gray, Ethan Robson

Im super excited to be on a VBS team with these people for the entire summer, and im super stoked about camp staff aswell, we have an amazing staff and im really stoked to share in ministry with all of them. God is planning amazing things and i can't wait to see them unfold.

Taking the Long Way - Dixie Chicks

2008-06-13T00:55:00.000-07:00

I just love this song, a lot

My friends from high school
Married their high school boyfriends
Moved into houses in the same ZIP codes
Where their parents live
But I, I could never follow
No I, I could never follow
I hit the highway in a pink RV with stars on the ceiling
Lived like a gypsy
Six strong hands on the steering wheel
I've been a long time gone now
Maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down
But I've always found my way somehow
By taking the long way
Taking the long way around
Taking the long way
Taking the long way around
I met the queen of whatever
Drank with the Irish and smoked with the hippies
Moved with the shakers
Wouldn't kiss all the asses that they told me to
No I, I could never follow
No I, I could never follow
It's been two long years now
Since the top of the world came crashing down
And I'm getting' it back on the road now
But I'm taking the long way
Taking the long way around
I'm taking the long way
Taking the long way around
The long
The long way around
Well, I fought with a stranger and I met myself
I opened my mouth and I heard myself
It can get pretty lonely when you show yourself
Guess I could have made it easier on myself
But I, I could never follow
No I, I could never follow
Well, I never seem to do it like anybody else
Maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down
If you ever want to find me I can still be found
Taking the long way
Taking the long way around
Taking the long way
Taking the long way around

Josh's War College Rejection

2008-05-15T00:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Josh Mills,

Your are a butt.
You smell like poop therefore you are not
accepted into our college.
P.s you have body hair and are fat and have body odor.
Your tacky and we hate you.

Love the war college

It's Official!

2008-05-12T00:04:00.001-07:00

I'm a Conqueror!
Salvation Army War College
Class of 2009

Forward march with blood and fire
and win the world for Jesus!

"The Vision"

2008-05-02T01:03:00.000-07:00

By Pete Greig

So this guy comes up to me and says,

"whats the vision? whats the big idea?"

i opened my mouth and the words came out like this...

The vision?

The vision is Jesus:

obsessivley, dangeriously, undeniably Jesus.

The vision is an army of young people.

You see bones?

I see an army.

And they are free from materialism-- they laugh at 9-5 little

prisons. They could eat caviar on monday, and crusts

on tuesday they wouldnt even notice. They know the

meaning of the matrix,

the way the west was won.

They are mobile like the wind,

they belong to the nations,

they need no passport.

People who write their addresses in pencil and wonder at their

strange existence.

They are free

yet they are slaves

of the hurting, dirty, and dying.

What is the vision? the vision is holiness that hurts the eyes.

It makes children laugh and adults angry.

It gave up the game of minimum integrity a long time ago to reach

for the stars.

it scorns the good, and strains for the best.

It is dangerously pure.

Light Flickers

from every secret motive,

every private conversation.

It loves people away from their suicide leaps, their Satan

games.

This is an ARMY

that would lay down its life for the cause

A million times a day

its soldiers choose to lose that they might one day win in the

great

"well done"

of faithful sons and daughters.

Such heroes are as radical

on Monday morning as Sunday night.

They dont need fame for names.

Instead they grin quietly upwards

and hear the crowds chanting again and again:

"COME ON!"

And this is the sound of the underground, the whisper of

history in the making, foundations shaking ,revolutionaries

dreaming once again.

Mystery is scheming in whispers, conspiracy is breathing...

This is the sound of the underground

And the army is disciple(in)ed -- young people who can beat their

bodies into submission. Every soldier would take a bullet

for his comrade at arms. The tattoo on their backs boasts

"for me to live is Christ and to die again"

Sacrifice fuels the fire

of victory in their upward eyes.

Winners.

Martyrs.

Who can stop them? Can hormones hold them back? Can

failur succeed?

Can fear scare them or death kill them?

And the generation prays

like a dying man who groans beyond

talking, with warrior cries,

sulphuric tears and

great barrow loads of laughter!

Waiting.

Watching:

24-7-365

Whatever it takes they will give:

Breaking the rules,

shaking mediocrity from its cozy little hide,

laying down their rights and their precious little wrongs.

laughing at labels,

fasting essentials.

The advertisers cannot mold them.

Hollywood can not hold them

Peer Pressure is powerless

to shake their resolve

at late-night parties

before the cockerel cries.

They are incredibly cool,

dangerously attractive (on the inside).

on the outside? they hardly care!

They wear clothes like costumes:

to communicate and celebrate but never hide.

Would they surrender their image and popularity? They

would lay down their very lives, swap deats with the man

on death row, guilty as hell:

a throne for the electric chair.

With blood and sweat and many tears, with sleepless nights

and fruitless days,

they pray as if it all depends on God and live if it all

depends on them.

Their DNA chooses Jesus

(He breathes out, they beathe in).

Their subconcious sings.

They had a blood transfusion with Jesus.

Their words make demons scream in shoping malls. Don't

you hear them coming?

Herald the wierdos!

Summon the losers and the freaks.

Here come the frightened and forgotten

with fire in their eyes!

They walk, and trees applaud,

skyscrapers bow,

mountains are dwarfed

by these children of another dimension.

Their prayers summon the Hound of Heaven and invoke the

ancient dream of Eden

And this vision will be.

It will come to pass;

It will come easily;

It will come soon.

How do i know?

Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of

the Spirit, the very dream of God.

Tomorrow is His today.

My distant hope is His 3-D.

And my feeble,

whispered,

faithless prayer

invokes a thunderous

resounding,

bone-shaking

great "AMEN!"

from countless angels,

from heroes of the faith.

from Christ Himself.

And He is the original dreamer,

the ultimate winner,

Guaranteed.

Whoa.

2008-04-17T23:17:00.000-07:00

So, big life changes coming my way.
I've been hired at camp, and I'm going to be attending the War College in September of this year. So I'll finally be moved out and on my own, sort of...i guess. I never really pictured myself living in Vancouver, I've never really been a big fan of the big city either. But I know I'm not permanently there, and I'm doing what God is calling me to do.
I'm afraid of leaving. I'm afraid of leaving the corps, the youth group, wild truth all behind. I don't want to leave my friends and family behind, but everyone needs to grow up and leave the nest, right? I'm sure it will be fine, I'm just being dramatic about it. I'm really excited to go and live there and be with my friends and stuff, but I'm scared to leave at the same time, like...I've been in Nanaimo for a good portion of my life, and it's going to be weird to be down in Vancouver for more than a weekend.

i don't know, maybe I'm over thinking things.

Isaiah 40:28

2008-04-14T12:56:00.000-07:00

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will NOT grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom

Isaiah 40:28

right now...

2008-04-14T00:11:00.000-07:00

Count Me In - Leeland

You gave all You had
I didn’t choose You
You chose me first
Even when I turned my back
You still gave Your love
It’s the only thing I want to have

No greater gift than a man to lay down his life
How could I miss this?
I’m not about to pass it up

Count me in
I’m amazed this love is for me, Lord
Count me in
I’m amazed this love is for me, Lord

I’m looking at these plans You have
For me they’re plans of hope and peace
Much bigger than the ones I have
I tried to follow mine
I was going nowhere fast
Your love makes me like David with a stone and sling
Nothing else could bring my life so much meaning

I can’t believe it
I can’t believe it
I can’t believe it

Count me In
Come on, You can count me in, yeah
You can count me in
You can count me in

Come on
Come on
Come on

Reality Check

2008-04-05T00:30:00.000-07:00

earlier today i was reading my bible during my break at work. I'm currently on Hebrews and i read this little bit, and it really gave me a slap in the face.

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened,
who have tasted the heavenly gift,
who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
who have tasted the goodness of the word of God
and the powers of the coming age,
if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance,
because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God
all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
Hebrews 6:4-6

whoa. (talk about intense)

Rebuild, Renew, Restore

2008-03-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 61:4
They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations

Praises to the most high

2008-03-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

*PSALM 148*

Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD from the heavens,
praise him in the heights above
Praise him, all his angels,
praise him, all his heavenly hosts,
Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars,
Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters above the skies.
Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created.
He set them in place for ever and ever;
he gave a decree that will never pass away
Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,
young men and maidens,
old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
He has raised up for his people a horn,
the praise of all his saints,
of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Praise the LORD.

Better is one day...

2008-02-26T22:04:00.000-08:00

My heart and flesh cry out

For You, the Living God
Your Spirit's water for my soul
I've tasted, and I've seen
Come once again to me
I will draw near to You..

Romans 12:1-2

2008-02-22T22:05:00.000-08:00

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, In view of God's mercy,
to offer your bodies as living sacrifices. Holy and pleasing to God.
This is your spiritual act of worship.
Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is.
His good, pleasing and perfect will.

Devastated

2008-02-05T12:34:00.000-08:00

I don't know what to feel. I'm caught in this crappy range of emotion that goes from hysterical, to sad, to angry... Any random thing can make me burst into tears. People ask me to explain, but that just brings everything back to the surface. I want so bad to just forget everything and live my life, but i can't. I have to face this head on, with God by my side. To tell you the truth, i don't know what i'm going to do at night time now.... The thought of not talking to him breaks my heart, and i know that it will never be the same between us again...Like..right now if i were to look at a picture of him i would cry. I just want it to end, i just want everything to be ok. Thinking that im not that person to him anymore just tears me apart inside. I want to be with him. I want to be his first call. But I'm not. and it hurts.

well, i guess i've learned that tear ducts never empty.

Sound Of Melodies

2008-01-30T22:12:00.000-08:00

Sound Of Melodies - Leeland

We who were called to be Your people
Struggling sinners and thieves
We’re lifted up from the ashes
And out came the song of the redeemed
The song of the redeemed
The song of the redeemed

Can you hear the sound of melodies
Oh, the sound of melodies
Rising up to You
Rising up to You, God
The sound of melodies
Oh, the sound of melodies
Rising up to You
Rising up to You, God

We have caught a revelation
That nothing can separate us from
The love we received through salvation
It fills your daughters and your sons
Your daughters and your sons

The sound of Your love
The sound of Your love
Is what You’re hearing
The sound of Your sons
The sound of Your sons
You’ve won Your children
The sound of Your love
The sound of Your love
Is what You’re hearing
Your daughters in love
Your daughters in love
You’ve won your children

Every time i listen to this song, they holy spirit fills be with this....Joy, happiness that i just cant seem to keep quiet. I just love this song a freakin' lot.

This City Could Be Ours By Nightfall...

2008-01-27T21:20:00.000-08:00

Our first dangerous service of the year was tonight, and i have to say it was the best we've done so far. Even though only like...10 people showed up it was still amazing. I was talking to some of the newer youth that have never been to dangerous or full circle or anything like that, and they were raving about how awesome it was and how they can't wait for the next one, which i was really stoked about. Oh, and Shawn couldn't even talk in the car because he was in so much shock. The Holy spirit was in the house! Praise Yahweh! Praise the Lord most high! Hallelujah! Hosanna in the highest!

In the midst of all of this excitement tonight something really dawned on me...
we're going to be o.k...

Carlye gets to see Josh in....

2008-01-23T13:39:00.000-08:00

11 Days!