Christmas 2011

It isn't often that we can say," I had a truly wonderful Christmas"- but this year I can say "I did!". It was looking like it was going to be a rather lonely single Christmas for my sister Kaisha, and my good friend Annette and I, until we came up with the PERFECT PLAN! Let's pool our gifts and get our brother in Vernon and his wife and two kids to come down. So that is exactly what we did with the help of our parents and their willingness to support our wish.

Bryn, Lisa and the kids arrived on December 21 and that is when Christmas began for us. As I was up late the night before their arrival ironing table cloths and getting beds ready, chocolates out, stuffy's in place and special Christmas decorations out- I realized boldly that I am my Mother's daughter.

To enjoy our Christmas Video- see below:

My Mom is an amazing woman, she loves to entertain, cook and make her

home special for those she loves. I found it incredibly exciting and intrinsically rewarding to be able to provide for those I love, each and everyone one of them! Kaisha was just as excited so she was out shopping and getting the extra special ant farm she thought the kids would love- and they did! We were finally in the true spirit of Christmas. It was hard to go to work on the 22nd, but the highlight was I brought Morgan my niece with me for a couple hours in the morning to prepare her present for her parents (she coloured a picture and we ironed it on T-Shirts for her parents).

Each minute of every day, brought with it special memories and moments we will each treasure for a lifetime and beyond. Everyone pitched in, and everyone including the dogs had a great time. From Butterfly Gardens, to Sleep-

Overs with new friends, to special dinners with those we love- we were blessed to experience the true essence of Christmas- Christ Like Love. Yes we bought a few gifts for the kids, but we didn't go crazy and we spent time together, precious time, full of laughs, tears, and joy.

I know that we are son's and daughters of God and he wants us to truly enjoy this life. He wants

us to seek joy and happiness in eachday so we can fill our hearts with love and share that love with others. The Plan of Happiness is simple, live in thanksgiving daily, love your fellowmen, and serve when the means and opportunity present themselves. My heart is full and my love runs deep, I look forward to striving more diligently this year to make a difference

in the lives of all those who come into mine. I want to live my life as a gift to God, just as my parents gift to Kaisha and I this year was a sacrifice for them to give up special time with their loved ones- we too must sacrifice.

May your days ahead be filled with wonder and special moments as you seek to see God's hand in your lives. To my friends- I thank-you for you have done for me!

What Makes My World Go Round?

Life seems to be a bit of a blur these days, between setting goals and travelling more at work, I am finding I need to get grounded. The notion of being grounded seems almost fierce in the context of flying vs. not flying. I am a woman who loves to live life to my fullest and in so doing I go-go-go-go-CRASH! So the hope that getting grounded gives me is that I will put my wheel back in balance. Since June I have been in Washington DC, Costa Rica, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Castlegar, and once again Calgary- I am sure there are a few stops I have missed in between. So needless to say, in so doing I have once again lost Mehgan and what I need to be in touch with balance. So what makes my world go round? These five things: Mental, Spiritual, Physical, Charitable (Service) and Social balance.

Mental

I need to be reading, filling my mind with good works, inspiration and rejuvenation. I have a few great books sitting next to my bed just waiting to be read- oh to making time.

Spiritual

I need to go to church every Sunday, it is my time to get in touch with my maker. To rebuild myself through prayer, study and strengthening my faith. I am a firm believer in the community and safety that my faith provides.

Physical

Taking care of Mehgan, i.e eating right, exercising, and breathing! This is the area I am really struggling with since I have been travelling so much, so I best find a way to make it happen even when I am on the road.

Charitable

When I am serving others, I am strengthened! I love to serve and yet, this is another area that is lacking with my travel schedule. Thank goodness I receive callings from church to serve, or chances are this area of my life would continue to slide.

Social

I need to spend quality time with my friends and family in order to be reminded what really matters. I find the time I spend entertaining or just chilling with the good people around me, is honestly good for my soul!

Balance

So here I am with a road map to balance, so I need to get at it and go to bed- it is way past my bed time, perhaps I should have put SLEEP on the list.

Below you will find a trailer of one of my past trips, I have to say as hard as it is to travel so much for work; however, I really do enjoy my job, because it is there I can help others seek further education and as the Chinese proverb says "If you are planning for a year, sow rice- If you are planning for a decade, plant trees- If you are planning for a life time, educate the people!"

Lessons I am Learning.....

A dear friend from my past reminded me today of this blog, by sharing an entry I had made a couple years ago on Facebook. It was one of those special moments where I was taught by past thoughts. This small but substantial interaction online compelled me to revisit this blog. It also gave me the desire to take the time this evening to share some of the important lessons I have learned recently.

I think all to often we travel down roads we've all ready traveled, roads we continue circling back too because we never found what we were looking for the first time, or never learned the lesson we were meant to learn first time. Over the past few years I have been fortunate enough to experience a number of these occasions- or unfortunate enough depending on the circumstance. In particular, I have learned the power of NOW, the process of being PRESENT, and the constrictions of PRIDE.

The Power of NOW

We are each given moments to act. Moments to reflect and make a decision that will effect the outcome of any given circumstance or situation. I have learned that key to my personal and professional success is my ability to be able to articulate reason and understanding- before the window of opportunity disappears. I will give you an example: I was traveling recently in Washington, DC for work and I came across what appeared to be a woman who was mad at the world. I watched her deal with conflict in a way I was not accustomed to while being somewhat in shock and somewhat intrigued to find out why she reacted the way she did. The more I watched her the more I wanted to interact with her, and of course the opportunity presented itself as she passed by my booth, I stopped her to ask how her day was going. She went on to tell me how unimpressed she was with her decision to participate in the conference (I too was attending) to profile her business. The more we chatted the more I realized my first impression was jaded by my dis-taste for her interaction with others, rather than my ability to seek to understand where she was coming from, her world, her experiences, and her natural abilities. After spending more time which included dinner and a Canuck's game, I believe I am the fortunate one to make a friend who's perspective is not only enlightening but fulfilling and who's abilities were far beyond interacting with prospective clients who may or not take the time to stop by her booth.

We have the power to choose, when to take a leap of faith and bring light or darkness into the life of another individual. We have the choice to be frustrated or find a solution. We are all children of a loving God who desires most to give us peace and happiness- IT IS UP to US to CHOOSE.

The Process of Being Present

I am a firm believer the only way we will truly make a difference in the world, is if we except, that our ability to make a difference starts by small and simple means. When I say that I mean as simple as being present with those we are with. This is one lesson I am learning more at work than anywhere else. I find my battle- is all that I have on my mind ( my mental to-do list) seems to be restrictive when I come face to face with someone I work with who doesn't read my facial expression or 'you lost me look'. Lost me because I just don't have the time or mental capacity to hear you right now- when the conversation has started and now its too late to say can this wait until I am in a better place to be here for you? Let me explain- At home I find it easier to be present because of my love for those I am with- its easier to engaged. At work my struggle is letting go of my mental to-do list in order to seek to understand the person who just needs to talk and needs desperately for me to listen. My commitment is to become a better listener while I seek to understand the speaker. I have also realized, its better to be honest with those you are communicating with- because chances are they can see you are not connecting the dots they are drawing for you anyway. Oh do I ever have a lot to learn! I think I am going to have to travel this road a few more times before I remember the twists and turns.

The Constrictions of Pride

Pride is one of the greatest limitations we can exhibit and hold on to in this life. I have often misunderstood pride and thought of it as a positive thing, i.e to have pride in your work - that's good right? Well it can be if we are not constricted by constructive feedback and alternative solutions to the work we put our name on. I have found that pride is truly the wrong aspiration for me, I want to seek humility and share everything that I do and all that I am. It is my goal to seek to be inclusive rather than exclusive, to earn respect over praise, and to encourage team over self. I don't think any of us will ever be completely free of these limitations; but, we can choose to leave our pride at the door:)

Ok that is it for now- next entry coming soon. MMDHK