Renae Plett: A Short History

well I was thinking today as I was painting that I feel like I've done so many different things over the years and been in so many different places that I find it hard to keep track of myself never mind other people keeping track of me (if any do). It never fails that when i go somewhere like church or meet someone out and about that somebody will come up to me and ask me where I am living now or what I am doing....after about 10 years of this it gets tiring trying to answer. It's tiring partly becuase I dont know half the time what my next move is, mostly becuase i have so many thoughts about what to do that I can't pinpoint anything. Believe me this gets tiring on its own, never mind all of the people asking...I ask myself everyday and tire myself out!! I thought just for kicks I would recap my post high school years on my blog and look for trends and consistencies and also maybe just see where God was working and possibly get a glimpse of where He is taking me next. So whether this list is for you the reader or me the writer, i'm not sure, but here it is:

1997: graduate from Heritage Christian School in Calgary
1997/98: paint
1999: Student at Caperwray Bible School New Zealand
2000: Staff at Capernwray doing office assistant work and Adventure Bible School leadership/food prep
2001: paint
2001-2003: Student at Red Deer College - Kinesiology: adapted physical education
2003: paint
2003/04: Student at Alberta Institute of Massage
2004: Work as a massage therapist / take pilates training in Ottawa
2005/06: massage therapy/ pilates instruction and training/ Instruct anatomy and physiology at massage school
2007: massage/pilates/instructing A&P /  Missions to Kenya for 3 months
2008: paint
2009: missions to Paraguay for a month
2008-2010: Student at Thompson Rivers University - Adventure Guiding & Management
2010: paint / Student at Canadian University College - Adventure Based Counselling

So here I am in 2010 with all of this behind me. It's been great! I have really enjoyed everything I have done and look forward to what is ahead. Currently I am painting (it seems to be the recurring theme) and I am going to school for Adventure Based Counselling. What is this you ask? good question. Well, It involves using adventure activities as a counseling format. Instead of typical sit in an office type counseling, it would be taking people outdoors and working through issues via using the activities and what they may metaphorically or directly bring forth. For example: A couple needs to work on communication. Put these two people in a canoe together and give them a task. During and after there are certain things that need to be talked through and a goal can be accomplished in the end. Much for fun than sitting inside right?? I think it could work...what about you? 

There are days when I still ask myself if I am on the right track; heading in the right direction...days when I'm not happy, not satisfied, unsettled and discontent...maybe I'm impatient, but more likely it is those days I am not trusting and resting in the one I know who leads with purpose and a plan unique to me. :)

Dress and Hair

 Beautiful Bridesmaids! Can you believe this is October 9?? It felt like the middle of July (although in Alberta that's not saying much actually) Obviously that guy in the background thought we looked better from the other side :) He's one of the photographers.

How my hair ended up...I like it, but our stylist either had her own agenda or wasn't listening becuase both of us who had her didn't really get what we wanted, although it ended up nice.

Altogether the day was great! A lot of fun with fantastic friends and I was so honored to be a part of the union betwen to amazing people like Blayne and Janell!

Sorry I dont have more pics, this is just to show you what I was wearing :)

letting go

I think I have a habit of holding on to things when I should really just let them go. It's sort of this compulsive fear that If I let it go it will never come back, so I have to just hoard it so I get to keep it, even if its just a possibility of something, and not even reality. Like hoarding the idea, becuase if i don't, it wont come true. This really leads to a lot of worry about things not happening becuase the idea just sits there and nothing ever happens!

From experience, I would advise not doing this....its not fun.

But tonight I expereinced a little bit of letting go and realize that the more I simply give to God the more I'm actually ok with present circumstances and feel free of having to have my own ideas becuase I know there is a master plan. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking of letting go of dreams or ambitions and I still think moving ahead in action towards those dreams is important, but its the release of being chained to them, of thinking life isn't fulfilled without them, and of believing its your own resposibility for making them happen.

Our resposiblity is pretty simple really. Give over responsibility to God. He's got it covered.  

Toddlers Online

This article amazed me! It's a US study, but seeing as we sort of follow our southern neighbours it is probably amost the same in Canada. Kids are growing up having their lives documented in cyberspace. Somehow I sort of think this is an invasion of their privacy and rights. I guess kids have to trust their parents until they choose to put their own voice on the internet, which is happening at a younger and younger age. I mean there is social networking sights for 5 year olds! Yes they are "friendly" but there is no mental strainer when you are that age to know what to put on there or not! I just have such mixed feelings about it all. What do you think?
92% of U.S. Toddlers Have Online Presence

a fresh beginning

I've accepted that I probably wont write here every day, but I feel like my life is taking another turn and there is some new stuff happening so a fresh look and renewed commitment to sharing might actually happen! hopefully!

I guess the newest is that I've started attending Canadian University College in Lacombe Alberta. I like Lacombe...its a small city but retains a cute town feel. I'm in two psychology classes, a sociology class, a history class, and a international health and wildreness first aid class which is great! So far we've mostly talked about bodily excretions due to parasties and bacteria. yum!

Well, more to come....really ;