Personality ooh! Personality aah!

My Personality Profile Crystal Tieszen:. You are elegant, withdrawn, and brilliant. Your mind is a weapon, able to solve any puzzle. You are also great at poking holes in arguments and common beliefs. For you, comfort and calm are very important. You tend to thrive on your own and shrug off most affection. You prefer to protect your emotions and stay strong.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Apart

Jon left for work last night. He will be working in Sasktoon this summer & I will be working in Regina.
We took this picture on our balcony before he left.
It turned out great!

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You'd never know he left just 5 minutes after this picture was taken. It doesn't really feel like he's gone yet. Maybe that is because he'll be home tomorrow for the weekend! For the past 3 years Jon has been leaving for school before I wake up and coming home just in time for me to go to bed... so the only real change is that he's not within arms reach at night. I miss the kisses that he would give me while I slept before he would leave our apartment in the mornings. You know the little ones that they like to plant everywhere but your mouth! I'd wake up just enough to feel his love for me. I think it is so wonderful that God gives us precious little memories like these to keep us connected when we're apart!

Never Again!

On Wednesday the 4th of May, 2006 at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 in the morning, the time and date will be:

01:02:03 04/05/06

This will never happen again in our lifetime!!

New Arrival

I'm an Auntie again!
Sarah Elma Mae Dennis

arrived on April 21st at 1:10am

weighing in at 8lbs 15oz and 21 inches long.

I just wanted to show her off to you all!

Miss Piggy

Crystal Tieszen, You are a total princess and diva, totally in charge - even if people don't know it. You want to be loved, adored, and worshiped. And you won't settle for anything less. You're going to be a total star, and you won't let any of the "little people" get in your way.

Articles by Albert Kienle

I wanted to share these articles with you. Albert Kienle is a member of my church and I through you might enjoy his opinions.

CARTOON CONTROVERSY(by Albert Kienle – used with permission)

I believe in freedom of speech and religious freedom and we should not allow threats of violence to censor these freedoms. Threats and intimidation do not justify a decision not to publish the cartoons. However I believe that respect for the deep beliefs of others and an intention not to offend do. No right is absolute and with a right comes the responsibility to exercise a right prudently. Self-censorship based on principle is a mark of civility.

In a society that claims to be respectful of diversity, freedom must include self-restraint and openness to understanding what is sacred to others. While freedom of speech may include offensive speech, freedom is not strengthened by slandering others.

The Christian faith profoundly shaped our Canadian culture and provided the very foundation for the affirmation of the equal dignity of all persons upon which freedom of religion, expression and conscience are rooted. We need a more mature liberty. ~ Albert Kienle


CARTOON CONTROVERSY 2(by Albert Kienle – used with permission)

A cartoon depicting Jesus giving oral sex to a pig and published in the University of Saskatchewan's weekly paper The Sheaf, has offended many, including university students. Other cartoons, movies and paintings depicting Jesus as married, a homosexual or tormented makes you wonder whether Muslims are over the top or Christians are too timid. If Christians were to take to violence over, say, the new DaVinci Code movie, we would be seen as crazy. But it is as heretical as The Last Temptation of Christ.

Paul Marshall, a scholar on the issue, says it is a myth that Islam prohibits visual portrayals of the prophet and details the places where portraits of Muhammad can be found across the Muslim world. No, the problem is rather the linking of the image of the prophet with violence. And that is the same problem I have with linking Jesus with gross immorality, making Him less than the sinless Saviour.

The media outlets that have refused to publish the Muhammad cartoons based on the argument of their respect for religion must be applauded but we must remind them of their stance if they air material that is offensive to Christians. ~Albert Kienle

Riley Armstrong Concert

I want to introduce you to a fantastic artist.
Perhaps you have already heard of and enjoy his music.

Riley Armstrong

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Riley In Concert at the Regina Apostolic Church March 15, 2006

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Mr & Mrs Riley Armstrong after the Concert

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Riley and his crazy new fans (Sean, Riley, Jon, Crystal)

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Jon & I really enjoyed this concert. We were pleased to hear a local band "The Finding" who warmed up the stage for Riley. "The Finding" is Brandon Carter, Scott Sims, Jon Maat and Sean Ward. I must say that I also appreciated the work of Devin Furgeson who was at the amplification controls.

Riley was solo that night, but you wouldn't know it! His dynamic personality, great stage skill and abilities made up for it all. In fact, he was his own 1 man band. I am not talking about tracks here people!

Anyway. Whether it was his fetish for creating crazy t-shirts or how much he looked like Bernard - he captured our hearts .

Check him out!

Stress Reducer

I received this helpful list from my sister this week. My family is currently under alot of stress as we have found out that my grandfather has stomach cancer, among other things. I am so thrilled that our God reveals Himself in the midst of our struggles.

enjoy.

WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip mall problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favourite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus."

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.


"If God is for us, who can be against us?"(Romans 8:31)

Early Morning

Good Morning!

I have had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with my sister in the past two days. She lives in Moose Jaw so I don't see her much. For those of you who know her she is getting married this summer at Cornerstone Church! So needless to say we spend the last two night going over wedding details, creating invitations and countless other things to do with weddings. It was really nice.

When you grow up and move out of your parents house and your siblings do the same it feels really good to have a sleepover every now and then. You get to laugh and enjoy each other.
That is my good thought for today!

Game Of Tag

I was tagged by Karina. I didn’t know what this meant… so I had to do some background research. I have discovered that someone (who thought they were smart/funny) decided to come up with a series of questions that required 7 answers… and then ‘tag’ 7 friends to do the same. So it’s kind of like a chain letter… with no bad luck threats at the end. I decided to do it because I 1)didn’t want to disapoint Karina and 2) enjoyed reading what others had written and thought you might too!

ready? set? go!

7 Things I would like to do before I die:
1. Live in Italy
2. Bear at least 3 children with Jon
3. Tour Noth America with the Jon Tieszen Band
4. Cut my own record
5. See U2 front row
6. Wear a bikini
7. Visit every country in the world.

7 things I can’t do (yet) :
1. Snowboard
2. Ski down a Black Diamond
3. Jazz improvise on piano
4. Leave my desk without getting someone to babysit the phones
5. Get up when my alarm rings
6. Hang my clothes up before I go to bed
7. Brush & floss my teeth every day.

7 things that attract me to blogging:
1. I feel like I get to spend time with old friends when I read their blog
2. People can catch a glimpse (a small one at this point) of how my life has been lately.
3. I get to post pictures of my hot husband Jon.
4. Getting responses to your posts compares to getting mail at bethany. It puts a smile on your face and you find yourself checking your blog 10 times a day!
5. It’s an opportunity to say what I truly feel.
6. Sometimes blogging about your life can actually help you to clarify how you feel about life. (deep I know)
7. It's fun!

7 things I say most often:
1. Good Morning/Afternoon Regina Apostolic Church
2. Hi ____, Line One is for you
3. Jon (in a variety of ways)
4. I love you
5. Shut-Up
6. laughter (I know it’s not something you say… but I laugh a lot)
7. That’s All I’m Saying

7 books I love:
Please note: I haven’t read anything but the Bible, textbooks and ministry development books since before Bethany.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Sad I know… but I made up for it in the next one!

7 movies I watch over and over:
1. The Pink Pather
2. A Shot In The Dark
3. The Return Of The Pink Panther
4. Pink Pather Strikes Again
5. The Revenge Of The Pink Panther
6. Robots
7. The Princess Bride
8. The Incredibles
9. The Count Of Monte Cristo
10. Lord Of The Rings Trilogy


7 people I want to join in too (you been tagged!)
1. Jolly John (I noticed that you hadn’t done it yet so you’re tagged twice!)
2. Alberto J
3. Jen Bueckert
4. Jimi Law
5. Simon Friesen
6. Naomi Wood
7. YOU – you’re it! (that’s right you know you want to!)

Celebrate Good Times, Come'on

Jon & I decided to celebrate last Friday. We had a lot of really good things to celebrate. First, Jon had finished his exams on Thursday! Hooray! Only 3 semesters left! I now have him to myself until Jan 5th, 2006. Second, my good friend Lori had been clean for over 2 weeks and had just completed Detox! We invited her along to celebrate with us. Another reason to celebrate was that I have finally been at my job officially for 1 year! Which means that I can take holidays! Which brings me to my fourth (but not final) reason.... Holidays! I have almost two glorious weeks off over the holidays. I haven't had that much time off for a long time, and we are going to make good use of it! We are traveling to Saskatoon for Christmas. We will be staying at my parents place for all of you who are interested... If you don't remember the number is 477-2648, so feel free to give us a call! We will be in town from Friday, Dec 23rd to Tuesday, Dec 26th. Then we will jet over to Jon's grandma's in Norquay for a bit and finish our holiday in Brandon, MB. My sister Jennifer just bought a house there so we will be helping her family pack and move into their new home! I have not celebrated my birthday with my family for a long time either so that will be fun! Our tradition of glow bowling will be resurrected this NewYears! There is so much to celebrate. And this is how we did it!

That's Hot!

Oh, my sweet Wesley. What have I done?

Some of you might not get the connection right away. And in fact I don't know why we all decided to change our haircolor, but it sure was fun!

Jon, Lori & Crystal

Lori went from blonde to brunette. Jon went from Dark Brown to Blonde. Crystal went from reddish to RED! I think that we were sitting in Detox visiting Lori on day last week and she reminded me that I needed to do her hair again. Darker... much darker she said. I can't remember the conversation but somehow the idea for Jon to go Blonde came up and it stuck! I have a bit more work to do on him but for a first try it came out ok. I wonder what the family will say! We certainly had a lot of comments at The Ap this weekend! Trust me... we didn't do it for shock value! Jon actually said the next morning "I think we should change it back." His reason was (as he looked in the mirror with his hair down and all frizzy) that it looked "unprofessional". I gently suggested that he do his hair before we made a final decision to turn it back to brown. He did and the above is the result! Doesn't he look Hot! Yes, yes he does!

Seriously though, we have so much to celebrate this season. This is the time of year that we celebrate our Lord and Savior's birth! It doesn't mean that December 25th was Jesus' actual birthday, the purpose of this season is to take time to remember Him. Jesus Christ, The Lamb of God. There was a holy presence in the stable on the eve of His birth.

"The celebration began many years ago and at first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that Christ had done for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration. Year after year dinner tables are set with delicious foods, pastries, and decorations. There are many, many beautifully wrapped gifts, none of which are gifts that are offered to Him. He is not given thanks. Not even acknowledged in our festivities as the guest of honor!

Every year it gets easier to forget. Children only remember the food, the gifts, the parties but not Jesus, not the reason for the celebration. I would like you to recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago God came to this world to give his life for you on the cross, to save you.

He died and lived for you, and you should lay down your lives for each other. Pursue peace with all people and be holy – without which you will not see Him. Be sanctified – set apart and totally given over to God.

You are all on a quest for security and happiness. The more knowledge you acquire, the less wisdom you seem to have. The more economic security you gain, the more boredom you generate. The more worldly pleasure you enjoy, the less satisfied and contented you are with life.

You search and search and find a little peace here and a little pleasure there – but nothing is permanent and satisfying. So, your search continues, yet his presence is always there.

The happiness you long for, which brings enduring worth to life is not the superficial happiness that is dependent on circumstances. The happiness for which your soul aches, is one undisturbed by success or failure, one which will root deeply inside of you and give you inward relaxation, peace and contentment no matter what the surface problems may be.

That kind of happiness cannot be found in worldly experiences. That kind of happiness comes through Christ. If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink." adapted from "Jesus" by David D'Silva.

Merry Christmas to you, I hope and pray that you find the reason that we celebrate. That you would find Jesus in the smiles of your family and friends. That you would know Joy, Hope and Love this Christmas Season! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Joy to the World, All the boy's and girls!

Mondays! Today was a typical back to work Monday. I am starting to get a cold... so I didn't sleep very well last night, in fact if felt as though I did not sleep at all! I awoke with my husband's cry "What?!? It's 8:15am? I thought I set the alarm! I did set the alarm! Why didn't it go off?" Yes, a typical Monday. It doesn't help that we are both sick. I am a little less sympathetic towards him when I feel just as horrible. I did make it work on time and the day just got better and better. I say that because at 10pm tonight I feel JOY! Hence the title of this blog. In the midst of my day God gave me joy! In came in waves. I was so blessed when I received a phone call out of the blue this morning. One of our Pastor's wives called just to see how I was doing, you see she felt it on her heart that something wasn't right. I told her that I was getting sick. In the most amazing motherly way she began to comfort me, and encourage me. She brought a special care package to my desk this afternoon with all the motherly home remedies that she could think of to make me feel better! I am so loved and cared for! My husband came by my desk a little later and the two of us had a good laugh at how horrible we felt. You may think us strange, but sometimes it is fun to pout and share about all the little things that are hurting on your body and to hear someone say a sympathetic "yeah?"... and then to switch roles and become the comforter. I just couldn't help but laugh at my husband as he scrunched up his face and gave a little pout when he told me how his day had been. I felt like he was 8 years old. That moment gave me joy today! After work was finished I was looking not really looking forward to Kickin'Kardio... the best workout program in the city. Thank the Lord that I was the only one in the class... so we decided to just workout harder tomorrow! JOY! JOY! JOY! You may think that my day was done at this... but if you know me, you know that my day has just begun! Jon & I were able to accomplish a part of our project this week (The Christmas Banquet). I was just excited that we had one less thing to do on Wednesday night! JOY! Finally I was able to just sit, relax and do my monthly craft at Craft'n'Chat! This month we happened to make a wreath with the word JOY in the middle. Now, I have attended this craft night before... and to be honest you are so busy with the craft trying to get done by 9pm so that you can take it home finished and not have to worry about it ... sitting there... waiting for you to complete it.. that you don't really have time to Chat. Well tonight I was able to sit with the secretary that I work with, Marci, her sister and a few other friends. I had such a good time. Even though we were busy doing our Christmas Craft we had fun banter and laughter! We even sang a few Christmas songs as we painted and crafted our way to completion. As I finished my craft I sat back and just felt bursting with Joy. Joy for the coming Christmas Season where we remember our Lord and Savior's birth. Joy for friends and family that I have a chance to spend time with in the next few weeks! Joy for Christmas Shopping and the hustle and bustle that is the mall on the day before Christmas! Joy for a co-worker that I enjoy spending time with outside of 9-5. Joy because of the coming events that I get to take part in (Christmas Banquet, Choir Productions, Tree-trimming parties, Christmas By Candlelight, New Years Eve Bash). Most of all the JOY of knowing Jesus Christ as my Lord & Savior as He is my Hope and my Salvation. Merry Christmas to all of you. My prayer is that you would experience the Joy of the Lord!

Beautiful Snow

Today is a marvelous day! It has been snowing ever since I woke up this morning! I love white snow! The only thing that I am concerned about is getting out of my parking spot! My husband Jon biked to school this morning! He is fearless!

Each day regardless of the weather he gets on his gear and treks his way through the snow, rain, heat and business of Regina so that he can study! I am so proud of him! Jon is currently in his third year of Environmental Health Science at the UofR. It is hard to believe that we have been living in Regina for over two years! It seems like just yesterday that we were moving into our new home we had purchased in Saskatoon! I have to say though that so much has happened since we have been in the Queen City that it is hard to believe that it has ONLY been two years!

Today is also a marvelous day because Jon & I were able to sleep in Friday, Saturday and Sunday! I don't remember a weekend that we didn't have something planned on Saturday morning or when we didn't go to Church on Sunday... but this weekend we were able to spend much needed quality time together! In fact Jon got so much sleep that he woke up earlier than I did on Saturday... and after a while came into the bedroom cuddled up next to me and said... "Are you awake yet? ... because I'm bored!" It seems like life has just been 'happening' lately... and we haven't been able to enjoy it to the fullest like we need to!

This marvelous day is even more marvelous because today is the first day in months where I haven't had to think about the ICIN conference or the Youth Retreat! They are both officially over! O Happy Day! I am able to start fresh at my desk this glorious Monday morning with nothing to do but look ahead to new projects! I love my job... but sometimes it is nice to be finished with events and move on to the next one! It's great because nothing is happening until Christmas now... so I can spend some time catching up on those 'eventual to do' projects!

Well my lunch break is at an end. Until next time may the Glory of the Lord be upon you!

Who Am I

I am Crystal Tieszen, wife of Jonathan Tieszen. Receptionist by job destcription. Worshiper by passion. Artist by gifting. Visual Artist by desire.