Me, the delinquent poster

Sorry for the long delay in posting. I have a good excuse, I got married. That's right, I have a new name, a new husband, a new home, but I feel pretty much the same. It is kind of like having a birthday, do you really feel a whole year older on the anniversary of your birth? Probably not.

I do, however, love the benefits of this fledgling marriage. I get to come home every day to my best friend. Arno is so handy around the house (he'll laugh when he reads this even though it's how I really think of him). He is compassionate, thoughtful, and is so gracious in correcting me if I'm being bad. Like the time I wanted to get mad at a cab driver and explain to the driver why I wasn't going to give him a tip while on our honeymoon in Hawaii. You'll have to ask if you want more detail. I will say this, Arno is so good for me.

Here are some photos from our honeymoon. We got married August 11 and honeymooned on Oahu, HA. It was two weeks of cocooned bliss, I didn't want to go home. We even got to stay an extra day because Air Canada had overbooked the flight and asked us to volunteer our seats. They gave us $600 US travel vouchers, a hotel, meal vouchers, and transportation costs for the extra day. What a gift! It happened to coincide with my birthday. I choose to believe that God gave me this birthday gift and I'm so grateful, it was an awesome "bonus" day.


Arno and I at the Polynesian Cultural Center. We had the weirdest feeling we were being watched when we posed for this. (sorry... that was a bad joke)

A photo of "Buffet 100" located in the Ward Center shopping mall. This dessert bar looks good doesn't it? Wait, you'll have to take a closer look. (see below photo)

Notice anything odd about this ice cream topping bar? That's right my friends there are 3 bowls of twizzlers, and double sets of twix, goldfish, pretzels, alpha bits, and raisins. The whole buffet was like this.

Don't worry, I have better photos somewhere.

Mining the earth vs. resting and listening to God's voice

Have you ever had a heavy heart and sensed God wanted to tell you something significant? That is where I am this season so I am taking a couple of days this week to retreat, process, wait, and listen. Please pray that God will open my eyes and ears so I can receive what he will say.

I am currently reading, chronologically, through the bible and am in Job. I was reading Job 28 and the words leapt out of the page at me and spoke to my spirit. A big part of my heart resonates with this book these days. It is the oldest book penned in the bible and it tells the story of a heavenly contest taking place in the life of one man on earth. It asks the question, "why is there suffering" and it confirms God's sovereignty (chapter 38 is amazing when God shows up to speak directly to Job).

I like Job, he was a good man. In chapter 28 he affirms God's character; he's still in his journey of questioning God as to "why" is there suffering and injustice and holds fast in affirming that God's very essence is just. Job is strong enough in his faith (and love) for the Father to know that even though he is hurting God is good, trustworthy, and just. He pushes harder into searching God's heart and voice for answers - his pain drives him there.

Then Job launches into a word picture of man's futile quest for understanding. It is a picture of a man mining "the farthest recesses for ore in the blackest darkness." Man searches the isolate dark places grappling, digging, and feeling his way to find this raw material of understanding that it might be smelted into wisdom. It is mined through isolation, endurance, sweat, frustration, and brought into the light to be examined.

But what he is searching for is not found. Wisdom is not hidden in the roots of mountains. Wisdom is not mined through our toil on earth or stumbled upon in its purest state. It cannot be found in the dust under our feet, in depths of the sea, or in the stars above. Even the spirit of death doesn't know where it is.

“But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell? Man does not comprehend its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living.
The deep says, 'It is not in me'; the sea says, 'It is not with me.' It cannot be bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed in silver."

"Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds of the air. Destruction and Death say, 'Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.' God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters, when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm, then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it and tested it. And he said to man, 'The fear of the Lord--that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.'"

"But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?"God has given me (all of us) the path to wisdom; it is only through fearing him. "The fear of the Lord-- that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding."

When I go away this week pray that I will be wide open, trusting, and ready to receive God's wisdom. Pray that I will be prepared to act on anything he tells me to do. I want to follow his path and not lean on my own understanding. I do not want to spend my days grappling in vain for answers like a fool. Rather, I want to demonstrate my fear of God by trusting in his plans established by His sovereign vision. Today, I do not see the path in front of me, I do not know where to turn... but He does.

Hitting the jet stream

I'm back from my mission trip and there is about a month left until Arno and I get married. It was so good to come home to him, I'm really looking forward to time together after the wedding and my moving in is finished. I've come to realize that I'm a nester. Ever since I got back I've felt this need to be settled, no longer transient, and I wander around our house setting it up with joy.

These days I can be found wandering around, unpacking boxes, setting out kitchen bric-a-brac, doing loads of laundry and putting linens away,it feels good. I think that organizing our new house somehow helps me reorder my busy mind.

I haven't posted for a while because I'm not feeling like myself at all. I think I'm adjusting to being back home and wrapping my head around what needs to get done for the wedding, for our house, for work, for my relationships. I sometimes feel like there are too many balls to juggle - but I'm not complaining because I'm grateful I have so many good things to steward. I'm just challenged right now because every one of them needs some sort of significant attention these days and I'm having a hard time engaging with them. I'm learning to relax in areas and events I can't control.

Maybe God is preparing me for motherhood later. Ha! Don't worry, Arno and I are in NO rush.

Speaking of motherhood, my sister had her baby, Andrew, the day I left. He is easy, happy, and healthy.
This is me holding Andrew. Amazing. What a great treat to come home to.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

So I'll be out of the country for six weeks and I'll be back mid June...
I'm going on a mission project to a country I can't disclose. And here are some prayer requests if you think to pray.

1. pray for safety in travel for the group I'm going with.
2. pray for God to stir the hearts of people we'll be sharing the gospel with.
3. pray that the people who come to faith in Christ through our witness would root deeply in their faith and enter discipleship relationships, with the long term ministry we have in country, right away.
4. pray that the people we would introduce to Jesus would become spiritual mulitipliers - that God would raise them up to ministry in their country and that they would be sent to other countries to the West of them to share the gospel.

personal prayer requests
1. My sister just had a little boy the day I left for this project. His name is Andrew James Peter Johnson and he isn't doing well. He is five weeks premature and isn't eating well, he is also having some trouble breathing properly on his own. Pray for my sister's emotional and physical health as well as the health of my little nephew. I'll post photos when I get home :)
2. pray for Arno and I while I'm on project... six weeks is a long time to be apart before we take the plunge and get hitched.
3. pray for wisdom and discernment as I disciple the girls in my team, pray for a deep community to build between us!

I'm excited to go on this project and will post some photos when I get back. I didn't bring my digital camera and am taking disposable cameras with me instead so the quality might be the pits but at least I've tried right?

Deep Thoughts... even deeper memories.

Here's a little Jack Handy for you...

Fear can sometimes be a useful emotion. For instance, let's say you're an astronaut on the moon and you fear that your partner has been turned into Dracula. The next time he goes out for the moon pieces, wham!, you just slam the door behind him and blast off. He might call you on the radio and say he's not Dracula, but you just say, "Think again, bat man."

If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.

I love this kind of humour, the kind that preys upon one's gullible side. I love how he draws you into believing a brilliant idea is about to unfold only to find out you've been led into a dead end or even a wall of confusion... after reading the top "deep thought" you could ask yourself "what does bat man have to do with Dracula and why are they both on the moon?"

So Jack Handy might be funny but I am convinced that my brother, Jordan, is quite possibly one of the funniest people I've ever known. Even as a child he was so cunning with his subversive wit that he would leave adults wondering if he could have possibly known the complexity of how he made them laugh/got under their skin. He was, and is, a complete social animal.

One time Jordan and I were sitting in a Mexican transit bus with a bunch of terrified tourists - terrified because the ramshackle "bus" was tearing down the road like it was stolen. Jordan seized the opportunity to play his game of social confusion while he had the full attention of every silent wide-eyed person at the back. His game went like this, be friendly and talk loud with someone (me) and deliberately make mistakes in names, places, celebrities, and events. Also, mix up well-known celebrities with other well-known celebrities as you dialogue. (choosing to interchange people that kind of look like each other i.e. Sonny Bono with Ringo Starr) Watching the faces of people trying their hardest not to interrupt and correct his PAINFULLY obvious flaws was enough to fill our humor tanks for a while. Some of them would turn and wriggle in their seats just dying to correct him, others would look really close at his face wondering how someone could be such an... idiot? We did this the whole one hour bus trip. And, we actually made friends with a few of them too, I think they felt sorry for us. That was my second favorite Mexican memory.

Myers Briggs and personality tests...

My friend across the pond likes these tests and I do too... Hey, if you do them then leave a comment and tell me what you tested as!

You Are An ENTP

The Visionary You are charming, outgoing, friendly. You make a good first impression. You possess good negotiating skills and can convince anyone of anything. Happy to be the center of attention, you love to tell stories and show off. You're very clever, but not disciplined enough to do well in structured environments. You would make a great entrpreneur, marketing executive, or actor.

What's Your Personality Type?

You Are Lightning

Beautiful yet dangerous People will stop and watch you when you appear Even though you're capable of random violence You are best known for: your power Your dominant state: performing

What Type of Weather Are You?

Mmmm... Random violence hey? (he he he... maniacle laughter)

You Are a Marble Cake

Eclectic, inventive, and peaceful. You are never willing to accept what's "normal." You live to push the envelope. You find it hard to make up your mind. You prefer to have everything you want, right away!

What Kind of Cake Are You?

It's like magic, how do they know these things? I feel so exposed. I'm even wearing something today that looks like marble cake, one girl said to me, "hey you look delicious, just like a marble cake." Well, that isn't actually true.

What Your Soul Really Looks Like

You are quite expressive and thoughtful. You see the world in a way that others are blind to. You are a grounded person, but you also leave room for imagination and dreams. You feet may be on the ground, but you're head is in the clouds. You see yourself with pretty objective eyes. How you view yourself is almost exactly how other people view you. Your near future is calm, relaxing, and pretty much what you want. And it's something you've been anticipating for a while now. For you, love is all about caring and comfort. You couldn't fall in love with someone you didn't trust.

Inside the Room of Your Soul

You Are Miss Piggy

A total princess and diva, you're 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. Just remember, piggy, never eat more than you can lift!

The Muppet Personality Test

Hey, I thought I was Marble Cake, or that inner room that was so grounded and peaceful.

Do tests... tell me what you are!

Spring, the ring, and a funny photo

Spring is cutting through the cold here in Edmonton, and winter is slowly dying... the groundhog has come and gone, and snowdrifts are melting into pools too treacherous to navigate in high heels. It's officially rubber boot season. But enough of the weather report. Guess what?!

I got my ring! Arno's official proposal was awesome. He had my brother, Jordan, pick me up under the guise of going for coffee with me, I had no idea what the day had in store. Jordan told me that before we hit a coffee shop that we'd have to stop off at Central Baptist Church so he could get some tithing envelopes before Sunday's service. I didn't think anything suspicious was going on.

So Jordan and I waltzed into the church and I made some random comment about how nice the new tile looked in the foyer. Jordan segued into, "you should see what they did to the sanctuary Tiff." He motioned for me to follow him. As Jordan opened the door I could see Arno standing at the far wall of the sanctuary just in eyeshot from the door. I was so surprised; my body drew quiet as my mind started to race with excitement. "Stay in this moment Tiffany, you'll want to remember this," I told myself. He was wearing his suit, a red tie, a bowler hat and he was holding a big bouquet of lavender tulips.

His hand quaked a little as he pulled out the blue velvet box and got on one knee, all I could do was stand there smiling dumbly... He asked me to marry him, I said (squealed) "yes", and he slipped the ring on my finger, both of our hands shaking just slightly.

You see, this church was the first place we met when we were the tender age of sixteen. We had no idea that day, sitting nervously beside each other on a Central Baptist pew, that we would grow to complete each other. What a story.

Tiffany and Arno giddy and cooing over eachother in the foyer of the Central Baptist Church. Wednesday, February 28th, 2007











After the proposal Arno took me to his house and we had fondu that he had prepared for me! What a man.


A few nights later we were goofing off at my house. How did we arrive at the idea of putting a stocking on our heads you ask? Well, that evening I had supper with my friend Amy Bassili, she grew up in a house that encouraged a culture of scaring people. Amy told a story about a time when one of her roommates ran into her room at three in the morning wearing a stocking on her head...
I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long, long, time. Every time I look at this stupid photo, waves of laughter start all over again...

It's official, I'm engaged!

Okay, okay, okay... I know six months ago I was adamant on not getting married but I'm allowed to change my mind. I know what you are thinking, "what in the world could change this spinster's determined heart?" The gushy answer is the gift of love walking in the form of a man named Arno. Arno asked me to marry him this January 13th and I, doe-eyed and grinning, squealed "yes." So it is official, we are getting married!

I'm looking forward building a life with Arno, we share the same values and I know he will make the best husband for me and the best father for our children. I am convinced that God fashioned us for eachother and I'm looking forward to this gift of marriage. I'm curious what kinds of changes await us down this road, what kinds of experiences we'll share, and what ways I'll have to change that I don't even see right now. I'm excited for it all, all the highs, all the lows, and all the time I'll have with him.

These past few months have been busy, kind of like a hurricane, and I am relishing every moment. Do you remember those 80's game shows where they would put a contestant in a plexi-glass wind tunnel and then shoot money at them and they had to grab as much as they could in a few seconds of time? This engagement season/second semester has been kind of like that and not in a frantic sort of way but in a joy-filled way. There is a lot to do in just a few months, all of which is fun, but the timeline makes this season intense. I don't want to miss a thing.

Here is what is happening by April 27 (the date I leave the country, I get back mid June)
- all wedding details/invitations wrapped up
- I have to move before I leave (my things either go to storage or to our house if it is completed) - I have to support raise for this next year and my trip
- I have to wrap this year up well and prepare student leaders for the upcoming fall semester
- Arno and I are going through pre-marital counseling
- Arno is selling his house and moving whenever our house is done (probably while I'm gone)
I'm looking forward to seeing how God will accomplish all of this because I know we can't do it ourselves.

Here is a list of facts to answer some FAQ's...
1. Yes, we are engaged.
2. The date is set for August 11, 2007.
3. Wedding colors are wine and lilac (like that little tidbit is important in the giant scope of eternity...)
4. Yes, I am staying on with campus ministry, I love it and am looking forward to next year.
5. Yes, I am still going to East Asia this spring.
6. Arno is not in the campus ministry, he works at the airport doing flight plans for air traffic controllers.
7. Yes, Arno speaks German and I do not.
8. Yes, Arno has a soul bigger than the ocean; we share a heart of compassion and service.
9. We are both bad dancers and plan on curing this by taking dancing classes.
10. Yes, we will both be attending my church Terwillegar Community Church...
11. Arno races mountain bikes, I do not (he's really good. If I tried to participate with him I would only keep him back.)
12. All the bigger things for the wedding are done. Church, pastor, reception, my dress, my bridesmaids dresses, the photographer... are all finished. My mother has helped us do everything, she's awesome.
13. Yes, Arno and I will have an open house at some point (not in the near future).



Natalie, my beautiful pregnant sister, and I found wedding dresses at Sposabella in West Ed. This is also where I've purchased my wedding dress (a photo I will not post yet). Nat is my matron of honor, and I am having my friends Amy Bassili and Maureen Spivak also stand up for me. I opted for bridesmaid dresses that have a separate skirt and top by Alfred Sung. They are chiffon and I chose a cranberry/wine color for all of them. All three girls got to choose their own top while all the skirts will stay the same a-line cut, they will be stunning. Here is what Natalie chose for her dress.