My Apologizes

First and Foremost, I am sorry. As a Blogger, I find this as a great resource for expressing my feelings, but sometimes Blogging is like drawing water up from a well. Everyday you send the bucket down the well to get your water, and every day the water level drops. One day as you pull the bucket up, you realize you've drained the well and you've got nothing. That's why I haven't posted in 2 weeks. Not because I think this is a fad, and now I am done with it, but I had nothing new to talk about. Sorry...

So Monday, I went to Dr. Mah, my Dentist, and finished the rest of my root canal. Almost wishing my tooth would have been pulled from all the pain I am in (I was prescribed T3's[Tylenol 3 with Codeine] and told to take 2 per day). T3's can feel really nice once the Codeine has kicked in...lol...however, the side effect of the "high" is dehydration, which means both headaches from not retaining enough water, and constipation. I am a very, very regular guy, sometimes 2-3 times per day. I haven't gone for 2 days. OUCH! Exlax is looking pretty good right now. HA!

What else is new???

We had a great visit with Leslee and Lynton after not seeing them for 4 years...I feel so guilty. Weyburn is a nice quiet city and I don't think I would mind living there. Just not right now...lol

Well that's all I've got...

Until Next Time I Remain,
Joel Sopp

The World's Largest Leprechaun

Happy Birthday to Me,
Happy Birthday to Me,
Happy Birthday Dear Mikeal Joel Patrick Sopp,
Happy Birthday to Me ! ! !

For years, I thought being 6'3", 390 lbs or as I call it Mr. Big and Fat, was something to be ashamed of...
But I have finally found my calling...The World's Largest Leprechaun !

Seriously, I think I fit the bill. I am mischevious, good looking, I have a pot of Gold (not really), I've been known to put back a few, I have half a beard (a goatee), I have glasses, I think I own something green, and I might have a bit of Irish in me...like 1/16 or something...lol

If you have been searching for a Leprechaun your life, here is your chance...Seriously!

N-E-Way, for my B-Day, we are just going out for supper, maybe a drink or two, then home to bed...I am so old and boring...HA!

Well, this has been one of my lamest posts, not that I'll know, becasue of those of you who actually read my Blog, TWO (2) people have commented in the past...Yes I have attention issues...Deal with it.

Until Next Time I Remain,

Joel Sopp

Video Games...You gotta love 'em...Don't you?

Well, well, well...

If it isn't Joel Sopp aka CIBCSlayer...

I just checked my Stats on XBox Live, and I have played 970 games since Nov/09/2005...that is 0.00015463917525773195876288659793814 games per second...or 1.77 games per day...eep!

Each games is about 5-10 minutes long, so an average of 7.5 minutes, so...that means approximately 13% of each day for the last year and a half I have been playing video games...or 3.12 hours a day...but I am not addicted...lol

I love playing games, but more so I love the Friends I have developed over 18 months, from all parts of the globe...

A Shout out to all my Spartans and Elites ! ! !(that's HALO 2 Talk...lol)

Until Next Time I Remain,

Joel Sopp
aka
CIBCSlayer

Can a Root Canal Lead Someone to Salvation ? ? ?

Quite the interesting thought, wouldn't you agree ? ? ?

A Dentist is very much like Jesus Christ. Now, before you call me a Sacreligious Shade from the Pit of Hades, hear me out...

I went to my Dentist today for a check up...my first one in about 6-7 years. As he checked my teeth, he noticed some sensitivity with one tooth in particular. It drew his attention away from the other teeth. When he focused on my tooth, he uncovered a cavity. So he ordered some X-Rays, and Lo, and Behold...an absessed tooth.

"You have a choice, Joel. You can choose to let me help you; I'll be honest...it will be painful and I can only work with what you give me. Or you can give it up forever and you'll never worry about it again. Which will it be?"

Fight to keep what I love so much and make it better then it was, or toss it away in the Trash, and forget it never happened...

I chose to fight. I gave the go ahead, and Dr. David Mah started the procedure of numbing the area as best he could, and then used his unique tools to begin drilling, scraping, scratching, and buffing the diseased area of my tooth to make room for something better. The final dark area was removed and my dentist began the task of creating my new tooth from the inside out. It was a long, and arduous process, and it was painful, but I can now smile without seeing a gap in my pearly whites.

This can be directly related to Christ's offer to us, as sinners.

"You have a choice, Joel. You can choose to let me help you; I'll be honest...it will be painful and I can only work with what you give me. Or you can give it up forever and you'll never worry about it again. Which will it be?"

I chose to fight. I gave the go ahead, and Jesus Christ started the procedure of numbing my heart as best He could, and then used his unique tools of Love, Patience, Tolerance, and Peace to begin drilling, scraping, scratching, and buffing the diseased area of my heart and mind to make room for something better. The final dark area was removed and My Saviour began the task of creating my new life from the inside out. It was a long, and arduous process, and it was painful, but I can now smile without seeing a gap in my path to the Pearly Gates.

When is the last time you looked in the mirror, and were happy with what you saw? Just like regular trips to Dr. Mah will ensure I have a killer smile for as long as possible, so regular time with Jesus will ensure I have an amazing life for the rest of Eternity.

I would recommend a visit to your Dentist from time to time, however, I would recommend talking to Jesus and spending time with Him a little more than once every 6 months.

:{)}

Until Next Time I Remain,

Joel Sopp

P.S. - Here is an article on Dr. Mah. Interesting things you find on the WWWeb.

Family drew him back Dentist returns to Saskatchewan

Intrigued by what big city life might offer and lured by professional opportunities, Dr. David Mah left Saskatchewan 17 years ago to practice dentistry in Calgary. Five years ago, he relocated again – this time to Toronto, Canada’s largest city. This fall, Dr. Mah made another big move. He came home.
Originally from Moose Jaw, Dr. Mah graduated from the University of Saskatchewan’s dentistry school in 1985.
“I practised dentistry in Regina and Moose Jaw for about a year after school. And I grew up here, so moving to Regina feels like a homecoming,” says Dr. Mah.
With family living in Moose Jaw, Regina and Saskatoon, Dr. Mah maintained contact with the province and managed to visit two or three times a year.
“I wanted to move back here for family reasons. I’ve always known that Saskatchewan is a good place to raise a family, and I wanted to raise my 3-year-old daughter in a more secure and caring environment,” he says. “It’s more community oriented here. Everyone looks after each other rather than just looking out for themselves.”
“I also wanted to be closer to family members. It’s great having family around to help raise my family,” he adds.
Dr. Mah says it was just coincidence that he discovered Dr. Deryl Dangstorp was looking for someone to join his Regina practice at the same time he was looking for an opportunity to return to Saskatchewan. Dr. Mah started seeing patients at the Lakeshore Dental Clinic on September 22.
Since moving to Regina in early September, Dr. Mah has enjoyed settling into his new home and seems to have found what he was looking for. “We’ve already been to a block party. This is just what I wanted for my family. Friendly people, diversity and lots of young families. The kind of neighbourhood you want your kids to grow up in,” he says.

Joel's Short Story and Script

OK. I need your help ! ! !

I have always wanted to write, and I think writing Screenplays for Movies would be so much hard work and yet so rewarding.


I am going to post a Short Story, a Poem, and a Mini-Script I wrote, on one condition :

1. You must read all three(3) pieces.
2. You really think about the works, and how you would make each one better (ie.-More or bigger explosions, funny dialogue, more Love, etc...).
3. You must give feedback in the form of a Comment. It doesn't have to be feedback for each one, just your favourite, or all 3...your choice(Each Blog Post offers a Comment section at the end of each article).

Are you ready...cause here we go...

SHORT STORY

The Dirtiest Little Mascot

Growing up in Carnduff, Saskatchewan as a teenager was hard. And that much harder after the whole town thinks you shot the baseball team's mascot...on purpose, I mean.

Honestly, who chooses a Gopher for a team mascot??? I mean Gophers live in the dirt, sleep in the dirt, eat off the dirt, and yes, bath in the dirt. Are you trying to tell the world you have the dirtiest sports team?

Regardless, I was out with my BB Gun and hear some chirping. Not like a whimsical songbird, but more like a squeeze toy being repeatedly jumped on. I move towards the incessant noise and see a Gopher standing up in a cage. I think to myself, "Self, how convenient. This Gopher went and got itself stuck in a cage. Could there be an easier target?"

Back then, we got $0.25 per Gopher tail, and 25 cents could buy a lot of candy.

So I move closer to take a look, and ironically, I trip in...you guessed it...a Gopher hole. As I fell, I grabbed for the nearest thing to me...the trigger of my BB Gun. Ping went the gun, and down I went, like a sack of potatoes. In retrospect, it was not the wisest choice to grab the trigger, because after I get up and dust off the dirt, I turned to face the whole baseball team, who had been in the dugout having a team meeting. Who knew 9 year olds could be so mean?

My shins still hurt. Needless to say, I haven't really liked living in Regina. Seeing that Man-Gopher at every Football game gives me the willies...I think he's waiting for the right time to get revenge for Carnduff's dirtiest little mascot...

Copyright ©2006 Mikeal Joel Patrick Sopp

POEM

Love Poem

Thy Hair, thy lips,

Thy beauteous face,

And all thy studied female grace,

Have won for thee a far off place,

Within this broken breast.

Copyright ©2006 Mikeal Joel Patrick Sopp

MINI-SCRIPT

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE A SIX YEAR OLD

FADE IN:
EXT. OPEN WHEAT FIELD

The wind whips the wheat back and forth, like waves on an ocean. BRAIDEN (6 yr old boy) and MEGAN (5 yr old girl), stand amongst the stalks, looking intently at the horizon.

MEGAN

What's the matter, Braiden?

BRAIDEN

I don't know, something feels wrong.

Megan twists her feet into the dirt.

MEGAN

How long do we have to stay here?

BRAIDEN

It's almost time.

MEGAN

But I am tired of waiting.

Braiden raises his eyes to the sky, and notices three figures flying towards them.

BRAIDEN

Okay Megan, what did I tell you?

MEGAN

I don't know. I can't remember.

Braiden shakes his head.

BRAIDEN

Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut and I promise I’ll protect you.

MEGAN

Why don't you tell me what you're waiting for?

BRAIDEN

You're about to find out.

The three figures fly from the horizon, and land lightly on the ground. DAKOTA(55 yr old Warlord), CREE(37 yr old General) and MARCO (26 yr old Mercenary) line up like a firing squad.

DAKOTA

Well, we finally meet, Braiden. It's been a while since I first heard of you. I thought we would have crossed paths before now.

BRAIDEN

Trust me. The pleasure is all yours.

Megan brushes a wisp of hair from her eyes, to view the other two.

CREE

Are you sure he's the one they talk about?

MARCO

He’s definitely the brat.

DAKOTA

He doesn’t look like much to me. I guess we better get this started. Come guys. The Boss is waiting for us…

Dakota closes his eyes, his brows knit with concentration. Cree and Marco adopt the same posture, and a low hum reverberates from them.

MEGAN

Braiden?

BRAIDEN

Concentrate, Megan; hold your ground.

A glow emits from the slits in Dakota’s eyelids, and the air shimmers with power.

Cree’s hair rises from his head and whips around on an invisible wind current, as he opens his mouth.

Marco slowly raises one fist as he brings forth a feral growl from deep inside.

DAKOTA

NOW! FINISH IT!

All three summon the forces built up inside of them; a blast leaves Dakota’s eyes, Cree’s mouth and Marco's palm, simultaneously.

Braiden leans forward into the light, which engulfs Megan and himself.


DAKOTA

Enough!

The power subsides and a billow of dust rushes in to fill the void left by the blasts.

As the orbs in Dakota’s skull dim, a reflection forms in his eyes.

Braiden is, incredibly, still standing exactly where he was before.

Braiden pulls himself up straight, wipes the dust from his face, and looks behind himself. Megan is now lying fifty feet away.

BRAIDEN

Megan, are you ok?

She doesn't move.

CREE

I'm afraid she can't answer you, Braiden.

MARCO

No more talk! Let me kill him.

DAKOTA

Don't underestimate him, you fool.

Braiden is still looking at the now completely still form of his friend, and a look of unadulterated anger ripples across his face and pure fury flashes in his eyes.

BRAIDEN

(incoherently mutters something)

CREE

What did he say?

BRAIDEN

I said, I'm tired of fighting.

Braiden faces the three figures. Dakota recognizes the look in Braiden's eyes.

MARCO

Good, me too, so let's just put this behind us, and let me kill you.

DAKOTA

NO, LOOK OUT!

The warning comes too late, as Braiden lets loose with a blast, which can be seen for miles, and power is registered by the swaying of the hillsides.

There is a complete whiteout, for a full three seconds.

The roar lessens to a screaming symphony, as the shock wave rebounds off the hills.

As the chaos clears and the dust settles, three skeletons are left standing, staring blankly ahead like mannequins in a store window.

Braiden runs to Megan's side to check on her. He tenderly wipes the blood from a cut on her cheek, as he pulls her closer.

BRAIDEN

Megan? Are you ok? Megan, answer me…


Megan is still.


BRAIDEN

I am so sorry, Megan…I promised you that I’d protect you…

Megan’s eyes flutter open; she places her hand on Braiden’s cheek and looks into the eyes of her hero.

MEGAN

I never had any doubts.


FADE TO BLACK

Copyright ©2006 Mikeal Joel Patrick Sopp

Well, what did you think of them??? Well don't just sit there staring blankly at the screen...tell me in the Comments Section at the bottom of the Posting.

Thanks again for your time, and for reading my material...I look forward to your feedback!

Until Next Time I Remain,

Joel Sopp

Just the Good Ol' Boys...

Ahh the days of Highschool in Moosomin

The year was 1989, and Sky News began broadcasting on Sunday 5th February 1989 at 6.00pm as the first 24 news channel for the United Kingdom. The first presenters to grace our screens were Penny Smith and Alastair Yates. They were followed an hour later by Bob Friend and Kay Burley. Sky News has changed the face of television news presentation.

The Massacre in Tiananmen Square occured where several hundred civilians have been shot dead by the Chinese army during a bloody military operation to crush a democratic uprising in Peking's (Beijing) Tiananmen Square. Tanks rumbled through the capital's streets late on 3 June as the army moved into the square from several directions, randomly firing on unarmed protesters.

The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being the clownishly homicidal Joker in the movie Batman.

Mikhail S. Gorbachev named Soviet President, after 28 years, the Berlin Wall is open to West, US troops invade Panama, seeking capture of General Manuel Noriega , the start of a Series of Unfortunate Events aka George Herbert Walker Bush inauguration as 41st US President (lol), Ruptured tanker Exxon Valdez sends 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound, Army Gen. Colin R. Powell is first black Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, US jury convicts Oliver North in Iran-Contra affair , and the World Population is 5.190 billion.

Grammys awarded in 1989 :

Record of the Year: "Don't Worry Be Happy," Bobby McFerrin

Album of the Year: Faith, George Michael (Columbia/CBS)

Song of the Year: "Don't Worry Be Happy," Bobby McFerrin, songwriter

Miss America: Gretchen Elizabeth Carlson (MN)

And for all you Sport Nuts, I present the following :

Super Bowl : San Francisco d. Cincinnati (20-16)

World Series : Oakland A's d. SF Giants (4-0)

NBA Championship : Detroit Pistons d. LA Lakers (4-0)

Stanley Cup : Calgary d. Montreal (4-2)

Wimbledon :

Women: Steffi Graf d. M. Navratilova (6-2 6-7 6-1)

Men: Boris Becker d. S. Edberg (6-0 7-6 6-4)

Kentucky Derby Champion : Sunday Silence

NCAA Basketball Championship : Michigan d. Seton Hall (80-79 OT)

NCAA Football Champions : Miami-FL (11-1-0)

Without this event in 1989--> I wouldn't be posting this right now ! ! !

And last, but not least, in the Summer of 1989, Joel Sopp enters the rural arena of the hick town of Moosomin, Saskatchewan...Population : Approximately 2,500 farmers and townies...brutal.

I grew up in a small town called Carnduff , a rural town of only 1,000 people at best, so small towns didn't bother me so much, however before Moosomin, I lived for a year in Moose Jaw.

The Big City of Moose Jaw opened my eyes to a lot of things like survival of the toughest, not the fittest... So when I moved to Moosomin, I acted like a tough guy, and was put in my place right smartly. Luckily it was verbally and no Sopp's were hurt in the making of this lesson...lol

I have the distinct priviledge of NOT EVER BEING A FRESHIE!!! YEAH! When I lived in Moose Jaw, it was in Grade 9, and when I moved to Moosomin, Freshies were Grade 7...lol Of course, I was smart enough to NEVER let anyone know, not even my Best Friend, Jarrod. Actually, come to think about it, I had 4 Best Friends: Josh, Jarrod, Les, and Todd.

Good times were had by all, while crusing Main Street in my Mom's 'Vette...well maybe it was a Chevette...lol That old grey car went through a lot, like that fence at Moosomin Lake, right Josh? Or that time I went offroading and ripped off the spoiler on a rock, and when I tried to pull it out from under the car, I got mad and slammed the door and shattered the driver's side window? That was so kewl...until my Mom found out.

Or the time when we were driving down a dirt road on the side of town and I was looking at pictures I just got developed, and sterring with my knees, and then started sliding sideways, and then I tossed the pictures in the air, and then grabbed for the wheel, and then fishtailed off an approach and landed sideways, 2 feet from a House Trailer, and then did a 360, and then ripped out of the ditch, meanwhile the "Ghettoblaster sitting on my sister's lap in the back seat (I couldn't afford a tape deck, and man did we go through a lot of batteries...lol) smashed into her chest and then her face, and then she started to hyperventilate and then I told her to "Shut the Heck up and Breathe!"...That was even kewler...until my Mom found out.

1989 was an important year for the World, but more importantly for me, I came into contact with 4 of the Best Friends in the entire "Universe". I love you Dudes, in a plutonic, non-sexual, slap-you-on-your-back-not-your-ass, kind of way. We truly were the Good Ol' Boys...

Until Next Time I Remain,

Joel Sopp

The Dukes of Hazzard Theme Song

Just the good ol' boys

Never meanin' no harm.

Beats all you never saw

Been in trouble with the law

Since the day they was born

Staightnin' them curves

Flatnin' them hills

Someday the mountain might get 'em

But the law never will

Makin' their way

The only way they know how

That's just a little bit more

Than the law will allow.

Just the good ol' boys

Wouldn't change if they could

Fightin' the system like a

True Modern Day Robin Hood

Artist: Waylon Jennings

Song: Dukes Of Hazzard Theme

I bought it on eBay...lol

WARNING ! ! !
THIS IS A BLANTANT DISREGARD FOR MY ETHICS...


I am selling some stuff on eBay and since I kno wof only 2 people who read this Blog for sure, I thought I would post a note anyway.
If you like comics like me, or know someone you know likes quality books, feel free to e-mail them this hyperlink.

That is all...

Joel

http://search.ebay.ca/_W0QQsassZjoelsoppQQhtZ-1

Today is the first day of the rest of your life...

March 17th is my 31st Birthday...I'll be 31.

Unless my calculations are incorrect, I have been alive for 977,616,000 seconds as of the exact second before I was born 31 years ago.

And now I sit and wonder...Have I made ever second count? Have I forfeited an even better life than I have now, simply because I took time for granted? Would I be more mature; more wealthy; more affluent; more desriable; would I simply be more?

A Day in the Life of Joel Sopp

7:00 am - Alarm goes off.

7:13 am - Shelley yells at me from the shower to get out of bed...lol

7:30 am - Feeding the boys some b'fast.

7:34 am - Make some coffee.

7:45 am - Sit down with my wife Shelley and have a coffee, watch some News.

8:09 am - Shelley starts the truck to warm it up...Man I love Winter !

8:23 am - Get Braiden and Logan ready for the trip to school.

8:30 am - Drop Braiden off with his lil girlfriend and her Dad to walk to school.

8:43 am - Drop Shelley off at work.

9:00 am - Home again with Logan.

9:30 am - Logan usually lays down for a nap.

9:36 am - I got outside in the cold and have a cigarette. Yes, I know it's a disgusting habit which I hate because I am addicted, and Shelley doesn't like to kiss me when I STINK, but I digress.

9:45 am - Sit down on the puter to read e-mails and check out some kewl "Fwd:'s"

10:30 am - Turn on the TV and see if anything is on. If not, I turn on the XBox and play HALO 2 for about 60 minutes.

11:30 am - Go out for another cigarette.

11:50 am - Realize Braiden is done school for the day at 11:45 am and I am in the middle of a game and I toss the controller across the room and race for the truck.

11:53 pm - Get Braiden from school (Yes, I know I shouldn't speed in a School Zone).

12:00 pm - Realize I left Logan napping in his room, when I ran out to get Braiden.

12:01 pm - Listen to Braiden give me heck for playing XBox without him...

12:30 pm - Lunch is served.

1:45 pm - Get the Boys ready to go to Auntie Kristin's House to get babysat.

2:13 pm - Finally get out of the door, as it seems time speeds up when I have to go to work.

2:25 pm - Sneak another cigarette. (Shelley will kill me if she reads this. I don't think she realizes how much I really do smoke in a day)

2:30 pm - Stroll into work and log in to my workstation or "Pod"

4:30 pm - 1st 15 minute Break - Another cigarette.

4:40 pm - Play a quick game of Texas Hold 'Em Poker for 5 minutes.(FYI - You can lose a lot of money in 5 minutes...D'oh!)

6:30 pm - Lunch or Supper or Whatever you wanna call it.

6:45 pm - Yet another cigarette.

6:50 pm - Play a quick game of Texas Hold 'Em Poker for 10 minutes.(FYI - You can lose even more money in 10 minutes...D'oh! D'oh!)

9:00 pm - FINALLY MY 2ND BREAK! and a cigarette.

10:30 pm - Done like dinner.

10:47 pm - Get home, get in my PJ's(basically a T-Shirt and a pair of Shorts)

10:51 pm - Head downstairs to talk to Shelley, who is sometimes already asleep, talk for about 10 minutes and then...

11:00 pm - Shelley heads to bed and I...

11:01 pm - Sit down on the puter to read e-mails and check out some kewl "Fwd:'s"
11:15 pm - Turn on the TV and see if anything is on. If not, I turn on the XBox and play HALO 2 for about 2 hours.

1:07 am - I crawl into bed exhausted.

7:00 am - Alarm goes off.
7:13 am - Shelley yells at me from the shower to get out of bed...lol

This occurs from Monday to Friday...EVERY WEEK!

Now it's your turn.

Have I wasted my life?

Could I be doing so much more with my life?

Do I have time to do so much more with my life?

Think about your own day...Can you spare a minute ? ? ?

Until Next Time I Remain,

Joel Sopp

Humble Pie...Anyone want a slice?

I can only imagine what it will be like,
When I walk by Your side
I can only imagine what my eyes will see,
When Your Face is before me!
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine.
Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing Hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine!
I can only imagine!
I can only imagine, when that day comes,
When I find myself standing in the Son.
I can only imagine, when all I will do,
Is forever, forever worship You!
I can only imagine!
I can only imagine!
Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing Hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine!
I can only imagine!
Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing Hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine!
I can only imagine!
I can only imagine!
I can only imagine!
I can only imagine!
I can only imagine!
I can only imagine,
When all I will do is forever, forever worship You!
I can only imagine!

Copyright: 1999 MercyMe


Amen.

I am so humbled by this song everytime I hear it. It makes me cry to think that such an Amazing and Caring Being would love a sinner like me. Who do you know who has UNCONDITIONAL LOVE for everyone in the entire world regardless or colour or creed?

I am so insignificant in the grand scheme of things, yet God chooses to love and care for me, even when my eyes do not follow him...

I fear that I will be lonely in Eternity without my wife and then I consider the Undying and Endless Love I will have from Jesus, and somehow I feel less afraid about spending forever and a day with My Saviour.

I can only pray that you can find the same peace I have been searching my entire life for and have only found through Jesus Christ...



Would you choose to be beaten to the edge of death, by people who just simply don't understand what your choice will do for just one person?

Would you carry your own means of execution to your place of death, meanwhile being whipped and spit on by the very people you are trying to save?


Would you lie there, with the splinters of a wooden pole ripping your flesh from your back, knowing that by sacrificing yourself, you would possibly be saving only one person in the entire history of the Earth?

If you had the power to stop it all, would you still allow huge spikes be driven through the skin of your feet and wrists, enduring enormous amounts of pain and suffering?

Would you let yourself hang in humiliation from a tree of death, looking down at those people who put you there, and still be able to forgive them, while a soldier rams a spear of cold metal into your side to see if you are truly dead?

Would you die for your best friend, if it ever came to that?

The nails that pierced the body of Jesus Christ of Nazareth did not keep Him on the Cross on Calvary's Hill..Itt was my sin and His love for me that kept Him there.

I have suffered so little in my entire life, than Jesus did in one day...

Do your problems seem a little lessstressfull and not quite so big you can't handle them with Jesus at your side?

I hope..No. Hope is not the word I mean. I pray that you will realize none of us can make it on our own... When I am weak, He is made Strong.

Be a weakling today, and let Jesus show you how fufilling your life can truly be...

Joel Sopp

A New Hope...

Some new information I found. But who has $3,500? Anybody feeling like helping me raise the money???

lol

Seriously though, $30,000 of taxpayers money is spent on the Gastric Bypass, when approx. 1/10 of that could be spent on a less invasive procedure?

That's really smart...

MONTREAL - In a North American first, doctors in Montreal on Wednesday placed air-filled balloons in the stomachs of two obese patients to help them shed weight.

The device, the size of a softball, floats in the stomach and makes patients feel full soon after eating. What's unique is that it doesn't require surgery.
Patients are sedated, and a doctor inserts the device into the stomach through a tube in the mouth. Once in place, the triple-layered silicone balloon is inflated.

The procedure takes no longer than 15 minutes.

Six to eight months later, the patient returns to have the balloon deflated and removed. Studies have shown that patients lose up to 30 kilograms solely because of the balloon.

"This is going to have a tremendous impact in fighting obesity," said Clifford Albert, who helped places the balloons in the patients at the MD Specialists clinic in Westmount.

"The beauty of this device is that it's a completely reversible solution. It's an easier and quicker way to treat obesity than gastric bypass surgery, which is permanent."

Mirielle Dube, a 65-year-old retired hospital worker, walked out of the clinic with a smile on her face after having the balloon placed in her stomach under local anesthesia.

"I'm confident that I'll be able to play with my two granddaughters again," said Dube, who is 5-foot-2 and weighs 187 pounds.

Dube gained considerable weight three years ago after she stopped her daily walks because of a foot injury. She confessed to eating lots of fast-food and bread, and has tried all the fad diets in vain.

"I would never consider gastric bypass surgery," she said. "It's too dangerous and the waiting lists are too long. Hopefully, this balloon will give me the momentum to change my eating habits."

Health Canada approved the balloon last December. The device and procedure costs $3,500 per patient and is not covered under medicare.

There are some side effects like acid reflux, nausea in the days after the procedure and mild pain in the upper curvature of the stomach that could radiate to the shoulder.

Dube said she felt fine, though, an hour after the procedure.

The balloon is manufactured in France by Helioscopie SA. Since it was approved in that country in April 2004, doctors have placed more than 1,300 in patients.
It's a second-generation technology. There is another intra-gastric balloon, manufactured by BioEnterics Corporation, that is filled with a saline solution. A study by a French gastroenterologist has shown that the rate of complications from the saline-filled balloon is much higher than the air-filled one.

"The advantage to this balloon is that it positions itself to the top of the stomach, where there are receptors that give a sensation of being full," explained Hubert Cluadez, author of the study.

The balloon was initially recommended for the morbidly obese to help them lose weight before risky gastric-bypass surgery. But doctors discovered that the balloon could also render surgery unnecessary.
Gastric-bypass surgery, which drastically changes the anatomy of the stomach, has a death rate of two per 100 patients in the first month after an operation, increasing to five in the first year. Its $30,000 cost is covered under medicare.

Please leave your comments and let me know your thoughts.

Until then I remain,

Joel Sopp

Hey Fatty! Get your fatty fat butt over here...

Joel's fight against FAT

So, I weigh approximately 398 lbs, although you can't tell by looking at me. I've been told I "carry it well". I think that's supposed to be a compliment, but I really think it's a saying to make FAT people feel better about being OBESE.

OBESE/OBESITY : Obesity is a condition where natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of humans and mammals is increased to a point where it is thought to be a significant risk factor for certain health conditions as well as increased mortality. Obesity in wild animals is relatively rare, but it is common in domestic animals like pigs and household pets who may be overfed and underexercised.
Excessive body weight has been shown to correlate with various important diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease, diabetes, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. It is also considered a risk factor for certain cancers. Interventions, such as diet and exercise as well as medication and weight-loss surgery in severe cases are frequently recommended to reduce the risk of developing disease.

This chart compares BOB obesity figures in the population of OECD countries; it shows the percentage of total population (aged 15 and above) with a body-mass index greater than 30. The year the figures used for this chart were published, collected or compiled range from 1996 to 2003.

BRUTAL ! ! ! Canada is the 8th FATTEST Country of these Nations!


I am not sure if I am predisposed by My Country, My DNA, My Upbringing, or My Lifestyle, but I will tell you that I am sick and FRICKIN' tired of being FAT !
I am on a 3 year waiting list to have a Gastric Bypass with a Duo-Denal Switch Surgery.

Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch

Malabsorptive operations, such as a biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS), restrict both food intake and the amount of calories and nutrients the body absorbs.In this procedure, a larger portion of the stomach is left intact, including the pyloric valve that regulates the release of contents from the stomach into the small intestine. The duodenum is divided near this valve and small intestine divided as well. The portion of the small intestine connected to large intestine is attached to the short duodenal segment next to the stomach. The remaining segment of the duodenum connected to the pancreas and gallbladder is attached to this limb closer to the large instestine. Where contents from these two segments mix is called the common channel, which dumps into the large intestine.

Scary as anything I can think of in my ENTIRE LIFE !

Any Feedback or Prayer will help.

I hope I make the correct Final Decision as my 3 year wait for Surgery could be done as early as this time next year...

Joel

Me and my little Sister, Karlinda about 28-29 years ago 

The many faces of Logan  

The many faces of Braiden 

Logan being silly 

The Kewl Mr. B 

The Real Joel Sopp 

The Sopp Clan 

"...just struggling to make the ends of my life meet..."

And so begins Joel's first blog...

Where can I start?

First and Foremost, I want to thank Jeremy Sawatzky http://jeremysawatzky.blogspot.com/2005/03/stumbling.html

for inspiring me to create my own Blog.

You don't know me, Jeremy, but you will...

I am Joel Sopp.

I am a father of two wonderful boys, Braiden and Logan. I have married to the same woman, Shelley, for 8 years as of Oct/10/2006.

I am a Personal Banker with one of the Five Big Banks on Canada for 5 years as of Apr/30/2006, which coincides with my little sister, Karlinda's 30th Birthday.

Speaking of siblings, I have my Sister Karlinda, My Brother Nick,and my other Sister Alia.

If you haven't noticed, I have been talking about everyone else but myself. And with good reason...I just can't think of it. lol

Interesting Thought...

Have you ever felt like you needed to belong somewhere sooo bad, that you'd be willing to do or be anything you thought would include you in a project or a group of people you desired to be a part of?

That's me...

Joel Sopp a.k.a. The Chameleon

I was told in Grade 5, by my Home-Room Teacher, Glenn Verity, that because I was a "Sopp" (because of our financial situation, we were considered a 3rd Class family), I'd be nothing more than a Ditch Digger the rest of my life... Not exactly edifying knowledge to have at 11 years old, my life had been pre-ordained to nothing more than a dirt mover for the next 80 some odd years...

Needless to say, my self-esteem was not at an all-time high, so I started unconciously changing who I was and portrayed myself to be to other people, by talking, looking, acting, being different than who I was, but instead what the situation called for me to be like.

a side note:

I took Psychology 101 at Briercrest Bible College in Caronport, Saskatchewan, and learned a great deal about myself... What impacted me the most from that class, was Jim Baldry teaching my to look inside not only myself, but also my soul. Jim said, "Take every situation you have ever been in, and every way you ever acted or reacted, then how you feel you handled the situation and turn it into a moving portrait on the wall in a frame...

eep!

So this is what I came up with:

I was a Chameleon on a Branch, which reresented my "world", sitting in front of an everchanging backdrop of life. And the more the backdrop changed, the more I changed to keep up with it, until my colouring was a little bit of every backgroud I had been placed/forced/ended up in front of. This defense mechanism, which was intended to protect me, instead caused me to become lost to whom I truly was inside.

Now the scary part was, is that there was a Phantom Hand holding a stick, and constantly swinging at me to knock me off of my "Branch" to make me fall and reveal who I truly was inside. For years after that class I swore it was people trying to make me face the One True Joel; in retrospect, maybe it was God who was allowing me to be swung at to allow me to realize what I had done to myself.

Now 13 years after that class, I sit here at my computer wondering if the Chameleon in me is resurfacing... I find myself acting one way in public, and yet another way for 60 minutes on Sundays...

WHY MUST I ACT LIKE A SON OF GOD FOR AN HOUR ON SUNDAYS, BUT ACT LIKE AN ORPHAN FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK???

Well for my first post ever, I said more than I thought I would. I hope that I can continue to post my thoughts and feelings and that they would allow me to deal with any issues I have, and possibly allow someone else to relate to what I have gone through..

Until Next Time,

I remain Joel Sopp