Summer 2012 Issue

IN THIS ISSUE

7 What Story Are You Sharing? by Gary Keesee

11 20 Minutes of Turbulence by April Osteen Simons

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If you’re anything like us, the onset of summer doesn’t necessarily mean that you get to slow down. While we try to make time to relax a little, sit on the patio, enjoy the pool, and spend time with the people we care about, summer is just as fast-paced as any other season, if not more so!

But now that we’re in the middle of the year, it’s important that we stop for a minute and take a look at the course we’ve set ourselves on for the remainder of the year. Ask yourself these questions:

•Howismyyeargoing? •WhathaveIaccomplished? •AmImovingtowardmygoals? •Howaremyrelationshipswithothers,andwithGod?

Now,youmightfindthatyou’rehappywithwhereyou’reheadingandthatyou’dbethrilledtostayon thesamepathfortherestoftheyear.Or,youmightfindthatyoudon’tlikeyouranswersatall.Youmay even discover that you’re worn out, running out of juice, or just plain tired. Either way, we know how you feel.

Nomatterwhereyoufindyourself,thissummerissueofFaithLifeNowNewsisforyou!Inadditiontothesameencouragingfeaturesyou’reusedtoseeing,like“LettersfromYou”, a“LifeRevolution”story,anddatesforimportantupcomingevents,we’veincludedateachingfrom our2012ProvisionConference,anarticleonhowtogetreconnectedwithyourlovedones,God,and your purpose, and a special bonus feature from April Osteen Simons. The entire issue is designed to encourage you and to help you get recharged so that you can press on to make 2012 your best year yet.

We’d love to hear what you thought of this issue, and what’s happening in your life. Please contact us at faithlifenow.com to share your story, or your prayer requests. As always, more information about the ministry, television shows, and events can be also be found at

GaryKeesee.com Drenda.com

Together we are winning in life!

P.S. – Stay charged up and encouraged by watching FaithLifeNowprogramseverydayonDaystar! •Fixing the Money Thing airs Monday-Thursday at 5:30pm (ET)/ 4:30pm (CT)•DrendaairseveryFridayat5:30pm(ET)/4:30pm(CT)

Visit faithlifenow.com and drenda.com for additional program times.

DEAR FRIEND,

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ALIFEREVOLUTION:Stephen & Sarah’s Story

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When Stephen and Sarah Traylor decided to move from Pennsylvania because of a work transfer, they had several options. Columbus, Ohio was one of them. “At the time, we felt almost as if we were drifting,”Stephen says. “Columbus seemed like the right move for some reason. We felt drawn to that option every timewediscussedit.”

While visiting Columbus before the move, the Traylors began searching for both a home and a church to attend. Stephen says they were driving around the New Albany area looking at houses when they found they needed to turn around. They just so happened todrivepasttheFaithLifeChurch(FLC)building.“Weturned around in the driveway and it seemed like just a coincidenceatthetime,”hesays.“Butlookingback,weknowthatitwasn’tanaccidentthatwefoundFLC.”After moving to Columbus, they attended a weekend serviceanditwastheirfirstandlaststopontheirhuntfor a home church.

TheTraylorssayGaryandDrenda’steachingsbeganto take hold in their hearts right away. “We were just amazed by all of the things that we had been missing intheKingdomofGod,”Stephensays.“Webothhadbeen raised in church, but we never knew the principles oftheKingdomofGodandwhatitcouldmeantoourdailylives.”

When they moved to Ohio, Sarah found herself constantly battling asthma, as she had for most of her life—shewoulduseinhalersdailytofightthesymptoms.

It was during a teaching series on healing that Sarah says she really began to understand that she didn’t have to live with asthma any longer. “I realized that I hadtrustedthewordsofdoctorsoverTHEWord,God’sWord,theBible,”shesays.“Ihadbeenmissingoutonmyhealingallthoseyears!”

Sarah had always kept her inhaler inside of her purse in a place with easy access in case she needed it, but when she began to confess healing over her body, she replaced the inhaler. “I wrote healing scriptures on scrap pieces of paper and put them in the place the inhalerhadbeen,”shesays.“WheneverIbegantofeellike I needed the inhaler, I would pull out the scriptures instead,andconfessthem.”

Sarah went from using her inhaler every day to no longer needing it at all. She was completely healed of asthma!

Sarah’s healing is just one of the many ways the Traylors have seen the principles of the Kingdom of Godchange their lives.

When they moved to Columbus, they knew that they wanted a home with plenty of land for their two boys to run and play. Since their first home in Columbuswasn’t quite what they wanted, they decided to look for something thatwasabetter fit for their family—ahome with several acres of land and and in a certain price range.

Afterfindingthatthehomesthatmettheircriteriacostmore than they wanted to spend, they agreed in faith for a home, even though they were told that their chanceswereslimthattheywouldfindwhattheywerelooking for.

“We both had been raised in church, but we never knew theprinciplesoftheKingdomofGodandwhatitcouldmeantoourdailylives.”

Afterfindingahomethat seemed just right for them,but encountering problems, Stephen and Sarah say theirfaithwastested,buttheyknewthatGod’sWordis true and that their home was out there somewhere.

During the process of the problems with the otherhome, the Traylors came across a foreclosed property that was sitting vacant. The house needed some work and investment put into it, but the property was exactly what they were looking for! It even had an in-ground pool,alargepondfortheirboystofishin,andspaceto accommodate all of their needs. After negotiating with the bank, they ended up purchasing the property for nearly half of what they would have spent on the previous home, even after repairs and remodeling!

Lookingback,Stephensaystheyarebothstillamazed.“Wethoughtwehadmissedagreatopportunity,”hesays. “ButGodhadoneevenbetter lined up for us,waitingfortherightmoment.”

Stephen and Sarah say her healing and their home are justtwoexamplesofthegoodnessoftheKingdomofGodtheyhaveseenintheirlives.“Weknowthereissomuchmoretocome!”Stephensays.“We’resoexcitedtoseewhat’snext!”

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“I realized that I had trusted thewordsofdoctorsoverTHEWord,God’sWord,theBible!”

Do you have a story to share about how the ministries of Faith Life Now have helped change

your life? Do you have a prayer request? We’d love to hear from you!

Contact us at:

faithlifenow.com1.888.391.LIFEP.O. Box 779

NewAlbany,OH43054

Wewanttothankourpartnersforhelpingussharethemessagesoffaith,family,andfinancialrestorationaroundtheworld!Partnership

allowstheministriesofFaithLifeNowtocontinuespreadingthelife-changingmessageofGod’sKingdom.Formoreinformationonthe

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byGaryKeesee

DrendaandIwenttoAustraliarecentlyforaconference.While we were there, we had this guy named Matt who was driving us to the meetings and taking care of us. When we got done with the conference, Matt asked meifIwantedtogocrabfishingwithhim.Ididn’tknowanythingaboutcrabfishing,butIsaidsure.

We had dinner planned that night and we were hoping to have crab included in that meal, so I asked Matt how many people were going to be there. When he said10-12peopleorso,Ifiguredweneededabout15-20 crabs. So, we start throwing these pots in the water (becauseit’snotreallyfishing,youjustthrowpotsout

with bait in them), and I was blessing them in the name of Jesus,and thankingGod for the15-20crabs.AndDrendawasinanotherboatputtingpotsoutwithourdaughter,Kirsten,andshewasalsothankingtheLordfor an abundant catch.

At the end of the day we had 18 crabs. Now, that didn’t mean anything to me except we had caught exactly whatIhadbelievedGodfor.Butdrivingbackfromthedock, Matt called his father, who was preparing supper, because he wanted to know how much chicken and steak he needed to buy for the meal that evening.

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Matt called him on the Bluetooth connection in his car, so his dad’s voice was coming through the radio. When Matt told him how many crabs we caught, his dadwentnutsyelling,“PraiseGod!Hallelujah!Godisgood!Yougot18?Wow,Godissogood!”Hejustwenton and on for more than a minute like that. I asked Matt what the deal was. That’s when I found out that they normally only catch three crabs.

Mattwenton to tellme thathefishes forcrabevery week. “When I heard you teach all weekend about the Kingdom,Ithought,‘I’mgoingtostretchandbelievefor sixcrabsbyKingdomlaw just likeyouteach,’”hesaid.“I’veneverheardofanyonecatching18before.”

Igotanemailfromhimrecently.Hesaidhe’sbeenoutcatching a ton of crab and people have been asking himhowhe’scatchingsomany.Hesaidhetellsthem,“I’ve got a method that works every single time now. It’stheKingdomofGod.”

Matt and his brother are over there talking about more than just Scriptures. They’re talking about crabs! A lot of crabs!

See, Mark 16:15 tells us to go into the world and share the good news of the gospel, but we misinterpret the term“goodnews.”John3:16 tellsushowmuchGodlovespeopleandhow importantpeopleare toHim,but in case you haven’t noticed, John 3:16 isn’t good news to the world. It doesn’t mean a thing to them.

The world is looking for the good news that says they can have 18 crabs instead of three, that they can have their bills paid, and their house paid off.

When John the Baptist wanted to be sure that Jesus was the promised Messiah, he sent a few of his disciples to findoutifJesuswastheone.WhentheyaskedJesusifHewastheonetocome,Hedidn’tstartquotingIsaiahorJeremiah,oranyofthemanypropheciesaboutHimtoproveHewastheone.No,hesaid,“TellJohnwhatyou have seen—the blind eyes are opened, people are healed, lepers are cleansed, and good news has

beenpreachedtothepoor.”Hewasbasicallysaying,“GobackandtellJohnwecaught18crabs!”Hetalkedabout the RESULTS of the Kingdom, the stories of theKingdom,andthepeople’slivesthatwerechanged.

Peoplewant to see the results of the Kingdom. They

like to hear good news. They want to know that there is hope for them and for their situation. The problem is there are too many Christians who don’t have much good news to share. They have religion, but they don’t have much good news. And, the devil loves that, becausenoonewantstoserveaGodlikethat.WithoutthestoriesthatbringevidencethattheKingdomisreal,and here, then there is no hope.

SomanyChristianshear, “Go share theGospel”andthink they’re supposed to share John 3:16, or be able toquoteallkindsofScripture.ButsharingtheKingdomiseasy!ThegoodnewsoftheKingdomisYOU!It’stheimpacttheKingdomhashadinyourlife.So,tellpeopleyour stories. That’s what people want. They want to know how you caught more than three crabs. They want to know how your marriage is no longer falling apart, or how you got out of debt, or how you aren’t sickanymore.Youshouldbedemonstratingresultsthatare different than what the world normally sees.

Continued

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I tell stories. I tell plenty of stories when I teach about how Drenda and I came to understand how theKingdom works, how to apply those laws, and thenhow we watched the incredible things that happened in our lives as a result. I have seen so many stories. I knowtheKingdomworks just like theBible says.And,thegoodnewsof theKingdom is thatyoucanhavethe same results! There is hope. There is a new life for

you.Give your heart toGod and let him teach youabouthowHisKingdomworks.DrendaandIknowyouwill never regret it. Pretty soon you will have your own storiesofhowtheKingdomofGodchangedyourlife.Getreadytotelleveryoneyouknow.

*Excerpts from this article were taken from the 2012 ProvisionConferenceSessionOnewithGaryKeesee

GaryKeeseeisanauthor,speaker,entrepreneur,financialexpert,andpastorwhohasapassionforhelpingpeoplewininlife,especiallyintheareasoffaith,family,andfinances.GaryandhiswifeDrendahavecreatedseveralsuccessfulbusinesses,andarethefoundersofFaithLifeNow,whichproducetwotelevisionprograms—Fixing the Money Thing and Drenda,worldwideconferencesliketheannualPROVISIONConference,andmanypracticalresources.TheKeeseesalsopastorFaithLifeChurchinOhio.

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WATCH US DAILY Beginning Monday, July 2

on

Fixing the Money ThingMonday-Thursday

5:30pm (ET) / 4:30pm (CT)

DDrendaEvery Friday

5:30pm (ET) / 4:30pm (CT)

A few months ago, I was on a plane travelling from London to Dallas. Thankfully, the flight had beenuneventful without even a trace of turbulence. Before we knew it, the captain came over the speaker and informed us we would be on the ground in twenty minutes. Even though itwasaneasyflight,wewereready to get off the plane and be home.

Not more than fiveminutes later, the flight suddenlybegan to get bumpy and, without warning the plane took a considerable drop down. I don’t know how much it actually dropped, but it was enough to make us lose our stomachs. We looked at each other and my girls and friends began to laugh. I was trying to giggle, but it was more of a nervous noise accompanied by a smile on my face.

A minute later, the plane dropped again. It was crazy! The drink I was holding flew up in the air and wentall over my daughter in front of me. I was getting a little nervous and that wasn’t even the end of it! Just moments later,ourcalm,pleasant flightexperiencedyet another drop. There was no more laughing.

I quickly looked up after the third incident to see what theflightattendantsweredoing.Ireasonedthatiftheywere calm and walking around everything must be fine.Butthatwasn’thappening!Theflightattendantshurriedly found available seats and buckled up quickly. This didn’t help what I was feeling inside.

In fact, at that point, my prayer life took on a whole new level!

by April Osteen Simons

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“God,ifyou’rereallythere…GodIhavekidsathomethatneedme…myhusbandneedsme…I’mtooyoungtodie.”Iwasquotingscriptures,askingforforgiveness,singing hymns in my head…I think I even got born-again, again! I know, it’s pitiful, but I was desperate and giving it my all.

Thegoodnewsiswemadeitback!Thethird“plunge”in the air marked the end of the excitement on the flightfromHades,err,ImeanLondon.I’msurethoselastminute prayers of mine really pulled us through! I was never so glad to see the ground in all of my life.

As I look back on the whole experience, I can’t believe the way I reacted. Now, mind you, no one knew I was really scared. I said nothing out loud; it was all an inward battle.Butstill,IhadtalkedtoGodlikeHehadn’tbeenthereatall.IquestionedHiswhereabouts.IwonderedifHeknewwhatIwasexperiencing.

I was so focused on the last 20 minutes of turbulence that I lost sight of the nine hours and forty minutes of calm, uninterrupted peace. The few moments of uneasiness totally consumed me to the point that all I began envisioning was the worst.

Often, it’s easy to get so intensely wrapped up in the moment that, if we’re not careful, we’ll lose sight of howfarGodhasbroughtus.Ourpresent“drop”inlifewillovershadowthegreatnessofourGod.Ifyouthinkabout it, that’s exactly what the enemy would like. If he can interrupt our lives in such a way that it becomes our sole focus, he’s strategically succeeded in getting our mind off of the One who can help us through the situation.

Recently, IprayedwithawomanwhobelievedGodfor a miracle in her marriage. She stood on the Word, tried her best at home and would often come back and giveme an update. Honestly,most of the timeshe would complain. She would continually tell me everything that was wrong. I would ask her if there was any progress and, with a scowl on her face, she eluded to a hint of positive change, but I could tell it wasn’t to her approval. It was neither quick enough nor good enough in her eyes.

What’s amazing is God had really moved in hermarriage, yet she couldn’t see it. She focused solely on the end result, where she wanted it to be, and she couldn’t see the miracles that had taken place along the way. Specific prayers that had been answeredwere clouded by her expectation of instant marital bliss. It resulted in her being in a constant state of unhappiness and unpleasantness.

It’s important when life gives us a challenge that we don’t lose sightofGod’s faithfulness.How?Well, youmaybesickinyourbody,butthankGodthatyouwokeup this morning and have yet another day to be alive. If you’re believing God for a miracle in your family,stop focusing on everything that is wrong and begin to thankGodforthefewthingsthatareright!You’renotthankingGodforthetrouble;you’rethankingHimforbeing there in the midst of the trouble!

In other words, we need to stop and look for the miracles along the way.

Remember, there is nothing taking place in your lifethat catchesGodoff guard. Psalm 94:14 says, “GodwillneverwalkawayfromHispeople.”Heiswellabletoseeyouthroughthemostdifficultofsituations.Infact,He’s known fordoing the impossible…evenat20,000feet!

AprilSimonsispassionateaboutwakingupthewarriorinwomen.Sheteaches“CHIKS”howtogetthroughlifewithGod’sgraceandpowerandawholelotofbackbone.HermessagesinspirewomentodiscovertheirGod-givenpotentialandfulfilltheawesomeplanHehasfortheirlives. Aprilandherhusband,Gary,pastorHighPointChurchinArlington,Texas.Theyhavefiveamazingchildren.

Often, it’s easy to get so intensely wrapped up in the moment that, if we’re not careful, we’ll lose sight of howfarGodhasbroughtus.

Remember, there is nothingtaking place in your life that catchesGodoffguard.

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Living in a multi-faceted, high-tech, high demand world brings almost constant pressure that can take its toll on all of us after a while. When was the last time you wanted to “just get away” to a quiet place to think, to recover, to be renewed in spirit, soul and body?

Pressure has always been a part of life, and the desire to get away, or escape, has always been the cry from people looking for rest and a way to reconnect with themselves and their loved ones. Apparently this was true, even in early history. In Psalm 55:5-8 David said, “Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me. So I said, ‘Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.’” Sounds like he was crying out for an escape, a vacation!

Everyone needs to take breaks—ones that are long enough to allow us to regain our focus, to stretch our ability to handle

pressure, and to see the “why” behind the “what.” We all can get so busy running and doing that we lose grasp of the “why.” It happens to everyone! We get so busy “doing” that we cease “being.” When we first started to pastor almost seventeen years ago, a wise pastor told us to pull away for a little break each quarter, and for a significant break once a year. Otherwise, he said we’d start to feel like we were on a merry-go-round and would lose our “why.”

We found that this pastor’s words were true! We had to get away to a quiet place, especially after periods of intense work and pressure or we’d start to be no good for ourselves or anyone else.

When we first started television ministry, we had just made a commitment to a huge building project for our growing ministry. Even though our church jumped on board to help us

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by Drenda Keesee

carry out the project, we personally felt the immense pressure of making this commitment and seeing it through. At the same time, God spoke to us about starting a television program and confirmed it in so many ways that we didn’t dare say no.

But we had very little knowledge or experience, and someone in the media industry tried to take advantage of that. We had already accepted a station’s time slot and promised a program to them when we were challenged with an enormous contract that seemed unusual. We didn’t feel good about the contract, but at the same time we had made a commitment to the station and needed this company’s help. We felt caught between a rock and a hard place! The pressure became so intense that we couldn’t see or hear the answer clearly. We wanted to be above reproach in our business dealings but, at the same time, it appeared that the other party wasn’t. We were being pressed on all sides—having decisions to make about the building, about television, and battling tormenting thoughts about how someone could try to treat God’s things with dishonesty. Finally, we could take no more! Even though we were willing to stay the course, we needed a break to hear God’s voice. We needed to get away! So, on the spur of the moment after a Sunday service, we jumped in the van with our family and headed west.

The drive was a welcome break from the demands and pressures weighing on us. We were able to speak with advisors as we drove across the U.S. We ended our journey in Colorado at a national park where we camped for three days as a family, and reconnected with each other, prayer, and God. At the end of the three days, we had heard God’s voice and we had confirmation from an attorney that our suspicions were correct about the contract being unfair and inequitable. We turned

down the contract and God made another arrangement for us, protecting us in our lack of knowledge. Pulling away from the daily demands (and the fears and uncertainties) helped us make a better decision.

Jesus understood this principle, too. He pulled away to a quiet place to seek God and be renewed, and He taught His disciples to do the same. In Mark 6, the disciples gathered around Jesus and told Him the things they had done and taught and Jesus said, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest for awhile.”

Continued

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DrendaKeeseeisatelevisionshowhost,author,speaker,entrepreneur,andpastorwhosemissionistobringwomenintospiritual,emotionalandrelationalwholeness.DrendaandherhusbandGaryhavecreatedseveralsuccessfulbusinesses,andarethefoundersofFaithLifeNow,whichproducestwotelevisionprograms—Drenda and Fixing the Money Thing,aswellasworldwideconferences,andpracticalresources.TheyalsopastorFaithLife

ChurchinNewAlbany,Ohio.Drendaistheauthorofthebook,She Gets It: 11 Lies that Hold Women Hostage.

YOU CAN HAVE A FUN FAMILY LIFE! Sit down with Drenda for a candid session about family life and the importance of having fun together in Make It Fun! As a mother of five, Drenda has learned the true ingredients of family enjoyment, laughter, and pleasure. Join her as she shares her personal journey of family fulfillment along with her stories of family vacations, sharing, caring, and laughing together.

drenda.com | (877) 89-GETIT

Make It Fun!Single CD Teaching by Drenda Keesee

Our bodies and our minds need periods of rest and a feeling of reward for our work. Spiritually, we get dull if we can’t pull away to, “Be still and know that He is God.”

It’s not too late for you to sneak in a last minute get-away this summer with your family, even if you need to pull your children away from school. Family comes first, above all other pursuits. Aren’t our families a large part of why we work?

There are plenty of things you can do even if you’re on a tight budget. Trust me, I’ve been there! Take your family camping at a national park and see some truly amazing wonders.

Retreating and reconnecting is more than just a vacation. We need to enter into God’s rest by faith and learn to work

WITH God so that we’re doing so by grace instead of striving. The enemy likes to get us so bogged down with pressure and begins to play a fearful scenario in our minds, and if we don’t retreat to a quiet place, we can make bad decisions, and hinder advancement of all we can be and accomplish. Our minds become so burdened that we can’t hear His voice, which makes all the difference!

We were created for relationship with God, and with each other. It’s our love for one another and for God that gives us the strength to pursue His direction and obediently advance.

Visit drenda.com for more vacation ideas and tips.

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I read your book Fixing the Money Thing this past month. My husband and I have been paying down our debts, but every time we would go into a store we would look at new TVs as a luxury.

When we received our tax refund, it was tempting to purchase a new TV, but we knew it would honor God if we paid off a few debts instead, so we did.

About a week after we paid off our car and a doctor’s bill, my husband WON a new TV! We now have a brand new 42” 3D HDTV and 3D Blu-ray player. I know it is not God’s will for us to be in debt, but until I read your book I didn’t realize that it dishonors Him because He can provide anything that we need, even material items for us to enjoy while we are here on this earth. Thank you for your teaching! I plan on I buying your Money Mysteries from the Master book next! – Jessica, Arizona

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A friend and spiritual mentor loaned us your “Now Revo lut ion” CDs. Our second son was a newborn and wasn’t s leeping. We were

exhausted and d ist ressed . We wou ld n’t have necessari ly co ns idered ourselves in f i nanc ial d iff icu lty, but we of ten feel l i ke we’re

just surv i v i n g .

We began l isten i ng to the CDs almost dai ly, and we dec ided t o s ow i nto “s leep.” Then our son started bei ng up less, and he’s been a

d ifferent l it t le boy ever s i nce!

We had also dec ided to sow to pay down an ext ra $ 10,000 th is year o n t he princ i pal of our mortgage. Earl ier t h is week, my husband

came to me wh i le I was getti n g ready for bed w ith a f u n ny look on h is face and handed me a chec k . I was completely st u n ned.

Apparent ly, the g overnment had charged me too much i ncome tax in 20 10, and were g iving me a reimbursement. It was for $ 15,000!

We’ve never had an experience l i ke th is . A lthoug h we’ve seen God work in o ur f i nances, we on ly had part of t he p i cture. We sti l l

have more to learn, bu t Tru th is seeping i n to our sou ls! – Coralee, Canada