Vacation with Hilde

Wow what a week! We picked up where we left off three years ago and really enjoyed talking and just being together. :) We spent some time hiking and walking and biking and swimming. Here's a few pictures that sums it up.

Mmm..Salmon and Salad.

Of course she had to try true mennonite food!

St. Malo. What a perfect day for the beach!

Hiking in the Valley

Enjoying the Pembina Valley

We spent a lot of time just reading and talking too!

Food was a very important part of this vacation. :)

Making Waffles.

Enjoying a sunset in Winkler

All the pretty flowers and gardens in Winkler

:) :) :)

Wasn't quite sure what to name this post, but the smiles seem appropriate for what I have to share with you. Work has still been busy as usual with plenty to do and always new projects to figure out. I decided to take a few more online courses through work as well which I will be working on in the evenings when I have time.

It's already been more than a month since I was on vacation and it has flown by. I'm hoping the next month will fly by too, because.....

Hilde is coming to visit me on August 16th and is staying for a week!! Yay! She will hopefully have her flights booked soon so I know exactly when to pick her up. In the next month I will be doing some renovations in the spare room. I picked up some paint and supplies last night and will hopefully be moving furniture out today so I can wash walls and prep to paint. I didn't pick really exciting colors, but I think it will look really nice when it's done.

I'm doing shades of white and then I'm planning on doing a few paintings with green and brown to accent. I picked out two shades of white in two different finishes with plans of being slightly creative on one wall. I'll be doing a warm creamier white color in eggshell finish as the main color in the room and then I'll be using a slightly cooler white in semi-gloss to texture or add an artistic touch on an accent wall.

Does anyone have a little square or round table that they don't want anymore? Let me know if you do!

I guess I'd better get to work..have a great weekend!

A Visiting Vacation

For as long as I can remember my vacations have always consisted of traveling and visiting someone somewhere or other. I've sometimes wondered what it would be like to go on vacation and just travel somewhere for no specific reason other than to relax. Quite honestly..I don't think I could do it. It may be just my circumstances of being unattached with family and friends spread across the world, or it may be my nature to not want to go somewhere with no ambition but to sit on a beach and stay in a hotel. I'm not sure.. :) Also if I did decide to travel somewhere completely different I think I would want to stay for a few months instead of a few days. Anyway... I really enjoyed my time in Ontario. It was wonderful to see Josh and Jenna and their kids. The kids are growing up way too fast! I also enjoyed a visit with Aunt Myrna and Uncle Ron in Wawa. I was able to go to a beach for a little while between Sault Ste Marie and Wawa. It was tempting to stop at more places than just Katherine's Cove, but I managed to somewhat satisfy my Lake Superior craving with some time spent walking along the beach and taking pictures. It was good to spend Sunday morning at Wawa Baptist Church. It had been a few years since I had attended a service there and though it is small, it was a great time of fellowship and celebrating communion together as a small body of believers. The church is in my prayers as they make decisions regarding whether to move into town and into a different building or not.

Here are a few pictures of my time spent in Ontario.

The Family

Jenna and James

Chloe loves the slides!

Chloe and James

Katherine's Cove

Day 1

So today was my first day of holidays. It was amazing. :) I spent a few hours outside doing yard work this morning. I even have a blister to prove it. I'm satisfied that I won't be returning to Jurassic Park the Lost World. I made my very first good white cake this afternoon and headed over to Tim and Val's for the evening. We had a delicious dinner of chicken and potatoes with veggies and biscuits topped off with the cake (not the cake that Mack ate).

After supper we decided to take the dogs for a rollerblade..which basically consisted of the dogs pulling us down the streets of Morris. So fun. I need to get myself a dog!

Once the dogs were worn out and the sky looked like it was threatening rain we headed home and decided to watch a movie. None of us had seen Alice in Wonderland yet. Definitely one of the strangest movies I've watched. It was right up there with Edward Scissorhands. haha

I drove home around 10:00 and it was still light outside. Twilight really. I realized how much I take for granted the beauty of the prairies. I am truly a mountains, trees, and lakes girl at heart, but I love the prairies too. I was absolutely in awe of God while I was driving home tonight. Looking out to the right of the car I could see the remaining colors of the sunset lingering in the sky, golds and oranges and pinks. Looking in the rearview mirror I could see huge piles of cumulus clouds seeming to stack up higher and higher. To the left I could see a storm raging with lightning flashing in midnight blue clouds that were coming down to touch the earth in some places as the rain fell. Straight ahead of me I could see half a sky where the dark clouds were threatening more rain while still reflecting the colors of the sunset and the other half was a bright and clear twilight sky with a few stars starting to twinkle. The highway was littered with puddles from the recent rain and each puddle was a perfect reflection of the sky above. The grass on either side of the road was a lush emerald green with black soil beyond it in the fields.

I started thinking about how this was only one small piece of sky and land and that throughout the world people were looking at beautiful works of God's hands in their skies and lands. I hope they really see it and give glory to God! What a wonderful maker!

Waking up..

So last night was a bit of a sleepless one for me. Woke up at 1 because someone was screaming in my dream and I realized it was actually a cat outside. I am not a happy person when woken in the middle of the night and so you can imagine my violent leanings when the cat persisted in screaming as loud as it could.

I don't remember what time the storm started, but I was awake off and on listening to the thunder and my dishes shaking in the cupboard. I got up once, remembering that I often have water come in through my exhaust fan in the the kitchen and so I went and put a bucket there with a towel around it. Then I worried about whether I might have water in the basement if I had forgotten to put the drain troughs back on after I mowed the lawn. So I quickly ran out the front door to make sure they were on and I checked all the corners in the basement to make sure no rain was getting in. I thought I might as well check the dehumidifier right away to make sure it wasn't full, not to mention the sump pump to make sure it was running properly ...needless to say, it was awhile before I got back to bed.

This morning when I drove to work I was a bit scared of stalling the car in a huge puddle at the end of my street. The water came up to my doors on that one.

Anyway..usually I love thunderstorms, but this one was a doozy.

It's storming again now and I have to run out in it to get back to work. Probably should have stayed for lunch today..oh well.

Busy Busy Busy

Well the busyness is never ending, or so it seems. Actually vacation is coming up very soon. Only 4 more days at the office and 3 in Winnipeg. Yay! I can't wait to see Josh and Jenna, Chloe and James. I'm working on psyching myself up for the 16 hour drive. :)

Well, I'm not sure what to tell you about as most of my busyness relates to work.

I spent 4 days in Winnipeg 2 weeks ago for training on the new banking system. I'm actually quite excited about the new system. It was a good week. I am heading back in for 3 days next week. I will be staying at the Radisson again and one of the main highlights is the starbucks in the lobby. :) I'm sure I will be very glad to get home on Wednesday night and sleep in my own bed again.

I've been trying to spend quite a bit of time outside when I'm not at work. It's been a beautiful spring. I mowed my lawn last night and managed to get a slight sunburn (it's already faded to a tan). The rest of the evening was spent shopping for shower gifts for a lovely bride to be. I'll post pictures next week of what the gift is. :)

Well..I'm up early today and heading to work a bit early. I'd better finish doing my hair and such...

Hope you are all well and loving life!

How they love each other

By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35

How are you making yourself known as a disciple of Christ? Do people see the difference in you?

I was listening to a song by Downhere this morning "How They Love Each Other" and it talks about how believers are identified by their love for each other. It can be so easy to say all the right words, but can you really back it up? Can you follow through with your actions and reactions?

I was having a bit of a bad day today. Heard some bad news about my Grandpa's health last night and then to top it off I woke up 5 minutes before I usually leave for work. So on a bad day I can find it really hard to be gracious and loving. I'm glad I was listening to that song this morning because even though it's still not a great day, I can make sure I don't make it a bad day for someone else and maybe God will use me to touch someone else today.

Attitude check everybody's got x-ray vision
Spot a fake, walk away
'Cause he's not worth my time, precious attention
Does it make you scared to think you stand for something bigger?
But will I ever know 'til you say it with your life?

Chorus
How they love each other
How they shine
And they follow one
We would like to know ourselves

Not your fancy talk, not your upright walk
They're not enough, so chalk one up for love again
Here's the same old good news
When you love, you give
And you can never lose, no never
Does it make you scared to think you matter in the bigger picture?
But will I ever know 'til you say it with your life?

It's been a busy week!

So, life has been slightly crazy and it doesn't look like it's going to change much in the near future. This week was the last week of working in the basement with the F11 crew. :) Actually Wednesday was the last day. Tuesday we went out for Lunch together at Gingerwood, which was really good. We packed it up on Wednesday, since they finished the larger projects early. Thursday and Friday I was in Winnipeg for training. Early mornings are not my favorite! I was up at 5:30 each morning. So tired! Friday I stayed after training with Traycee for sushi. Yummy!

Yesterday I tried to sleep in, but it didn't work so well. I got up and did some yard work. I was very happy to find that my ferns came up again this year. I thought I had killed them last year, but they appear to be doing fairly well. :)

Dad's in South Africa now. He'll be home on Friday night. Mom is counting sleeps. :) It'll be nice to have him home for sure!

Well, it was a busy week, but not really exciting. Not much else to say. Time to get ready for church. Hope you all had a good week!

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning it's shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

Stop this Train!

Busy Busy! So life is still flying. I often feel like I don't have enough hours in a day to get stuff done. Constantly doing laundry on the fly. Emptying the dishwasher while I wait for the straightening iron. Cleaning the bathroom while waiting for my food to warm up. Chatting with a friend while cleaning up the kitchen or cooking...you get the picture. :)

This weekend was a busy one, but also really good. Friday night I went to a play with a friend and out for coffee after.

Saturday I went to a wedding and also for coffee with some girls from work between the reception and the dance. We went to Jonny's Java and had a great time. I think we may have scared some of the other people away, but oh well. The dance was fun. I loved watching all the girls from work dance. I didn't get up and dance, but it was great fun to watch. The live band was pretty good too.

Sunday Mom and I went to the city in the afternoon and then we stopped in at Tim and Val's for supper and a movie. It was great to hang out with them and their awesome animals. I love their pets. So fun. :)

Tonight I've gotta get over to Bible Quizzing. This is the last week I think. They have their last meet this weekend. Would love to go to the meet, but I am in Winnipeg for Thursday and Friday this week. Training..yay. :) Going for Sushi on Friday night with a girlfriend from work though so that should be good!

Well, life is good. I'm enjoying it most of the time. Haven't had a lot of energy to go running lately though. :( I was thinking of going today, but it wasn't very nice out. I'm getting spoiled by the nice weather we've had this spring.

This is the last week with the F11 crew in the basement. "F11" you ask? It's our team name, because the escape key for the banking system is F11. We use it a lot in our clean-up. :) We have an appreciation lunch and wind-up tomorrow at Gingerwood Lane. Looking forward to that!

I'm looking forward to being out of the basement, but it'll be bittersweet as well saying goodbye to my new friends.

But I'm going to embrace the next part of this work year. We have a busy summer ahead!

That's all for now. Till next time...

He sees you where you are

There are times when we all feel like we're excluded from the life skipping by outside ourselves. Moments when we feel alone, misunderstood and unimportant..completely invisible.

But You're right here. You're the center of my world and Your love is unexplainable, but I know You see me where I am.

Your right hand has got a hold on me and Your grace, each day it sets me free 'cause You're right here.

Some days life seems to pass us by. We're living too fast and we're dying inside. Our purpose in life gets lost in the worries. Perspective is gone.

But You're right here. You're the center of my world and Your love is unexplainable, but I know You see me where I am

Your right hand has got a hold on me and Your grace, each day it sets me free 'cause You're right here

My understanding is not understanding at all. My strength is weak, but in weakness Your strength will prevail! If I look to you, if I trust in You, You'll lift me up above it all!

There are times in our life when we see people fall. You give us grace to reach out in love and show them that

You're right here. You're the center of the world and Your love is unexplainable, but I know You see me where I am

Your right hand has got a hold on me and Your grace, each day it sets me free' cause You're right here

One Little Heartbeat

Just listening to a song and thinking of all my friends who are Moms. This song is for you!

One Heartbeat at a Time

You're up all night with a screaming baby
You run all day at the speed of life
And every day you feel a little bit less
Like the beautiful woman you are

So you fall into bed when you run out of hours
And you wonder if anything worth doing got done
Oh, maybe you just don't know
Or maybe you've forgotten

You, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch and every smile
Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time

With every "I know you can do it"
Every tear that you kiss away
So many little things that seem to go unnoticed
They're just like the drops of rain over time
They become a river

And you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch and every smile
Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time

You're beautiful
You're beautiful
How you're changing the world
You're changing the world

You, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch and every smile
Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
Oh, I believe that you
You are changing the world
One little heartbeat
At a time

And you're changing the world

You guys are awesome! Keep up the great work raising our next generation!

Fun and Games

What a great weekend. Now it's back to work..

Saturday I woke up at a decent time and managed to get quite a bit done. Washed the car, cleaned up the yard, renewed insurance and drivers..

Yesterday I had a great time of worship with the church family. I went for a nice long bike ride in the afternoon which I am feeling today. :) In the evening the family was at Mom and Dad's for a BBQ. It was beautiful outside and we spent some time sitting outside and enjoying the sun. Well, I guess I was sitting while the others were playing frisbee. ;)

After a delicious supper, we played a good ol' game of monopoly. Comtois home rules..that says it all. I wasn't able to land on any unowned property and so I played the entire game without property, but still managed to survive till we called it quits and I even tripled my money..don't ask me how that works.. :)

And that's how my weekend went. I hope you all have had a great weekend and I wish you a wonderful work week!

Just one more thought and request. My Dad is heading off for 3 weeks with trans world radio and will be all over the world. Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Johannesburg. Please pray for him as he travels and for my Mom as she's home without him. Thanx!

Knowledge, wonder and mystery

Those of you who know me fairly well may also know that I have been an avid reader since I knew how to read. I grew up listening to my parents read to me and loving it. I was home schooled from grade 4-12 and thrived on learning through reading. I worked at the town library from age 14-18. I love books. I love trivia. People who talk to me may hear my love for useless trivia and can become annoyed by it..sorry. :) I love Jeopardy and trivial pursuit. As a family we used to play a game called The Bible Game, which was a trivia game based on bible knowledge. I loved that game! I love knowing things. I am fascinated by how things work, by the intricacies of nature, by the way people think and why they think the way they do. I love to figure things out for myself. Logic is my friend.

So now you may understand when I tell you that it bothers me to have a book on my bookshelf that I have never read. Today I was looking for a good read. Something different. I came across a book that I had forgotten about. It was given to me by the church as a graduation gift. My Dad wrote these words on the title page inside: To Beth, You are God's treasured possession. Remember your identity and calling. Remember the purpose of life. Remember your resources in Christ. 1 Peter 2:1-10 which reads:

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy

So now that I found this book again I am going to read it and treasure it. It's called "A Quiet Knowing" by Gigi Graham with Ruth Bell Graham

The phrase "A Quiet Knowing" speaks of our assurance in Christ. Our knowledge of eternal life and our knowing that everything is under the control and in the loving hands of our Heavenly Father.

Yes, I love trivia, and weird and wonderful knowledge. I love that there are always new things to learn and figure out. New people to get to know and understand where they are coming from. Life is full of sweet mysteries, but the one knowledge that is of utmost importance is knowing God. God will never get old, we will never fully comprehend Him. All the more reason to delve into what we can know of Him, which he has revealed to us through His word. I will never get tired of His word!

Love life! and look for those sweet mysteries!

Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you'll never cease to grow. Anthony J. D'Angelo

intricate planned beautiful

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

When was the last time you looked at something in God's creation and were completely in awe? A couple weeks ago I bought the Planet Earth series that BBC put out a few years ago. I really enjoy watching nature shows and learning about the different plants and creatures God has made. Of course BBC has put an evolution spin on everything, but I just filter that out and am completely amazed by the imagination that God had to put into each creature he made. I love spring and seeing new life.

I was raking leaves yesterday and there were so many ladybugs under the leaves. So fun. :) I loved seeing how the grass was turning green and a couple of my plants are starting to sprout.

Anyway..just wanted to share my feeling of joy about spring and especially about the wonderful God we have and the absolute care he puts into everything he's made. He doesn't make mistakes and he knows exactly what he's doing.

Rest in that!

Perseverance

So life is still passing by at the speed of light. Not a lot is new right now. Thought that I would have become accustomed to the work I am doing now, but it seems that this work is of a nature that you cannot become used to. :) That is a good thing, because I always have something to do and a challenge to keep me from getting bored, but it's also really tiring.

I've been managing to keep up with friends and family, but running and memorizing has taken a slide.

A couple of weeks ago I had fun going to a couple of "Reinstate" concerts. The guys are so good at playing together and they keep on getting better! It is so fun to watch them! If you have opportunity to go to a concert, I strongly suggest you go!

Easter came and went this past weekend. It was really good to be with family and celebrate Christ, our life's purpose. I was asked to switch with someone for special music and ended up playing on Sunday. I managed to find a song that I played with a couple of girls in Austria 3 years ago. It's called "Sing to Jesus" by Fernando Ortega. Really beautiful song! It was fun to learn it again.

I decided it was high time I finished memorizing chapter one of Philippians today.

Philippians 1:18-30

But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me. Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved-and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Paul is such an amazing letter writer! I love reading this. It draws me in to where he's at and how he's feeling as he's writing this letter. He is in jail and suffering for Christ. He's still concerned for the churches he's planted and wants to hear that they are growing and being encouraged.

How many of us would be that selfless? He knows that it would be so much better and easier if he would just die and go home to be with the Lord, but he knows that for the sake of the church he will go on living a life of sacrifice for Christ to further his kingdom. You can see Paul's humanity in this letter and his longing for rest, but he has chosen to give Christ's life in him the upper hand.

How much of my life is based on me? on what I want? Am I portraying Christ's love the way I should be? It is so easy to forget that everything I do should be in the interest of others to the glory of Christ. How do I overcome self and give Christ's life in me the upper hand? I believe that it is only by spending time with God and being in communication with Him throughout the day that will allow me to be in tune with His purpose for me.

Here's a song that I was listening to last night that touched my heart again.

Face of Love by Sanctus Real

I've seen your face on stained glass, in colored lights
In pictures of you looking to the sky
You've been portrayed a thousand different ways
But my heart can see you better than my eyes
'Cause it's love that paints the portrait of your life

The face of love
The face of love
You look more like love every day

I've read your words in the pages of your life
And I've imagined what you were like
I may not know the shape of your face
But I can feel your heart changing mine
And your love still proves that you're alive

You are the face that changed the whole world
No one too lost for you to love
No one too low for you to serve
So give us the grace to change the world
No one too lost for me to love
No one too low for me to serve

Let us see... let us be your face

It's been too long again!

Does life ever seem to get away from you? It has been for me for the past couple of weeks. Wow!

Where to start? Well..I'm working my new position. It's been challenging, but good. Tiring, but rewarding. I'm enjoying working with some new people and we're getting a lot done! I made a progress graph to chart how far we are and to set some goals and rewards once they are reached. Last week we went out for lunch as a reward. So good! :) I thoroughly enjoyed my Nacho Supreme at Delrios. :)

So what exactly am I doing? I'm heading up a wonderful team of people who are doing file cleanup. Basically we are doing housekeeping on the computer and weeding out unwanted information from our banking system to make a system conversion more efficient. That is as much detail as I can give you. :) It's a bit hard to explain anyway...

I've still been doing some running, though some of you may have noticed that I've slowed down on the mileage the last couple of weeks. I've just been wiped out at the end of the day and even though it's not physical work that I'm doing, it takes it's toll and running is at least half mental work (I can do it..I can do it..I can...etc.) anyway. It's surprising what a body can do when it's distracted from the pain, or if you just convince it that the pain doesn't exist. hahaha

My memorizing has gone downhill too. :( I did a couple of verses this evening and did some review to make sure I still remembered the other ones. Now that I am somewhat acclimated to my new position, I'm hoping that my brain can handle a bit more work everyday. :)

Philippians 1:15-17

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.

So what are you willing to do for the gospel? Likely in your part of the world, you won't get thrown in prison for it, but can you take a bit of mockery? Can you handle it if somebody doesn't like you because of it? Are you ok with being laughed at? What will you do to ensure that the gospel is furthered?

I pray that God will give you the heart and motivation you need to serve him! That you will have the grace needed in tough situations. That you will be the person that others see a difference in. That you will be able to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you have.

Well..other than work I've been busy as usual with other stuff. Quizzing, Bible Study, Bible Classes. I took some time to play a bit too. :) Last weekend I went to the city with a friend from work. We went for sushi and went to chapters afterwards. Such a good time! This weekend my two sisters who are here (wish Jenna was here too) spent an evening together. We did oil fondue which was awesome! Then we had strawberries and chocolates and watched a movie together after we spent an hour giving each other shoulder massages. My back feels so good! After that Candice and I had a great time driving home in the fog. It was soupy! :) Oh well..good times.

Well that's what has been going on with me lately. And now it's time to get some sleep since I was up till one..make that two..last night/this morning. Gotta be fresh for another week of work!

Advancing the Gospel

It's been a bit busy around here lately. Olympics is taking up a bit of time, running another chunk, work...the largest chunk. :) I'm starting my new position tomorrow and was busy training someone this last week. I got around to memorizing another few verses this evening.

Philippians 1:12-14

No I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

So, what does it take for us to speak the word of God courageously? Are we ever spurred on to that point of speaking boldly about the truth? I can remember a few times that I have felt emboldened and fearless. Usually it's after a time at Bible camp, or when I came home from Austria, or even when I have been affected by death.

It's definitely something to think about. I need to make sure that I see each day as an opportunity and as exciting to be alive for one more day to serve God. It's so easy to lose track of what we're here for. What are we here for? To further God's kingdom on earth, not to increase our bank accounts or pride, but to use what God blesses us with to love others and be used in their lives to draw them closer to Him.

I believe that it is of utmost importance for us as God's children to be in His word and communicating with God through prayer. How can we expect to be in God's will unless we are so close to God that we know what his will is? You can't know someone that you don't spend time with. Let's spur each other on to love and good deeds! Hebrews 10:24

Fruit of Righteousness

Day Four brings me to Philippians 1:9-11

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-to the glory and praise of God.


Here is a description of the kind of love that Christians are to show. Not just higgledy piggledy emotive love, but a love that takes thought and decisiveness. A love that is based on knowledge of who God is and how that affects our lives and our actions toward others. This is the type of love that should motivate our every action and which will ultimately bring us before Christ to hear "well done".

Does anyone else find it hard to put thought into every word and action? I sometimes let myself get so led by emotion that I don't think before I speak/act. I'm not saying that emotion is never justified, but that allowing our emotion to control us is wrong. Those of you who know me well can understand that I get a little revved up sometimes. :)

These verses are definitely a challenge to me to be ever mindful of what my purpose and motivation should be, which is to further God's kingdom through my actions. How do I further His kingdom? By building up other believers, by being an example and testimony to unbelievers by what I say which is then supported by what I do.

I can only imagine what kind of change we could bring about if we all lived by these words! Let's live it moment by moment!


Today was a bit of a blur. Felt like it just passed me by and I don't know where I was the entire time. Heather and I went out together tonight. We decided to go and see a movie and decided on Invictus. Such a good movie and well worth watching again. I kept thinking, "this is a great movie to watch with Dad!" So Heather and I had a great time together and enjoyed chatting before the movie started. We were there about a half hour early. :)
Heather told me something so cute. Selah (her daughter) has been asking "can Beth come over and play?" I definitely plan on getting over there soon! :) Made my day to hear that! I Love my little adopted nieces! Well, hope you have a great Friday! Looking forward to the long weekend!

Go with God!

I have you in my heart..

Day three of the memorization challenge.

Philippians 1:7-8 I decided to do 2 verses today since the next three kinda go together.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Wow! Read those verses again! Paul really had a love for these people and he wasn't afraid to share that with them. Can you think of anyone that makes you feel this way? Are there people in your life that you are vulnerable enough with, that you actually long for them when you're away from them? I do, and I can tell you that it hurts. Paul obviously loved these people personally and he also loved them in Christ. At times I think we take for-granted the special bond we have with other believers. We seem to forget that our lives here are very temporary compared to eternity. Paul's love for these people is made even more profound by his love for them in Christ. He had realized the connection with them as family in Christ.

God's grace in the lives of brothers and sisters in Christ is the deepest bond for a relationship to be built upon. I certainly believe that it is important to take an interest in people's likes and dislikes and find common ground there, but there is absolutely no reason for believers not to be able to love each other despite personality clashes. We have something in common for eternity and we have a whole book that we can draw on for discussion. :)


Well, my day felt a little scattered today. I finished up a training manual this morning for a new employee who is starting next week. I was also on till for part of the day and spent a couple of hours balancing the books. A bit of a weird day, but it was good. I only have 6 more days with my MSR team before I move out of the area for the rest of the year. 3 of those days will be spent with the new employee. I'm feeling a bit torn.

After work I went home and then went straight back to work to run on the treadmill. 4 miles down today. It felt like I was pushing it the whole way.. ick. Not really looking forward to the 8 mile on Saturday if that's what it's going to be like. Here's hoping the energy comes up a bit.
Looking forward to the long weekend, although I won't be doing much. :) It'll be a chance to clean up the house and get some laundry done. Goody! :)

Till next time

Began a good work..

So today was my second day of memorization.

Philippians 1:4-6

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Love those verses! Those Philippians were so blessed to have an example and mentor like Paul. He was cheering them on in the faith and upholding them in prayer. I feel so blessed to have people like that in my life as well. The first ones that come to mind for me are my parents. They are constantly providing support and encouragement and lifting me before my heavenly Father. A goal of mine is to be that person to others. I think it is wonderful to have that knowledge that someone is mediating for you and cares so much about your life. Are you that person for someone? Do you tell those people? Another person who has been that person for me is Rhonda. Really appreciate you Rhonda!

This morning at work we had a staff meeting at which was given some disappointing news, which I believe was received very well by the staff. Afterward we went around the room and said one thing that we appreciated about the person next to us. It was so good to hear those things said out loud! So good to see how our staff meshes and works together and cares for each other. I work with an awesome group of people in the MSRs and I will miss them. I hope that the team I will be joining will be just as great (I'm sure they will be) and that I can be a Christ-like example as I tackle the project with them.

Well the rest of the week is looking surprisingly calm. A couple more days of running. A girls night with Heather (which I am really looking forward to!), and my evenings are still free otherwise. I had lunch with another friend today, which was really good. Love spending time with my people! :)

Hope you all have a wonderful day tomorrow!!

A Challenge

So today, I came up with an idea while I was running on the treadmill and staring at the wall. I thought to myself "I should really get back into memorizing scripture again." I used to be a Bible Quizzer and still help out with the program at church quite often. The kids memorize around 145 verses in the school year (sometimes more, sometimes less) and then they compete against each other. It's a really great program that encourages study and memorization of Scripture and a little competition never hurts either. :)
So I started thinking about which books of the Bible I would really love to have memorized. The books that the quizzers are doing this year are 1st and 2nd Corinthians. Pretty awesome! Those were the first books I memorized as a quizzer. :) So the book that I have decided to tackle is Philippians. I love the book and have done some study in it and it would be so great to have it stored in the memory vault. I thought it might be a good idea to start memorizing while I'm running or even throughout the day whenever I have a couple of minutes. It used to only take 15 minutes for me to memorize a pretty good chunk, but I'm sure it'll take the old brain a little longer these days. I've decided to start at about 2-3 verses a day and see how that goes.
It may sound a little overwhelming when you think back to those Sunday School verses you had to memorize as a kid, but I find it a lot easier to memorize passages. Once you have a firm grasp on the context and thought process of the writer, it just flows easily.
Philippians has 4 chapters and 104 verses. Piece of cake!
So if there are any determined (or just bored) people out there who would like to get some scripture memory in, let me know! I would love to have an accountability partner! Each day I will post the verses I've memorized and possibly an interesting tidbit from my day. haha
Here are today's verses:

Philippians 1:1-3
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you.

New Temporary Position

Hey all,
Just a quick update. Wanted to let you know that I was offered a position at work that will last the rest of the year. I will be doing something completely different. Should be fun and interesting. I'll have the opportunity to work with a lot of different people, some of whom I haven't met before. :)
Looking forward to the new adventure, and seeing what God has in store.
Please pray for me as the new job comes with a lot of responsibility.
Other news..not much. I've been running a lot lately and am training for a marathon, just for kicks. I have no intention of running a full marathon. :) I might do a 10 km in Spring and possibly a half in Fall, but we'll see how long I can keep it up.
I've been keeping myself pretty busy. Whenever I'm not working, running, or busy with church stuff, I have been working on a writing course and also doing some artwork. So, yeah..lot's going on. I've also been enjoying spending time with friends and have been able to catch up with some old friends over coffee the last couple of weeks.
Tonight our church family is going skating. We haven't rented the ice at the arena in a few years and I'm looking forward to lacing up the skates tonight. It's been a long time!
Well..I'm going to have a bit of a rest, and maybe even nap. :)

Need help with ideas for artwork..

Ok, so I have a couple of blank walls in my house that really need filling. I am considering painting something, but need some ideas of what to paint.
These are examples of a couple of things I have done in the past.
If you have thoughts etc. Let me know. :)

Fond Memories

Many years ago there were three little girls named Beth, Heather and Ashleigh. They were the best of friends and usually got along famously.One of the things these three girls had in common was their stubbornness, or if you rather, their determination.
These three musketeers always enjoyed a good sleepover, as most young girls do and they particularly enjoyed camping out. So a grand idea was hatched one day that they would set up a tent in the backyard of one of their houses and they'd have a wonderful time sleeping out of doors.
And so, with the consent of their parents, it was set and they were to sleep in the backyard at Heather and Ashleigh's house.This was always Beth's first choice, because they owned a trampoline and what is more fun than a trampoline?
So Beth trundled down the block with her backpack and pillow to Heather and Ashleigh's house.
There was laughter and small arguments as they got the tent set up correctly. Soon it was time for bed and the three girls eagerly crawled into the nests of blankets that each had arranged for themselves in the tent.They quickly settled down to their favorite game of drawing on each-others backs. Whoever was having their back drawn on would have to guess what was being drawn.
Being silly little girls, they had hardly paid any attention to the storm that was brewing outside their little tent.
It soon began to rain, and unworried, they simply pulled their blankets away from the walls of the tent so as not to let in the water. After talking and giggling some more, they soon realized that the storm was getting worse. The wind began to whip around the tent and the thunder started crashing, and the lightning flashing.While they would never admit to being scared of a thunderstorm, they quickly agreed to sing whatever songs they could think of.
They were quite unaware of the fact that Heather and Ashleigh's older brother had decided to sleep on the couch by the living room window and that he had left the window open. And so, unknowingly, they gave him quite a concert sung at the tops of their lungs and rather out of tune.
The next morning they woke to find that the rain had found it's way into the tent and their blankets were soggy. To their embarrassment they also found out that they had provided quality entertainment for said older brother.
But never let it be said that those three girls lacked determination (or stubbornness, whichever you prefer).

Boxes

Do you ever feel like someone has placed you in a box?
I've been thinking a bit lately about how we tend to judge people too quickly. How often do you hear around here, "Oh, you must be so and so's grandson/granddaughter". Wham, you're in a box. That person will always see you as so and so's grandson/daughter. Whatever they may think of you will be related to that first. They see you through a specific lens, so to speak.
That has often bugged me. I don't want to be seen through a specific lens. I don't want people to think of me only as how they have first perceived me.
How often do you forget about people's individuality? How often do you find that you are prejudiced about someone by their dress, accent, race, or just by how you first met them? I want to remind you not to allow what we know about someone to color your understanding of them as an individual. I believe that each person has so many things about them that makes them who they are and there is no way that you can ever believe that you already know someone completely. The only way to know someone is to spend time with them and let them tell you about themselves not only in what they say (sometimes that can be deceiving) but in how they act.
This subject first popped into my head a couple of days ago when I was listening to a song on the radio.

"Fingerprints of God" by Steven Curtis Chapman.

I can see the tears filling your eyes
And I know where they're coming from
They're coming from a heart that's broken in two
By what you don't see
The person in the mirror
Doesn't look like a magazine
Oh but when I look at you
It's clear to me

That I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece that all creation
Quietly applauds
And you're covered with
The fingerprints of God

Never has there been and never again
Will there be another you
Fashioned by God's hand and perfectly planned
To be just who you are
And what He's been creating
Since the first beat of your heart
Is a living, breathing
Priceless work of art

And I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know it's true
You're a masterpiece that all creation
Quietly applauds
And you're covered with
The fingerprints of God

Just look at you
You're a wonder in the making
And God's not through
In fact, He's just getting started!


For those of you who sometimes feel like you are placed in a box and labeled, remember that God knows who you truly are and what other people think of you shouldn't make you believe you should change who you are. Let God mold you. :)
I would also like to encourage you to open yourselves up to getting to know people. Let them tell you who they are. Be open with them. You never know who'll turn out to be a huge blessing to you or how God can use you in someone's life.
It can be hard to be vulnerable and let people in, but wouldn't you rather be able to say that you were open and available rather than shutting out anyone and everyone who could potentially change your life forever?

Centered

Not sure how many people still check this blog.
Just wanted to share some thoughts if I can manage to put them into coherent words.

The earthquake in Haiti has become another thing that has impressed upon me how short our life is and how great our responsibilities are while we are here. Thoughts of how many people's lives have been affected by this disaster and how it affects us, have been running through my head. We are so far removed from it and yet we're not. We have huge responsibilities around the world. Not just in caring for physical needs, though those are at the forefront of our thoughts as people are in great need in the midst of a crisis, but also for spiritual needs. How many of those people who were killed in the earthquake knew Jesus? In a country where voodoo is still the national religion, I would say that many of those people are eternally separated from God. Yes, the people who are alive and suffering right now are the people we are trying to help.

Please God, help us keep them alive long enough to give them the only message of hope!

I can't even come close to comprehending how much it hurts God's heart to see people dying without Him.


A song that has been stuck in my head for the past week is by David Crowder Band "How He Loves"

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If his grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

That He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.


What an incredible love! A jealous love that is angered by all the things that keep us from Him. A compassionate and love as he sees the hurt. A merciful love as he continually intervenes. Knowing that he has that kind of love for us, for me, makes me want to do whatever I can to make sure that my life is only for the purpose of furthering His kingdom.

I am encouraged by what I hear of all the different countries doing whatever they can to send relief to Haiti. If only there were that sense of urgency for saving people throughout the world who are dying without hope, the hope that is the assurance of being with Christ forever.

It is so easy for us to allow our worlds to become smaller and smaller, shrinking around us until all we see is what is going on in our little lives. 'gotta re-shingle the roof, gotta clean up the house, gotta work, busy, busy, busy'. Yes we are busy, and day to day life is necessary, but where is our perspective? What are we doing in our prayer lives? Are we taking the time to make sure we are available for God's work? Are we making our lives count in his kingdom? Are we giving until it hurts?


Another song that has made an impression on me is by Reinstate "Need to Give"

Worlds apart from the start
you were dreaming of a life to live for
I am here without fear
dreaming of the day I make it to the top

But love has spoken
Hearts been broken
We are all the same
It does not matter
What we have in this life
Only that we give it away

So much pain suffering
On your side of the world where dreams don't come true
Here are we happily
Meeting all our needs without a second thought

While parents dying
Their children crying for love
And we all turn our backs
And we don't attack the pain
That we all see

It's time to give our lives
It's time to give our lives
It's time to give our lives away

Parents dying
Their children crying for love
We all turn our backs
And we don't attack the pain

If we'd open up our eyes
Look outside our lives
We'd see the needs, the hopes, the wants, the dreams
Of those with not enough
Whose hopes have turned to dust
While we have lived our lives so selfishly

Enough is all we need to live
It's time for us to give
Let's drown out the doubt
That we can live without
One day we'll stand before the throne
Of the King that I adore
We cannot afford
To ignore the need anymore


Now if I had just put those lyrics up to begin with, I wouldn't have needed to write anything else. It says it all right there. Let's all get some perspective shall we? Where are our lives centered? Please take this as a challenge not only for you, but also for me.