Betty and India

My prayer partner and mentor Betty and her husband went to India last month and I was very interested in some things she said when she returned. I asked her if I could share some of her thoughts with you and she said yes.

Absolutely amazed at the FOCUS of the Christians.

The Sole purpose of the Christians is to reach India for Jesus.

Church is never there for itself….always in the business of multiplying

208,920 people are on a waiting list to get the training to be church planters.

Each person we met seemed passionate about what they are doing... lay people who seem so focused on reaching others.

My struggle now is what do I do with what I have experienced. I so desire the passion I saw in the people, but just don't know how to live that kind of passion here. I/We seem to have so many wants and plans that just don't seem to leave any room for God. So many times our focus is not on God. Being a Christian often just seems to be a ticket to Heaven. Not a life changing, consuming, central part of who we are.

Thanks Betty for your inspiration.
My bones cry out for more meaningful impact on the world too. In God I will search for the answers I seek.

The Lamp

The young adults group we host at our house had a photo scavenger hunt on Sunday. the group I was in had a living room lamp as a prop. It was a lot of fun here are some pictures.

normal vs. radical

"Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world."
Joel A Baker

I'm praying for my vision and action to have a head on collision

God is leading me into a time of spiritual renewal. I have lived 15 years not wanting to be mediocre .... if not already i will soon arrive at mediocre if I do not make some course changes now. I have not let God have all of me. I long to be normal but yet I long to be radical. The problem is "normal" is conformity to this world and that is what my flesh desires. "Radical" is what God teaches me to be in scripture. This is the battle that wages in me. I read about and listen to people who blow my mind in regards to being radicals, they changed the world as we know it and I long to see what God could do if only I was as dedicated to him as I am to my selfish desires. I need the vision and the action.

"Our instinctive inclination is to protect our time and energy, even hoard it. Yet just a casual read of the New Testament reveals that Jesus lived his life giving himself away."
Aurthur unknown

Could I live to give myself away?
If you do anything, think anything because of reading this do not think of me but return to your own spiritual need to be renewed, seek God, let God show his Glory through you in this day.

Confession

What is the hardest thing I have ever had to do?
Confess, confess my sin to God and others. Now I hope I am not letting you down by telling you I am not going to confess anything here today, accept that it is something very hard to do. I was listening to a lesson by Beth Moore and it was all about a time of pure confession to God. It is a challenge to me. during my prayer time, I seem to spend less and less time on confessing to God my sin and need for Him and more on my list of physical needs and requests. Honesty I can't even remember the last time spent time in confession. She says that if you are experiencing a time of spiritual dryness and you feel in a cycle of up and down spiritually, it means you need a time of pure confessing before God and not just a quick "sorry God"(which is good too but there is also this time needed for brokenness before him.)
Confession is so hard but we need to confess our sins, to God and to others.
The others part-
This is so hard I think generally we(Christians) have avoided it and avoided talking about it.
What shall we do with our confessions? Any ideas?
aside from thinking of an answer to that. I challenge you as Beth challenged me, to bow your head or raise it, however you call on God and confess, confess it all to Him and how desperate you are for his fathering in your life. and then accept his forgiveness and keep confession as a regular part of your prayer time.

I'll be on the moon by noon...

..and back by supper.
I love creativity, I love passion. I am told I am a creative person and I have passion. I haven't always agreed but this week I know it is true, right now in my life I am experiencing an overload of creative thoughts and passion. It wouldn't be so bad if it was for one idea but NO! It feels like every 5 minutes I have a new plan or idea that I am ready to dedicate my day/summer/ or even life to(or at least 5 minutes). If creativity was a throttle and passion was the gas, I am flat out heading across the universe and 300 KM/hr. My mind resembles that of a mad scientist or something. The creative switch in my brain is stuck in the on position and I am exhausted. So you're thinking "Wow! she must get a lot done!" ... Nope, I have become unable to accomplish anything. What can i do? I am praying for focus and passion for one idea. surely all this can not be wasted on my crazy mind and never come to anything good. I am praying that God will help me harness this .....(whatever it is).. and turn it in the right direction.

I am generally very busy. I think I may be experiencing a slow week.

Speaking of creativity I want you all to see this video clip, if you have the time. He is very easy to listen to and his message is much needed in the education system. See it at Ben's blog.

Home Now

I have arrived home.
I got back on Thursday and it has been a beautiful weekend. We all enjoyed family time with Ben, we relaly missed him and I know he missed us.

So just thought I'd let you know my visit with my friend in Edmonton went well. She was so excited that I came to visit, we ate together, visited, took pictures and I prayed with her before I left. I felt it was a real blessing to her and to me. I really felt God among us. Thanks for your prayers.

spring, sand and a story

I made it to the coast and I found spring. So Manitoba I will bring some of it back with me. Here are some photos to prove it.
My sister in law's garden.

Ariel got roller blades for her birthday and she is doing really well already.


We got our dose of sand and sea ... someday i hope we will live at a beach. (really hoping)

Ok so I have so many stories to tell but as I am sure you have noticed I like to keep my blogs short. for 2 reasons- I don't like to read long blogs generally unless they are very interesting, so I don't make mine long and it takes me so long to get the thoughts from my head onto the screen as it is, that I run out of time and I just keep it short. that said I have one story to tell that starts a while back. We'll see if it gets to be long or short, but I only have 1/2 an hour. so here goes.
In February I was driving along and thinking as I usually do. (My brain is a very busy place and I tend to day dream a lot) well on this day I was thinking about this trip I was going on to BC and I digressed to thinking about my friend Fatuma and her family in Edmonton then i thought how nice it would be to visit her some day and bless her somehow. well that is where the two thoughts combined and I figured in my brain if I would go during this trip it would cost an extra $300 -I don't have that extra right now and so I passed the thought saying "well God if you want me to go you'll have to provide." At that I went on to other things and did not think of it again and probably would not have every remembered the thought until later.... later that same day. I was handed a check for $300 and was told to be creative and use he money wherever I wanted. Can we say "WOW" and "Oh my God" and mean it. I think God wants me to go to Edmonton! LOL I am not sure I wanted to go to Edmonton. It was just a thought! But what can I do? My brain thoughts got me into this mess. Oh don't get me wrong, I am excited. ... so I'm going to Edmonton- out of obedience, curiosity, and to visit a friend. as to what I going to do or say that God will have to tell me yet if he has a specific plan, so pray for me to have the wisdom and insight I need for this task. As my profile says I want to be a willing vessel available when the king calls me, so here I am.

On the move

So My time at my my parents has come to an end. Now I am moving on to Ben's sister's place to stay for a week. I did so many things I never get to do. Here are some pictures of me working on the house, shooting the winchester and playin'around.

20 years in a moment

The view from my parents living room window looks down through a small valley. Yesterday I sat there while everyone else was busy outside. I sat and pondered where I was and how life brought me to this place. How God had brought my parents, my siblings and my children to this place, even if just for visits. How it seemed only yesterday we were all kids playing in our yard in Langley, being kids. As i looked out the window it was like a moment in time capturing 20 years or more into one thought. Who would have thought we'd be here, now, it just seemed odd, so sudden. Life takes turns all along the journey. It made me wonder what God might have in store for us(me and Ben and the kids) in the next 20 years, who knows but God. I am excited about the future, I don't know what it will bring but I sure pray it will be the Lords will.

Yesterday we also went into the bush to collect firewood for next winter. Here are a few pictures of a huge tree my brother, Dad and I loaded onto the trailer.

This tree my dad will put through his saw mill and turn into boards for the house.

From the mountians

well the secret is out so I can tell you all about what I have been up to now.

Last week I found out that I didn't need to teach for April so I decided to go to BC to visit family. But I wanted to make it a surprise for my parents so I conspired with my sister and two brothers to meet me at Mom and Dad's. So everyone got time off work and made the plan to meet on Friday morning at Mom and dad's. My oldest brother told them he was coming with his family but the rest of us just arrived. Wow were Mom and Dad surprised. It has been a great Easter weekend already. The girls just love being in the mountains. I have hardly seen Ariel for 2 days because she has been off in the bush or by the creek with her cousin. I am just so amazed at how no one is asking for food all day long like they normally do at home. The beautiful thing is the weather, 20 yesterday and today. The bad thing is there are a lot of wood-ticks-IIIKKK. Here are some pictures.... Oh and some time I will have to tell you about the broken down van, 10 hours at Corner Gas which all led to our new 2005 Montana van. and one more thing My kids were the most amazing kids as they were so positive and good natured the whole 2 day trip here(11 and 12 hour driving days)I was exhausted when I arrived. anyway here are those pictures I promised.
full baskets from the egg hunt

checking for ticks

My dad and brothers by the house my parents are building

Driving the three princess

My water broke

Since tomorrow is April Fools day I wanted to tell you all a funny thing I did to Ben the year I was 9 months pregnant with Ariel on April 1. It was about 6:30 in the morning and as usual i was up early because I couldn't get comfortable with the huge belly and all, so i went to the kitchen for a drink of water... I got an idea to spill the water on purpose and then scream to Ben that my water had broken ... trying to keep serious the whole time. Wowzers - he was up quick, he had been sleeping but now he was one leg into his pants running into the kitchen. It was very difficult to keep a straight face for a moment or two but then I burst out laughing and called out April fools. He took it well and went back to bed.

success

It's kinda funny how I can tell all....almost all.... on a blog and yet most of you I would not tell these things so boldly in person.... the wonders of a blog.

I often share my failures but today I was thinking of sharing a success. It's real too. LOL

For lent I gave up staying up late, with the intention of being able to wake up early to read more in my Bible, pray and memorize scripture. I have been able to do all three and I am loving it. I memorized Psalm 32 and am now working on Romans 8 and part of Deuteronomy 12. I hope it will be a pattern I keep with even after Lent is over. I feel energized and inspired.

Sooo I would love to hear how your lent is going. If you chose to lent that is.

"click"

Some of my favorite pictures from the action on the street in recent days.

Jesus outside the IGA

It was just a quick stop at the IGA, who would have known?

Ben ran in for a bag of chips and some batteries, I waited in the van with the girls. As Ben walked into the store an old man, I'd never seen before, seemingly crippled with time and bad experiences came hobbling out of the store, leaning heavy on his cane and with a shopping caddy in tow. He looked awkward and warn-out. For all the detail I noticed, I really didn't look at him long, as soon as my eyes took notice, like a knee jerk reaction, I turned to look at the girls in the back seat. It was intentional, I didn't want to stare or even look- what if I made him feel awkward? or was it more - I felt awkward.
Joelle saw him right away - "Mommy there's a very old man." she watched him walk awkwardly down the sidewalk, not taking her eyes off of him. I turned back to look at him just as he had past the van... "But I still love him" she said, it was the voice of Joelle ..or was it, I instantly knew it was God. A direct shot to my heart. I physically looked up as if i was expecting to see him there and said "Oooh God!" -A plea for a heart like my daughters ....He answered and I felt a flood of love pour into my heart for the man. All in a matter of seconds. Joelle and I watched the man walk down the sidewalk her with a look of innocents and joy, mine of tears and amazement.

Jesus forgive me and make me to love you, truly love you, even when you walk by me in disguise. I pray for those that read this that they too will seek you and find you in the lonely faces and the most unusual places.

You Rock!!

I think I know who you are but your identity will be safe here.
You are such a blessing to our whole family.

To you who have been anonymously CARING for us in the past few weeks with small gifts at the door may God deal with you as you have dealt with us - "God give them small packages at your door."

If you are trying to gift-us so we stay forever it's working. LOL

YOU ROCK! and I don't just say that to everyone.

I hope you find your way here to read this.

to all others - We really have so many of you we are thankful for so I thank everyone in our church who has blessed us over the years, blessed us with prayer, kind words, friendship, food and much more.

Party Time

So it was party time on the street in February... as you read, I turned 30. Well Ben planned a party for me I am sorry if you missed it because it was a ton of fun. Here are 2 pictures

Ariel banged her head and here Deb is looking after her another baby. It was so precious.

Look at all the friends and some that I like to consider my family...I am so blessed.

Back to this am I

I feel like every small task is a chore these days, I really lack joy and purpose it feels. I have been here before, this is a feeling I know and I think I am on to what the root of the problem is..... I need some God juice to motivate me, I've been slacking off on my time with the king and it's starting to show.
Time with God is so important I know this but yet to take the time is so difficult, there is a constant battle within me. Pray for me.

30

As I throw up a toast to the turning of thirty. All glory to Jesus, the one who has walked with me and brought me this far. I want to greet, my next thirty years(if the Lord wills)with hope and anticipation. These years will be the best years ...I just know it. As i stand on the edge I wonder....
what do you hold for me? adventures? joyful years? sad years? new opportunities? wrinkles? grey hair? wisdom? freedom 55? many blessings? son inlaws? grandchildren? many surprises? a little of everything I am sure. Whatever will come I will say "blessed be the name of the Lord!"

More on the environment

I thought i might tell you all why I was led to post The one ton challenge post, since it got some great discussion going. I saw an article on John Travolta's Florida home and rather than feeling envious (many would and like part of me wants to feel)I felt like it was an outrageous use of the world resources and flagrant overconsumption. People say well it's his money to spend spend it how he likes, Yes it is his money to spend but it is one world we share. If He or rather we(the west) live this way the rest of the world is going to suffer from the lack of resources. This led me to think I could be frustrated with this and do nothing or I could take a hold of my own use of the world resources and encourage others to do the same. I can't make others change but I can live in a way that is responsible. It's not like I think one should devote their entire life to saving the world resources I just think we can all take a part in the solution no matter how small our part amy seem. and maybe it is not actually about the amount we actually save but the fact that we will not live to over consume but be resonable and responsible. Maybe I am out to lunch but I am willing to take that chance.

surrendering of your rights

When we surrendered our lives to God, when we chose to follow Christ, when we said I no longer live but Christ lives in me, what rights did we release? Did you ever think of it? Jesus says come follow me, When we accepted Jesus' offer to take our place, what really happened? or as we surrender each day or season in our life what rights do we really surrender? Do you know What I am asking?

I am looking for your answers.