Fall Tour, Day 4 & 5

(Saturday, December 3, & Sunday December 4, 2011)

Saturday, we mostly just helped decorate the church (that is, Richfield Christian Fellowship – a church that has been a blessing to us, allowing us to stay there all the time), clean floors, and do other odd jobs as needed, then hung out and had an impromptu worship session at the beginning of the evening. We also played games  – some of us played dutch blitz, or settlers, or other games that were around, and our leader and one of the students left to get us coffee from Tim Hortons. I asked for a medium French vanilla, and they came back with an extra-large for me. I drank the whole thing, and needless to say, was a little bit hyper for the rest of the evening. I did make sure to warn and apologize to people in advance for how ridiculous I would be for the rest of the evening. It was a brilliant time, and I definitely did not want that evening to ever be over.

It was a really good way to essentially end the trip, as Sunday was basically just hanging out with each other, enjoying the service, and heading back to the school. Before the service started though, Pastor Lorne had a small meeting with us, to thank us for everything we had done for him and the church the day before. He said they were blessed to have us helping them out, and he gave us a good lesson on how those are the acts that show a true ministry-oriented heart. We can preach and persuade people all we want, but if we are not willing to get down on our hands and knees and scrub a floor after, then we don’t deserve to be ministering in the first place. It was very powerful, and reminded me of something my mother had said to me a few weeks earlier, while helping me to clean a bathroom at school about half an hour after I had preached in chapel.

This is what life and ministry is, preaching one minute, scrubbing a bathtub the next. If we are too proud to be cleaning toilets, then we don’t deserve to be doing anything else in ministry. It is as simple as that. And it is something I will never forget. I pray that I will always be humble enough to clean a toilet, or scrub a floor, regardless of anything else that is going on.

This was Service Tour 2011 with Living Faith Bible College. Thanks to those of you who were praying for us, we really appreciated the support, and to everyone else, I hope you enjoyed experiencing a few days of my life with me. Be blessed.

Fall Tour, Day 3

(Friday, December 2, 2011)

We worked with Habitat for Humanity all day today. For the first part of the day I wasn’t doing much, and had a feeling I wouldn’t be the most helpful individual on the job site, seeing as I am small, and not talented in any construction-type field. Thankfully, the houses that we were helping to work on were already partially completed – enough that we got to spend most of our time inside; other than when we were running to the truck and other places to pick up tools. In the afternoon I got to use a skill saw and a drill. Using the skill saw was rather exciting, and slightly terrifying. I was basically a pro. Or not. But it was fun to try it out at least once anyway.  Anyway, other than that, the day wasn’t overly exciting, but it was still fun to serve the community in a different type of way.

Then in the evening, we went to City Center Church, where they had a recovery program going on. It happens every Friday night, and has been going on for about the past year or so. First, there was half an hour of fellowship, then we went and did worship for a little bit, then a young man shared his testimony – which was kind of an impromptu thing.

He shared about growing up as a Christian, but not really understanding it, and getting into drugs, sex, drinking, partying, and how he finally connected with God. He has more fun now, going into a mall and saying “Okay God, what adventure are we going to have today?” and going up to random people (as the Spirit prompts him) and praying for them, than he did using and selling drugs. Half the reason he used to sell drugs was because of the excitement and adventure to it. It was really cool to hear his testimony of how God had made Christianity so exciting to him that he didn’t want to go back to his old way of living.

He had some really interesting things to say, and some kind of sweeping generalizations that I disagreed with, and that offended a couple of the girls on our team. But overall I really enjoyed him, and I felt like it was very encouraging to hear. It was a definite reminder to pay attention to God’s voice, because He talks to us more than some of us realize. It was a good addition to the class that Brad Jersak did at school at couple of weeks ago. Then we split up into 2 groups, guys downstairs, girls upstairs, and we discussed peoples’ issues and what they were dealing with.

A couple of the students seemed to really connect with the people there, and it blessed my heart to see it. There was one student in particular that seemed really exhausted and sad when we got to the church at the beginning of the evening, but was doing incredibly well by the end of the evening, because of connecting with a guy there. He was so hyped up. It made the entire evening worth it to me.

Fall Tour, Day 2

(Thursday, December 1, 2011)

Today, we went to the Dream Center. It is an apartment building where women go who want to get their lives together and get rehabilitated. It is a strong Christian organization. It was a very interesting process to experience, and there were a lot of things that the women said that reminded me of Bible College.

There were 7 or 8 of these women I believe, and I found each of them to be a blessing to encounter, even though I will be focussing on 3 of the women in this blog entry. When we first got there, we really didn’t know what to expect, and did not really know much about the Dream Center, or what they did. I was under the impression that it was a prostitute rehab center, but it was clarified quite quickly that it is actually women who want to be rehabilitated from any type of addiction they have: drugs, drinking, shopping, etc.

After meeting all of the women, Leah started playing worship music on her guitar, and I joined in on my violin. We did that for probably an hour altogether. It was a great time to just fellowship, and worship our God together. At one point, Ronda, one of the women, got up, ran to her room, and came back with the chords to a song that none of us had heard before, but she asked (or told, more or less) us to play and sing it for her.

The girls struggled through it (and I added a few notes on my violin here and there) and managed to get through the whole song. It was very much out of their comfort zone, and instead of just shutting it down and saying “no, we can’t do it” they embraced the challenge and did their best. Ronda almost started crying, and explained that this song was significant to her because someone had sung it to her (and over her) a few years ago when she had been in a different rehab place. It was really beautiful to be able to bless her in that way.

Then Sharleen took over, and shared a little bit about her life, putting the emphasis on how scripture had impacted her and become real to her amidst her struggles. From there, other women started to open up. There were a couple of women whose stories really stood out to me.

Michelle:

She shared that she struggled with depression, and had a really difficult time in life, being a single mother and raising her child. Life got so bad that one morning she attempted suicide, by swallowing a bunch of pills. As soon as she did, she regretted it, and prayed out to God, asking Him to send someone to save her. Her daughter had just left for school, and wasn’t meant to be back for the rest of the day, but as she was getting to the school, she felt this urge to turn around and go back home. So, thinking that she forgot something, she went back home, rushing her mom to the hospital just in time to save her life. What an amazing story. Since then, Michelle has been doing everything she can to get back on the right path, and has been enjoying her time at the rehab center.

Ronda:

She was the one I mentioned earlier. She has been clean for maybe 2 months from crack. She started doing it when she was about 9, thanks to her older brother. She was off and on for most of her life, but about 10 years ago, her husband killed himself (her son blamed her, because their marriage was unstable) and she started to devote her life to consuming cocaine. What a heart-breaking story of a woman who is just trying to get by in life. She was sharing with us a bit of her story since being at the Dream Center, and how she just recently started to believe in God, and in what Christ did. She is the oldest woman there, and the most raw of all of them. It was a heart-breaking story, one which made me wish I could get to know her better.

Michelle (Bella):

Two of the women had the same name, so everyone referred to this young woman as Bella – meaning beautiful. She was the youngest there, and had a son who was maybe two years old. She had recently gotten him back, as he had been in foster care for a while, because she was too unstable to take care of him. I cannot remember what her specific issue was, but she was sharing about how much she’d grown since coming to this place.

It was such a blessing to hear the growth and the positivity surrounding the women here. It also felt like there was such a Spirit of God surrounding the entire building; so thick, you could almost taste it. I loved just hanging out with them, sharing stories, and hearing their stories. It reignited the passion I have to write a book that is entirely about peoples’ stories, their struggles, and how God got them through it. I cannot wait to start that book – if only I had the time while at school!

After the morning session, they showed us around their apartments, and wanted us to all see their rooms and such. It was cool to feel so included, like they wanted us to be a part of their lives. We got to hang out with them for lunch – which was wonderfully tasty – and then had another session in the afternoon. We sang Christmas carols, and Amy shared a poem that God had put on her heart to write. Then I shared the Woman at the Well slam poetry piece that I had performed earlier this semester at LYFE retreat, and almost everyone in the room cried. One woman asked for an encore, so I did it again. It is a very well written piece, and I was blessed to be able to use it to bless these women who had been broken and abused, to show them how much God loves them.

It was a powerful day, and I was so thankful to be able to be involved in their lives for a moment. I came away so incredibly blessed by them, and by their stories. They are stronger women than most of us, having the willingness to go to a place like the Dream Center, and allow it to completely change their lives, instead of simply remaining where they were at, like so many people do. After a short conversation with one of the staff members, I am considering doing my internship there – prayer for this would be greatly appreciated.

That evening we went to the mall, and I got to hang out with my brother Ben for a while. It was really lovely to see him, and a perfect way to end the day. He’s kind of fantastic I’d say.

It’s That Time Of Year Again…

Fall Tour, Day 1. (Wednesday, November 30, 2011)

Well, it’s been a very long time since I’ve written anything in my blog, and I’m afraid that is simply a side effect of being in third year. Yes, that’s right. Back at Living Faith for another year, and I am so thankful to be here again. God has been doing so much in my life, and through me. What a blessing to be able to finally witness the growth that I’ve been experiencing! God is so cool!

Anyway, we have taken a few days off from classes to go to Edmonton and Calgary and do some practical ministry. This is my favourite part of the year, and always the longest when blogging. I apologize in advance, because I can already imagine how long this blog is going to be.

This year, I went to Edmonton, which was new for me, as I have previously gone to Calgary, and I have had an incredible experience, even though it’s only been one day. Tonight (that is, Wednesday, November 30^th) we went out with a couple young adults from the City Center Church (I think they call themselves the CCC) and helped out at a drop-in type center for homeless. There was food provided, and card games, and we basically got to hang out with all sorts of people. One of the students from our group got to play “Extreme 8s” (which is crazy 8s on the next level) with a man who had a disability, and had to have his cards held up on a wooden block, because he did not have the dexterity to hold them in his hands. I watched them play for a bit, and it was the biggest blessing to me.

After wandering around for a while, I settled in at a table with Darion (another student) and a man and a woman who blessed my heart greatly before the evening was over.

The man’s name was Jim, and he had a problem with his neck.  He could not stand up straight, and when walking his face would look toward the ground. It was as if his neck was at a 90 degree angle from his back and the rest of his body. He was a very sweet man, and told us many stories throughout the evening. I would have guessed that he was in his late 50s or early 60s.

One of the stories he told Darion and I was about taking two cribbage boards (because Darion was playing crib with Terry at the time) and using them to ski down a mountain. Apparently if you stick pegs in the right places and stretch some deer skin across, you can fit your foot in one and slide down a mountain. He appeared to have experience in this field. Ha ha!

My favourite story of his though was when he said he makes his own fur coats. So I asked him how he does that, and his response was “well, you just climb inside a bear!” and I was so caught off guard that I couldn’t help but laugh. The greatest part of that, though, was that two minutes later, he starts laughing so hard that he coughs, because he thought that joke was so funny and clever. He was such a sweet old man.

The woman who was with him was named Terry (yes, the same one that Darion was playing cribbage with) and she had a mental illness. I found out that she grew up in Saskatchewan, and asked why she’d moved to Edmonton, and her response was “well, I have a mental illness, and the meds are really expensive, but they’re free here.” I appreciated her frankness, and it was definitely very interesting to talk to her, and watch the two of them interact.

Anyway, after spending a lot of time with them, and just building a type of relationship, I finally asked him about his neck, because I had spent the entire time wanting to pray for him and bless him. So I said “Jim, I have a question for you.” And after a response of “go ahead” I asked “does your neck hurt you?” and he said “sometimes.”

He told me that he had fallen at a swimming pool and caused it, and the physiotherapist hadn’t been helping him that much. Apparently he’d gone on holidays, and Jim was waiting for him to get back. So then I asked him if we could pray for him. Immediately he shot his hands out, palms upward, waiting for Darion and myself to grab one each. It was so cool to see how willing he was, and excited to just let us pray for him and bless him.

So I prayed for him, and as I was praying, one of the guys from the CCC walked past, and just stopped and eavesdropped on the prayer for a minute. It felt very encouraging to me. It was such a blessing to just bless him. I prayed for his servant heart, and that God would heal him, and that he would see how much of a blessing he is to those around him. And I just thanked God for him, and for the chance that we got to meet him and spend time with him.

After we prayed for him, Terry spoke up and asked if we would pray for her too, and we very excitedly obliged. Jim immediately stuck his hands out again, and grabbed hers. And then we all bowed our heads, and she started praying before either of us got a chance to. It blessed my heart so much to hear her pray, straight from her heart, struggling with how to express herself. She thanked God, and asked him for strength to be a good person, and to appreciate Jim fully, and she thanked God for Jim, and it was so beautiful, all I could think was “wow, I bet God loves her and she has a special place in his heart.” There was no great flowery words, just hear heart, out on the table. So beautiful. And then she kind of stopped for a minute or two, and couldn’t think of what to say, and Jim, still holding her hands says, “just say what’s on your heart, Terry!” and after a second or two, she says, “thank you God, amen.”

Then I asked if I could pray for her, and she said okay. So I thanked God for her, and for the opportunity to meet her tonight, and I prayed that she wouldn’t have to take medication anymore. Then we sat and talked for a few more minutes, and then it was 9, time for them to leave. So as Terry got up, I asked if I could give her a hug before she left, and then I hugged Jim. I told them how great it was to meet them, and then they left. It psyched me out so much just that I could be involved in what God was doing that night.

Needless to say, it was a very exciting first night of tour. God is SO good!!

What does your picture look like?

In life, i am the kind of person that will play it safe and simply color in the lines. I will meticulously go through and pick the appropriate shades, coloring the picture in front of me as beautifully as i can, and of course expecting high praise for my great job.

However, there are other people, like Luke (a boy from my Sunday school class) for example, who take the picture presented to them, and make it something different and crazy. Last week, he took a picture of 2 boys sharing, and transformed it into an epic battle between Harry Potter and, of course, Voldemort, his arch-enemy. While doing this, he asked me to sit and color with him, and of course my picture was perfectly bland.

I feel like a lot of grown ups simply “color inside the lines” of the picture they are given, and i think that is a great injustice to God. He gives us these crazy talents and gifts in life, and then He stands back and waits. Most of us bring back to Him exactly what He gave us, plus a little bit of color here and there to “spice it up,” much like the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:13-30) where the young man brought back his master’s money with nothing but a bit of dirt from where he’d buried it in the ground. We are so afraid to take a chance that we play it safe – too safe. We don’t color anywhere but where we feel comfortable, because we don’t want to see how God will move the lines, and we don’t trust just how big of a God He is.

Others take the talents they are given and completely transform them, using their creativity and unique ability to change the world around them. They show God this picture that is so crazy and different that it’s hard to believe it started out so simply. They take chances, step outside to box, color outside the temporary lines, and watch as God changes things in dynamic ways. They take a simple ability to take photographs, or ability to play music, to become a photographic artist, or write music that will move the soul. They take a heart that cares for others, and transform it into the opening of a soup kitchen for those less fortunate, by waiting on God, and taking that next step when it is there, instead of being afraid and hiding our picture/talent/gift in the ground and expecting to hear a “well done good and faithful servant” at the end of things.

Coloring in the lines is playing it too safe – take a step outside the lines today. See just how God will move if you give Him a chance to.

Finally I Can Breathe

Well, needless to say it’s been a very busy couple of months for me, between weddings and working like a maniac, as shown by my lack of blog posts, but it appears that today is the end of it all, finally.

Yesterday was my sister’s wedding, and it went perfectly. I am so appreciative of everyone who helped to pull it off smoothly, and i can’t wait to see how pictures turned out. Seeing as i was the maid of honor (moh or moo, depending on who you ask…) i thought it might be nice to post the speech i shared at her wedding. I hope everyone else is having a lovely long weekend – sadly, i had to work today and have to again tomorrow. Even in the best of times, days off do not come my way frequently. Anyway, here’s to Candace and Stephen.

I’ve known the bride for 21 years, having been forced to grow up with her. But it hasn’t been until the last couple years that I’ve actually really gotten to know Candace. In the last four months especially, we have become very close – some would even say too close. I’m pretty sure that there are no boundaries between us anymore. But I wouldn’t change these last months with each other for the world. We’ve spent most of our summer together laughing and talking, and having fun. And at this point, I would honestly consider my sister to be one of my best friends.

However, seeing as I have had the privilege of growing so close with her over the past while, I have a warning for you Stephen.

Don’t be fooled by her sweet and innocent appearance, Candace’s self preservation tactics are second to none. One time, when she was living in England with Chloe, they were in the kitchen grabbing a drink, and they saw a rat – a big disgusting rat, according to Chloe. Without missing a beat, Candace took off, closing the door behind her, and essentially locking poor Chloe in the kitchen with the rat.

Also, the other week, Candace and I were at Michael’s, looking for wedding supplies, and as Candace was looking at a wall full of ribbons and bows, she (gracefully, might I add) knocked all of the ribbons and bows off the wall. Looking at me, she whispers RUN AWAY, and takes off down the next aisle. I stayed around to pick everything up, and she slowly made her way back to the isle to look at other things.

In spite of this, there are 7 things that I love about my sister, that I would like to share with you all this evening.

1. She has a really big heart. She is a genuinely kind and caring individual. On many occasions she listened to me when I was having a bad day, and she made a habit of making me tea whenever I was stressed about something. She puts others before herself, and is good at helping me put things into the proper perspective – even if it means I end up feeling slightly stupid at making a big deal about nothing.
2. She has a fantastic laugh. When we get over-tired, Candace and I have the same emotional reaction: spontaneous fits of laughter, for absolutely no reason. Needless to say, when growing up and going on family outings that included early mornings and no sleep, we were a bad combination for the rest of the family.
3. She can light up a room. Everybody likes Candace, and as soon as she walks into a room, the entire atmosphere changes – be around her for five minutes and I guarantee you’ll be in a good mood.
4. She talks in her sleep. I remember many times while growing up, either hearing a story of someone else hearing Candace talk in her sleep, or experiencing it myself. One night, as I recall, she freaked out because “the door’s falling in on us, the door’s falling in on us” and another night I remember her sitting up, heaving a giant sigh, and saying, “Oh good! We saved the horses” and then going back to sleep as if nothing out of the ordinary happened.
5. She is good at diffusing situations. When Candace was in England, she found herself caught in the middle of a fight between two of her friends. It was a very heated situation and one friend flipped the other the middle finger. The other friend responded with holding up 2 fingers, which, in Europe, has the same connotation. Candace’s response was to say excitedly “oh! I know this game!” and hold up 3 fingers. Needless to say, the situation was diffused.
6. She’s blonde. One time, when Candace, Chloe, and a couple of friends were driving out to Living Faith, and Candace was in the back seat of the car, she looked out the window (which, in her defense, was slightly fogged up), and excitedly exclaimed “hey look, a field of llamas!” to which Chloe responded “actually, that’s a field of cows.”

I suppose it’s only fair, having shared that story about Candace, to share one about my own blonde moment. For the longest time, I was continually calling myself Candace’s “Moo” – short for Maid of Honor in my head. Finally one day Candace corrected me. I said Moo, and she said Moh. I didn’t understand why I would be called her “Moh” until her and I both said “m-o-o” and M-o-h at the same time. Turns out, Honor actually starts with an H, no matter how silent it may be.

7. She inspires me to be a better person. Candace, you are an encouraging person to be around, and you truly do inspire me. Thank you for being such a good example of what a Godly woman should look like.

I got to spend the last 21 years of my life with Candace, watching her grow and travel down the journey God placed her on. And now I get to help celebrate the start of a new journey for her. One full of love, and hardships, and excitement. And who better for her to be embarking on that journey with than the love of her life, Stephen. Someone who genuinely loves and cares for her, and treats her the way she deserves to be treated. Stephen, thank you…. For being so willing to take Candace off our hands. Just kidding. I truly do wish you both the best from here on out. May your love grow stronger every day as you grow in your relationship with each other and with God. Lets raise our glasses to the happy couple.

Welcome to LFBC

I realized something about Living Faith Bible College last year, after having been here for a few months. Based on your choices, it can be the best or the worst place for you as an individual Christian. The problem that so many people face is that God has this incredible ability to bring out the absolute worst about themselves, and show it to them. This always causes a personal response. We can choose to submit to the work God is doing, and, though painful for a time, we can change our ways, learn from it, and grow. Or we can choose to run.

If we are unwilling to let God shape us in a safe environment like Living Faith, how are we supposed to allow Him to work when we get out in the real world? People don’t realize just how much of a blessing the “greenhouse/cocoon” of Living Faith is, and that life truly will get harder once you leave the proverbial nest. I have experienced too many people running from God’s chisel over the years at this safe and comfortable place; while being a student myself, and beforehand. When are we going to learn that God wanting us to be the best that we can be for Him is for our own benefit in the long run, and often that means dealing with the worst part of ourselves and letting it go?

I had an experience myself one weekend at school where God was showing me areas that i was holding on to from my past. Things that i was still allowing to bother and anger me. After extensive prayer on it (i was up all night) God helped me to completely let it go and i slept wonderfully after that. Now, i could have not dealt with it and allowed the anger to fester more, and ruin my attitude in life and towards others – that would have been the easy way to a slow and painful death. but instead, i allowed God to work in me, take out the poison that had taken root in my soul, and i believe i live better and more whole because of it.

You have a choice in life when something hard happens. You can deal with it at the onset, or you can allow it to fester, and eventually run from it. what are you going to do?

Another Perspective

My awesome friend Alicia posted this blog today, and i think she sums up what I’ve been feeling lately. It is so easy to view ourselves as too young or maybe too inexperienced to be God’s chosen people, but He uses us anyway, despite our drawbacks and weaknesses. He calls us to obedience.

Check out what she has to say here.

 

Inspiring perhaps?

“The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.”
- Gustave Flaubert

“No matter how substandard you feel your skill or talent may be, if you never produce your art, the world will always remain deprived of it.”
– Derek R. Audette

Just Jump

The first week of school, all of the students and most of the staff went on an outing. The purpose of this is to give the students and staff a chance to get to know each other outside of the context of classes and dorm rooms. We first went to hummingbird falls, which has some beautiful trails, and (yes, you guessed it!) a waterfall. The first couple hours were spent exploring around here, and afterward the group traveled to Ram Falls(? it might have been “big horn falls” i can’t honestly remember) and wandered around there for a bit. enjoying God’s creation is my favorite, so this was an amazing day overall. However, there was one specific thing that made this day unforgettable.

Sometimes it's scary...

See the above picture? well, this was at Ram Falls. That gap may seem big, but it seems even bigger when you’re standing right there. At this point i believe i’d been standing there for a good 10 minutes, unable to convince myself to jump (for fear of falling, you see). I thought it was safer to have my dad go first and test it out. Of course, at this time, i had already been standing there for a while, trying to convince myself to just jump. I tried and tried, but just could not seem to do it.

There was a gap, a difficulty, between where i was, and where i wanted to be. the only thing to do was to overcome it. I had made up my mind. i was determined. i would not walk away from that trial without getting across. i would not give up, i would not give in.