restoration

Restoring relationships is an important part of having them. As imperfect people, you can count on the fact that we will let each other down. That’s why truthfulness and forgiveness are an essential part of our life together.

It’s a commentary on our fast-paced mobile lifestyles that it often takes a death to bring family and friends together. At a memorial service I attended once for the wife of a worship leader who had served three churches in three different parts of the country, friends from all three areas came, at no small personal expense, to show their love and support. The huge turnout was, as much as anything, a testimony to this couple’s deep commitment to the people they had served, and it was an opportunity for many to remember a courageous woman and give something back to her husband and children.

It was also a time for me to be reunited with old friends who had been much more in my life when I lived closer to them. One in particular had some hard words for me. Some time ago he sent me an e-mail that had gone into considerable detail about changes in his life – personal things he was going through – and I had never answered it or even acknowledged receiving it. This had hurt him deeply and I could tell as he confessed to me his hurt and anger that he had built up a lot of resentment toward me. But at the same time, I could sense a big weight come off his shoulders as he conveyed his true feelings to me. By facing me honestly, he was rescuing what was valuable about our relationship and setting both of us free.

He could have been superficially nice to me at the memorial service and continued on in his resentment and anger, and I would have never known. I couldn’t have even asked his forgiveness if I hadn’t known I had hurt him. But by being honest and confrontational, he gave the Lord the opportunity to heal and restore. God can do wonders in our relationships as long as we face each other and tell the truth.

Jesus once said that if you bring an offering to the Lord and you are aware of something wrong in one of your relationships, you should set your offering aside and go get things straightened out with your brother or sister, then come back and worship. (Matthew 5:23-24) How we live in relationship with each other in the Body of Christ needs our attention, even before our worship. God is basically saying that we can’t be in fellowship with him and knowingly out of fellowship with each other. My friend did the right thing and we are both the better for it. (pdl)

tonights baptism

wow! so many people making a public declaration that they love God. of course not all of these people were getting baptized, maybe 20, the rest were family and friends wanting to share in their joy.

I AM THANKFUL...

FOR THE WIFE
WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT,
BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME,
AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.

FOR THE HUSBAND
WHO IS ON THE SOFA
BEING A COUCH POTATO,
BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME
AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.

FOR THE TEENAGER
WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES
BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME,
NOT ON THE STREETS.

FOR THE TAXES I PAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM EMPLOYED.

FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE
BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE

FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING,
WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING,
AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME.

FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING
I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE IT MEANS
WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

FOR THE PARKING SPOT
I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING
AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION.

FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM WARM.

FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH
WHO SINGS OFF KEY BECAUSE IT MEANS
I CAN HEAR.

FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES
AT THE END OF THE DAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN
CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE.

AND FINALLY, FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE
FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

SEND THIS TO SOMEONE YOU CARE ABOUT. I JUST DID. (thanks angel)

Live well, Laugh often, & Love with all of your heart!

meeting Jesus

as i thought about having surgery i thought of being under anaesthesia and of meeting Jesus. what a flood of tears at the thought of the joy of meeting Him. reaching out my hand to Him. omg. the joy was indescribable. why would a person want to come back.

as i walked in the omi graveyard with my grandchildren last sunday they were asking about death. we talked about death and heaven and hell. i told them death was not something to fear if you knew you were going to heaven. when it was impersonal it was ok to talk about it. when i said that i wasn't afraid of dying because i knew i would see Jesus it became personal for them and they didn't want to talk about it anymore.

i'm glad the choice is not in my hands. my hearts breaks at the evil in this world but it also breaks at the thought of my grandchildren's heartache at losing someone else they love.

bible study...

as opposed to bible reading. it's interesting to note how different people see different things. what i learn from reading the bible and what another person learns. when many people are sharing their points of view scripture literally takes on new meaning. for each chapter we find 5 things that are relevant to today and each person says what they feel is the key verse and their favourite verse.

i've always just read the bible, i've never taken it apart, verse by verse, and studied it. it's cool. what a wonderful guide book.

although if you were only studying 1 chapter a week it would take 22.87 years to study the whole bible.

what a perfect morning

i'm outside watering the garden, in the cool of the morning as the sun is making it's way up in the sky, picking the ripe cherry tomatoes, having the perfect cup of coffee.

we are so blessed in this part of the world. we can sit outside without fear of bombs dropping all around us. or soldiers running around raping and burning and pillaging. or a hurricane or tsunami wiping us out. for most of us, we have enough food to eat and clean water to drink.

we are so blessed. thank you Lord.

Using Your Spiritual Gifts

Ephesians 4:11-13
Any person who claims to know Christ as Savior has a responsibility. They’re to use his or her God-given talents and gifts for His glory. Serving the Lord is not a suggestion but a command. To maximize our success as servants, the very same Spirit who gives us our spiritual gift helps us put it to use. When the motivation to reach our full potential for the Lord is mixed with the desire to use a spiritual gift, we become a powerful force in God’s kingdom.

We are His workmanship, specifically created to honor Him with good works. (Ephesians 2:10) What a waste if we’re too lazy to discover what special ability He has given us. Service for God takes place with endless variety. Different believers will use their various gifts in unique ways. And, no one is limited to serving in a church. We can walk out into secular culture and find thousands of ways to apply our combination of skill and gifting.

Some opportunities will fit us perfectly, while others will be more suited for another servant. Our inborn talents and abilities supplement our spiritual gift and may help us find our calling. The most obvious place to begin exercising our gift is in an area that interests us.

Whether your service involves sweeping floors or coaching soccer at your children’s school, the Holy Spirit will use your spiritual gift to spread the Gospel and bring glory to God. But the benefits also extend to believers. The people who enjoy life most are those who obey the call to serve and make their life count for the Lord.

(In Touch)

forgiveness

Is there anyone you need to seek forgiveness from? Acknowledging our sin is the first step. Humbling ourselves and taking actions to restore is the next step.

pastors

http://theresurgence.com/mdblog_2006-05-24_death_by_ministry

singles bible study

last night we studied gen 24. everyone read 5 verses & at the end we had to say what it meant to us, which was our favourite verse and what we thought was the key message.

verses 12 - 14, specifically 'then he prayed... let her be the one YOU have chosen...' were key for me. my translation - seek God first and let His will be done.

almost everyone thought 7 & 67 were the key verses. i wonder about it - why my key was so different than everyone else's and most of them agreed with each other.

i have made so many wrong choices in my life. now i would pray 'God if You do have someone for me - let him be the one YOU have chosen' and if there is no one then i thank God for my singleness.

yup i'm bored

i made a rude noise about a nerd once on the first day of grade 10 math and got kicked out for the entire year.

now i wish i was one.

job interview

maybe the reason i stayed at the same job for so many years was that i was terrified of having to go through the job interview process.

last week i had a medical procedure done and i was so unbelievably calm and peaceful. the doctor told me all the things that could go wrong and i told him that i trusted in God. i wasn't afraid even though i had just told the doctor i was terrified of needles. there was no freezing and i could feel all the probing but i thought of my eyes, how they were gently closed and not clenched together. i thought of my heart, how it just kept beating, ever so softly and quietly. there was no panic, no fear and unbelievably no pain. it was so totally a God thing.

i applied for another job and yesterday i got an email saying they would contact me to schedule an interview - and the panic set in. i liked my old job and i was good at it. i used to have confidence in my abilities. i don't any more. now there's just fear. fear of the job interview and fear that i wouldn't be able to do the job if i got it.

then i saw this on a devotional this morning. ...Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).

i know that. and i trust in that. and i'm thankful that God always sends me little reminders just when i need to hear them. He is so amazing.

great expectations!!

great effort. great results.

the bible says we don't have because we don't ask. what if we ask and we don't have. God says yes, no or wait.

but what if when we ask we don't really believe. if we believe God is great then we should have great expectations. if we don't have great expectations are we then believing that God is not really all that great. how small do you think God is? no great expectations. or how awesome and mighty and great do you think God is? then have great expectations. throughout history people have worshiped little gods, man made gods, that were worthless, useless, incapable of anything. but we serve an amazing, awesome, powerful, glorious God. He is capable of anything and everything.

Matthew 17:20
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

nothing is impossible for God.

i love you so much i would die for you.

how many people would say or do that for you - how many people would you do that for.

After Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead, He appeared to the disciples. His first words to them were, "Peace be with you!" The word grace means "unmerited favor." When someone loves you unconditionally, without regard to your behavior in return, it becomes a powerful force in your life. Such was the case for the disciples when Jesus appeared to them. They could have expected reprimand. Instead, they received unconditional love and acceptance. He was overjoyed to see them. They were equally overjoyed to see Him.

Jesus understood that the disciples needed to fail Him as part of their training. It would be this failure that became their greatest motivation for service. Failure allowed them to experience incredible grace for the very first time. Grace would transform them as human beings.

Have you experienced this grace in your life? Have you extended grace to those who have hurt you? Can you let go of any wrongs that have come through friends or associates? The grace you extend may change their lives-and yours.

Dear Ethne06 Prayer Friends:

This just in from outreach team in Mongolia:

“We have just returned from the countryside. We had tremendous time of outreach ... amazing stories to tell once we are home. Dad [God] did awesome works. One hundred fifty seven joined the family [became believers] and fourteen received healing. Fish are jumping in the boat!”

This has been Ethnê Harvest-Linked Prayer Strategy initiative’s month of prayer for the least-reached peoples of Northeast Asia, which includes Mongolia!! How exciting to hear God is hearing and responding!!

Blessings,

Rev. Liz Adleta
Executive Director

how awesome!!! if you are joining in this prayer initiative - thanks. if you are not - why not? you don't have to be a prayer warrior or intercessor. i'm not. this is just something God has put on my heart. and the power of prayer is an awesome thing. just think of what we could accomplish if we all prayed. God is so amazing - He answers the cries of the faithful.

the list goes on and on

God, I want to take time to remember all the things You have done for me through the years. Oh, there are so many things. You have carried me through dark valleys of the shadow of death. You have rejoiced with me on the mountaintops. You have held my hand and helped me take a leap into unknown waters. You have applied healing balm to my hurts and warm sunshine on my soul. You have given me precious friends who have stood the test of time...and more. You have given me a loving family to grow with and be with. You have increased my territory spiritually and physically. You have picked me up when I have stumbled and nearly hit the ground. You have provided for me when I did not know where my provisions would come from. You have surrounded me with prayers and support of the family of God in time of need. You have shown me miracles and blessed my soul. You have given me desires of my heart--desires that were in line with Your will and Word. You have given me the privilege of helping advance Your kingdom through the gifts, talents, and resources You have entrusted to me. You have always patiently been there for me. You have felt my cries, laughed at my silliness, and gently guided me back onto the right paths. You have loved me with an everlasting love. I could go on and on. God I am thankful for You and all You've done and all You will do in my life. I love You and appreciate You and want to shout "how great is my God!" With loving thanks, in Jesus' name, amen. (tgif)

i give thanks when i think of all God has done in my life and like this prayer - i could go on and on.

it's not when i 'nearly hit the ground' - i fell head first and hit the ground hard and He was there to pick me up.

perspectives

2000 years before Christ, God gave abraham the promise that in his seed, all nations of the world would be blessed. 2000 years ago Jesus came to the earth to die for the world. now here we are 2000 years later. is there a connection between abraham's promise, the Messiah's coming and what is happening in our world today? this exciting 14 week course will present the biblical, historical, cultural and strategic aspects of fulfilling the great commission. it begins september 13th in chilliwack. you can check it out on-line at:

http://www3.telus.net/cwmbc/ - the local website

http://www.perspectivescanada.org/default.aspx - the home page for perspectives canada

if anyone is interested in going please let me know. maybe we could share the driving.

forgiven

www.forgivenessmovie.com

bigchurch.com - on-line personals

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workplace ministry

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. - Colossians 3:23-24

it seems almost every devotional i've read lately refers to our work being our ministry. i wonder why that is.

i know in the two month job i just finished i frequently had to remind myself of this scripture. at times it was very frustrating and it was at these times that i told myself to work at it with all my heart as if i was working for Jesus. my circumstances didn't change but my attitude did.

if you are dissatisfied in your job you have two options; you can quit, this is most likely not a practical solution, or you can choose to work at it with all your heart as if you are working for Jesus. since everything you have is ultimately from God anyway you really are working for Him. and if you treat your job like God is your boss think of the possibilities. if you thought you were working for God every day wouldn't your attitude change.

if you think you can't do it try it. you'll be pleasantly surprised.

and that's just you. you may not be able to change anyone but if your attitude changes others may change how they respond to you.

reminds me of a camp song, this little light of mine, i'm gonna let it shine...

if you see Jesus in your work, others may see Jesus in you. and isn't that the whole point.

The Causes of Failure

Whenever we act without God's complete blessing on our activity, we can expect God to thwart our plans.

TGIF Today God Is First, by Os Hillman

You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it. - Joshua 7:13b

The first battle for the people of Israel traveling from Egypt was at Jericho, once they crossed the Jordan River. God had given them a great victory at Jericho, and Joshua was now ready to move to their next battle at Ai. After they spied out the enemy camp, they determined they needed only a few thousand men to gain victory. They went up against Ai only to fail miserably. They lost 32 men in a battle that should have been an easy victory, but instead they were forced to retreat. Joshua was devastated. "Ah, Sovereign Lord, why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us?" (Josh. 7:7a)

In this case, the people fell short because they failed to uphold the standard God had set for them. God had told them not to take any plunder from their first battle. However, Achan hid some forbidden treasures, and God was now judging the entire nation for one man's sin.

Whenever we act without God's complete blessing on our activity, we can expect God to thwart our plans. God's word to Joshua was that he could not stand against his enemies as long as there was disobedience among his troops.

Whenever we launch a business endeavor, we should make sure there are no unclean things in our dealings that would allow us to be vulnerable to a failed effort: unpaid vendors, disgruntled employees who were not treated fairly, lawsuits, dishonesty. Many of these things can hinder God from blessing our enterprises. These things can remove the shield of protection from our workplace, which God wants to bless, but cannot because He is committed to upholding righteousness. His name is blemished when unrighteousness is allowed to permeate our lives.

Is the Lord able to bless your enterprises today? If not, you may need to go back and clean up a few things before He can do so. Take whatever steps are needed to ensure the blessing of God today.

just every day life in general - if we are living in disobedience to God how can we expect His blessing.

wasps

a couple of weeks ago i was stung by a wasp as i grabbed the arm of my lounger. it stung, i was ticked so i killed it. a couple of them had come out from under the arm and i wondered if they were nesting in the shade of the chaise lounge. 2 days ago i laid in the sun for awhile and the whole time there were wasps buzzing around me and landing on me.

i wondered if they had built a nest under the lounger and when i turned it over discovered that they had. not being afraid of wasps i wondered what i should do and decided to check the internet to see what they eat.

turns out they eat spiders, ants and bees among other things. well since i have had to pollinate my zucchinis by hand because there were no bees around to do the job i considered that if i destroyed the nest the bees would come back to do the job.

but then i considered how i am terrified of spiders and what the consequence would be if i destroyed the nest. guess what - the nest stays.

God's purpose or mine

when i have told some people about how costa rica feels like home and my heart is still there they say i should just go and continue doing what i was doing when i was there.

knowing God gives meaning to life, and obeying God gives purpose to life. (odb)

God said "but only for 1 year" when i went to costa rica. i stayed longer. when i was staying longer than the 12 months i was not being obedient to God. i was not serving His purpose. i was not living for Him, i was living for myself. completely disobedient to what He had specifically told me.

there are other mission trips i want to go on but don't feel that God is calling me anywhere right now. if i went on a mission trip when i was not called by God would it be fruitful or would my plans be thwarted?

God blesses our obedience. why would anyone presume that He would bless our disobedience.

as christians we are not here for our own purpose at all - we are here for the purpose of God, and the two are not the same. we do not know what God's compelling purpose is, but whatever happens, we must maintain our relationship with Him. we must never allow anything to damage our relationshp with God, but if something does damage it, we must take the time to make it right again.

God's purpose is never the same as man's purpose. (mufhh)

thank God that Jesus Christ was not disobedient or where in hell would we all be.

cry out to Jesus

To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on
They lost all of their faith in love
They've done all they can to make it right again
Still it's not enough

For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering

When your lonely
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow who suffers from being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

by third day

for whatever you need - cry out to Jesus

got an email from a friend today who had told me a few months ago that they wanted to commit suicide. it was telling me they had come from one of the lowest points in their life and now know more joy today. that's what happens when you cry out to Jesus. what an awesome answer to prayer.

prayer does work - you just have to... cry out to Jesus.

what an awesome God. thank You Lord.

are there any futbol fans out there?

real madrid is coming to seattle next wednesday. i would love to go to the game but don't want to go by myself. the cheap seats are $30, providing there are any left, plus $ for gas and dinner. the game starts at 8 pm. without having to drive in rush hour traffic it would probably be beter to go in the afternoon and you probably wouldn't get home til 1 am.

if you're interested please let me know asap in order to get tickets.

surrender - at any cost

The Door of Full Surrender
TGIF Today God Is First, by Os Hillman

But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold. - Job 23:10

I was recently sitting with the leader of a workplace organization as he described a question he poses to workplace believers. "What if there were two doors to choose from; behind one door was the complete will of God for your life and behind the other door was how life could be according to your own preference. Which door would you choose?" The struggle for most lies in the desire to follow God completely and the fear of what might be behind the door of full surrender. Most of us desire to follow God, but few of us will do it at any cost. We do not really believe that God loves us to the degree that we are willing to give Him complete permission to do as He wills in us.

If we desire to fully walk with Christ, there is a cost. We may give intellectual assent and go along with His principles and do fine; however, if we are fully given over to Him and His will for our life, it will be a life that will have adversity. The Bible is clear that humans do not achieve greatness without having their sinful will broken. This process is designed to create a nature change in each of us, not just a habit change. The Bible calls it circumcision. Circumcision is painful, bloody, and personal.

If God has plans to greatly use you in the lives of others, you can expect your trials to be even greater than those of others. Why? Because, like Joseph who went through greater trials than most patriarchs, your calling may have such responsibility that God cannot afford to entrust it to you without ensuring your complete faithfulness to the call. He has much invested in you on behalf of others. He may want to speak through your life to a greater degree than through another. The events of your life would become the frame for the message He wants to speak through you.

Do not fear the path that God may lead you on. Embrace it. For God may bring you down a path in your life to ensure the reward of your inheritance. "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (2 Cor. 4:17)

amazing love

my life just wasn't working. didn't know why, couldn't figure it out. every relationship i had failed. went through my entire life trying to find somebody to love me. someone who would love me and not leave me. someone who, when they said they loved me, wouldn't hurt me.

my grandmothers loved me. to them i was precious. one grandmother even used to call me precious.

then one day i realized i was precious to Someone else. my Creator, He who created the heavens and the earth thought i was precious. one day He even told me. unbelievable that He could love me. and yet He does. even after everything i've ever done. He loves me, He won't leave me and He won't hurt me.

everything i did or tried to do to make people love me and nothing worked.

everything i did or tried to do - should have turned Him off but instead He forgave me. i did things to try and earn peoples love. they didn't work. then i discovered there is nothing i can do to earn His love.

how amazing is that.

are you satisfied?

there is only one Being who can completely satisfy to the depth of the hurting human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.

my utmost.

left behind

we're all waiting for the rapture right? because God loves each and every one of His children and He doesn't want to lose even one single child is He waiting for each one to hear the gospel before He takes us home. what better way to speed the process than to pray for all the unreached people of the world.

i don't want any of my family members to be left behind so i pray for them all the time. i don't want my friends to be left behind so i pray for them all the time. that's such a small group of people when you consider the billions of us on the planet.

besides the best part of praying is that it's communion with God, think of the power of prayer and if collectively we would all pray for the same things the awesome power that would have. biblical proportions. if collectively we would pray for every people group in the world think of the implications.

you hear stories of amazing transformations in churches, in small communities, large communities and countries. what if we all prayed for every single people group in the world. so that every person would hear the gospel.

just read an article - what's happening in lebanon - is it armageddon? it can't be - we're not ready.

please check out the link 'prayer guard' on the sidebar and join in praying for the people of the world.

eharmony...

an on-line christian matchmaker. friends recommended it to me about 5 years ago. i registered just to see what it was about never intending to ever go out with anyone i met on-line. a while ago they said they had the "perfect match" for me. i was reluctant to reply at first but after several friends told me i should i was going to respond then found it was going to cost money once you decided to 'make contact'

after updating my profile to who i am today i got another "perfect match" this morning. i liked his name (it sounded latin) and couldn't wait to read about him although i still didn't plan to pay to meet someone. (i forgot how much i used to spend going to bars to meet someone)

lo and behold when i signed on there was a message from him saying 'i don't feel that the chemistry is there' i wondered about it for a minute when we'd never had any kind of contact. i thought hm - nice height, right age, hispanic, christian. then i read things he can't live without - partner. then i felt sad for him.

so many people get involved in relationships simply because they don't want to be alone. they go from one relationship to another, from one marriage to another. been there, done that. all of my life before coming to Christ.

now i am single but i am in the most awesome love relationship. my dearly Beloved is always with me. He touches my heart with His Spirit and i am filled with love, joy, peace and contentment.

i feel sad for people that go into relationships just so they have someone to cuddle with at night, to eat dinner with, to watch tv with, to do things with, go places with and not be alone. they put everything into that new relationship at the expense of everyone else thinking that that new relationship will fix the ills of the previous one.

they are afraid of being alone. if they would only give themselves over completely, heart and soul, to Jesus, He would be their love, their intimate One.

for all the time you spend without a partner you can develop a more intimate relationship with Christ. just you and Him. the more time you spend with Him the deeper, more intimate the relationship. until you finally clue in - He's the One that completes you. you're not alone and you're not lonely.

i think when you get to that point, then you're ready for a relationship. otherwise you're just two people hoping to get their needs met. it places a heavy burden on each of them and the marriage breaks down when they can't meet each others expectations.

so i may be single forever. but that's ok.

southeast asia - july 2006

Overview
Did you know that many peoples in Indonesia were once Hindus, later Buddhists, but today they are Muslim? Most peoples in this region of color and diversity are either Buddhist or Muslim. The gospel is making small inroads, but few people groups have embraced Jesus other than a couple of tribes in northern Thailand and Myanmar. We need to pray for the spiritual obstacles be removed.

Prayer Points

Expatriate and Indigenous Workers
God would thrust forth many more workers and provide creative means of access to the Least-Reached Peoples throughout Southeast Asia for the gospel.

Storying
Pray for God to show workers how to tell His story effectively and tell it accurately and for Him to confirm His Word with signs and wonders.

Multiplication
Pray for God to inspire many other new believers to share throughout their natural relational networks what Jesus has done and is doing in their lives.

Pray for many to come to faith.

Fellowships
Pray for believers to understand that where two or three gather in Jesus' Name, there He is in their midst; that they would focus on living fellowships to encourage one another to love and good deeds.

Contextual Evangelism
Pray that they also will remain involved in community activities and actively seek friendship with local leaders as indications of good citizenship.

Just as the believers were using songs and stories, pray for God to help believers creatively communicate the gospel and His Truth through familiar means with an eternal message of Hope and Salvation.

want to fulfill the great commission

now's your chance. you may not be cut out to be a missionary but each of us is able to pray. it is our intimate communion with Jesus Christ. if we know His truth we know that He has commanded that we go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them. (matt 28:19)

the joshua project is about that, about fulfilling the great commission. we may not be able to go but we can pray. the following link will take you to the ethne to ethne (people to people) site. it is a site for prayer for the nations in the 10/40 window.

watched a video last night - it said there are more spiritual re-births today than their are births. that as a result of prayer a revival and transformation is taking place. think of a revival of biblical proportions, people of every nation on earth praying for the same nation every day for a month.



don't know how or what to pray for? morocco is included in november prayer list. here's what you can pray for the moroccan arabs.

Prayer Points
Pray that the Lord will grant wisdom and favor to missions agencies currently targeting the Moroccan Arab.
Ask God to give the Moroccan Arab believers boldness to share the love of Christ with their friends and families.
Pray that the Lord will begin to reveal Himself to these precious people through dreams and visions.
Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Moroccan Arab toward Christians so that they will be receptive to the Gospel.
Take authority over the spiritual principalities and powers that have kept the Arabs bound for many generations.
Pray that God will call forth teams of intercessors who will faithfully stand in the gap for the Moroccan Arab.
Ask the Lord to raise up strong local churches among the Moroccan Arab of Morocco.

this month's prayer is for south east asia. different nations, peoples and language groups. 672 unreached people groups. the above prayer points - that pretty well covers it for everyone.

please, will you join with the rest of the world and pray.

dancing in the arms of God

any woman who thinks a mortal man will fulfill her as a woman will eventually be disappointed.

expecting a man to fulfill you and meet your deepest needs puts that man in a place only God should hold in your life.

pray for marriages

if God tells us to put on the full armour of God everyday to fight the enemy, knowing that he's the deceiver and destroyer, would that not include marriages. i know that He who is within us is greater than he who is in the world but if we let our guard down, if we take our eyes off Jesus, if we don't wear the full armour of God are we not going to be under attack. we all need prayer. others that don't yet have a relationship with Jesus or are new in the faith need it even more if they don't know the bible or if they aren't in communion with God.

when you consider the number of marriages today, christian and secular, that are ending in divorce, i think it only makes sense to pray for marriages.

we come to God for His power to claim victory over the enemy because we can't do it on our own. faithful christians who are struggling with their 20 and 30 year marriages - if we don't pray for them will they flounder and fall apart?

some of us are stronger in our faith than others. if we pray for our enemies should we not also pray for our friends.

giving too much credit to satan? he is the god of this world. he is here to divide and conquer. we know that we win the war. we know that we will have struggles. for some of us it's a daily battle.

if we are praying for our churches, our ministries, our leaders, our nations should we not also be praying for our marriages.

God created marriage as a bond between two people, in love and for love He created it. with so many marriages dissolving today we need to be praying for them.

are you praying for your marriage?

a flight attendant was serving meals and when she was picking up the empty trays she asked a man why he had not eaten his meal. she said she thought he had been praying and asked if he was a christian. he replied no, saying that he was a satanist and he was fasting and praying that the devil would destroy 100 marriages that day.

heard on chuck swindoll's radio program last week.

we know that the enemy is the deceiver and destroyer so pray for each other for your marriages. because if we aren't praying for them we can be certain that the enemy is praying against them.

i am dumbstruck

watched a factual horror movie awhile ago. i felt it very deeply and was so impacted by the pure evil of it. i thought of how Jesus took all our sin on Himself and cried as i thought how the evil of just this one person, the blackness of this pure evil taken upon this pure, holy, sinless Person. and that was just one sinner. how many millions of other sinner's sins has He taken upon Himself and suffered for. i can't imagine taking on this one man's evil never mind every sinner from the beginning to the end of time. He knew what was coming, it's no wonder He asked God to take it from Him. it is a wonder that He didn't.

i am dumbstruck to be loved so deeply.

very weird

today i was standing in line at the check out at canadian tire. someone came up behind me to stand in line. without seeing who this person was i thought who it was. it was such a crazy idea there was no way i was turning around to see if it was him. and then he called my name. he was best man at my second wedding 30 years ago and i haven't seen him in years. obviously it was a God thing cuz i don't have eyes in the back of my head. but why? just very weird.

give voice to your love

men, more than women, often find it difficult to express deep emotions. they may squelch the impulse to put their tenderest feelings into words.

this father's day, many men will receive expressions of love, but they may have trouble voicing their love in return. yet nothing is more masculine than to express love to our loved ones. that's true not only for fathers but for all of us. there is no fear in love, wrote the apostle john, but perfect love casts out fear (1John 4:18) so let us boldly declare our love, not only for our loved ones but for the One who gave His life for us.

this father's day give voice to your love. you can never express your love too often.

(from our daily bread)

happy father's day

to all you dads and single mom's who have been both mom and dad to your kids.

single

Sometimes that's a lonely place to be. Sometimes that's a blessed place to be. I pray that none will feel the pressure or need to latch on to someone, anyone, or the wrong one, just to have a special someone. I pray that they will come to You, bask in Your presence, fellowship in Your Spirit, find comfort and companionship with You, God. I pray that You will be first and foremost in their lives--and in my life. I pray that You will minister to and through them and complete them; that their identities will be in You, Creator and Lover of our souls. I pray they will realize that though they may be single, they are never alone.

524 Earthquakes...

shake Costa Rica in May - can you imagine?

During the month of May, 524 earthquakes were felt in Costa Rica, a “considerable increase” over April’s 330 earthquakes, according to a statement released yesterday by the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI), based at Universidad Nacional (UNA), in Heredia, north of San José.

The increase in seismic activity was mostly in the Southern Zone, especially the Burica Peninsula, where 300 earthquakes were registered, though only eight were felt by residents there.

The Southern Zone contains the Coco and Nazca tectonic plates, which extend into northern Panama and have a system of fractures that create frequent seismic activity, the statement said.

Despite the impressive number of earthquakes, the observatory said in the statement that “we consider the seismic activity in May completely normal… This seismic activity continues to diminish in quantity and magnitude.”

In May, earthquakes measuring between 3.1 and 5.0 on the Richter scale were felt in the Southern Zone’s Ciudad Neilly, Punta Burica and San Isidro del General, as well as and outside Puerto Armuelles in northwestern Panama.

world cup

starts next friday with costa rica playing in the opening game against host germany. just checking the costa rican newspaper - government workers are getting the morning off, lots of businesses are giving their employees the morning off, schools are closed for the morning, tv's are being set up in various places around the country so everyone will have a chance to watch their team play. i have also arranged to have the time off.

there was a comment in the paper that the country would be paralyzed. yes i expect it will be. ticos are very passionate about their futbol. everything comes to a standstill when it's a international club tournament never mind the world cup.

the team was in san jose 4 years ago when costa rica won a world cup game. the town was going wild with excitement.

wish i was there with them next friday.

last year when costa rica played canada at swangard stadium there were maybe 100 fans, and most of them were costa rican. soccer is to costa ricans as hockey, football or baseball all rolled together is to canadians.

car trouble

yesterday coming home from surrey i was in the fast lane doing 100 (?) kmh. all of a sudden traffic slowed to a dead crawl. i thought there might be an accident up ahead. all of a sudden my truck lost power. as i pulled to the shoulder it powered back up so i got back into the driving lane and started to go again. then it started making other noises and i pulled right over on to the shoulder again thinking i might have a flat tire. did a tire check but they were fine. traffic was now picking up speed and i wondered how i would get back into the flow of traffic. a space opened up and i got in and then another space opened up and i got over to the slow lane to get to an exit and off the freeway. as i picked up speed, not much more than a crawl, the noise went away and i made it off the freeway. by the time i got home everything seemed fine.

i had been in a hurry and when i saw the traffic stopped i wondered if i might be late for my granddaughters dance benefit.

as i wondered what would have happened if my truck had lost power while i was going 100 kmh in heavy traffic i saw God's hand in it. there was no accident. nothing that i could see that would have caused the traffic to back up and stop.

give thanks in everything - you may or may not see God's hand in it but He really does cause all things good to happen for those who love Him.

Who are you living to serve and dying to meet?

A couple weeks ago, on Mothers Day, a friend of mine, who had managed to survive a hard regimen of cancer treatment only to discover the disease still at large in his body, asked his family, “Would you all like me to quietly slip out the back door or hang in there and keep trying to beat this?”

The question took them by surprise and though no one had an immediate answer for him, one of his daughters went home and wrote the following: “You are the most disciplined, diligent, creative man I have ever known. If you can apply the same strength, enthusiasm, and perseverance in fighting this that you've demonstrated your whole life, I know you can do it. However, I also want you to know that whenever you hear our Lord calling your name from the back door, go with him, because that will be the same moment that I'll change my mind and want you to be with him instead.”

Exactly one week later, Clark heard Jesus calling and slipped out the back door to join him.

It seemed the right call for a man whose primary gift in life had been to serve. Servants usually go in and out back doors, unnoticed by the guests and out of the way of the daily traffic in the house. For Clark, it was a choice to give up his will and retreat into Jesus' hands, but by “slipping out” he didn't mean sneaking out. He only meant to go quietly, unnoticed, and with little fanfare, much like he lived life.

Clark has lived his life around back doors. It has just been his way of doing things. I wonder if even his consideration to “stay and fight” was not for him, but to stay, if required, to fight for his life for the sake of the lives he loves. As if he were saying, Can I rest, or do you need me to stay for your sakes? That's the way a servant thinks. Always thinking of someone else.

Paul, the apostle, had a similar dilemma toward the end of his life. “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 will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith.” (Philippians 1:23-25)

What a philosophy of life! You live to serve others, you die to be with Christ. And between the two, well … it's a toss-up. So live today thinking about who you are living to serve … and dying to meet!

by John Fischer - my utmost

URGENT - CANADIAN Listeners - if you like to listen to Praise Radio

It has come to our attention that the CRTC is considering an application by Aboriginal Voices Radio to use the frequency of 106.3FM in Vancouver. If this application is approved, PRAISE 106.5FM expects that there will be significant interference with our broadcast into the Vancouver area, as 106.3FM is the frequency immediately adjacent to 106.5FM.

The CRTC is accepting letters and comments from the Canadian public. We want to continue to broadcast clear messages of hope and encouragement into the lower mainland and value your assistance in doing so. All letters and email correspondence must be received by the CRTC by Monday, June 5, 2006.

A copy of the letter must be sent to the applicant (with proof of this to CRTC), Aboriginal Voices Radio

by fax (1-416-868-0673), by electronic mail (gbuck@mccarthy.ca) or by mail at the following address:

Aboriginal Voices Radio Inc.
C/O Grand Buchanan
Box 48, Suite 4700
Toronto, Dominion Bank Tower
Toronto, Ontario
M5K 1E6

THEN.....

You can send a letter/email notification of concern to CRTC in one of three ways:
1. By using the Broadcasting Intervention/Comments Form by clicking on the following link and go to Notice # pb-2006-65: More Info (go to praise1065.com for link)
2. By mail to CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2
3. By fax to 1-819-994-0218

Please address letters to the CRTC:
Ms. Diane Rheaume
Secretary General
Canadian Radio-Television & Telecommunications Commission
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N2

Re: Broadcasting Public Notice CTC 2006-65: Item 1 - Aboriginal Voices Radio Inc.
Application No. 2006-0572-7 for the use of frequency 106.3 MHz (channel 292C)

Suggested comments to include in your letter are:

-I make this comment pursuant to Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2006-65

-I am a Canadian resident who listens to PRAISE 106.5 KWPZ-FM

-I am opposed to the application by Aboriginal Voices Radio Inc . (AVR) for the use of frequency 106.3FM (channel 292C) as it may interfere with my ability to listen to PRAISE 106.5 FWPZ-FM.

Please number all of your paragraphs. If submitting your document by fax or email,
include the line *** End of document *** after the last paragraph.

Please Note: All information that you provide to CRTC, including your personal information, such as your full name, e-mail address, postal/street address, telephone and facsimile number(s), and any other personal information you provide, becomes part of a publicly accessible file and will be posted on the CRTC's website.

world cup soccer

does anyone have satellite tv and able to view the world cup soccer fixtures (games) that they would be able to record them for me?

specifically costa rica has a friendly match with ukraine 5/28 and another with czech republic 5/30. because soccer isn't very popular in canada or the us they don't broadcast the games on our local channels.

i'm not sure yet about the actual world cup games. i sure hope they at least are televised.

costa rica plays in the opening game against germany 6/9, 6/15 and 6/20 and in case i have to work can anyone record them for me???

pray for our enemies

God tells us to pray for our enemies. last night at a new bible study i attended someone did. for osama bin laden. he asked what would happen if bush got ahold of him. and he asked what would happen if Jesus got ahold of him. wow what a difference. i hadn't thought of it on such a grand scale but just imagine the possibilities. bush - death or segregated confinement. Jesus - conversion. saul was supernaturally transformed and look at how God used him.

who would've thought. not me. i'm glad someone did last night. and he does it regularly. what a concept.

death

When you know Christ and you are filled with the hope and knowledge of eternal life,

the worst part about death is that it is not your own.

You have to stay behind in the void while someone you love moves on to a greater joy. by John Fischer

The best cure for loneliness...

is developing an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

depending on God or our own abilities

when we depend on ourselves, on our own ability to do something, God steps in to show us we need to depend on Him. it's scary at times. we may not see His hand in it, we just have to trust that He's in control, He knows the plans He has for us, and He will give us what we need when we need it. we get cocky and full of ourselves, then God humbles us so we will go to Him. i can definitely tell the difference when the Holy Spirit is working through me.

Working Versus Striving
TGIF Today God Is First, by Os Hillman

So he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty." - Zechariah 4:6

Your greatest obstacle in fulfilling God's purposes in your life is the skills you have acquired to perform well in your work life. One of the great paradoxes in Scripture relates to our need to depend on the Lord; yet at the same time, we're instructed to use the talents and abilities God gives us to accomplish the work He gives us to do. It has been one of the most difficult principles to live out. How do we know that what we achieve is by the power of the Holy Spirit in our life versus our own abilities, and is there a difference? (OH YEAH - BIG DIFFERENCE) When we reach a level of excellence and performance in our fields, it actually becomes an obstacle to seeing God's power manifest in our work. What we naturally do well becomes the object of our trust. When this happens, God retreats. You see, God allows us to develop skills, but these must be continually yielded to God's Spirit. There will be times when God will use these skills to accomplish His purposes. There will be other times that God will not use any of our skills just to ensure that we know it is by His power that we can do anything.

It is the oxymoron of all oxymorons for Christian workplace believers. Learning not to act until God shows you to act is a sign of maturity in God. "Do not lean on the natural skill which you have been given. Let God manifest Himself in what you are doing," said a mentor who has learned this balance of skill and walking with God. "You must almost restrain from doing those things you know you are prone to do and actually go against them."

I was learning this lesson recently when I was asked to participate in a large event that would give great exposure and much needed financial increase to my ministry. It made all the sense in the world to participate. Then I prayed with a friend and asked the Lord His mind on it. The Lord showed us this was not His plan for me. I declined the invitation.

Ask God to teach you what it means to walk according to the power of the Holy Spirit in your business life. Develop a listening ear to the small voice inside that wants to direct your efforts by His Spirit.

it's more than a job interview

after deciding what to wear and ironing a pair of black pants i ended up wearing a plum pant suit with a yellow sleeveless top. and brown shoes, the only pair i own.

the interview is at 10:30 and i'm ready to go at 10:00. with time on my hands i decide to moisturize my feet and discover that the hem is down on one pant leg. panic! i don't own a needle and thread and started dumping cases of cosmetics and jewelry looking for safety pins.

heading out the door at 10:17 estimating it's going to take me 10 minutes to get to the interview. by the 4th red light i decided to stop sweating it and just accept that every one of the 9 lights were all going to be red and i might just be late.

reading waking the dead. we are in a battle for our very lives and we need to put on the full armour of God each and every single morning. our freedom, our life, depends on it. we accept this and that, all the messages played in our heads, that we are unworthy, or unloved, or useless, or whatever. however we've been wounded there are messages we've replayed over and over again, just accepting them as truth. God doesn't mess with our heads. the enemy does that.

ephesians 6:10-20 in Jesus' name take authority over the enemy, claim the victory. but do it daily. before i got out of bed this morning i claimed the victory, i told satan to go to hell. i could feel the power of the Holy Spirit. i felt empowered that i could do almost anything.

but that's never the end of it. however satan does it he and his minions are going to mess with our heads wreaking havoc wherever and whenever. we have to choose not to buy into all the crap.

if i hadn't decided to moisturize my feet i would never have noticed the hem was down on one pant leg. and usually i moisturize before i put my clothes on. i thank God that i did things in reverse order today.

i don't think people recognize God in things. we say He is. we know He is. but do we recognize Him? so if they don't recognize God how can they recognize the enemy.

so i wonder
- why did i decide to change clothes after ironing something else?
- why did i decide to moisturize after getting dressed instead of before?
- why did i hit all red lights (except one)
was God testing me? or was satan trying to thwart my attempt to get a job?

don't know if i got the job or not. but i have peace about it. and for as much as i would have had stress before about going for a job interview i was surprised that i had a great sleep and wasn't stressed at all.

and i know who to thank for that. peace does not come from the enemy.

madd

We have a FAQ about this at:
http://www.madd.org/madd_programs/0,1056,1218,00.html

The petition circulating via e-mail accompanied with the poem titled "I Went
to a Party Mom" did not originate with nor is it endorsed by MADD.

While the petition you received probably began with good intentions, MADD did
not initiate the campaign. Some variations of the e-mail use language that we
feel to be inappropriate. Moreover, the e-mail asked you to act in a manner
that does little to advance the fight against drunk driving.

playing by the rules

Proposed US immigration reforms prompt nationwide protests. ...would make it a felony to live in the United States without proper documentation and would force illegal immigrants to return to their home countries before applying for citizenship. It would criminalize anyone found to be assisting or employing an illegal immigrant and proposed building a fence along the United States’ southern border. ... it’s not fair because we have a system to get into the country. There are people who line up every day in front of the embassy in Mexico City, embassies in Africa, in Europe and around the world, to apply for visas or for permission to come to school here, and they’re playing by the rules.”

friends wanted to sponsor 2 of the boys from costa rica to come here for a few weeks. i have stood in line for hours trying to help them get passports and/or visas. just to come for a visit. jose, who had a good job, a letter from his employer, a letter saying he was being sponsored to come here, paid his money to get a visa, had his interview, waited expectantly to get his visa, direct to canada so as to save money from having to apply for a us visa required which is required just to stop in the us waiting to change planes to come to canada. he played by the rules only to be told that he was denied because he was not married and did not own property.

i was angry. why didn't the application forms say don't waste your money cuz if you're single and not a property owner the answer's no.

what are the rules? if you have enough money you can bend them or break them? and if you don't have any money, well that's just too bad?

sometimes playing by the rules is a joke.

soccer

i speak english, it's my mother tongue, but when it comes to watching soccer - i think spanish. i went to a soccer game almost every sunday for 15 months. i was the waterboy (?) for the team, my name was on the roster, the only other person allowed on the field besides the players. depending on the distance we had to travel to go to a game we could be gone 10 hours. the boys never brought food with them and most of them never had money to buy food. a lot of boys never went to games because they didn't have the money to pay for the ride in the truck. i brought water, cups, cookies, candies, gum. i guess you could say i was the team mom. i loved every minute of it and really miss it, the games for sure but especially the players.

so of course when costa rica plays germany july 9th in the opening game of the world cup i'll be wearing my team jersey and cheering them on.

one of many differences between the sexes

i'm watching a soccer game between two teams i don't know. two french teams i've never seen before and the commentating is in french, which i don't understand. how do i decide which team to root for? how would women choose which team? how would men choose which team? well i can't speak for the men but i'm pretty sure, most of the women, if not all, would vote for the ones in the prettiest uniform. which of course i am doing. but it will be whoever scores the prettiest goals that i will hope to win.

of course if you know the teams colour isn't the deciding factor.

waking the dead by john eldredge

our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. it is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. we ask ourselves who am i to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? actually, who are you not to be? you are a child of God. your playing small doesn't serve the world. there's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. we were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us... and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. as we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. (nelson mandela)

when i first read this quote, i thought, no, that's not true. we don't fear our glory. we fear we are not glorious at all. we fear that at bottom, we are going to be revealed as ... disappointments. mandela is just trying to make a nice speech, like a sermon, to buoy us up for a day or two. but as i thought about it more, i realized we do fear our glory. we fear even heading in this direction because for one thing, it seems prideful. now pride is a bad thing, to be sure, but it's not prideful to embrace the truth that you bear the image of God. paul says it brings glory to God. we walk in humility because we know it is a glory bestowed. it reflects something of the Lord's glory.

the deeper reason we fear our own glory is that once we let others see it, they will have seen the truest us, and that is nakedness indeed. we can repent of our sin. we can work on our 'issues' but there is nothing to be 'done' about our glory. it's so naked. it's just there - the truest us. it is an awkward thing to shimmer when everyone else around you is not, to walk in your glory with an unveiled face when everyone else is veiling his. for a woman to be truly feminine and beautiful is to invite suspicion, jealousy, misunderstanding. a friend confided in me 'when you walk into a room, every woman looks at you to see - are you prettier than they are? are you a threat?

and that is why living from your glory is the only loving thing to do. you cannot love another person from a false self. you cannot love another while you are still hiding. how can you help them to freedom while you remain captive? you cannot love another unless you offer her your heart. it takes courage to live from your heart. my friend jenny said just the other day 'i desperately want to be who i am. i don't want the glory that i marvel at in others anymore. i want to be that glory which God set in me.

finally, our deepest fear of all... we will need to live from it. to admit we do have a new heart and a glory from God, to begin to let it be unveiled and embrace it as true - that means the next thing God will do is ask us to live from it. come out of the boat. take the throne. be what he meant us to be. and that feels risky.. really risky. but it is also exciting. it is coming fully alive. my friend morgan declared. it's a risk worth taking. (waking the dead by john eldredge)

i can read this now without crying but when i first read this this afternoon, wow it was a flood of tears.

i don't have a lot of friends. a few women friends, only a couple of men friends, husbands of friends. for most of my life i have been treated with suspicion, jealousy, misunderstanding. treated by other women as a threat. i am not comfortable with most men because for most of my life they wanted something from me. and it was not friendship.

what is my glory? my joy? i was once told i should temper that because most people didn't have it.

job hunting

sucks! a very long time ago i couldn't have imagined working at the same place for 26 years. i had a great job in vancouver for 4 1/2 years when i decided to move out to the valley. the 3 months it took me to find a job and the first few months after my daughter was born were pretty well the only time i was ever unemployed.

there's an advantage to working at the same place for a long period of time. seniority, you eventually get first choice of vacation times and you get more of them and you're not always starting at the base pay rate.

the disadvantage is you don't learn too many new things. sure i learned new things within the office where i worked but we had programs specific to us, that most of the business community don't use. granted every business may have programs specific to them but the general business software that most companies use was not the one that we used or that i'm familiar with. that makes it tough when advertised jobs say proficiency required in… and you don’t have it. it tends to limit your prospects somewhat.

someone finally called and asked what rate of pay i wanted and if i would provide a resume. i had no idea what to say for the rate of pay and it's taken 2 weeks to get a reference letter. i wasn't sure if i had priced myself out of a job or not.

i prayed before i took the reference letter in that if this was where God wanted me that He would open the door and if not then i asked Him to close the door. when i took the letter in my previous enthusiasm at being called about the job in the first place was dampened by the darkness of the office.

i like bright natural light. previously i had my own office with large windows on the south side of the building. to walk into this office with only dim artificial lighting was so depressing. i left hoping they wouldn't call me.

i have searched different websites that offer tips on job hunting. one says not to indicate your age. on my first resume i listed my last 2 jobs. 30 1/2 years of working tells a story - i'm no spring chicken. so i deleted my last job. and that makes me sound 4 1/2 years younger than an old hen. ouch!

when God seems far away

One of the great mysteries of God is His ways. Some of His ways almost appear to bring us into the most difficult places, as if He were indifferent to our circumstances. It would appear that He is turning His head from our sorrows. These events in our lives have a particular objective to perform for us. That objective is to bring us to the end of ourselves that we might discover the treasure of darkness. "Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness" (Job 30:26).

When we are taken into these dark periods, we begin to see light that we never knew existed. Our sensitivities become heightened and our ability to see through spiritual eyes is illuminated. Unless we are taken into these times, our souls never develop any depth of character. We do not gain wisdom, only knowledge. Knowledge is gained through understanding; wisdom is gained through the experience of darkness.

After we go through these periods, we discover that God was, in fact, with us throughout the entire time. It does not feel or appear that He is there when we are in the midst of the dark periods. However, He is there walking with us. He has told us countless times that He will never leave us. However, when we are in those dark periods, it does not feel like He is there because He does not rescue us from the circumstances. He does this for our benefit in order that we might become more like Jesus. Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered (see Heb. 5:8). What does that say about how you and I will learn obedience? Embrace the dark times and gain the wisdom that God intends for you from these times. (ptwG)

footprints

sometimes the worst thing that happens to us can open the door for the best that God has to give us. (odb) boy don't i know that.

footprints - looking back over my life i can see so many times when God carried me. except for one they were all before i became a christian. years of my life being diagnosed with clinical depression. telling the doctor i couldn't have depression because my life was good for the most part. externally my circumstances were pretty good. i had a husband, a family, a home, a job, good health. how could someone have the supposed good life and not be content. after years of psychiatrists, who never helped, and anti-depressants, that always zoned me out, my 3rd husband called it quits. needless to say that was about the worst thing that happened to me. i had been in tailspins before but nothing compared to that. i couldn't work, eat, sleep - for months. God kept my heart beating and the air going in and out of my lungs.

after 8 years alone God gave me the best that He had to offer. Himself.

if you've been there you'll know how you'll say and do anything if God would only answer your prayers. and you'll be thankful for unanswered prayers.

God does answer our prayers, in His time, in His way and in all things for the good of those who love Him.

gradfinders

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People come into your life for a reason...

a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season!

LIFETIMEME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

i'm sure you all have read this before somewhere. i just wanted to share it again.

happenings in guatemala

the first morning i woke up in guatemala i felt an ominous presence surrounding me. i had to pray against it so it didn't consume me. when i prayed it left. the enemy knows we are weak but he can't stand against the awesome power of God.

one morning i woke up and my bed had moved - 6 inches at an angle away from the wall. the weird thing was that the mattress had not moved, it was still in the same position as the night before, parallel to the bed. i wondered if there had been an earthquake but nothing else was, and none of the other team members had anything, out of the ordinary.

a world at war

watched war of the worlds recently. when it was over i thanked God that i did not live in an area of a world at war. it was a continuous thought though that followed that we all live in a world at war. it's a daily battle for our hearts and minds. God has given us the bible to teach us. the wisdom we need is found in these pages. and yet we live our lives for ourselves, for our pleasure. we twist scripture to ease our conscience when we rebel against God's truth. we forsake our eternal joy for our present happiness. we assuage our conscience by hardening our hearts against the truths contained in the bible. the enemy will use whatever means to cause us to fall away from our intimate relationship with God. ephesians 6:13 paul says to put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes… the day of evil is here, it assaults us daily and we need to be ready in full armor to defend our hearts and minds, our very lives, against the evil one.

the angels are at war on our behalf. when daniel asked God for deliverance he waited 3 weeks. when the angel finally showed up 3 weeks later he apologized saying he had been in battle with the enemy and finally had to ask michael to help him. if the angels need help in their struggles with the enemy how much harder is it for us. daniel 10

Jesus is called our Saviour. He went to the cross to save us. His sacrifice was for our eternal salvation. but what about the here and now. we need to go to Him each day to help us in our fight against the enemy. we can't fight these battles on our own. the enemy surrounds us and attacks from every side. he seduces us with things that we derive pleasure from so that we're not even aware they are from the enemy. he comes at us at all hours of the day or night.

when we wake up feeling hopeless and in despair where do you think that's coming from? when you haven't even got out of bed the enemy is attacking you. whenever we're feeling alone and lonely where is that coming from? we're never alone, we're never unloved. the enemy would have us believe all kinds of lies.

we really do need to take every thought captive to Christ and lay every burden at the foot of the cross. He is the consummate lover, parent, He is there, He is waiting for us, to love us, embrace us, protect us, to provide and care for us.

in a world at war He is our only hope.

3 years ago in costa rica...

susan passed me a note in church saying that God had called me to costa rica not to be a servant but to be a prayer warrior. while we were riding in a truck God put something on my heart that i didn't understand at the time but it was crushing and painful and i didn't want to do it. i thought maybe it related to our trip there. it didn't. then another time i thought maybe it related to another event in someone else's life. it didn't. maybe it was for today. i can only pray that God's heart is revealed.

faith

Faith that bears fruit is faith that is born from experience with a living God. It is faith that says, "I don't know where the next check is coming from. All I know is that God told me to do this and trust Him for the next step." That is faith that moves mountains and moves God's heart. God rarely allows His servant to see beyond the next faith step. However, those who are willing to take the first step and leave the outcome to Him see His works. (prime time with God)

poker

since when did poker become a sport? in searching the tv listings looking for soccer games they list soccer, baseball, golf, tennis, car racing, hockey, football, basketball. i can understand these but to say that poker is a sport. c'mon. sports are defined as an activity involving physical exertion. mind you i have seen guys break a sweat when they've gambled away their christmas paycheques playing poker and they have nothing left to take home to their wives and children.

it seems when there was a hockey strike on last year (unbeknownst to me) that poker took over the airwaves. it's bad enough that so many people squander their earnings on lottery tickets, hoping for that big win. now gambling is dubbed a sport??? i was having fun playing fish with my grandchildren when they wanted to change the game - texas hold'em. they had to change the rules for me because i didn't have a clue what a blind was, big or little.

i know someone who has squandered away her life's earnings playing bingo, lottery tickets, pull tabs. always hoping for that big win. each week playing more and more thinking this time she's gonna have a winner. over her lifetime we figure it may have amounted to in excess of $250,000.

now i see people who used to watch hockey games playing poker with higher and higher stakes. it's scary to think there is another popular, powerful addiction out there sucking the life blood out of people.

Jesus Christ superstar

went to see a wonderful play tonight. the dancers were awesome! course the fact that my 14 year old granddaughter, who in stage makeup looked a lot older, was one of the dancers had nothing to do with it. this is her first year taking dance and she was asked to perform along with other girls who have been taking dance anywhere from 5 to 13 years. and she was awesome!

soccer commentating

just watched the uefa semi-final between barcelona and milan. barcelona is my favourite team outside of costa rica so it was great to see them win. the commentating though was so boring, so unemotional. the commentating in costa rica was so exciting, so emotional. even if the game was a bit slow they could make it come alive just by their passionate commentary. sure miss it.

guatemala

going to guatemala was awesome. it's always such a blessing to be able to do for or give to others. to be physically active was great but the best part was the people. they have nothing but they are always so happy, warm and friendly. their basic needs of clean water, food, clothing and education are what we take for granted here. we brought a soccer ball and watching the boys play soccer i felt i had come home again. except they were playing in a dusty gravel pit of a soccer field.

classmates

after my little trip down memory lane this weekend i got out my old annual and had a good laugh reading all the quotes people had written in my book. and checking out the hairstyles. yuck! the school website lists some of the alumni. i was surprised to see that one classmate had become an ordained rabbi. definitely not something i imagined he would have aspired to. i wonder how many people actually achieved their goals. mine was just getting through life. my life is not how i imagined it but i guess i can deem it successful. i am getting through it. :o)

vancouver

went to vancouver this weekend. i was born and raised there and have maintained that you couldn't pay me to live there again. lived in the west end for 1 1/2 years when i was 14 / 15. wow has downtown & the west end ever changed. it was beautiful, i couldn't believe it. the trees are huge. incredible development. i wouldn't want to raise a family down there but i've talked to a few singles who love it. it brought back good memories but it was good to come back to the valley. less traffic, no crowds, wide open spaces.

desire

reading journey of desire. as the author talked about peoples desire for this or that i wondered what mine were. well i knew God is first and foremost. i couldn't think of anything else that really stirred my emotions and thought wow what a boring person i must be. then as i was just sending an email to a friend telling him a bit about my trip to guatemala i was getting so psyched. i could feel the excitement in every part of me. as i was reading the book i hadn't thought about what stirs my soul but just writing about my trip brought every nerve ending alive.

the minute i read about the trip to guatemala i knew i wanted to go. the desire was there, it filled my heart. and like psalm 37:4 says God gives us the desires of our heart.

despair

you can't just tell someone you want to commit suicide and expect that they are going to forget all about it.

your confession has burdened my heart so you're stuck with me and my rants. and after reading journey of desire and seeing you on almost every page there are lots. and lucky you i'm not even a third of the way through it yet.

"the pharisees knew more about the bible and it hardened their hearts. knowledge just isn't what it's cracked up to be."

and i want 'once upon a time...' like ever after.

your soul is dying and i'm filled with the joy of living.

jod talks about the titanic as the lovers stand on the prow. romance, beauty, adventure. eden. is that eden? is that why i always feel i belong in eden? because i want romance, beauty, adventure.

now this cracked me up. the prodigal son.
me - the prodigal coming home (to God) afer living a life apart from Him for so long. the pouting, party pooper (the other son) who has lived his entire life from duty and obligation.

i know the joy of my homecoming. he's angry (the other son) saying he hasn't got a thing in return for his life of service and Dad says "all that is mine has always been yours" in other words - he never asked. the dutiful son stands aside at the prodigal's homecoming and does not experience the fathers embrace.

think of God as a beautiful woman. you want her, you desire her. she stirs your passion, you're hungry for her. you go to seek your hearts desire. she responds to your seeking because it touches her hearts desire to be longed for. you're nonchalant, passionless, indifferent. if your hearts not in it why should His be?

if you're as passionate about God as you would be a rock, if you don't hunger for Him, if He's not your hearts desire, it's no wonder you have no joy. if you're only lukewarm is He going to spit you out of His mouth, Rev. 3:16, if you check out early on your terms.

get fired up. psalm 37:4 delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. He has become the desire of my heart and i am filled with joy. do you not ache for Him? do you not hunger for Him? like a woman, does a desire for Him not burn in your soul? are you so dead inside that there is not the slightest stirrings of desire?

i feel like a child in my simplicity, in just loving and being loved. i am rich with unquenchable joy.

you are worse than a pauper. you have a great deal of book learning but what has that given you. you have knowledge yet you have no hope, no joy.

you want to end your life to be with God. i am with God and i want to live my life for Him.

what are your dreams? what were your dreams?

you have a heart. can you feel it beating? or is it so lifeless you feel nothing?

how do you ever expect to find someone full of life that's wildly passionate about you. if you care nothing about life how can you care about God or anyone else.

this is said in love. do with it what you will. get angry if you want. but don't give up.

life in a gravel pit

and more faces

more faces

faces of panimache

doing laundry

and we think we have it tough on laundry day.

panimache

a small village at the bottom of a narrow, very steep valley. hurricane stan wiped out their crops (corn) and some homes and last year a team went there and built 7 houses. there are very few patches of grass, it's mostly dry, dusty, gravel. a few days before we arrived the church that we connected with there had delivered 35,000 pounds of food.

they speak quiche but now the children are learning spanish in school. the men and some of the older children speak spanish.

we showed the Jesus film in spanish and afterwards the pastor talked to the people and someone translated everything into quiche. about 20 people asked to receive Jesus. very cool.

the government says they are in danger, that their valley is no longer stable so they are hoping to buy land to transport them to a safer location.

water filters

these are some of the water filters we made for the people of panimache, a very poor village of indigenous mayan people. it's dry season right now and their water is a dirty, smelly creek that runs through their village. we took the water filters to the village and showed them how to use them. each filter weighed several hundred pounds and it took about 8 men to carry one filter up a 6" wide goat trail.

we started out using a plywood mold and then borrowed a steel mold from someone that was making water filters for other locations in guatemala. the steel mold worked a lot better and we were able to buy 2 molds to leave at the orphanage for a couple of men to keep making more filters, for panimache, for the orphanage, and for their own homes and families.

orphanage - casa angelina

these are the kids that are there right now although more kids were arriving almost daily.

casa angelina is an orphanage that upon completion will house 500 kids. only one house is complete right now. each house costs $40,000 to build and will be staffed by house parents. i can think of one couple who would make awesome house parents.

the abuse these kids have suffered at the hands of their parents is atrocious. a 5 year old girl repeatedly held down by her mother while her father raped her. they need so much love and care.

almolonga, guatemala

one carrot would feed the whole family.

it took almost a full day to get here but it was well worth it. the market was closed when we arrived late but we spent the night in a neighbouring town and returned early the next morning.

we went to the calvary church and met with pastor mariano. there was a funeral that day for someone in their church so the pastor wasn't supposed to be there but the editor and photographer from a newspaper in guatemala city had come to interview him. we lucked out as we and the editor interviewed him about the transformation of almolonga. he said that 33% of the population were born again christians. other than that the rest of the story about the transformation of almolonga is true.

this was paradise

but this is home.

every time i visited my friend's paradise i couldn't wait to get home again.

i'm having trouble posting the comments to match the pictures but you can tell which one is paradise. for as much as our house isn't much it's home and still where my heart is.

everything is big in costa rica

i went to visit a friend - this was another one of her guests. when it landed on my pillow my pillow landed on the floor and spent the night there. i'm not afraid of moths but when they're this big and won't get off my pillow... my sister would so have freaked. my fear is spiders - hers is moths.

for sale

white gold, custom designed, diamond ring. $1500 firm.