They're a ton of fun and although The Hallway (our less than roomy house) is a bit limited on space, it should be a great time!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Weekend Guests!
I have some pretty cool dudes coming to visit me this weekend! My two brothers (one by blood, the other by choice) are gonna be visiting Columbus and beyond over the next few weeks and are stopping in for some much-needed bonding time.
They're a ton of fun and although The Hallway (our less than roomy house) is a bit limited on space, it should be a great time!
They're a ton of fun and although The Hallway (our less than roomy house) is a bit limited on space, it should be a great time!
Turning in Faith to Him
The upcoming thoughts of graduating from college have produced a lot of different things within me: excitement, anxiety, violent outbursts, fear, joy, sweating blood....there's been a pretty good range of emotions that have played themselves out over the past month or two. The reality of the current economy and my somewhat "complicated" scenario of being an alien in a foreign land (literally) have given me enough reason to feel some stress and pressure for the future. Yet, as in all things, the infinite character of our God continues to comfort me through the ups and downs of uncertainties. Really, what is our life but continual opportunity upon opportunity to be sanctified, to seek to glorify our LORD and to declare His love to the nations?? I know that no matter how uptight this US of America is about letting a little Canadian stick around, no matter how bleak the economy looks, no matter how many doors are closed along the way, I am in the hands of an Almighty God who seeks the good of His people (I have to remember that His "good" is often not the same as my own projections of "good"...but it ends up being much better in the end!)
A.W. Tozer slammed some truth down that really spoke to me:
To believe actively that our Heavenly Father constantly spreads around us providential circumstances that work for our present good and our everlasting well-being brings to the soul a veritable benediction. Most of us go through life praying a little, planning a little, jockeying for position, hoping but never quite certain of anything, and always secretly afraid that we will miss the way. This is a tragic waste of truth and never gives rest to the heart. There is a better way. It is to repudiate our own wisdom and take instead the infinite wisdom of God. Our insistence upon seeing ahead is natural enough, but it is a real hindrance to our spiritual progress. God has charged Himself with full responsibility for our eternal happiness and stands ready to take over the management of our lives the moment we turn in faith to Him. Here is His promise: "And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them." Isaiah 42:16
A.W. Tozer slammed some truth down that really spoke to me:
To believe actively that our Heavenly Father constantly spreads around us providential circumstances that work for our present good and our everlasting well-being brings to the soul a veritable benediction. Most of us go through life praying a little, planning a little, jockeying for position, hoping but never quite certain of anything, and always secretly afraid that we will miss the way. This is a tragic waste of truth and never gives rest to the heart. There is a better way. It is to repudiate our own wisdom and take instead the infinite wisdom of God. Our insistence upon seeing ahead is natural enough, but it is a real hindrance to our spiritual progress. God has charged Himself with full responsibility for our eternal happiness and stands ready to take over the management of our lives the moment we turn in faith to Him. Here is His promise: "And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them." Isaiah 42:16
Sacrificial Prayer
"I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." 2 Samuel 24:24
Intentional, sacrificial prayer has been on my heart for the past 2 weeks. This is a new thing for me. It's easy to pray as I walk to and from class, as I exercise, as I sit in the car, as I go about my day, and fit prayer into my schedule as I wish. But where is the sacrifice involved in that when I conform the Lord to my schedule and find that convenience in my relationship with Him is enough? Is He not a God that deserves to be glorified and honored? To be sacrificed for?Giving up something to be completely and utterly alone with God is what I'm talking about.
What a merciful and loving Lord we have that we can seek His face throughout the activity of our day. He is available to us at all times as we lift our hearts to Him. As Wesley says, "Prayer continues in the desire of our heart, though the understanding be employed on outward things." And yet this rich joy that the Lord has been gifting me with lately has come from going one step further and getting alone with Him, getting on my knees before Him, getting silent before Him, saying "no" to something else.
David said, "I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing" and God answered his prayer on behalf of the land. May we not merely offer God a half-hearted and convenient effort in seeking Him in prayer, but give that which costs us something and see our faithful Father move on our behalf.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Under Construction!
My blog is currently under some major construction! For those of you who still check in on it once in awhile, thanks for keeping up with me. I'll have some new posts coming along asap.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Top 10 Things I'll Miss About Australia
In no particular order...
10. The Sun, The Sand, The Ocean. enough said.
9. Running around the Swan River with a backdrop of Perth city and kite boarders on the river.
8. Stopping for coffee/tea time every 2 hours...may need to incorporate that into my NA life.
7. The plethora of outdoor adventures at my fingertips- surfing and scuba diving will be missed the most.
6. Tim Tam Slams. If you're lucky (and you throw me a party or stop by the Heywood house within the first few days of my arrival) you may get to experience one of these.
5. Generous terms of endearment. Ranging from "mate" to "love" to "sweet" to "gorgeous"...who doesn't like being called "gorgeous" by a perfect stranger??
4. The Aussie abbreviations. Adding a "y" or "o" to every word is just fun. So don't judge me if you hear me call sunglasses, "sunnies" or a wetsuit, "wetties" or mosquitos, "mozzys".
3. Perth public transport. This is complete sarcasm.
2. The Great Barrier Reef. I think everyone owes it to themselves to see it.
1. The environmental influence that now has me taking 2 minute showers, worrying about gas emissions from flights and driving, and checking the labels of all my products.
10. The Sun, The Sand, The Ocean. enough said.
9. Running around the Swan River with a backdrop of Perth city and kite boarders on the river.
8. Stopping for coffee/tea time every 2 hours...may need to incorporate that into my NA life.
7. The plethora of outdoor adventures at my fingertips- surfing and scuba diving will be missed the most.
6. Tim Tam Slams. If you're lucky (and you throw me a party or stop by the Heywood house within the first few days of my arrival) you may get to experience one of these.
5. Generous terms of endearment. Ranging from "mate" to "love" to "sweet" to "gorgeous"...who doesn't like being called "gorgeous" by a perfect stranger??
4. The Aussie abbreviations. Adding a "y" or "o" to every word is just fun. So don't judge me if you hear me call sunglasses, "sunnies" or a wetsuit, "wetties" or mosquitos, "mozzys".
3. Perth public transport. This is complete sarcasm.
2. The Great Barrier Reef. I think everyone owes it to themselves to see it.
1. The environmental influence that now has me taking 2 minute showers, worrying about gas emissions from flights and driving, and checking the labels of all my products.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Adventure Continues...in Asia!
the title of my blog is temporarily inaccurate and should take on the name "Asian Adventures" for about a week. 2 hours after my last final exam, i was boarding a plane to Singapore to catch up with some old friends from Sask. Aleasha and Jamie have been teaching abroad for the past 6 years and it was soooo good to see them and to meet their two adorable little kids, Jaxon and Ruby. seeing familiar faces and hearing people talk the same way i do was a much needed gift after 5 months of feeling like a freak (try saying the word "bunnyhug" to anyone outside of Sask's borders and you'll know what i mean!). we packed the maximum amount of tourist activity with a good amount of relaxation and all around fun times into my 3.5 days in Singapore. the mix of 3 cultures in Singapore is fascinating - the population is split between Chinese, Muslim and Indians. we went to Little India and Arab Street to take in a mini-version of these people's homelands. saw lots of interesting (and scary-looking!) foods to eat and gorgeous art work, hand made clothing and wares. Singapore is probably one of the cleanest cities i've ever visited. the government has completely regulated the society to the point where they have limited the number of cars that are on the streets to reduce gas emissions, have illegalized the chewing of gum (to prevent littering!) and are still allowed to cane people! it kind of made me think of a city in a bubble, being controlled by the powers above. despite all this, singapore is a bustling city with beautiful jungles within the city, friendly people and lots to see and do. spending some time with leash and jamie was a ton of fun and reminded me of how kind, generous and down-to-earth my fellow saskie's are.
and now, here i am in hong kong, continuing the journey through asia. this is my last stop before i head to cairns and sydney to complete my final travels before i head home. i'm sitting on the 32nd floor of a sky rise overlooking hong kong city, amazed at the view before me. another old friend, harmony mcmillan, is teaching at a school in hong kong as well. i spent my first day yesterday walking around with my jaw dropping at the size, activity, number of people and busyness of hong kong. i've never seen anything like it before. harm took me out for a night on the town that included some delicious chinese food from one of her favorite spots, a trip to some market stalls to check out the latest knock-off products and my first ever chinese foot and shoulder massage! good food, good shopping and good rubbing made for a good night. today i'm doing a hike on hong kong island called the "Dragon's Back Hike" which is supposed to be one of the best short hikes here. i think the biggest challenge will be finding my way through the cities public transport to the starting point of the hike. sadly, tomorrow i'll be leaving harm and her hong kong life, but i'm looking forward to seeing Cairns. i'm meeting a friend to do our PADI scuba diving certs while we're there- can't wait to see the Great Barrier Reef up close and personal! pray that the sharks will be full next week. :)
life is full and i'm loving the adventures of new places, new sights, new faces....not long til i'll be back seeing some familiar old ones in the homeland. until then, cheers!
and now, here i am in hong kong, continuing the journey through asia. this is my last stop before i head to cairns and sydney to complete my final travels before i head home. i'm sitting on the 32nd floor of a sky rise overlooking hong kong city, amazed at the view before me. another old friend, harmony mcmillan, is teaching at a school in hong kong as well. i spent my first day yesterday walking around with my jaw dropping at the size, activity, number of people and busyness of hong kong. i've never seen anything like it before. harm took me out for a night on the town that included some delicious chinese food from one of her favorite spots, a trip to some market stalls to check out the latest knock-off products and my first ever chinese foot and shoulder massage! good food, good shopping and good rubbing made for a good night. today i'm doing a hike on hong kong island called the "Dragon's Back Hike" which is supposed to be one of the best short hikes here. i think the biggest challenge will be finding my way through the cities public transport to the starting point of the hike. sadly, tomorrow i'll be leaving harm and her hong kong life, but i'm looking forward to seeing Cairns. i'm meeting a friend to do our PADI scuba diving certs while we're there- can't wait to see the Great Barrier Reef up close and personal! pray that the sharks will be full next week. :)
life is full and i'm loving the adventures of new places, new sights, new faces....not long til i'll be back seeing some familiar old ones in the homeland. until then, cheers!
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