Oh...that I may know Christ!!

I am convinced that God longs for us to cry out for Him to come...that we're so IN LOVE with Him that we desire for the heavens to be opened...and that we desire His return. Where is the generation that will say, “Come Lord Jesus...NOW!! Not after I grow up, or after I expereince relationships, or after I get married, or after I have children, or grandchildren, or get a bigger house, or go here or there....NOW! I don't want what my flesh wants..I WANT YOU!!” Who will be the generation to say that?
Oh God!!! I long to long for You! To be so madly in LOVE with You that I am willing to go through anything, that Your will would be done. That I wouldn't care about the cost. But my passion and love for You would be so great that my gaze is set on you, like dove's eyes, and only want YOU!! That I would be so laid-down....that I would say..COME!! COME NOW!! It seems every generation comes along and says, “Oh Jesus...we want You to come....well, after I do this or that....” And then once they get to be a senior, and they've done 'this and that' (and then some)...they realize it's not everything they thought it would be....and then they cry out for His return. Why? Am I gonna settle to do what I want first and then ask for God's will to be done? Or am I gonna be willing to lay down my desires, my wishes and goals, and say, “Lord..not as I will, but as You will. Let it be done unto me, your servant, according to YOUR WILL.” Can I put my selfishness at His feet and instead crave His will? Yes...but in His strength. For it's not in myself, but IN HIM!
I truly believe that the generation that comes to this realization (of how God longs for us to crave His plans so much that our selfish desires have no room to breathe) will reap a great reward. Sure, they may not experience as much as they would have liked to here on earth. But really, we are gonna have SOOOO much better stuff in Heaven. It's such a lie of the enemy that we're missing out if we don't experience some of the tantalizing things here on earth...good things that God created...But they can be a distraction if we allow ourselves to focus on them instead of on HIM. If we are willing to lay EVERYTHING down, I believe that God will reveal to us mysteries of His kingdom...and a door will be opened to us because of our selfless-ness. We will receive a rich reward in eternity. Really, if we could only grasp this concept! Oh! How different we would live our lives!!! Ooooh! I SOOO desire that our eyes would be opened to God's heart! GOD!!! Open our eyes that we may see...mature us that we could be entrusted with the glorious riches of eternity..the mysteries of Your heart!!! Put YOUR passion in us! Plant in us the desire to KNOW You!!! To just sit at Your feet and gaze upon You!!!!!!

I Will Trust You!!

It seems like I've been in a 'night season' for something like 7 years. And I really just wanna see the break of dawn. After Harvest School, I thought I would be seeing the rays of early morning in my life...but instead, I've plunged deeper into tests, trials, and 'opportunities' to build character....to the point of making me weary at times. I've asked God "Why?" so many times, and He's told me that He's preparing me for what's coming. Right now, He's giving me opportunity for my roots to grow deep down in Him so that when I am walking in what's ahead, I will be firmly planted in Him....unmovable and unshakable. He's also solidifying what He taught me in Pemba, and His Word that was spoken....I learned it..and now it's time for me to walk it out in everyday life. I imagine it like pottery. He's molded me, but now, I'm in the flame of testing - being made strong (and yet broken at the same time) for His use. I believe just like David's character was tested in the court of Saul, after he'd already been anointed as King....so most of us are being tested right now - after our amazing God-time at Harvest School. But be encouraged! God gave you promises for a reason!! He's said that whatever words He sent out will not return to Him until they've accomplished what He sent them out to do! Hold fast to the promises God gave you!! And yet, be willing to lay your everything at your Lover's feet and just rest in Him. Even though this time is hard, just trust Him. He will carry you.
This has been a huge revelation for me these past couple months. Sure....the night season is really seeming to drag on....but I know that morning is coming!! So even though I can't see where I'm going at times....I wanna simply lean into God and just let Him carry me, as He promised He would do.


It was from this place that this song was birthed:



You are being purified as gold and are gonna come out as sparkling diamonds!!!!!
Keep resting in Him!!!

Skiing in Lake Louise, Alberta

So my brother, his friend, and I went skiing with my Aunt and Uncle in Lake Louise this past February. Even though it had been almost 2 years since I'd been on my skis, it didn't take long to pick up where I'd left off. I had quite a fun time flying down the mountain side on two skinny pieces of fiberglass. It's crazy the things we do to have 'fun'. There were no disastrous 'yard sails' (basically, a bad fall...where you sail in the air for yards before you land), crashes, or life-changing injuries. I do believe, however, that my brother, friend, and a few others actually broke a personal speed record. Their previous record was 107 Kilometers. I won't say just how fast the new record is, but I can say that if they were doing that speed in a vehicle, it would be considered speeding according to Alberta laws. I find it completely crazy that a person can gain such a high speed with their feet strapped to 2 fiberglass boards and stay upright. (well, okay, one guy did fall while going 90 kilos....but at least he didn't get hurt too bad.....ski poles were really the ones to blame...if only they wouldn't have been in his way....) Having thus said...overall, it was a good ski trip...one filled with lots of fun, laughter, and.....snow. =)
I decided to attempt video recording us going down a couple of our favorite green runs. I don't suppose this was the safest idea, as I was holding my camera in one hand and 2 ski poles and glove in the other. But hey, I stayed vertical the whole time, though I did have to go a bit slower than normal to accommodate the unique circumstances. I edited these videos and posted them...just for fun.
Strap up your skis as you prepare to fly down the slops of Lake Louise!!!

Thirsty?

I am sitting here in the desert...with the blazing hot sun beating down on me. My mouth is parched...I have tasted the water once, a long time ago...and now I am only left with memories of the sweet, blissful liquid passing over my tongue. As I look around for something to quench my thirst, I only find dry, parched sand...also too wanting to swallow up any remnant of moisture. I look up to the sky, as tears form in my eyes...the longing in me to once again taste the living water consumes me...why did I come to the desert? What made me think that I could do it on my own? The impossibility of turning this wasteland into an oasis is daunting. And how could I think that would be possible by just bringing a cup of water from the River? My obvious failure stares me in the face as the wind thrusts tiny grains of sand against my face. I hadn't been here but a month and I had already consumed the cup of water...and now I am worse than when I first came. I glance at my cup. It is simply made from clay and therefore quite despised by some. But I like it...somehow, it almost seems like it is a part of me. I used this object to drink from the River. Fond memories of that season fill my mind....I long to be there again, by the River, wading on it's banks with My Love; having fun playing on the shore. My Love. Most certainly He'll help me! Maybe if I find Him, He'll fill my cup again. Oh, I'll do anything to just have some of that water! I will try to listen to Him....perhaps then I'll know where to find Him. I quiet my thoughts and listen for my Love's voice. Oh! I hear Him....I hear Him calling my name! He is telling me to come to Him!! I somehow manage to stand up – amidst my weakness – and stumble towards His voice. It leads me away from this dry desert land. As I continue towards the sound of His voice, the weight of my cup causes me to once again remember the sweet memories of water. I wonder if He'll scold me for trying to change this wasteland by myself? For trying to do it without Him. His voice leads me to a waterfall....but I don't see Him anywhere. I have never seen such a massive waterfall before! How could I have not seen this before? Why would He lead me here? I wonder where He is? Oh! I can hear His voice..it's calling to me from behind the wall of water. As I timidly inch my way towards the waterfall, my grasp tightens around my cup. When I finally arrive at the base of the waterfall, I haltingly extend my cup towards the voice of my Love. I hope He will fill it. I hope he will still love me. I clench my eyes shut as I brace myself for the worst. Suddenly, I hear His voice whisper right in my ear, “It's all for you.” His voice makes me jump. In my moments of contemplation, He must have walked beside me. He is so close to me, His breath tickles my ear. Waves of peace wash over me as He says, “I love you, and I always will.” As He walks towards the cascading water, He beckons me to come with Him. I look at Him questioningly and point towards my cup. He bursts out laughing – the most joyous laugh I have ever heard – and says with a smile, “My darling, you don't need that anymore....this is all for you!” The understanding of what He just said, fills my heart with joy. In my excitement, I drop my cup and race towards my Love. The water splashes all around me as I joyfully bounce towards Him. He takes my hand and leads me right into the stream of water. As I throw my head back and drink deeply of the clear, pure water, I am invigorated with it's freshness. My Love is watching me with the most adoring look I have ever seen. As the water pounds on my head and cascades down my whole body, I burst out laughing. Why did I ever doubt His love? Why did I ever doubt that He would give me more than I could dream of? He is so good! He is the epitome of love. He is love. As our eyes meet, a mischievous grin spreads across His face and He takes my hand and starts dancing. We spin and twirl, leap and laugh. After what must have been hours of this, we sat down on a boulder and I just enjoyed snuggling next to Him. He pointed to the base of the waterfall and said, “Look over there, my darling. See the rainbow? That is a sign of my love for you. I will always provide for you, I will always fill you. I long for us to have this much fun every day.” I stare at the rainbow, with it's majestic colors sparkling. “If you try to do things on your own, you will fail. But together, we will bring my love, my River to the desert places. It's gonna be done by you resting in Me, letting yourself by held by Me – just like you're doing right now.” I am filled with the knowledge of just how much He loves me. I am His. He will provide for me. He will change the desert. I don't have to try to make something happen, all I've gotta do is let myself be held in His embrace. And that is the sweetest place!

Icy Roads and Snowflakes

The last couple weeks, we've had relatively warm temperatures here in Canada (for our winter) but the past few days, temperatures have dropped by 10 or 20 degrees (Celsius) and therefore we've had a bit of fog due to the sudden change in temperature...this caused hoarfrost to develop on the trees and any other free-standing object. The sight of this is absolutely stunning...and makes me so thankful that I get the privilege of seeing the beauty in God's creation.

We had freezing rain last night, making the roads quite icy...but even so, I decided to visit some friends that live an hour's drive away. As I was driving home this evening, the clouds slowly disappeared, revealing a very bright moon. It illuminated the snowy landscape around me, and made the icy road appear as brilliant as glass. The stars sparkled overhead, and the brilliance of the moon caused a bubbly feeling to well within me. Later in the drive, it became cloudy again, and tiny snowflakes gently began to fall down...they created a thin white layer on the road....making it appear from a distance like a fine dusting of icing sugar...but from up close, each little snowflake sparkled like tiny diamonds in my headlights.....the sight really brought joy to my heart, and I couldn't help but gaze into Love's eyes and thank Him for His wonderful creation.

May Long Weekend

Well...I haven't posted anything in a couple months. It's kinda crazy how time slips by, often without us noticing. We can so easily get caught up in our busy lives that we don't take time to slow down and just enjoy the moments as they are passing. It's the May long weekend here in Canada and alot of people are camping and/or hanging out with family and friends. I would have liked to get out and do something exciting like that, but, due to circumstances, I didn't. Self-pity was knockin' at my door, tryin' to get me to feel sorry for myself. But instead, I just kinda 'chilled', trying my best to relax; and in that quite place, I could feel God wooing me, and this morning I had some really good reflection time with God. Life has been so fast-paced lately that I really havn't taken that time to enjoy all the little things, to revel in the beauty that God has placed all around me. I've had that opportunity this weekend, the time to think, ponder and just simply enjoy the simple things in life.
I sat on the deck with my Love, just listening to the early morning sounds. It was beautiful - pure bliss, actually - to bask in His presence and enjoy His creation with Him. Feeling the brisk morning breeze caressing my face as the pure, unadulterated sunlight washed me in warmth. Hearing the magpies and crows beckon their feathered friends to join them in their 'joyful noise to the Lord', the excited early morning chatter of care-free sparrows, and the hopeful song of humble robins fill the air. The invigorating smell of earth coming alive in Spring filled my senses. It really was a beautiful time. It's at times like these that you wish you could just 'pause' life and stay in that place. But that's not how life works, we are to keep moving forward, not stay camped in one place. And when we choose to keep moving forward - regardless of how painful it may be to walk in that path chosen for us - the wonderful thing is that God will reward us with marvelous things that we've not even dreamed of. Yes, it may be painful to be grown and stretched, but it is because of that stretching that we are then able to Love in a greater capacity.

My Adventures - Mozambique Mission Trip 2009 Slideshow

Well, I've finally put together a slideshow of my trip to Africa and posted it on YouTube.