It's been over a year since I've had anything to do with this blog. It was probably a really good thing for me, but all of a sudden, I had another urge to begin writing again, even if no one ever read it.
I'm not going to attempt to fill in the spaces of all that has happened in the last 13 months....impossible! I'm a very different person; I wouldn't even recognize myself this time last year. God has definitely shown Himself powerful, glorious and merciful! I'll leave it at that for now.
Here's a link to the latest sermon I preached at Elmwood MB Church, February 21 (go to the audio sermon tab).
Friday, March 12, 2010
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Worthy!
Revelation 5:9-10
The big deal is that this is Jesus! This is Jesus, fully man, fully God, the only one worthy to take the title deed of the earth – to own and rule every piece of earth; everything. Not only is this the divine Jesus, but more staggeringly, this is Jesus the Man!
God gave man the earth to rule (Gen 1:28), and we handed that over to the devil (Gen 3:6-7). God’s sovereign plan is that the earth will always be ruled by man, and so it is Jesus as a man that will make that happen! He gave up being fully only God forever so that he would wear humanity forever and therefore redeem, save and govern the earth. His humanity is what this huge thing is about. His blood on the cross, as a man, is what is redeeming us to God. The blood of a man to wash us and drive away darkness.
So for a man to be worthy to take the scroll, that’s a big deal! The devil tried doing that when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness saying that he would give Him all the authority of the earth (Luke 4:6-8) but Jesus refused to be tempted to take that power from the devil because He is only to take that title deed from the hand of the Father. And He will do it in justice and righteousness, purity and humbleness.
It is Jesus as a man that is going to take the scroll and open its seals. This is important to remember as you read through the book of Revelation. It is not the devil who is releasing these judgments on the earth – it is Jesus and it is part of the Battle Plan to prepare the earth for the restoration of all things. It is by the man Jesus, and through the praying church, that these things will happen.
This is so important because singing and saying Rev. 5 helps us to come into alignment under the leadership of Jesus. To come under His leadership now is the hardest thing for our sinful nature to grasp. What so many believe about the End Times and how the church views it as, “Well, when Jesus comes back we will know and we will just do what He says and it will all work out because I love Jesus. I will be safe and watching from heaven as Jesus beats up the Anti-Christ. I don’t need to study it or really pay any attention to the book of Revelation, etc.” The problem with that is that it presumes we will easily agree with the leadership of Jesus and agree with what He is doing, and yet we right now fight the leadership of Jesus in our own lives.
Coming under the lordship and leadership of Jesus now will help us not to be offended in that day and to be prepared and to align ourselves with what He is doing. I want to be one who partners with God in His End Time plan; not fearful, confused or offended by what is happening around me, but to rather be a part of the praying and believing church that is saying "Come Lord Jesus" and releasing judgment on the earth.
To pray this and to proclaim that God is worthy is to set my heart in line with Jesus, to begin to see and have revelation of the man Jesus and to say "yes" to His leadership in my life. He is worthy of my pursuit of holiness, He is worthy of my devotion, diligence, praise, time, affection, money, etc. He is worthy to shake the earth – to shake everything that can be shaken (Haggai 2:6-8). He is worthy to take the title deed of the earth – to rule and reign over all. He is worthy of my "yes." Daily, a little bit by little bit, to have my yes become stronger and my pronouncement of “worthy” made with more conviction and faith.
Singing and praying this passage reminds me of where my heart is to be and shakes the things in my life so that only He remains. It is a prayer and invitation for Him to come and establish His leadership in my heart and to set my eyes on things above, casting aside worthless things, things that so easily entangle, and to run the race before me with endurance and perseverance.
Like Mike Bickle says, that we can spend more time in Rev 4 and 5 than perhaps anywhere else in the Bible because of the Beauty Realm of God and its unending power to fascinate, transform, reveal, and shake us into closer, more intimate and true relationship with the God and king of the earth… “you will never exhaust what the holy spirit will reveal to you in Rev 4 and 5.”
And, it is an invitation for us to participate in it. We are not just idly sitting by as we pray this or as the events of the End Times unfold, but with incredible grace and love beyond our comprehension, Jesus makes us to rule and reign with Him. To be part of the leadership of the earth in the age to come, to participate and help release the activities to prepare the earth for His return and to forever stand in His presence offering praise and glory, adulation, honor, and songs unto the Lamb who is worthy. We will be able to join in the songs of Rev 4 and 5, we will fall at the feet like the 24 elders and the seraphim and continue to sing new songs to our God forever. I want to begin now.
(This is from part of the notes I used to speak from at the Tuesday Evening Prayer Meeting, Sanctuary House of Prayer, February 10).
"You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth."
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth."
The big deal is that this is Jesus! This is Jesus, fully man, fully God, the only one worthy to take the title deed of the earth – to own and rule every piece of earth; everything. Not only is this the divine Jesus, but more staggeringly, this is Jesus the Man!
God gave man the earth to rule (Gen 1:28), and we handed that over to the devil (Gen 3:6-7). God’s sovereign plan is that the earth will always be ruled by man, and so it is Jesus as a man that will make that happen! He gave up being fully only God forever so that he would wear humanity forever and therefore redeem, save and govern the earth. His humanity is what this huge thing is about. His blood on the cross, as a man, is what is redeeming us to God. The blood of a man to wash us and drive away darkness.
So for a man to be worthy to take the scroll, that’s a big deal! The devil tried doing that when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness saying that he would give Him all the authority of the earth (Luke 4:6-8) but Jesus refused to be tempted to take that power from the devil because He is only to take that title deed from the hand of the Father. And He will do it in justice and righteousness, purity and humbleness.
It is Jesus as a man that is going to take the scroll and open its seals. This is important to remember as you read through the book of Revelation. It is not the devil who is releasing these judgments on the earth – it is Jesus and it is part of the Battle Plan to prepare the earth for the restoration of all things. It is by the man Jesus, and through the praying church, that these things will happen.
This is so important because singing and saying Rev. 5 helps us to come into alignment under the leadership of Jesus. To come under His leadership now is the hardest thing for our sinful nature to grasp. What so many believe about the End Times and how the church views it as, “Well, when Jesus comes back we will know and we will just do what He says and it will all work out because I love Jesus. I will be safe and watching from heaven as Jesus beats up the Anti-Christ. I don’t need to study it or really pay any attention to the book of Revelation, etc.” The problem with that is that it presumes we will easily agree with the leadership of Jesus and agree with what He is doing, and yet we right now fight the leadership of Jesus in our own lives.
Coming under the lordship and leadership of Jesus now will help us not to be offended in that day and to be prepared and to align ourselves with what He is doing. I want to be one who partners with God in His End Time plan; not fearful, confused or offended by what is happening around me, but to rather be a part of the praying and believing church that is saying "Come Lord Jesus" and releasing judgment on the earth.
To pray this and to proclaim that God is worthy is to set my heart in line with Jesus, to begin to see and have revelation of the man Jesus and to say "yes" to His leadership in my life. He is worthy of my pursuit of holiness, He is worthy of my devotion, diligence, praise, time, affection, money, etc. He is worthy to shake the earth – to shake everything that can be shaken (Haggai 2:6-8). He is worthy to take the title deed of the earth – to rule and reign over all. He is worthy of my "yes." Daily, a little bit by little bit, to have my yes become stronger and my pronouncement of “worthy” made with more conviction and faith.
Singing and praying this passage reminds me of where my heart is to be and shakes the things in my life so that only He remains. It is a prayer and invitation for Him to come and establish His leadership in my heart and to set my eyes on things above, casting aside worthless things, things that so easily entangle, and to run the race before me with endurance and perseverance.
Like Mike Bickle says, that we can spend more time in Rev 4 and 5 than perhaps anywhere else in the Bible because of the Beauty Realm of God and its unending power to fascinate, transform, reveal, and shake us into closer, more intimate and true relationship with the God and king of the earth… “you will never exhaust what the holy spirit will reveal to you in Rev 4 and 5.”
And, it is an invitation for us to participate in it. We are not just idly sitting by as we pray this or as the events of the End Times unfold, but with incredible grace and love beyond our comprehension, Jesus makes us to rule and reign with Him. To be part of the leadership of the earth in the age to come, to participate and help release the activities to prepare the earth for His return and to forever stand in His presence offering praise and glory, adulation, honor, and songs unto the Lamb who is worthy. We will be able to join in the songs of Rev 4 and 5, we will fall at the feet like the 24 elders and the seraphim and continue to sing new songs to our God forever. I want to begin now.
(This is from part of the notes I used to speak from at the Tuesday Evening Prayer Meeting, Sanctuary House of Prayer, February 10).
Friday, January 16, 2009
Acclimatization
Acclimatization:
Becoming accustomed to a new climate or to new conditions.
Responding physiologically or behaviorally to a change in a single environmental factor.
This is my life.
From camp to city, from Winnipeg to Kansas City, from IHOP to Christmas, from family to moving out, from time away to intense schedules, from solitude to social calendars, meetings, deadlines, activities, and catching up. Six months feels more like a year or two. Transition is the norm. Constantly adjusting, changing, moving, shifting, altering. It is the state of my life. The place of my soul.
A box of books and a suitcase are a beautiful picture of freedom and adventure to me and I am more than content to be able to carry my life. I feel kind of like turtle. My home is with me wherever I go. For wherever I find myself at this moment, if feels like home as it is the place where I am seeking God and learning to pursue Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Mt. 6:21). Obviously, I'm not totally there yet, but that's the goal and aim - to abide in Christ. To be at home in Jesus.
Every time I am somewhere new or come back from something, there is a season of transition and becoming accustomed to the conditions around me again. Since returning from IHOP to be with the family for Christmas and then moving out into a house on Langside Ave, I was bracing myself for the difficult and stressful transition. Surprisingly, it did not happen! Miraculously, and by the sovereign grace of God, it was smooth and enjoyable! I have been known to have rocky and emotional transitions, even if just going from camp to the city for a week, but this time it was quite the opposite. I felt renewed vision and excitement about being in Winnipeg and to once again engage in the work and friendships in the city, fellowshiping with my family and Christian communities. I was excited to pray and intercede for my city, friends, family, work and country.
With this unbelievable gift of quick and pleasant adjustment also came a peace in my spirit about not worrying about my future. Whatever I might try to plan or imagine I know would suck in the face of what God's mighty and sovereign plan for my life looks like. I don't want to stand in the way, but instead to be fully ready, willing and trusting to simply say "yes" and step out into whatever it is. My plan is to depend on God, to wait on Him for direction, and become more deeply rooted in Him, so that no matter what comes my way, I will be able to stand unshakable and unmovable in the knowledge of who He is and who I am in Him. So, I have a general idea of what my life might be like until the end of September, and then.....?
This blog post has been sitting in my postings section unfinished for over a month now, and I find it more true then even when I first began typing it. The only difference is that I feel an increased urgency to live a life worthy of His calling (Eph 4:1) and to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Heb.12:1)...to go to the place of prayer and sit in the presence of the Father so that the light of His countenance would burn away all that hinders love, to be transformed and made more into His likeness, and to daily acclimatize to the moving of the Spirit, and the beauty of Jesus Christ. I want know God more. I want to be Christ-like.
Becoming accustomed to a new climate or to new conditions.
Responding physiologically or behaviorally to a change in a single environmental factor.
This is my life.
From camp to city, from Winnipeg to Kansas City, from IHOP to Christmas, from family to moving out, from time away to intense schedules, from solitude to social calendars, meetings, deadlines, activities, and catching up. Six months feels more like a year or two. Transition is the norm. Constantly adjusting, changing, moving, shifting, altering. It is the state of my life. The place of my soul.
A box of books and a suitcase are a beautiful picture of freedom and adventure to me and I am more than content to be able to carry my life. I feel kind of like turtle. My home is with me wherever I go. For wherever I find myself at this moment, if feels like home as it is the place where I am seeking God and learning to pursue Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Mt. 6:21). Obviously, I'm not totally there yet, but that's the goal and aim - to abide in Christ. To be at home in Jesus.
Every time I am somewhere new or come back from something, there is a season of transition and becoming accustomed to the conditions around me again. Since returning from IHOP to be with the family for Christmas and then moving out into a house on Langside Ave, I was bracing myself for the difficult and stressful transition. Surprisingly, it did not happen! Miraculously, and by the sovereign grace of God, it was smooth and enjoyable! I have been known to have rocky and emotional transitions, even if just going from camp to the city for a week, but this time it was quite the opposite. I felt renewed vision and excitement about being in Winnipeg and to once again engage in the work and friendships in the city, fellowshiping with my family and Christian communities. I was excited to pray and intercede for my city, friends, family, work and country.
With this unbelievable gift of quick and pleasant adjustment also came a peace in my spirit about not worrying about my future. Whatever I might try to plan or imagine I know would suck in the face of what God's mighty and sovereign plan for my life looks like. I don't want to stand in the way, but instead to be fully ready, willing and trusting to simply say "yes" and step out into whatever it is. My plan is to depend on God, to wait on Him for direction, and become more deeply rooted in Him, so that no matter what comes my way, I will be able to stand unshakable and unmovable in the knowledge of who He is and who I am in Him. So, I have a general idea of what my life might be like until the end of September, and then.....?
This blog post has been sitting in my postings section unfinished for over a month now, and I find it more true then even when I first began typing it. The only difference is that I feel an increased urgency to live a life worthy of His calling (Eph 4:1) and to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Heb.12:1)...to go to the place of prayer and sit in the presence of the Father so that the light of His countenance would burn away all that hinders love, to be transformed and made more into His likeness, and to daily acclimatize to the moving of the Spirit, and the beauty of Jesus Christ. I want know God more. I want to be Christ-like.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Mullets for Jesus
There has not been much activity to comment on in my life the last couple of weeks, but it has been wonderful none the less.
We had a snow storm last week that lasted for a couple of hours, resulting in hundreds of vehicles in accidents and in the ditch and a 'Snow Day' for kids in school the next day (which seemed ridiculous to me since it was only -4 and an inch of snow). Everything melted within a day and returned to the +10.C weather once again. Returning to Winnipeg is becoming a more and more difficult concept to grasp as they face the daily -35 + windchill reality.
The woman that I am staying with (Gerry) had major surgery about a week ago and has been recovering at home. I have loved the opportunity to serve her and help take care of the things around the house. It has been such a blessing to be around her, in her home and to meet all of her wonderfully loving and generous friends. I have been able to learn so much simply by being around these incredible men and women and Gerry's recovery is going miraculously. Praise the Lord! It will be very sad to leave in just over a week, but visit are already being planned.
My prayer room time this week has been an on-an-off experience. I am having more and more difficulty staying alert and awake, so I am trying to get more sleep so that I can be fully engaged before the Lord. Talking with a friend on the phone this week, I tried to explain what it has been like and I was only able to offer a giggle and a "It's great!" I continue to be encountered by the Lord and receiving revelation in the Word like never before. My favourite thing to do now is to simply read Scripture! I have worked through most of the New Testament and read the Book of Revelation almost four times. I can't go through Isaiah enough times, and and I am daily reading the psalms as well. I praise God for this season of being in a Greenhouse, where I have the opportunity to simply sit in the fertile environment and grow as much as possible.
It is not always huge things that I am learning, but some of the most powerful times are when the Lord reveals tiny little things in my heart and speaks His truth over me. For example:
I was just in the prayer room and saw THE WORLDS BEST MULLET!!!!! Nothing so awesome has ever been seen by my eyes before. It super buzz-cut in the front, long (like to her waist!) in the back...plus, half-grown out bleached highlights!!!! I am not making fun at all. It seriously was so incredible, I just couldn't help staring at her. And, I had a major revelation!....
Jesus loves her so much! He loves the mullet, He loves her style, He loves that she just wants to stand before Him and worship. He thinks she is beautiful and would not change a thing about her.
This may not seem like a big deal, but in general, if I mean to or not, I judge people. In little ways, I make assessments of who they are based on how they look. God totally just used that mullet to show me how wrong it is to judge people. He has created all of us in His image and delights in our individual quirks. How beautiful it is that every kind of person, every walk of life and every hairstyle can come to Jesus and be loved unconditionally by Him, and are equal before His throne!
Never has a mullet been so beautiful!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
It will not be long before I am home once again. What will this final week hold?
We had a snow storm last week that lasted for a couple of hours, resulting in hundreds of vehicles in accidents and in the ditch and a 'Snow Day' for kids in school the next day (which seemed ridiculous to me since it was only -4 and an inch of snow). Everything melted within a day and returned to the +10.C weather once again. Returning to Winnipeg is becoming a more and more difficult concept to grasp as they face the daily -35 + windchill reality.
The woman that I am staying with (Gerry) had major surgery about a week ago and has been recovering at home. I have loved the opportunity to serve her and help take care of the things around the house. It has been such a blessing to be around her, in her home and to meet all of her wonderfully loving and generous friends. I have been able to learn so much simply by being around these incredible men and women and Gerry's recovery is going miraculously. Praise the Lord! It will be very sad to leave in just over a week, but visit are already being planned.
My prayer room time this week has been an on-an-off experience. I am having more and more difficulty staying alert and awake, so I am trying to get more sleep so that I can be fully engaged before the Lord. Talking with a friend on the phone this week, I tried to explain what it has been like and I was only able to offer a giggle and a "It's great!" I continue to be encountered by the Lord and receiving revelation in the Word like never before. My favourite thing to do now is to simply read Scripture! I have worked through most of the New Testament and read the Book of Revelation almost four times. I can't go through Isaiah enough times, and and I am daily reading the psalms as well. I praise God for this season of being in a Greenhouse, where I have the opportunity to simply sit in the fertile environment and grow as much as possible.
It is not always huge things that I am learning, but some of the most powerful times are when the Lord reveals tiny little things in my heart and speaks His truth over me. For example:
I was just in the prayer room and saw THE WORLDS BEST MULLET!!!!! Nothing so awesome has ever been seen by my eyes before. It super buzz-cut in the front, long (like to her waist!) in the back...plus, half-grown out bleached highlights!!!! I am not making fun at all. It seriously was so incredible, I just couldn't help staring at her. And, I had a major revelation!....
Jesus loves her so much! He loves the mullet, He loves her style, He loves that she just wants to stand before Him and worship. He thinks she is beautiful and would not change a thing about her.
This may not seem like a big deal, but in general, if I mean to or not, I judge people. In little ways, I make assessments of who they are based on how they look. God totally just used that mullet to show me how wrong it is to judge people. He has created all of us in His image and delights in our individual quirks. How beautiful it is that every kind of person, every walk of life and every hairstyle can come to Jesus and be loved unconditionally by Him, and are equal before His throne!
Never has a mullet been so beautiful!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
It will not be long before I am home once again. What will this final week hold?
Monday, December 1, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Just around the river bend....
I had quite the week. I got back last night from hanging out with Sue McKinney for five days. It was pretty incredible. I met Sue almost five years ago during the first summer I worked at camp and was amazed with her ability and knowledge around Girls camp. Though I did not know her that well, I was incredibly excited to spend a few days with her and to celebrate my first American Thanksgiving. I was kind of anxious at first, but I figured that I am pretty good with getting along with most people, and I have plenty of practice staying at people's houses that I don't know. So, I felt the peace of the Lord and stepped into this new adventure with great enthusiasm.
She picked me up Wednesday afternoon and we went to her place in Emporia for the night. Unbeknownst to me, she had arranged for a semi-interview with a guy she would like to see work at camp. So after raking up her leaves in her yard, we walked down to the pizza parlor (Emporia is the quintessential American small town with the brick buildings all down main street with windows decorated for Christmas and people strolling down the sidewalks and saying 'hi' to everyone. It was amazing!) and met up with Kade.
He is a super amazing guy! Wow! He was an old student of Sue's and she always thought that he would love to work at camp. They have often had conversations about faith and spirituality, and he has such a compassionate, servant heart that he is a very rare person indeed. I told him all about camp, who we are, what we stand for, what are programs are like, what the community is like, etc.He was also very intrigued about the fact that I was down here at IHOP and asked me to share about my time down here. It was such a great experience to feel the Holy Spirit working and speaking through me as I was given wisdom about what to say and share, how I could encourage him, prophesy over his life and I got super passionate, even tearing up. Kade just took it all in. At the end, he also teared up as he thanked me for sharing and as he expressed his delight in knowing that I was so happy. He also said how he wants to learn more about Jesus and to find that kind of fullness of life and satisfaction in God. I am very excited for another American to possibly join us out on the island this summer!
Thursday was American Thanksgiving and so we drove down to Wichita to Sue's sister and brother-in-law's place where I experienced my first major American holiday. Wow. It was wonderful and I realized again that Canada and the USA are very different... They go all out! In the backyard fire pit, homemade Wassel was brewing over the fire as a warm welcome to the day. Inside, we were the first to arrive, so after the introductions, I began helping with the meal prep. They adopted me right away and I felt at home peeling the potatoes, decorating the butter, arranging the veggie tray, setting out snacks swapping recipes. After the rest of the in-laws arrived, the other ladies took over their duties and I got to know some of Sue's nieces and nephews. They are great. Laura, her niece, surprised the family by flying in from Florida and arriving just as we were about to eat. After a short Thanksgiving prayer we ate! The conversation centered around politics and local sports. Even grandma got into it with passionately talking about KU basketball, knowing all the players names and details; I was quite impressed.
I helped do the dishes, which apparently means that I am officially now a part of the family and they would like me to join them for Christmas...or any other time I might be in the area. It was great to be with them and feel so welcomed.
Sue and I traveled back to Emporia and left early Friday morning for her cabin. What a fabulous time! It took five hours to get there, and we talked the whole time. I learned so much about American history, the stories from that area, geography, folklore, and saw great little towns and back roads all over Kansas and Missouri. Among some of my favourite sites, the nuclear power plant in the middle of nowhere, surround by nature preserves was my favourite, along with Cassvilles' "Joe the Plummer."
Her place is nestled in the Ozark, and it felt like being in a different world. It was so beautiful, and remote, and ...backwoods? I'm not quite sure how to describe it accurately, but some of the places look right out of a movie or history book. Some people continue to live fairly remote and simple mountain lives, living off the land.
It was beautiful up at here place - a total retreat in the mountains, and just down the street from the amazing Table Rock Lake. It was spa like with all the immenities of a hotel, but in the wilderness. I could go on and on about all the cabins/homes/lodges/mansions that were around there, but it would take hours of needless tiny details. The diversity in landscape and vegetation was incredible and I tried my first wild black walnuts and hickory nuts. I wish we could grow those in Manitoba!
She wanted to show me the whole area, so Saturday afternoon and evening, we drove through the mountains and into Arkansas to some tourist towns hidden away. It was great and wished that I could have taken more pictures. We passed a zoo and the Ozark Bamboo Forest - which seemed kind of out-of-place to me, but I guess it works. I had some of the best Italian food ever and then we went back. Sleeping in, reading, writing, sitting around the fire drinking tea, eating amazing food, going for hikes, driving golf carts and seeing the first snowflakes of the season were all highlights. She was so gracious in driving me back to Kansas City yesterday ...she drove a lot this week (I think we were in the car a total of 15+ hours in five days) and we stopped on the side of the road so I could buy fresh pecans...wild, fresh off the tree, and they taste so amazing!!!!! (I am eating some as I write this blog).
I was able to do a lot of reflecting and simply relaxing. I lead a pretty amazing life. My life has been far from boring or predictable, and I am learning daily to simply trust in the Lord for His guidance and provision, and to open to all the little promptings of the Spirit. The friendships, opportunities, experiences and adventures that seem to appear around every little corner are blessed invitations to learn more about my Creator and to explore more of His beauty and love. God is so gracious and good. Wow. I am blown away with the lovingkindness of our Lord and am so excited that I still have 21 days down here. I am sure they will be great and can't imagine what might be around the bend!
She picked me up Wednesday afternoon and we went to her place in Emporia for the night. Unbeknownst to me, she had arranged for a semi-interview with a guy she would like to see work at camp. So after raking up her leaves in her yard, we walked down to the pizza parlor (Emporia is the quintessential American small town with the brick buildings all down main street with windows decorated for Christmas and people strolling down the sidewalks and saying 'hi' to everyone. It was amazing!) and met up with Kade.
He is a super amazing guy! Wow! He was an old student of Sue's and she always thought that he would love to work at camp. They have often had conversations about faith and spirituality, and he has such a compassionate, servant heart that he is a very rare person indeed. I told him all about camp, who we are, what we stand for, what are programs are like, what the community is like, etc.He was also very intrigued about the fact that I was down here at IHOP and asked me to share about my time down here. It was such a great experience to feel the Holy Spirit working and speaking through me as I was given wisdom about what to say and share, how I could encourage him, prophesy over his life and I got super passionate, even tearing up. Kade just took it all in. At the end, he also teared up as he thanked me for sharing and as he expressed his delight in knowing that I was so happy. He also said how he wants to learn more about Jesus and to find that kind of fullness of life and satisfaction in God. I am very excited for another American to possibly join us out on the island this summer!
Thursday was American Thanksgiving and so we drove down to Wichita to Sue's sister and brother-in-law's place where I experienced my first major American holiday. Wow. It was wonderful and I realized again that Canada and the USA are very different... They go all out! In the backyard fire pit, homemade Wassel was brewing over the fire as a warm welcome to the day. Inside, we were the first to arrive, so after the introductions, I began helping with the meal prep. They adopted me right away and I felt at home peeling the potatoes, decorating the butter, arranging the veggie tray, setting out snacks swapping recipes. After the rest of the in-laws arrived, the other ladies took over their duties and I got to know some of Sue's nieces and nephews. They are great. Laura, her niece, surprised the family by flying in from Florida and arriving just as we were about to eat. After a short Thanksgiving prayer we ate! The conversation centered around politics and local sports. Even grandma got into it with passionately talking about KU basketball, knowing all the players names and details; I was quite impressed.
I helped do the dishes, which apparently means that I am officially now a part of the family and they would like me to join them for Christmas...or any other time I might be in the area. It was great to be with them and feel so welcomed.
Sue and I traveled back to Emporia and left early Friday morning for her cabin. What a fabulous time! It took five hours to get there, and we talked the whole time. I learned so much about American history, the stories from that area, geography, folklore, and saw great little towns and back roads all over Kansas and Missouri. Among some of my favourite sites, the nuclear power plant in the middle of nowhere, surround by nature preserves was my favourite, along with Cassvilles' "Joe the Plummer."
Her place is nestled in the Ozark, and it felt like being in a different world. It was so beautiful, and remote, and ...backwoods? I'm not quite sure how to describe it accurately, but some of the places look right out of a movie or history book. Some people continue to live fairly remote and simple mountain lives, living off the land.
It was beautiful up at here place - a total retreat in the mountains, and just down the street from the amazing Table Rock Lake. It was spa like with all the immenities of a hotel, but in the wilderness. I could go on and on about all the cabins/homes/lodges/mansions that were around there, but it would take hours of needless tiny details. The diversity in landscape and vegetation was incredible and I tried my first wild black walnuts and hickory nuts. I wish we could grow those in Manitoba!
She wanted to show me the whole area, so Saturday afternoon and evening, we drove through the mountains and into Arkansas to some tourist towns hidden away. It was great and wished that I could have taken more pictures. We passed a zoo and the Ozark Bamboo Forest - which seemed kind of out-of-place to me, but I guess it works. I had some of the best Italian food ever and then we went back. Sleeping in, reading, writing, sitting around the fire drinking tea, eating amazing food, going for hikes, driving golf carts and seeing the first snowflakes of the season were all highlights. She was so gracious in driving me back to Kansas City yesterday ...she drove a lot this week (I think we were in the car a total of 15+ hours in five days) and we stopped on the side of the road so I could buy fresh pecans...wild, fresh off the tree, and they taste so amazing!!!!! (I am eating some as I write this blog).
I was able to do a lot of reflecting and simply relaxing. I lead a pretty amazing life. My life has been far from boring or predictable, and I am learning daily to simply trust in the Lord for His guidance and provision, and to open to all the little promptings of the Spirit. The friendships, opportunities, experiences and adventures that seem to appear around every little corner are blessed invitations to learn more about my Creator and to explore more of His beauty and love. God is so gracious and good. Wow. I am blown away with the lovingkindness of our Lord and am so excited that I still have 21 days down here. I am sure they will be great and can't imagine what might be around the bend!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Biggest Adventure Yet
So, I think this weeks adventure tops them all so far. Another beautiful, but more brisk, fall day called to me from inside Higher Grounds, and I knew I had to answer back. So with Ugly Runners ready to go, and my favourite SmartWool Socks pulled up high with the jeans tucked in, I set off. I went in a new direction with one goal in mind: "MILKSHAKE." I had a bit of a craving, so I thought that it provided a suitable objective for the days mission. Five kilometers later, I held the precious, thick, sweet, pink drink in my hands and was flooded by the multitude of memories that arise every time I'm in the vicinity of a McDonalds. Nothing better.
With that now accomplished, what else was there to do but press on recklessly in search of another exciting discovery?
The Bargain Factory did not disappoint!
To give you a picture of what this little treasure was like, let me invite you into a conversation I had with my friend Karen shortly after returning home for the evening ( I will elaborate in parenthesis):
Janelle
.... I was in the prayer room in the morning, but left early to go to Higher Grounds and wrote like 20 pages in my journal. I've had a bit of writers block the last couple of days, but it was flowing today....and then said to myself "Janelle, it's a beautiful day, do something!!!!"
so I put on my ugly running shoes and went for a three hour walk.
I walked all the way to McDonalds...which is like 5 km
Karen
amazing
hahaha
Janelle
and then found the coolest store ever....well, it is was a warehouse, so kind of sketchy and in the middle of no where
and I was kind of worried of creepy guys stopping me on the side of the road, but that didn't happen. Praise the Lord.
but besides that, it was pretty awesome...this store is like a warehouse of over stock from stores/inventories and has everything in it!!!!!!
like, freezers and freezers and freezers full of icecream, and pallets of clorex wipes
there were these gansta shoes locked up in one section, (next to the fake jewelry)
all the sunscreen you could ever want!!!!! a wall of coloring books
a whole back room for pet stuff...funky, dollar store kind of clothes....(there was even a whole flea market section for all those used clothes you wanted. I was actually tempted by the 80's cut-off jean shorts. So good!)
...tons of cinnamon syrup for drinks, corn maze, and ryvita crackers....
single packets of coffee (like at camp...you could buy just one if you wanted, and have you ever tried chai mocha latte's before? I saw some packets for that but was unsure of the taste combo that might create)....
(but I couldn't find any peanut butter... interesting.... The police man at the front door kind of stared me down: did I look that suspicious? What was I going to steal? The ProActive sun protection lotion? Maybe he was worried about the $4 Miss Congeniality movie or perhaps the toilet seat covers that you could get in three different colors...who knows, but there was a lot of good stuff in there!)
and then there was all the christmas stuff.....OH BOY!!!!!JACKPOT!!!!!!!!!
if you have ever seen tacky, useless, christmas things, ornaments, etc....they had nothing on this!!!!!
Karen
hahahahaha oh man!
Janelle
I had to restrain myself from buying a whole bunch of stuff because the tackiness/uselessness/ugliness of it would have been so epic!!!
THERE WAS A HUGE STUFFED-TOY REINDEER HEAD TO MOUNT ON YOUR WALL!!!!!!
Who comes up with these things?!?!?!
Okay....and then they best thing that I have ever experienced in my whole life, and I am not even exaggerating at all....are you ready for this?
i dont know! am i? how could i not be
Janelle
okay, seriously, you need to buckle in for this...(ahem)
Karen
buckled
Janelle
so, I was making my way through the furniture and big items section, looking at the "make your own pond" kits, the large desks, hutches, and chandeliers.....and then I saw it....
A CASKET
REALLY
I didn't know what to do with myself, I couldn't believe my eyes...so, naturally, I went over for a closer look.
yup, totally a casket. and it was very red and very shiny
I think it was supposed to look like wood, but turned out this shiny, satin red with silver handles and white fabric
Karen
YOU SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN IN IT
Janelle
welll........ uh
Karen
OH MY GOODNESS
thats so awesome
how much??
Janelle
okay, well, I didn't get into it exactly, but I did walk by it and kind of tilted my body horizontal to see if I would fit, and I am pretty sure it is exactly my size.....and ONLY $500 !!!!!!!
seriously....so tempting.....but then I thought "hmmm, I wonder what people will think if they know that I have a casket in the basement, or buy one and put it away in storage....for later, or in case of emergency
how awesome a prop could that be, too bad it would probably be very very inappropriate for camp
so yup, all that in one day...oh and then Christina, Mandy and I went to Target (which I love) and then to the evening church service. that was my day
Karen
if that casket isnt gone... we should all pitch in and buy it
make some excillent practical jokes
give it to jer as a new bed or something
Janelle
...hahah. how would I get that over the border?
Karen
i dont know... if you dont act weird about it no one will ask
Janelle
it would be pretty awesome.
Karen
especially if their isnt a body in it
Janelle
hahahahah!!!!! oh boy.
I was joking about the border thing. I was having the time of my life in that store and kind of wished other people were there to verify my story and maybe take a picture or two. I will probably just have to go back and check on the status of that casket so if anyone is interested....
http://www.thebargainfactory.net/
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