I've been praying for the last entire week for God to please help me out of the miry pit and set my feet upon a rock, and establish my way. He has heard my plea and has put a new song in my heart, even praise to our God. (Ps 40:1-3) I must say that I wasn't very patient but in his grace and mercy he heard me anyway.
The Pastor of our church came to our house last night to visit with us. I was a bit afraid but my husband took on the conversation and I stayed quiet and pretty much just listened at first. Art was very diplomatic and seemed to know how to lead the conversation gently and non confrontationally. I was grateful. I could not have done half as well.
Here is a letter I wrote afterwards to let everyone know how it went
Hi All,
Well, I thought I would let you know that it all went well with the visit with the pastor this evening.
Art asked the pastor if he would be willing to mentor him in how to do Bible studies and personal evangelism. He was willing to do that and seemed grateful that someone was interested in helping out.
We talked a bit about the issues in the church and he was very gracious although, he's not quite sure what to do about it. As far as the music goes, he said he doesn't really know much about music and he really doesn't have a problem with the music here. But we were able to be very open and honest with him on our being uncomfortable with this and a few various other issues.
On another note, he brought up the fact that when studies are done, it always comes up statistically that Whitehorse is the most post modern city in North America. I used this opportunity to mention that *McNielus's had suggested a great idea for outreach in post modern style communities that want nothing to do with a church setting and that was to start home groups or small groups in public rented facilities.
The pastor was quite excited about that. He thought that was a fabulous idea. He's willing to work with us on that. He wants us to come to a church business meeting and let everyone know what our ministry is and that our absense from church is not because we are gone awal or something like that, but that we are spreading the Gospel message in a way that might actually work up here.
I did let him know that we have some other motives too, we truly wish to have a place to worship with our family that is in more accordance with our convictions on music and a few other things. He had no problem with that and thought that was a good solution for us as well.
He is excited to have Dr. Tim Riesenburger come up and he thinks he should be put on a list of people that we should bring up more then once.
I also mentioned that we would love to bring a group of young people who were missionaries in training and were on fire and excited, and how would he feel about that? He loved the possibilities and thought that would be awesome. He said that would be something we couldn't refuse.
We ended with prayer and everything went very smoothly and easy.
He asked me again to be the coordinator for health evangelism for the church. He said, when and if you have time between your other ministry ideas. The church has money to help you with whatever you endeavor in that area.
It was good and we are praising God for the way he worked this evening.
Thanks for your prayers.
Julie
Now, I felt pretty relieved after the meeting. I was ready to jump in both feet but as yet, we still did not have the means to even begin.
Tonight I recieved a letter in the mail from a friend named Joanna. I was moved to tears when I opened it and discovered a check for $100. She had asked God what she could do for him and she said, "His answer was oddly clear, ""Do what lies nearest you."" I guess she had just read my post last week about feeling called to work for God and having a miriad of ideas but confused because I hadn't the means to accomplish them. So, She felt that this was where God could use her best at the moment.
As I pulled the check from the envelope, Art stood beside me and we both simultaniously thought, "1000 Glow tracts!" We'll order them up tomorrow. Praise God we will have the message to spread through this town like the leaves of Autumn.
I guess it is time to jump in with both feet now and get to work! Hurray! Praise God!
In my devotion today, it talked about the fact that music is made up of notes and rests. The notes are sounded by the instrument and the rests are silent. However, the conductor never stops conducting. He doesn't miss a single beat whether there is sound or not. And so it is with our lives. We are the instruments doing his bidding. He writes the notes, he writes the rests, and he conducts the orchestra according to the music he has written.
Sometimes we balk when he directs a pause, a rest. We love to sound, to be active at all times. We feel the song is over when we're not singing or making sound, but it is not. He has a rythem. He is directing every beat and it is in synct with his heart, not ours.
When I was discouraged last week, I was balking at the pause in my part of his greater plan. Oh, it's hard! I'm a hard learner. Music was never my fortee' but I do know I must follow the conductor.
.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Too Foggy to Take a Step
When I was a child, I grew up in what was called Self supporting Institutions. When people think of the word "Institution", they might think, I grew up in a group home or an orphanage or a mental institution or something of the sort. Well, that couldn't be farther from the truth. I grew up in what would be better described as, missionary outposts. There was always a group of like minded people who worked together to bring the Gospel of Jesus to the world around them through various means, Medical work, health food work, Evangelism, and all kinds of different ways. It was called self supporting because the workers were not paid by the church but rather we had industries such as agriculture, maple sugar shack, Health food stores, and the like to try and support the program. Today they are more appropriately called "Supporting Ministries" because they support the cause of the church but are run by lay people.
I actually loved living on these missions because there were always lots of people around. I must say, while I love my moments of peace and quiet, I thrive on people. And while I absolutely love living in the quiet country side (would have it no other way), I love interacting with people on a regular basis.
ARME Bible Camp, ASI, GYC, I love things like this too. Crowds of people, like minded people, with a mission and a common goal, bouy me up. It carries me forward. I love being in a crowd, surrounded by a thousand other people smarter then myself. I look around and see all their already established and thriving ministry ideas. It would be so easy for me to just plug in somewhere to someone elses idea and help them. That is what I'm pretty good at.
I am by nature a party girl. Being that I love to talk and laugh and tell stories, I naturally do well in helping with group situations. The problem comes with being an idea person.
When I went to college, I was involved in everything outreach, everything social, and everything crowded. I was never, ever the master mind behind any of these things though. To this day, I will help to decorate, I will help to facilitate, I will help with speeches and songs, I will tell stories, and do missionary work but never am I the organizer. Ask me to organize a party and I automatically shrink. I'm scared! --------- No, honestly, I feel completely inadequate and undone inside! It is out of my realm, my comfort zone!
Over five years ago, God graciously allowed us to move from the city to the country. I was so relieved. I had prayed for this and the Lord provided. He moved us to a small community in the Northern Canada called Yukon, parallel with and East of Alaska (for those who have no idea what I'm talking about).
We joined a small church here, (It is the only SDA church for at least 8 hours travel in any direction) and I plugged in with my ability to help out. I help with cooking classes until that dwindled and died. I helped with evangelistic programs until they dwindled. I helped with social programs at Christmas and Valentines and whatever until the masterminds behind them began to peter out with other responsibilities and I felt less and less capable and less and less satisfied with our mission results.
Then one day I attended an ARME Bible camp and ASI. I was inspired. It has something to do with being in a crowd of prayerful, enthusiastic, mission minded people (very few, if any of them, that I talked to ever heard of where I lived, though). I came home spiritually revived and fed and wanting to do something for God. Only problem was, I found myself alone in my enthusiasm. Very alone!
One day, in church, I spoke with excitement. I was sharing all about my experience at ASI and ARME. I didn't guage my audience well though. I mistakenly said, "I would LOVE to put Yukon on the map in the SDA world." It was like a zizzle went into the air. I was immedietly taken aback. The air could have been cut with a knife. I paused, confused. All was quiet for a few seconds and then I heard a low, "It already is!" coming from one person in the audience. I shrunk inside myself. I had no idea that they felt threatened by my joy to make our impact bigger, broader..... I felt bad!
Still, I had a desire to work for God. Maybe I could recruite some of my busy friends to join me. I felt a desire to have a Bible study and prayer group. I toyed with the idea. I prayed about the idea. I was scared. Could I possibly lead in something? I prayed and prayed and prayed and felt one day, after praying that I must not just stand in my fear, but walk forward in faith and do it. With heart pounding, I stood in church from my pew and announced that on Wednesday nights I would like to start a Bible study group. Again, the air was thick and uncomfortable. "What about Prayer Meeting then?" someone seemed a little put off. "It must carry on!" I replied. I had chosen a different day so as not to interfere with the prayer meeting that was held in someones home.
I began to realize that by doing something out of the ordinary, I was stepping on peoples toes. I shrunk back. I contacted our pastor and plead with him to understand. I was not trying to run my own show. I had an idea and just wanted to start one more avenue to reach the needs of everyone. He told me that prayer meeting only had 3 to 5 people anyway and that I could start a group and they would shut down prayer meeting and that in his experience groups like this didn't work anyway, but I could try. There was no encouragement there. I wanted to cry. This was proving to be so hard and discouraging! I cried to God and prayed and prayed. The Bible study group started and grew. Soon we had 12 to 15 people on a regular basis. It was working! Praise God!
I felt encouraged and later thought that some health programs should be going too. There are so many depressed people about, especially in the dark winters up here. I asked our pastor if he would consider starting an on-going support group for people with depression. We did depression seminars until there were not many attendees anymore but lots of the people who did come were re-attendees and I felt that perhaps a support group might be just the ticket to help them in their new way of living. Emphasis could be on the eight laws of health, new recipies, someone to talk to, and accountability for exercise, water, and abstenence of junk.
"In my experience, support groups don't work!" was the reply. No encouragement there! Rats!
I still felt I should do it. I prayed and prayed and with butterflies in my stomach, I made and posted advertisements up myself. I had found a little room free of charge down town. The first night filled up the room which could only fit 12 to the max. They all wanted to come back again. And for two months before summer vacation we enjoyed a not so well organized, but a well attended little program.
It was during this time though, that I had voiced a concern at our little church to a dear friend of mine. Unfortunatly it was not well recieved or appreciated and when all was said and done, I was very accused, and very alone in our little church. I went from loving being amongst a group of friends to finding refuge under the covers of my bed. I forced myself to attend church but I felt I was in a bubble with my family all alone. My joy was gone. I was so very very discouraged and now I felt angry about it too. I begged God for mercy! Being a missionary by myself was not my fortee'!!
When fall came again, harvest was over, days were lengthening and getting colder, and it was time to start up the Bible study group again after summer. I was reluctant to start again and found it easy to bow out when an argument ensued between the members as to what should and shouldn't be studied. I was not emotionally ready for the battle. I knew the battle was not mine. I knew I should carry on but I dropped the ball into someone elses lap.
This year at GYC in Seattle, Washington, my husband came along to the meetings. It was wonderful. They had the same effect on him as they have on me. It was a filling up spiritually. He was as enthusiastic as myself, probably more so. Although, he is not a crowd person, he thoroughly enjoyed the meetings and brought back many an idea. I was happy because I had someone now beside me who shared the same excitement.
But, homecoming hit me like a brick. It was easy to be all excited to do and dare while we were not here but when I arrived home, reality hit me. My babysitting job suddenly ended as they are moving to Australia meaning $1000 dollars less per month and less to do missionary work with. The fridge started making a horrible racket. My van is making a tremendous noise and is scary to drive. The truck broke down. My sewing business lost momentum while we were gone and I haven't been able to pick it up. We have mission ideas but have not mentioned them to our church or pastor. Not a peep! I'm afraid! The walls seem to be closing in and I found myself more discouraged then ever I have been in a very very very long time.
One day, just the other day, I was reading my sister's blog when I saw the pictures she had posted there of her girls and their friends getting ready to do an evangelistic series of meetings. I had toyed with the idea a lot of asking them to consider doing intense Bible work up here for a couple months or maybe finding a couple of young people who would be willing to come for a year. I have no money though, and so I just lingered over the idea but who have I found yet of all the people I've talked to who would want to come up here. Everyone just smiles and says "Brrr!" and that's the end of that.
Suddenly though, as I sat looking at the beautiful pictures of my nieces and their friends, I had this idea that for six weeks, that's all, just six weeks they could come and I could be the host. We could put our heads together, we could pray together, we could come up with ideas together. With a group, it could be fun, we could go beyond this community to the next and the next. Suddenly I realized hope! I felt happy! These were enthusiastic young people. They had high standards, they were very spiritual, and would be very willing, I was sure! I didn't know anyone better then this (I don't know anyone anymore at all anyway) so they were the only ones to ask. I messaged my sister my idea.
I don't know why I didn't think about this myself. Of course they would be booked all the way up to their eyeballs for the next year. I didn't think of that though. My sister didn't answer me back until later that evening and by that time I had had a wonderful day dreaming of all kinds of possibilities. When she told me I would have to book them a year in advance, it was like my little world fell apart. I have never felt that discouraged in all my life so instantly. I can't tell you how I cried and cried!
I felt angry, yes, but not at them. They could not have known. Not at my sister, how could she help it? Not at anyone. I realized that I had no idea how to proceed, and not the courage to do it. I am even now in a kind of fogginess. Feeling called but unequipped.
My devotions every morning have been warning me about trials to come and being ready to face them with courage and strength from God. And I was prepared, scared but prepared, to face negative people. I was prepared to face more false accusations. But, I guess I was unprepared to face discouragement from thin air. There was no one to point to, there was just me with such a sense of "low" and of "aloneness" and "fogginess" . I could not pick myself up. Why I felt so absolutely down, I have no idea. Only that I did and I cried my heart out.
I am feeling better now. I don't know of any steps to take in any direction. I'm just sitting up straight again. I was reminded in my devotions again this morning that there were many a great man who without exception faced discouragement, bitter discouragement. It talked about Martin Luther who when facing a particularly dangerous and fearful time in his life was seen in deep reflection, writing on his table top with his finger, over and over again, "He lives, He lives! As if to remind himself.
I guess I could somewhat relate to the prophet Elijah as well, In his utmost discouragement, when he wished nothing more then to just die, God sent an angel to feed him, talk to him and lift him up. Did Elijah have a reason to be discouraged? No, but he was and very much so.
I am praying for God to show me a plan of what he wants me to do even if it is alone and we don't know how. Maybe, he doesn't want me to be a missionary in the community. Maybe he does. Maybe he wants me to stay home and clean house. Maybe he has more. Maybe he's got me on hold, maybe I'm just in school right now and He'll use me later. I'm in a position right now of not knowing what the next step is.
I'm praying!!
I actually loved living on these missions because there were always lots of people around. I must say, while I love my moments of peace and quiet, I thrive on people. And while I absolutely love living in the quiet country side (would have it no other way), I love interacting with people on a regular basis.
ARME Bible Camp, ASI, GYC, I love things like this too. Crowds of people, like minded people, with a mission and a common goal, bouy me up. It carries me forward. I love being in a crowd, surrounded by a thousand other people smarter then myself. I look around and see all their already established and thriving ministry ideas. It would be so easy for me to just plug in somewhere to someone elses idea and help them. That is what I'm pretty good at.
I am by nature a party girl. Being that I love to talk and laugh and tell stories, I naturally do well in helping with group situations. The problem comes with being an idea person.
When I went to college, I was involved in everything outreach, everything social, and everything crowded. I was never, ever the master mind behind any of these things though. To this day, I will help to decorate, I will help to facilitate, I will help with speeches and songs, I will tell stories, and do missionary work but never am I the organizer. Ask me to organize a party and I automatically shrink. I'm scared! --------- No, honestly, I feel completely inadequate and undone inside! It is out of my realm, my comfort zone!
Over five years ago, God graciously allowed us to move from the city to the country. I was so relieved. I had prayed for this and the Lord provided. He moved us to a small community in the Northern Canada called Yukon, parallel with and East of Alaska (for those who have no idea what I'm talking about).
We joined a small church here, (It is the only SDA church for at least 8 hours travel in any direction) and I plugged in with my ability to help out. I help with cooking classes until that dwindled and died. I helped with evangelistic programs until they dwindled. I helped with social programs at Christmas and Valentines and whatever until the masterminds behind them began to peter out with other responsibilities and I felt less and less capable and less and less satisfied with our mission results.
Then one day I attended an ARME Bible camp and ASI. I was inspired. It has something to do with being in a crowd of prayerful, enthusiastic, mission minded people (very few, if any of them, that I talked to ever heard of where I lived, though). I came home spiritually revived and fed and wanting to do something for God. Only problem was, I found myself alone in my enthusiasm. Very alone!
One day, in church, I spoke with excitement. I was sharing all about my experience at ASI and ARME. I didn't guage my audience well though. I mistakenly said, "I would LOVE to put Yukon on the map in the SDA world." It was like a zizzle went into the air. I was immedietly taken aback. The air could have been cut with a knife. I paused, confused. All was quiet for a few seconds and then I heard a low, "It already is!" coming from one person in the audience. I shrunk inside myself. I had no idea that they felt threatened by my joy to make our impact bigger, broader..... I felt bad!
Still, I had a desire to work for God. Maybe I could recruite some of my busy friends to join me. I felt a desire to have a Bible study and prayer group. I toyed with the idea. I prayed about the idea. I was scared. Could I possibly lead in something? I prayed and prayed and prayed and felt one day, after praying that I must not just stand in my fear, but walk forward in faith and do it. With heart pounding, I stood in church from my pew and announced that on Wednesday nights I would like to start a Bible study group. Again, the air was thick and uncomfortable. "What about Prayer Meeting then?" someone seemed a little put off. "It must carry on!" I replied. I had chosen a different day so as not to interfere with the prayer meeting that was held in someones home.
I began to realize that by doing something out of the ordinary, I was stepping on peoples toes. I shrunk back. I contacted our pastor and plead with him to understand. I was not trying to run my own show. I had an idea and just wanted to start one more avenue to reach the needs of everyone. He told me that prayer meeting only had 3 to 5 people anyway and that I could start a group and they would shut down prayer meeting and that in his experience groups like this didn't work anyway, but I could try. There was no encouragement there. I wanted to cry. This was proving to be so hard and discouraging! I cried to God and prayed and prayed. The Bible study group started and grew. Soon we had 12 to 15 people on a regular basis. It was working! Praise God!
I felt encouraged and later thought that some health programs should be going too. There are so many depressed people about, especially in the dark winters up here. I asked our pastor if he would consider starting an on-going support group for people with depression. We did depression seminars until there were not many attendees anymore but lots of the people who did come were re-attendees and I felt that perhaps a support group might be just the ticket to help them in their new way of living. Emphasis could be on the eight laws of health, new recipies, someone to talk to, and accountability for exercise, water, and abstenence of junk.
"In my experience, support groups don't work!" was the reply. No encouragement there! Rats!
I still felt I should do it. I prayed and prayed and with butterflies in my stomach, I made and posted advertisements up myself. I had found a little room free of charge down town. The first night filled up the room which could only fit 12 to the max. They all wanted to come back again. And for two months before summer vacation we enjoyed a not so well organized, but a well attended little program.
It was during this time though, that I had voiced a concern at our little church to a dear friend of mine. Unfortunatly it was not well recieved or appreciated and when all was said and done, I was very accused, and very alone in our little church. I went from loving being amongst a group of friends to finding refuge under the covers of my bed. I forced myself to attend church but I felt I was in a bubble with my family all alone. My joy was gone. I was so very very discouraged and now I felt angry about it too. I begged God for mercy! Being a missionary by myself was not my fortee'!!
When fall came again, harvest was over, days were lengthening and getting colder, and it was time to start up the Bible study group again after summer. I was reluctant to start again and found it easy to bow out when an argument ensued between the members as to what should and shouldn't be studied. I was not emotionally ready for the battle. I knew the battle was not mine. I knew I should carry on but I dropped the ball into someone elses lap.
This year at GYC in Seattle, Washington, my husband came along to the meetings. It was wonderful. They had the same effect on him as they have on me. It was a filling up spiritually. He was as enthusiastic as myself, probably more so. Although, he is not a crowd person, he thoroughly enjoyed the meetings and brought back many an idea. I was happy because I had someone now beside me who shared the same excitement.
But, homecoming hit me like a brick. It was easy to be all excited to do and dare while we were not here but when I arrived home, reality hit me. My babysitting job suddenly ended as they are moving to Australia meaning $1000 dollars less per month and less to do missionary work with. The fridge started making a horrible racket. My van is making a tremendous noise and is scary to drive. The truck broke down. My sewing business lost momentum while we were gone and I haven't been able to pick it up. We have mission ideas but have not mentioned them to our church or pastor. Not a peep! I'm afraid! The walls seem to be closing in and I found myself more discouraged then ever I have been in a very very very long time.
One day, just the other day, I was reading my sister's blog when I saw the pictures she had posted there of her girls and their friends getting ready to do an evangelistic series of meetings. I had toyed with the idea a lot of asking them to consider doing intense Bible work up here for a couple months or maybe finding a couple of young people who would be willing to come for a year. I have no money though, and so I just lingered over the idea but who have I found yet of all the people I've talked to who would want to come up here. Everyone just smiles and says "Brrr!" and that's the end of that.
Suddenly though, as I sat looking at the beautiful pictures of my nieces and their friends, I had this idea that for six weeks, that's all, just six weeks they could come and I could be the host. We could put our heads together, we could pray together, we could come up with ideas together. With a group, it could be fun, we could go beyond this community to the next and the next. Suddenly I realized hope! I felt happy! These were enthusiastic young people. They had high standards, they were very spiritual, and would be very willing, I was sure! I didn't know anyone better then this (I don't know anyone anymore at all anyway) so they were the only ones to ask. I messaged my sister my idea.
I don't know why I didn't think about this myself. Of course they would be booked all the way up to their eyeballs for the next year. I didn't think of that though. My sister didn't answer me back until later that evening and by that time I had had a wonderful day dreaming of all kinds of possibilities. When she told me I would have to book them a year in advance, it was like my little world fell apart. I have never felt that discouraged in all my life so instantly. I can't tell you how I cried and cried!
I felt angry, yes, but not at them. They could not have known. Not at my sister, how could she help it? Not at anyone. I realized that I had no idea how to proceed, and not the courage to do it. I am even now in a kind of fogginess. Feeling called but unequipped.
My devotions every morning have been warning me about trials to come and being ready to face them with courage and strength from God. And I was prepared, scared but prepared, to face negative people. I was prepared to face more false accusations. But, I guess I was unprepared to face discouragement from thin air. There was no one to point to, there was just me with such a sense of "low" and of "aloneness" and "fogginess" . I could not pick myself up. Why I felt so absolutely down, I have no idea. Only that I did and I cried my heart out.
I am feeling better now. I don't know of any steps to take in any direction. I'm just sitting up straight again. I was reminded in my devotions again this morning that there were many a great man who without exception faced discouragement, bitter discouragement. It talked about Martin Luther who when facing a particularly dangerous and fearful time in his life was seen in deep reflection, writing on his table top with his finger, over and over again, "He lives, He lives! As if to remind himself.
I guess I could somewhat relate to the prophet Elijah as well, In his utmost discouragement, when he wished nothing more then to just die, God sent an angel to feed him, talk to him and lift him up. Did Elijah have a reason to be discouraged? No, but he was and very much so.
I am praying for God to show me a plan of what he wants me to do even if it is alone and we don't know how. Maybe, he doesn't want me to be a missionary in the community. Maybe he does. Maybe he wants me to stay home and clean house. Maybe he has more. Maybe he's got me on hold, maybe I'm just in school right now and He'll use me later. I'm in a position right now of not knowing what the next step is.
I'm praying!!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Little Girls and their Mother.
I have been babysitting a coupld of little girls for a few months now. It is so fun to have little girls around, especially ones as girly as these ones. They are so sweet!
One thing about them though, is that they had been brought up strictly athiest. Well, I informed their mother when she came to me to babysit that we were Christians and that more then likely her little ones would come home singing about the love of Jesus one day. I told her that I would not go out of my way to teach them but that they would pick it up anyway as a result of the way we lived. She laughed and said ok.
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She couldn't believe it when just two days into having this new babysitter, her little girl was twirling around their cabin singing praises to God for saving and loving her. Even I was surprised because I had not said anything specific to her yet about Jesus.
The older little girl began to be bombarded though by other little children in the community. A little baptist boy about the same age (7 years old) informed her that God created the world. She addimently denied it and a big fight ensued, tears and all. Poor little girl dug in her heals stubbornly. Next her mother transfered her to the Catholic school because the education there was a lot better quality. In the play ground a small boy came up to this new little one and boldly asked? "Do you believe in God?" "NO!" was her reply! LOL
"Then, I'll pray for you!" he said. She was stuck her little nose in the air.
Things crumbled in their home. Mommy who had left daddy realized the value of keeping the family together. She was beside herself in emotional pain and guilt. She poured out her heart to me and cried on my shoulder. I told her of Jesus and his love and forgiveness!
She said, she did not believe it him. She had grown up an athiest in a comunist country. How could she believe when she simply did not believe. To say so would be a lie. I asked her if she would pray with me. She said, "How can I pray to someone who I don't even believe is there? It would be like a lie!"
I agreed. It all seemed so foolish to someone who truly did not believe him there. I prayed by myself for her. I told her I would do the praying. She wanted her husband back and realized that it would take an absolute miracle for that to happen but she did not believe in miracles. She was so very very hopless!
Soon, her hopelessness turned to complete dispair and on my bathroom floor she cried her eyes out. I sat down beside her and she fell into my shoulder and sobbed. She began to pray. She prayed hysterically! I prayed calmly.
For a long time she prayed relentlessly and hysterically. I prayed with her. Her husband came back. He made choices to let her into his heart again. She began to see the power of God. Now I could open the Bible to her. I showed her how to pray, I showed her how to claim God's promises. She excepted everything with open heart.
One day little girl found her mother kneeling in prayer. "What are you doing? This is the reason for all your pain!" The mother gently told her "no, it's the reason that things are turning around!" Defiantly the little girl asked, "Mom, is the easter bunny real?"
"No, that was made up sweety!"
"Is Santa real?"
"No, Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas!"
Angry and confused the little one walked away and didn't talk about it for several days as she processed it. Then one day she told her little sister that the best thing about Christmas was Baby Jesus being born.
Just before I left for Christmas holiday, I asked the mother if I could have my Bible back as I had lent it to her. She was willing but begged me for another one. She said, should could not live without it anymore. I was thrilled and for Christmas gifts presented her with a beautiful Bible and one for little girl that could read and a DVD about Jesus for the little one.
Their Daddy and husband was coming home for Christmas and the mother confided in me that she had written out promises from the Bible which she had pinned up all around her bed. She sat one day thinking about her athiest husband and what he would think when he came home to a family of christians. She thought that perhaps she should take them down for his sake and put them away. She opened her bible and the first words she saw were these, "I shall not hide.." That was it. She had to laugh! He came home and she did not hide. He did not understand but he accepted it.
Now, They are moving. They are moving to Australia to be with their Daddy and Husband. They are happy, apprehensive and unsure. Yesterday, the mother came to my house and asked me if I would kneel with her and pray for her husband. So together in my living room we knelt before the maker and redeemer of this man and prayed for him also. Please pray for them.
They have a long way to go. God granted me an opportunity to plant a seed. I must be content to do what he asks. May God grant some the special harvest!
She has informed me that she is trying to quite smoking now. God grant her strenth and will power! She also informed me that she is even praying to mother Mary now too. LOL I smile. I'm praying about that one too. In his time. One gentle step at a time.
Love this family! Think I'll plant a seed and watch a plant grow. Everytime I look at the plant I'll remember that my job was to plant the seed and pray! God bless them in Australia!
One thing about them though, is that they had been brought up strictly athiest. Well, I informed their mother when she came to me to babysit that we were Christians and that more then likely her little ones would come home singing about the love of Jesus one day. I told her that I would not go out of my way to teach them but that they would pick it up anyway as a result of the way we lived. She laughed and said ok.
\
She couldn't believe it when just two days into having this new babysitter, her little girl was twirling around their cabin singing praises to God for saving and loving her. Even I was surprised because I had not said anything specific to her yet about Jesus.
The older little girl began to be bombarded though by other little children in the community. A little baptist boy about the same age (7 years old) informed her that God created the world. She addimently denied it and a big fight ensued, tears and all. Poor little girl dug in her heals stubbornly. Next her mother transfered her to the Catholic school because the education there was a lot better quality. In the play ground a small boy came up to this new little one and boldly asked? "Do you believe in God?" "NO!" was her reply! LOL
"Then, I'll pray for you!" he said. She was stuck her little nose in the air.
Things crumbled in their home. Mommy who had left daddy realized the value of keeping the family together. She was beside herself in emotional pain and guilt. She poured out her heart to me and cried on my shoulder. I told her of Jesus and his love and forgiveness!
She said, she did not believe it him. She had grown up an athiest in a comunist country. How could she believe when she simply did not believe. To say so would be a lie. I asked her if she would pray with me. She said, "How can I pray to someone who I don't even believe is there? It would be like a lie!"
I agreed. It all seemed so foolish to someone who truly did not believe him there. I prayed by myself for her. I told her I would do the praying. She wanted her husband back and realized that it would take an absolute miracle for that to happen but she did not believe in miracles. She was so very very hopless!
Soon, her hopelessness turned to complete dispair and on my bathroom floor she cried her eyes out. I sat down beside her and she fell into my shoulder and sobbed. She began to pray. She prayed hysterically! I prayed calmly.
For a long time she prayed relentlessly and hysterically. I prayed with her. Her husband came back. He made choices to let her into his heart again. She began to see the power of God. Now I could open the Bible to her. I showed her how to pray, I showed her how to claim God's promises. She excepted everything with open heart.
One day little girl found her mother kneeling in prayer. "What are you doing? This is the reason for all your pain!" The mother gently told her "no, it's the reason that things are turning around!" Defiantly the little girl asked, "Mom, is the easter bunny real?"
"No, that was made up sweety!"
"Is Santa real?"
"No, Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas!"
Angry and confused the little one walked away and didn't talk about it for several days as she processed it. Then one day she told her little sister that the best thing about Christmas was Baby Jesus being born.
Just before I left for Christmas holiday, I asked the mother if I could have my Bible back as I had lent it to her. She was willing but begged me for another one. She said, should could not live without it anymore. I was thrilled and for Christmas gifts presented her with a beautiful Bible and one for little girl that could read and a DVD about Jesus for the little one.
Their Daddy and husband was coming home for Christmas and the mother confided in me that she had written out promises from the Bible which she had pinned up all around her bed. She sat one day thinking about her athiest husband and what he would think when he came home to a family of christians. She thought that perhaps she should take them down for his sake and put them away. She opened her bible and the first words she saw were these, "I shall not hide.." That was it. She had to laugh! He came home and she did not hide. He did not understand but he accepted it.
Now, They are moving. They are moving to Australia to be with their Daddy and Husband. They are happy, apprehensive and unsure. Yesterday, the mother came to my house and asked me if I would kneel with her and pray for her husband. So together in my living room we knelt before the maker and redeemer of this man and prayed for him also. Please pray for them.
They have a long way to go. God granted me an opportunity to plant a seed. I must be content to do what he asks. May God grant some the special harvest!
She has informed me that she is trying to quite smoking now. God grant her strenth and will power! She also informed me that she is even praying to mother Mary now too. LOL I smile. I'm praying about that one too. In his time. One gentle step at a time.
Love this family! Think I'll plant a seed and watch a plant grow. Everytime I look at the plant I'll remember that my job was to plant the seed and pray! God bless them in Australia!
GYC and Today
Generation of Youth for Christ meetings in Seattle were a real blessing! We so much enjoyed them.
I had prayed and prayed that my husband would attend and gain a real spiritual blessing and revival. My hubby is a wonderful man but I believe he was quite discouraged. We don't have much outside spiritual imput up here where we live. Sometimes a person needs to be fed, to have someone lift him up spiritually and in prayer, to see what other's are doing and to get new ideas and a new vision. I had experienced this at ARME Bible Camp last year and had come home so excited. My husband encouraged me but I was quite unprepared for the resistance I encountered from our own friends and fellow Christians here. I must admit, I've learned to appoach people with new ideas with much more caution and more concealed enthusiasm. When I was told that every new idea that I came up with wouldn't work, I felt like melting back into the ground.
My husband watched, encouraged, and patted me on the shoulder but he never became involved, himself. We had high lifestyle standards which he upheld beside me and when we voiced concerns about some things in our church, we were hammered down. My husband stood stronger for what he believed but backed off from any kind of service. He really didn't care anymore to have an active position in the church. I felt very alone in my desire to be a missionary so I prayed. I prayed and prayed that Art would attend GYC and be inspired to service.
I must say, though, the Devil had other plans and it was only 3 days into the trip and all the pipes in our house at home had frozen. Poor Art was ready to jump on a plane and fly back home and forget the whole holiday idea. He would miss GYC. God came through for us though, and eveything was taken care of by friends.
At GYC the boys and I scanned the list of different seminars that we could attend. There was like twenty different ones happening all at the same time. It was a tough decision for me! Not for the boys though. Jacob had heard John Bradshaw speak at ARME Bible Camp and had so enjoyed it that he made up his mind that that is where he was going to go. Caleb Joined him and Art, being the schofer decided he had no choice. Isaac and I took in the Ty Gibson workshop. It was good!
Still, everyday, Art would tell me, "Julie, you should transfer over to our seminar. You will love it!" John Bradshaw and Jim Howard so inspired my husband with ideas that he wouldn't miss a one. I could see the excitment rising in the hotel. Suddenly it became important to be on time. I was quietly thrilled!
On the way home, Art shared with me a lot of what he learned. I didn't have to bring the subject up or start the conversation. All of a sudden he would turn off the music and say, "Oh, and back to our conversation about what we can do for outreach...."
Praise the Lord!
We have been praying for a little space to do outreach on sabbath in town. I made some phone calls. One place was $100 dollars for 3 hours. Ohh, that seemed steep! I prayed and asked God for guidance. The next place was $50 for half a day. That would work better. I could use my babysitting money to pay for this facility and I could set money aside as well for Glow tracks and books and DVD's for outreach.
LOL, Not so fast! Not so easy! The lady I babysit for has now informed me that they are moving to Australia. That means $1000 less per month for our family. All of a sudden, if any missionary work is going to be accomplished it is going to be through God's means and in his time, not our own, lest we should boast. So, it is by faith now.
I advertised my sewing skills. I sew all the time for people. I made a lot of money for several months before Christmas, sewing anything and everything. But, now, not a single reply. :) God knows! He knows what it will cost to be missionaries. He knows I am willing, like Paul, to sew my way around the world if I have to. So, we are on our knees in prayer knowing that it is not us but Him who will provide.
Another note: I was brought to tears the other evening when in family worship, Caleb, called us altogether and with tears confessed that he was convicted about his pride and his ego and making stories bigger then they really were about himself. He cried and said, God had convicted him on this point several days earlier but he took a while to bring himself to say it. He asked all of our forgiveness. I was so proud of him. I cried with him. God is working in the hearts of our kids as well.
I had prayed and prayed that my husband would attend and gain a real spiritual blessing and revival. My hubby is a wonderful man but I believe he was quite discouraged. We don't have much outside spiritual imput up here where we live. Sometimes a person needs to be fed, to have someone lift him up spiritually and in prayer, to see what other's are doing and to get new ideas and a new vision. I had experienced this at ARME Bible Camp last year and had come home so excited. My husband encouraged me but I was quite unprepared for the resistance I encountered from our own friends and fellow Christians here. I must admit, I've learned to appoach people with new ideas with much more caution and more concealed enthusiasm. When I was told that every new idea that I came up with wouldn't work, I felt like melting back into the ground.
My husband watched, encouraged, and patted me on the shoulder but he never became involved, himself. We had high lifestyle standards which he upheld beside me and when we voiced concerns about some things in our church, we were hammered down. My husband stood stronger for what he believed but backed off from any kind of service. He really didn't care anymore to have an active position in the church. I felt very alone in my desire to be a missionary so I prayed. I prayed and prayed that Art would attend GYC and be inspired to service.
I must say, though, the Devil had other plans and it was only 3 days into the trip and all the pipes in our house at home had frozen. Poor Art was ready to jump on a plane and fly back home and forget the whole holiday idea. He would miss GYC. God came through for us though, and eveything was taken care of by friends.
At GYC the boys and I scanned the list of different seminars that we could attend. There was like twenty different ones happening all at the same time. It was a tough decision for me! Not for the boys though. Jacob had heard John Bradshaw speak at ARME Bible Camp and had so enjoyed it that he made up his mind that that is where he was going to go. Caleb Joined him and Art, being the schofer decided he had no choice. Isaac and I took in the Ty Gibson workshop. It was good!
Still, everyday, Art would tell me, "Julie, you should transfer over to our seminar. You will love it!" John Bradshaw and Jim Howard so inspired my husband with ideas that he wouldn't miss a one. I could see the excitment rising in the hotel. Suddenly it became important to be on time. I was quietly thrilled!
On the way home, Art shared with me a lot of what he learned. I didn't have to bring the subject up or start the conversation. All of a sudden he would turn off the music and say, "Oh, and back to our conversation about what we can do for outreach...."
Praise the Lord!
We have been praying for a little space to do outreach on sabbath in town. I made some phone calls. One place was $100 dollars for 3 hours. Ohh, that seemed steep! I prayed and asked God for guidance. The next place was $50 for half a day. That would work better. I could use my babysitting money to pay for this facility and I could set money aside as well for Glow tracks and books and DVD's for outreach.
LOL, Not so fast! Not so easy! The lady I babysit for has now informed me that they are moving to Australia. That means $1000 less per month for our family. All of a sudden, if any missionary work is going to be accomplished it is going to be through God's means and in his time, not our own, lest we should boast. So, it is by faith now.
I advertised my sewing skills. I sew all the time for people. I made a lot of money for several months before Christmas, sewing anything and everything. But, now, not a single reply. :) God knows! He knows what it will cost to be missionaries. He knows I am willing, like Paul, to sew my way around the world if I have to. So, we are on our knees in prayer knowing that it is not us but Him who will provide.
Another note: I was brought to tears the other evening when in family worship, Caleb, called us altogether and with tears confessed that he was convicted about his pride and his ego and making stories bigger then they really were about himself. He cried and said, God had convicted him on this point several days earlier but he took a while to bring himself to say it. He asked all of our forgiveness. I was so proud of him. I cried with him. God is working in the hearts of our kids as well.
Wood
A couple months before we left for vacation, we ordered a logging truck load of wood. We were nearly out so we needed more for this year. Unfortunately, things did not work out the way they were supposed to. The temperatures dropped and michinery began to break down. Parts were ordered, from the lower mainland but they sent up wrong parts. New parts were ordered. Temps dropped again. Everything was going wrong. People everywhere were beginning to squirm as they watched their wook piles dwindle.
Well, it was time for us to leave and we chopped up every last bit of firewood that we had and stacked it neatly by the house for easy access. We prayed it would be enough for while we were gone. We paid for a load of wood to the logger man on faith that he would get us wood while we were gone and we left.
When we came home, still no wood was in our yard. Our pile of chopped wood was small but yesterday we got the call. The machinery was all back in order, It wasn't -45 degrees, the logging truck was in service and the landing was open. We were already paid up so we were the first to recieve our order. Praise God!
Well, it was time for us to leave and we chopped up every last bit of firewood that we had and stacked it neatly by the house for easy access. We prayed it would be enough for while we were gone. We paid for a load of wood to the logger man on faith that he would get us wood while we were gone and we left.
When we came home, still no wood was in our yard. Our pile of chopped wood was small but yesterday we got the call. The machinery was all back in order, It wasn't -45 degrees, the logging truck was in service and the landing was open. We were already paid up so we were the first to recieve our order. Praise God!
What we had left.
What we own now! Happy Day!
Baskets
Since we've been home, I've had visitors nearly everyday. I never mind that. I love visitors. One of my favorite visitors is always Beverly. She came over on Tuesday and Showed us how to make baskets out of news paper. I can't believe how sturdy they are I love them. They make great little gift baskets. (Mom, perfect for your girls to make and sell in Africa).
We spent a day fiddling around and experimenting. I think we have it all down pat now and even Caleb has got the technique down pat. He is weaving his second one now and it is much tighter then his first. I only have a picture of his first one but his second one is a lot better.
We spent a day fiddling around and experimenting. I think we have it all down pat now and even Caleb has got the technique down pat. He is weaving his second one now and it is much tighter then his first. I only have a picture of his first one but his second one is a lot better.
Here are some pictures.
These are the small ones we started out with. They turned out so much fun!
Beverly, leading the way!
Caleb's first basket
I decided to go square and this is mine. I'll post finished pictures later as I haven't finished painting it all up yet.
All Chewed Up!
We are home again. Things at the house looked good.
The dog, Sammy, was very excited to see us. We discovered what he did when he had a lot of down time alone in the house. He chewed!
We discovered boots, shoes, pluggins and the tassles from the rug that my husband bought in India had been chewed.
The dog, Sammy, was very excited to see us. We discovered what he did when he had a lot of down time alone in the house. He chewed!
We discovered boots, shoes, pluggins and the tassles from the rug that my husband bought in India had been chewed.
Well, we had to set about fixing dog destruction.
Here is me one morning sewing back the tassles on the carpet so that they didn't show anymore.
Sammy was very facinated by the needle that kept poking up from the carpet over and over. He was quite curious about how it poked him everytime he tried to grab it.
Yeah, I t was me who chewed the carpet!
That needle just poked my nose!
Happenings of the last month
Christmas Holidays were fun and busy! We thoroughly enjoyed our time down south. Of course, spending time with family is the best part. We started off our holidays leaving Whitehorse in -40 degree weather. We had arranged with a lady to look after our home, sleep there, keep the fires roaring, feed and look after the dog and cat and basically keep everything alive. With that all in place, which took tons of string pulling, we took off a little apprehensively.
We stopped over at my husband's brother 14 hours later. We did not stop for anything more then gas for the vehicle and bathroom stops but the roads were messy and it took us 2 hours longer then usual. By the time we stopped for the night it was -3 degrees celcius. Much better! It had warmed up for us 37 degrees! We discarded most of our heavy winter gear there and that freed up some space (not much) in the car.
The next day we traveled another long day and were exhausted. The roads were horrible and it made for a very tense trip. We decided to stop in at a hotel and enjoy a restful evening and sleep. Well, no such luck. I opened my facebook and discovered that all was not well at the home front. The lady who was to look after our place decided it was too difficult and she didn't want to. Oh, great!!! I scrambled for telephone numbers, calling anyone and everyone I knew to find someone who could go to our house and animals.
God is so Good! We have some awesome friends who took over for us and went to our house. They discovered that because the fires had been neglected, all the water pipes in the house were frozen (only one was broken). Thank you to them for thawing everything out and fixing everything up for us.
But that took several days and my husband was so stressed, he was ready to book a flight back home and call it quits on the vacation thing. That would have been just up the Devil's Alley! So grateful that didn't happen!
We spent the first few of days after we reached our destination, at my sister's house. The kids spent all day everyday, sledding. They were soaked to the bone and having fun with their cousins and friends. It is so awesome to have other kids to play with.
Then we all (My sister's family, my parents from Colorado, and our family) headed to the coast for Christmas. What a beautiful place to spend Christmas! I didn't miss the snow one little bit. It was such a reprieve!
We rented little cabins for each family and ate altogether in my sister's.
Here are some pictures of our time there.
Opening Christmas presents.
Isaac got a STOCKING monkey in his STOCKING
Art got a CD holder with lots of beautiful, Christian music. We've been listening to them ever since. Never get tired of them.
Thank you Anna Joy
Jacob built a little lap desk for Brianna. Our Neighbor helped him out a lot!
My Parents watching Jacob open up his gift of Solar System Monopoly.
Thank you Uncle Steve
Out on the beach there were hours of fun. The rocks were so beautiful!
My sister looking at the different colours.
My Niece, beautiful Brianna
Colourful pieces of seaweed and rocks
My Dad!
A valient effort at running on shifting rocks. Go girls!
Anna Joy picking rocks
My Hubby, Art, enjoying the ocean from the outside.
Caleb and his seaweed friend
Rocks, drift wood, seaweed and railroad tracks
Climbing dead trees
Our favorite photographer! Bri
My mom! I miss her~
Mom and Dad~ Wish our visit was longer
The whole gang!
Love this picture of Jacob!
Stina-Bee
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Pick up colourful seaweed
Picking rocks
Drift wood
My sister and her husband, Steve
Beautiful sunset
Mom and Stina, picking rocks
Our Sweet Vanessa
Beauty
Sea creatures. I know what they are but don't know how to spell it. LOL
Still exploring at sunset
Aaaaahhhh! Greenery at Christmas!
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