The Pilgrim

It's Time.

2012-01-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

Just to be with you...

2011-06-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

^{This past weekend I went to Centre Street Church and Pastor Henry Schorr preached a sermon that really convicted me. (Listen to his sermon's here: http://www.cschurch.ca/resources/media/ )}

^{I've outlined the sermon below. Please, only read it if you want to be challenged and grow in your faith.}

²⁰ While Araunah was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves. ²¹ Then David approached, and when Araunah looked and saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed down before David with his face to the ground.

²² David said to him, “Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price.”

²³ Araunah said to David, “Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this.”

²⁴ But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”

1 Chronicles 21:20-24

In this story David refused to give to God something that cost him nothing.

In the book of Malachi God says:

“A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the LORD Almighty.

“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.

“But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’

⁷ “By offering defiled food on my altar.

“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’

“By saying that the LORD’s table is contemptible. ⁸ When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the LORD Almighty.

⁹ “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the LORD Almighty.

¹⁰ “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.

Malachi 1: 6-10

In other words God is offended when His people give Him worthless things! In the book of Malachi God tells the people that He would rather that they stopped making sacrifices altogether than to continue giving Him lame sacrifices.

When I think about my life now and I think about a person who is really important to me I would never dream of giving them something old that I found lying around the house as a birthday gift.

When I truly want to show someone that I love them I take time to find out what they like and then I take care in picking out a gift that suits them. This shows the person that I care about them and I want to honour them.

It’s the same with God.

Why would I only give him five minutes at the end of the day before I fall asleep to learn what He has to say through His Word?

Or why would I only speak to Him for about thirty seconds before eating a meal and then fail to communicate with Him throughout the rest of the day?

When I give God what I do not need, what’s left over, what costs me nothing, that is NOT true worship.

True worship is costly, but that is the only kind of worship that God wants.

Do not get me wrong I am not saying that you need to buy or earn salvation; salvation is a gift of grace. But, when God ransomed you from sin and death through Jesus Christ He bought and paid for your whole life and your whole heart. And that is what God is interested in having; He wants your whole life and your whole heart. HE DOES NOT WANT YOUR LEFT OVERS! GOD DOES NOT WANT WORTHLESS THINGS!

He would do anything for you!

Why would you give Him any less than your very best?

Please be warned there are graphic scenes in the video below.

It is by grace you have been saved.

2011-06-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

⁴But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— ⁶and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

-Ephesians 2:4-10 ESV

Dear Friends,
Please check out this link:

http://www.ihop.org/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=1000058181

It is a link that shows streaming video from the 24/7 Prayer room in Kansas City. I listen to it often. It encourages me if I feel discouraged. It inspires me to pray. It helps me to hope on desperate days. May it do the same for you. God bless you.

Love.

In the Shelter

2011-04-02T23:02:00.000-07:00

Be encouraged.
You are not alone dear one.

You will NEVER walk alone.

I am the rose

2011-03-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

I hear you singing, dear, inviting me to your limb.
I am coming, for all that we do is a
preparation for
love.

I hear you singing, my Lord, inviting me to your throne.
We are coming, dear, for all that toil you have blessed us with
is a preparation to know and hold the
sacred.

I hear you singing, my soul, but how can it be that
God's voice has now become
my own?

"That is just a wedding gift for our
Divine Union,"

my Beloved
said.

-"A Wedding Gift" by St. Francis of Assisi

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

¹³ This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. ¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. ¹⁷ This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:7-19 NIV

"I know how it will be when I die,
my beauty will be so extraordinary that God will adore me.
He will not adore me from a distance, for our minds will have wed,
our souls will have flowed into each other.
How to say this: God and I
will forever cherish
Myself."
-"Cherish Myself" by Rabia- Reworked a bit -

History Belongs to the Intercessors

2011-02-20T19:26:00.000-08:00

Please double click on the U-Tube video below to watch it full screen. Definitely worth the time.

Hold On.

2010-09-17T16:46:00.000-07:00

1 O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.

8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

9 They who seek my life will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God's name will praise him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

-Psalm 63

2010-07-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

Well Dear Ones,
It’s been I very long time since I have written anything at all. The truth is that I have been greatly grieved as I lost someone that I dearly loved. And so, for a time, there were no words, they were swept away by sorrows and traded in for tears.
But, now I’ve found something to say. And it is something I have received by God’s good grace. It goes out to all of you who have ever been lost or endured loss, or incurred it. For those of you who know the darkness of the valley or the sadness that makes you want to sit in sackcloth and ashes.
Here is a Word for you that has been reassuring me. And then a song that reminds me of how faithful God is.

Indeed, the LORD will comfort Zion;

He will comfort all her waste places

And her wilderness He will make like Eden,

And her desert like the garden of the LORD;

Joy and gladness will be found in her,

Thanksgiving and sound of a melody.

–Isaiah 50:3

In the Silence...

2010-03-29T16:31:00.000-07:00

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. –Philippians 2: 12-13 (NASB)-

Confession:
Dear friends,
I am not as faithful as the Philippians whom Paul exhorts above.
In fact, even though I’ve been walking with the Lord a while now I still struggle to trust and obey Him.
Even though He has always proven faithful to me.
And, often, my failure is a great source of discouragement for me.
However, I’ve come to realize that even in light of my everyday failures there is still hope.
God isn’t going to quite on me even if I am His most disobedient child. He says, “you are still mine. And I still love you”.
To be quite honest, I don’t know where you are at. Maybe you’re on a roll and you’re walking in the Spirit every moment of the day. If so, good, keep going.
But, maybe you feel like me, and you’re not on a roll. And, you’ve been stumbling. And, if you put your failures and your success’s on a balance scale, failure would weigh in and win.

But let me tell you something. Your failure does not define you. Christ does. “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).

Look at the cross.

The truth is, your Father in Heaven sees you in light of Christ and He delights in you; you are His child, you are His beloved one. He is not going to give up on you. EVER.
So don’t you dare give up on yourself.
Let’s pray together.
Father,
We know that we have failed in many ways. We know that we can never make the scale tip in our favour. But, we also know the power of what Christ did for us on the cross, and in His success we abide.
So, Almighty Father, please speak to us in the silence, by Your Holy Spirit and Your Holy Word.
Make us attentive to You, and give us the strength and the courage to trust and obey.
Make us fierce and bold for You.
In Jesus Holy Name

-Amen

To Love God Passionately

2010-02-05T20:52:00.000-08:00

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
-Isaiah 6

God is no stranger.

2010-01-15T15:28:00.000-08:00

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
–Matthew 5:3
Senyè,
Yon jou mwen wè yon madanm
Ki t’ap mouri.
Doktè a pran san nan bra yon lòt moun,
li mete l’nan madanm nan e li viv.
Maten an nou mande w’
Fè sa pou nou

Lord,
Once I saw a woman dying.
The doctor took the blood
From another person’s arm
and put it in the lady, and she lived.
This morning,
We ask you to do this for us.
-From the Haitian Prayer book “God is no Stranger”

Honestly, this earth quake is something that I do not understand…
But Lord,
Now the eyes of the world are on Haiti.
They don’t just need eyes,
They need blood.
“For the life of all flesh is in its blood” –Leviticus 17: 14b
Lord, grant them new life.
In Jesus name –Amen

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted

– Matthew 5:4

The Infant came to raise the dead

2009-12-19T23:44:00.000-08:00

Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Gen. 2:7)

Breathing Out and Breathing In
A.B. Simpson

Jesus, breathe Thy Spirit in me,
Teach me how to breathe Thee in,

Help me pour into Thy bosom

All my life of self and sin.

I am breathing out my own life,
That I may be filled with Thine;

Letting go my strength and weakness,

Breathing in Thy life divine.

Breathing out my sinful nature,

Thou has borne it all for me;
Breathing in Thy cleansing fullness,

Finding all my life in Thee.

I am breathing out my sorrow,

On Thy kind and gentle breast;
Breathing in Thy joy and comfort,

Breathing in Thy peace and rest.

I am breathing out my longings,

In Thy list’ning loving ear,

I am breathing in Thy answers,
Stilling every doubt and fear.

I am breathing every moment,
Drawing all my life from Thee;
Breath by breath I live upon Thee,
Blessed Spirit, breathe in me.

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. (Ezekiel 37:1-2)

He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know." Again He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.' "Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, 'Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. 'I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.'"

So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life."'"So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. (Ezekiel 37:3-10)

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. (Acts 2: 1-2)
And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. (Acts 2: 3-4)

Therefore, we ask that we may know what we love, since we ask nothing other than that you give us yourself. For you are our all: our life, our light, our salvation, our food and our drink, our God. Inspire our hearts, I ask you, Jesus, with the breath of your Spirit. -Amen
Columbanus' Prayer

Faithfulness and Obedience

2009-12-01T17:13:00.000-08:00

« Soutiens-moi selon ta promesse, afin que je vive, et ne me rend point confus dans mon espérance! » -Psaumes 119 :116
I know that God is faithful even when He asks is to do things that are counter intuitive.
“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of righteousness that comes by faith” –Heb. 11:7
Noah was in the middle of the desert. It took him 140 years to build the ark. I’m sure that people thought he was crazy.
“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going” –Heb. 11:8
Abraham was 75 years old when he left Haran. God promised Abraham that He would make him into a great nation; yet, his wife Sarah was barren. Abraham seemed crazy I’m sure.
By faith, “Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who had spied out the [promised] land... spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us – a land which flows with mild and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them”
-Num. 14:6-9
Even though people thought that they were crazy Joshua and Caleb still believed the promises of the Lord God and they did enter into that good land.
“In the pursuit of holiness Christians are often called on to perform duties that appear unreasonable and even absurd to an unbelieving world. A Christian farmer in Kansas is a case and point. When wheat is exactly ready to be harvested, it is important that the work be completed quickly lest bad weather arise and damage the crop or reduce its quality. Because of this, harvesting is often done on a seven-day-a week schedule. But this particular farmer, believing Sunday should be observed as the Lord’s Day, would never work his harvest crew on Sunday, even when an impending storm threatened. To his neighbouring farmers this action appears strange and unreasonable. Interestingly enough, however, over the years this Christian farmer was the most prosperous in his area. Like Abraham, he obeyed by faith what he believed to be the will of God, even though such obedience must undoubtedly have been difficult at times” – Jerry Bridges “The Pursuit if Holiness”
Lord,
In your mercy, please give us faith like that. -Amen

Psalm 73

2009-11-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

A psalm of Asaph.

1Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.
5 They are free from the burdens common to man;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;
in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.
11 They say, "How can God know?
Does the Most High have knowledge?"
12 This is what the wicked are like—
always carefree, they increase in wealth.
13 Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;
in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been plagued;
I have been punished every morning.
15 If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this,
it was oppressive to me
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!
20 As a dream when one awakes,
so when you arise, O Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.
(NIV)

Himself

2009-10-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, Now it is His Word.
Once His gifts I wanted, Now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, Now Himself alone.

Once 'twas painful trying, Now 'tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation, Now the uttermost.
Once 'twas ceaseless holding, Now He holds me fast;
Once 'twas constant drifting, Now my anchor's cast.

Once 'twas busy planning, Now 'tis trustful prayer;
Once 'twas anxious caring, Now He has the care.
Once 'twas what I wanted, Now what Jesus says;
Once 'twas constant asking, Now 'tis ceaseless praise.

Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me.
Once the power I wanted, Now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored, Now for Him alone.

Once I hoped in Jesus, Now I know He's mine;
Once my lamps were dying, Now they brightly shine.
Once for death I waited, Now His coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored, Safe within the vail.

By A.B. Simpson

Thank-You.

2009-10-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for His is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting. -Psalm 106:1

The, “images of build, extend, promote, and establish stand in sharp contrast to the biblical language used to define the relationship of church to the kingdom of God”.
Instead we are to; “receive, enter, seek and inherit”.
–The Essence of the Church: A Community Created by the Spirit, Craig Van Gelder -

Lord,
Thank-You that Your kingdom is something that we can recieve and enter,
something that we can seek and inherit.
How lovely You are, how lovely.
And we give You thanks.
-Amen

My Hearts Cry

2009-10-03T16:17:00.000-07:00

So here is the cry of my heart. This is the song that I've been singing in my soul. Enjoy.

Also, I recently re-read something by A. B. Simpson that deeply resonated with me:

"Years ago a friend placed in my hand a little book which became one of the turning points in my life. It was "True Peace." It was an old medieval message, and it had but one thought--that God was waiting in the depth of my being to talk with me if I would only get still enough to hear Him. I thought this would be a very easy matter, so I began to get still. But I had no sooner commenced than a perfect pandemonium of voices reached my ears, a thousand clamoring notes from without and within, until I could hear nothing but their noise and din. Some of them were my own voice, some of them were my own questions, some of them my own cares, some of them my own prayers. Others were suggestions of the tempter and the voices of the world's turmoil. Never before did there seem to be so many things to be done, to be said, to be thought; and in every direction I was pulled and pushed and greeted with noisy acclamations and unspeakable unrest. It seemed necessary for me to listen to some of them, but God said, "Be still, and know that I am God." Then came the conflict of thoughts for the morrow and its duties and cares; but God said, "Be still." And then there came the very prayers which my restless heart wanted to press upon Him; but God said, "Be still."
As I listened and slowly learned to obey, and shut my ears to every sound, I found that after a while when the other voices ceased, or I ceased to hear them, there was a still small voice in the depth of my spirit. As I listened, it became to me the power of prayer, the voice of wisdom, and call of duty; and I did not need to think so hard, or pray so hard, or trust so hard, but that the "still, small voice" of the Holy Spirit in my heart was God's prayer in my secret soul, and God's answer to all my questions."

In the morning when you rise, may the Lord God bless you with the stillness of spirit to listen to His voice and the courage in your heart to respond.

GIVE US JESUS.

10 minutes and 32 seconds

2009-09-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

Please turn on your speakers and watch this video. May it challenge you and bless you dear ones. Love.

How He Loves Us

2009-09-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

As you listen to this song my prayer is that you would catch just a glimpse of how much God loves you. You are precious in His sight; His delight is in you.

Hold Fast

2009-09-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:9-11

The following is an excerpt from my journal, it was written June 23, 2009. During that season of my life I was working full time at a Pregnancy Care Centre:
At work we had a client come in for baby clothes. And, as she was picking them out she noticed big rubber-made containers on top of the shelves marked “winter clothes”.
Now, currently, the clothes on the shelves are considered summer clothes. We switch the clothes out according to season.
Anyhow, after spotting them, she turned to me and said, “I come from a warm region and I still find it quite cold. Can I look through those bins?”
Now, when she asked this question, every single inch of me wanted to say, “yes”. Her request was legitimate; she wanted her child to be as warm and comfortable as possible.
However, even though I wanted to say, “yes”, I understood something that she did not.
First, getting those tubs down is a huge task and each one is filled with clothing that has been carefully folded and placed perfectly so that the lid fit on. Folding, switching, and tubing the clothes is a tremendous task that takes lots of time and effort.
What is more, I know that even if we took every tub, turned it upside down and sifted through it, it was highly unlikely that we would find anything more appropriate for her child than what was already placed on the shelves.
So, I said “No”. Even though it broke my heart and I know she couldn’t fully understand. Then I quickly followed with an, “I’m sorry”, and I was.
And, her response amazed me. She said, “That’s okay. We must not always get what we ask for.”
I think I understood a lot about God’s heart for us in that moment.
Sometimes we ask God for things and He says, “No”, because only He can comprehend the magnitude and the measurable outcome of our request.
Keeping the clothing in the tubs, out of reach, was the best thing. So, I said, “No”, even though it broke my heart.
They will be taken down when the season is right.

We shall come one day to a heaven where we shall gratefully know that God’s refusals were sometimes the true answers to our truest prayers.
–P.T. Forsyths “The Soul of Prayer”
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said."
Luke 1:38a

The Way They Held Eachother

2009-08-15T22:55:00.000-07:00

A woman and her young daughter were destitute

and traveling to another country

where they hoped to find

a new life.

Three men stole them while they were camping.

They were brought to a city

and sold as slaves; each to a different

owner.

They were given one minute more together,

before their fates became unknown.

My soul clings to God like that,

the way they held

each other.

By: Mirabai

St. Augustines Prayer

2009-07-30T22:09:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite prayers. May it encourage you.

God of our life,
There are days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and weigh us down;
When the road seems dreary and endless, the skies gray and threatening;
When our lives have no music in them, and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage.
Flood the path with light, turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise;
Tune our hearts to brave music;
give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age;
And so quicken our spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life, to your honour and glory. -Amen

Hey unfaithful...

2009-06-04T18:01:00.000-07:00

Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” -Matthew 9:10-13 (NKJV)

Gran Doktè nou,
Pawòl ou tankou alkòl.
Lè l’tonbe sou maleng
le boule e li fè mal,
men se sèlman lè sa l’touye
mikwòb.
Si li pa boule, li pa fè anyen.

Our Great Physician ,
Your Word is like alcohol.
When poured on an infected wound,
It burns and stings,
But only then can it kill germs.
If it doesn’t burn, it doesn’t do any good.
-“God is no Stranger” A Haitian book of prayer

Love is not a fight.

2009-05-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
-1 Cor. 13 (NIV)

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. -2 Cor. 7:1 (NASB)

Everything.

2009-05-22T23:17:00.000-07:00

Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. –Colossians 1:25-29

Well friends, below I've written a prayer which was born out of my utter depravity and God's grace and power in my life. I hope it will bless you.

O Eternal God,
Here am I.
A gypsy,
a pilgrim.
A thief
hidden
in the heart of a Redeemer.
Conflicted thoughts,
empty hands.
Battle scars,
undone plans.
I am a misfit
and I give myself to You.
Broken,
contrite.
I am a fool.
Beyond logic,
reason.
Ignorant,
out of season.

Please,
distance me
from my lingering pride.

O, Father, in Christ
consume me.

Let Your Spirit
bloom in me.

You are the Fire.
I AM
ashes without you.

You are the Light.
I AM
withered without you.

In fear
trembling…

Here am I.
Christ
in me.
The hope of glory.

You’re my everything.

Amen.

"There is an appointed time for everything" Ecc.3:1a

2009-05-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. -Ecc. 7:8

Judges 13-16

2009-04-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

So, some dear friends of mine showed me this the other day. It makes me laugh hysterically. I hope you enjoy it! Love.

Do not be afraid.

2009-04-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. –Matthew 28: 5-6

“Heaven about is softer blue,
Earth around is sweeter green,
Something lives in every hue,
Christless eyes have never seen.
Birds with gladder songs o’erflow,
Flowers with deeper beauty shine,
Since I know as now I know
I am His, and He is mine.”

–Jim Elliot

Si donc vous êtes ressuscités avec Christ, cherchez les choses d’en haut, où Christ est assis à la droite de Dieu. Attachez-vous aux choses d’en haut, et non à celles qui sont sur la terre. Car vous êtes morts, et votre vie est cachée avec Christ en Dieu. Quand Christ, votre vie, paraîtra, alors vous paraîtrez aussi avec lui dans la gloire. –Colossiens 3 :1-4

I am no longer my own, but Yours.
Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by You or laid aside for You, exalted for You or brought low by You.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
You are mine and I am Yours. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth, Let it be ratified in heaven. -Amen

(Community Response: A Covenant Prayer. Adapted from John Wesley's Covenant Service)

True Love

2009-04-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
-Hebrews 12:2

« Après qu’il aura chassé tous tes ennemis devant toi, comme l’Éternel l’a dit. »
-Deutéronome 6 :19

A Crisis Man

2009-04-06T21:57:00.001-07:00

So currently I’m reading “Shadow of the Almighty: Life and Testament of Jim Elliot”. Jim was a missionary martyr (Read his bio here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Elliot). Anyways, almost everything that I’ve read about the life of this dear saint has really challenged me. Especially, the way that he prayed and walked according to his convictions.
Two of His prayers have really touched me today, so I’d like to share them with you:
1) “Fix my heart wholly, Lord, to follow Thee, in no detail to touch what is not mine”
2) “Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a mile post on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another in facing Christ in me.”
The latter has inspired a prayer/poem that I’d like to share. (Please note: C.S. Lewis’s description of the woman of noble character in his allegory “The Great Divorce” has also heavily influenced this poem.)
Father,
Please keep
every man my brother
in our friendship
challenged
to be
a better brother, father, lover.
And make
every woman my sister
in our encounter
encouraged
to be
a better sister, giver, lover.
And let
every child in my presence
find
a mother.
And, fill me
with Your truth;
truth
sets people free.
So that all may see
Christ Jesus
who makes His home
in me.
Amen

Great is Your love and Your faithfulness...

2009-04-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

So recently I made a video documenting some of the things that I've learned during the last eight months in Québec. Please feel free to check it out:

In other news, my dear friend Julie wrote a blog post on March 29th which I found to be startling. See here:http://julieslifejourney.blogspot.com/
Since I know Julie well as a woman of the Lord, I'm taking it very seriously. As should you.

And finally, I would like to share with you some of the lyrics to my new favorite love song.
It's Leeland's, 'Theif in the Night':

Great is Your love and Your faithfulness
It’s Your faithfulness that carries me
Many times I’ve run away
Forsook Your love and all Your grace
Still You call out my nameYeah,
You still care that I be saved
So I’ll sing the glories of Your name
Your awesomeness I will proclaim
Until You come, until You come and…
Take Your bride away
Like a thief in the night
Like a thief in the night
You’ll take us away
There is no one that can fill this void
Like You fill this void in my heart
My life is just a human one
But You pick me up and call me son
Speak, Lord, I am listening Yes,
Your child will serve faithfully

St. Augustines Prayer

2009-01-17T14:46:00.000-08:00

Currently in my devotional life I'm going through a book called "Ancient Christians Devotional: A Year of Weekly Readings". It is really quite good. Originally I picked it because it was edited by Thomans C. Oden, a man who wrote three very excellent books on systematic theology, and I'm finding it quite insightful. It includes weekly Bible readings that follow the Christian calendar and each reading is accompanied by the writings and prayers of the early church fathers.
Anyways, I think that my favorite part of working through this devotional book is reading the prayers. For each week there is an opening and a closing prayers to pray through each day. And I love praying through these prayers. It is so incredible to me to think that followers of Christ have been praying through these same prayers for hundreds of years, and now I get to be a part of that...
And now I would like to invite you to be a part of that too. Below is my favorite prayer for this week. I hope it blesses you the way its been blessing me.
Love.
O God, the light of the hearts that see you, the life of the souls that love you, the strength of the minds that seek you; from whom to turn is to fall, to whom to turn is to rise and in whom to abide is to stand fast forever: grant us your blessing as we offer up our confessions and supplications, and though we are unworthy to approach you or to ask anything of you at all, hear and forgive us, for the sake of our great High Priest and only Mediator, Jesus Christ you Son. Amen

This Is My Desire

2008-11-08T19:44:00.000-08:00

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going, I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that, if I do this, You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone. -Thomas Merton

This is my desire: to honor You.
Lord with all my Heart I worship You.
All I have within in me, I give You praise.
All that I adore is in You.

Lord I give you my heart,
I give you my soul, I live for you alone.
Every breath that I take,
Every moment I'm awake,
Lord have Your way in me.
-Hillsong "This is My Desire"

Adequacy…

2008-10-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

So what has God been teaching me lately?
I’ve been taking lessons in adequacy. When you find yourself to be completely inept and entirely inadequate, do not despair:

Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Cor. 3:4-6

It is this hope that governs me. Not that I can achieve adequacy through righteous deeds, talents, or abilities (specifically the ability to communicate…).
But, Christ is my adequacy!

And if you want to accept Christ then you also are made adequate.
So, put away your self condemning thoughts.
Silence the voice that says, “You don’t measure up”.
“You can’t do it; the task is too great!”
“You are inadequate”.

Enough.

Start living in victory.
Christ is our adequacy.
His Spirit is in us, all hope and all glory.

A tale of the miraculous heaven sent throne of sorts...

2008-09-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

So, here goes my first b-log update since my arrival…
I think I’ll start by sharing with you the most important thing I’ve learned so far.

Lesson#1: God is really big and faithful. It seems that since I landed here God has continually shown me His love and faithfulness in every way. You see, I have been walking around with a great deal of confusion for nearly three weeks now. I don’t know what people are saying. I don’t know what I am saying (which is apparent on the faces of those who I speak too…). And, I don’t even fully comprehend where I’m at; since I have directional difficulties. Yet, God has continually provided for me. For example, last week God met one of my premier needs via a porta-potty. One evening I was returning from an excursion to Old Québec when all of the sudden nature called… This was extremely inconvenient as I still had to walk half an hour from the bus stop to the house. Well, fifteen minutes in, I was on the brink of forfeit. I knew I could not hold it any longer… I started to pray: “Lord, help me! I already feel like an infant in every way; I don’t want my host family to think that I didn’t come potty trained!”
And then, just as I was about to say goodbye to my last ounce of dignity I spotted it, the green porta-potty from heaven (pictured on right) . It rose up out of nowhere on a street corner in the suburbs! The pylons around it indicated that it was initially placed there to service a road construction crew; but, I know that it was God who placed it in that exact spot to meet me in my hour of great need! Praise Him!
In other news, this weekend I had the immense privilege of helping to present Option Grossesse to a church here in QC. The service was in French and English; and I had the opportunity to present the Centre in English while my francophone friend A. did her part in French. It went very well; I think that we were well received. Praise God that we are receiving support from some of the churches in QC!

Finally, I’d like to share with you one of the beautiful things I see everyday. Pictured on the right are the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus. As I walk to school each day I see this statue standing outside an abandoned monastery. It reminds me of God’s great mercy and unending love. The empty monastery, however, reminds me how much we need God.

That’s all for this go. Please tune in next time to hear more about my miraculous happenings and amazing adventures.

Love, Leah

Please Note: I’ve listed below some prayer and praise items.
Praise God for:
- The fact that I now have internet at the Moreau’s. Thank-you for your prayers!
- The opportunity to speak in church.
- His continued faithfulness.

Prayer For:
- Option Grossesse, please pray that we would continue to move forward in success as we establish a location for the Centre and start training.
- My grandpa Jack and my friend Megan who are in the hospital. Please pray that they would come to know that Lord and that He would heal them.
- Pray for my language learning; that my mouth and ears would be opened. (Also, pray that God would still use me somehow in the mean time…)

Zero to Sixty in Year 400

2008-08-29T00:48:00.000-07:00

Dorothy Kenton, an Alliance missionary who had plans to serve God overseas, was redirected in 1942.

After much prayer she believed that God wanted her to go to Quebec. “When I could say a wholehearted ‘yes’ too Him and give my willing consent to serve Him in Quebec for as long as He chose to use me there,” she recalled, “a great peace flooded my soul and immediately the Lord gave token after token that this thing was of Him.”

Later she wrote:

Quebec is not ordinarily thought of as a mission field. Going up there does not carry with it the glory and glamour of one who is crossing the ocean. Nevertheless, the field is a most needy one and certainly a hard one; a field that needs the earnest prayers and supplications of the Lord’s intercessors…

Apparently, in 1948 Quebec was considered:
“the world’s second largest (after India) unevangelized missions field, still open to the Gospel”
- Lindsay Reynolds “Rebirth: The Redevelopment of the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada 1919-1983

I wonder how much has changed in 60 years?

Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner.

Stop Pretending; Start Loving.

2008-08-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

I am not a woman of great knowledge or wisdom. I don’t have a degree.

And yet… the truth was spelled out for me in a dream like at street sign caught in the headlights at night: “Canada is in Danger”

What do you mean Canada is in danger? I don’t feel threatened?

"We don't realize how vulnerable we are in one another's company," said Fr. Riccioli. "We depend and trust that people next to us are coming out of their best place. Sometimes that continuum doesn't work out. Some of it is random. But as a society we make choices; we pretend that people are on their own and that has consequences. When we decide that we would rather have a tax cut than a place to house people who are mentally ill that has consequences, too."
-Charles Lewis, National Post “Tragedy tests one’s faith”; in reference to the Greyhound atrocity
<http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=696337&p=2>

Pretending that we are on our own isn’t so bad for the able bodied… a bit lonely perhaps.

But, independence is freedom… right?

Wrong.
We all fall down.
Whether it is due to illness, accident, or old age; we all fall down.

So…

Let’s STOP pretending that we’re all alone.

Two is better than one… if one falls down, his friend can help him up.
Woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

- Ecc. 4:9a, 10

Progress Report - Mission Quebec

2008-07-23T06:58:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, so I haven’t been as frequent in updating this blog as I would have hoped; however, I plan to amend this presently. Here is a quick update on my Quebec status.
Praise Items:
1) I have a plane ticket! I will be arriving in Quebec City on Monday September 1st at 5:45pm.
2) My plane ticket cost approximately $175 less than I thought it would!
3) I have been learning a lot of useful things at the Calgary Pregnancy Care Centre; I hope that these things will be helpful during my time in Quebec.

Prayer Requests:
4) I have sent in my application to the University of Laval for language studies; please pray with me that I will hear from them soon with a letter of acceptance.
5) I still don’t have a place to live while I’m in Quebec City. Ideally I would like to live with a French speaking family; however, if I don’t find a family I will have to live in a secular residence setting at Laval. Since I never want to live in a secular residence ever, please pray that God would prepare a family for me.
6) Continued prayer for funds; I am still short a few thousand dollars.

So, there you have it, my progress report. God bless you for joining me in prayer.

“God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble”

2008-06-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

God wants us to show our faith when we obey, for he doesn't express his will with drums and trumpets...Sometimes he suggests his wishes in a whisper, deep in our conscience; and we must listen carefully to recognize his voice and be faithful... Let's not forget: we need humility of we are to obey... We have to love God so as to love his will and desire to respond to his call.

Trade my trumpets for sackcloth.
Clothe my heart in humility;
that righteousness might take root
and spring up.

“Let go of this love for hypocrisy.”
“LET GO OF THIS STRIFE AND MONSTROSITY”

Christ in me;
all hope and all glory.

Come Lord Jesus, come.

God humbled himself to allow us to get near him, so that we could give our love in exchange for his so that our freedom might bow, not only at the sight of his power, but also before the wonder of his humility. -Josemaria Escriva

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. -James 4:6b-10

The Lord is my Portion

2008-06-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

God is great and merciful!

When my heart was embittered
And I was pierced within,
Then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
With Your counsel You will guide me,
And afterward receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and
my portion forever.
For, behold, those who are far from You
will perish;
You have destroyed all those who are
unfaithful to You.
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.
-Ps. 73:21-28

I love the Lord! He is good to me!

Remember my affliction and my
wandering, the wormwood and
bitterness.
Surely my soul remembers
And is bowed down within me.
This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed
never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion" says my soul,
"Therefore I have hope in Him."
The Lord is good to those who wait for
Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for a man that he should bear
the yoke in his youth.
Let him sit alone and be silent
Since He has laid it on him.
Let him put his mouth in the dust,
Perhaps there is hope.
Let him give his cheek to the smitter,
Let him be filled with reproach.
For the Lord will not reject forever,
For if He causes grief,
Then He will have compassion
According to His abundant
lovingkindness.
-Lam. 3: 19-32

The Second Helvetic Confession of the Protestant Reformation says, "The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God"... the humility implicit in such a confession is that we have nothing of importance, merit, or authority to say comparable to what God has said.
-Bryan Chapell

"Jesus is alive!"

2008-06-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

-Ps. 139:13b

These are my nephew’s feet and my sister’s hands. Beautiful feet and hands….
Since I began working at the Pregnancy Care Center I have spent a considerable amount of time with small children and pregnant women. I won’t deceive you; it isn’t always easy. There are a lot of tears involved.
However, it has never been more apparent to me how truly miraculous life is. The Lord loves His little children.
Okay… illustration time. Yesterday I spent the day with one of my sisters and her family (a different sister than the one pictured above). And of course, she is pregnant, seven months along in fact. She also already has one small child. He is nearly three and he is absolutely adorable. I love him a great deal.
Anyways, while we were playing in the back yard (actually, he was running and playing while all of the adults wondered at his vast supply of energy) when all of the sudden my dear little nephew ran up to me with excitement and said, “Auntie Leala” (Yes… he calls me Auntie Leala; so cute!). And I replied, “Yes?” eager to share in his delight.

His eyes got wide; what he was about to say was clearly very important to him.
I braced myself.

“Jesus…” he said, “is alive!”

“Yes he is dear one,” I smiled with great joy.

Apparently, ever since my nephew started going to Sunday school he has become a little evangelist. He especially likes to share in the mall.
Praise the Lord!

God loves His precious little children.

God weeps...

2008-05-18T22:26:00.000-07:00

As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting" -Acts 9:3-5

God weeps
at love withheld
at strength misused
at children’s innocence abused
Until we change the way we love,
God weeps.

God bleeds
at anger’s fist
at trust betrayed
at women battered and afraid
Until we change the way we win,
God bleeds.

God cries
at hungry mouths
at running sores
at creatures dying without cause
Until we change the way we care,
God cries.

God waits
for stones to melt
for peace to seed
for heart’s to hold each others need
Until we understand the Christ,
God waits.

By Shirley Erena Murray

4 o'clock?!?

2008-05-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

"it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all... Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" –Acts 3:16b;19

Well, this week has been full of challenges, including inward and outward struggles; but, it has also been full of divine mercy, strengthening, and refreshing.

Yesterday for example I accidentally left work one hour early.
My co-worker and I were talking and she said, "well I've got to go; see you tomorrow Leah". Since we usually leave at the same time I assumed that this meant it was time for me to go as well.
I looked outside and the sky seemed dark enough (it was raining...). I also glanced at the clock on the wall; and read it wrong. Then I went home.
When I stepped in the door my roommate and her fiancé were sitting on the couch, they looked at me with surprise and one of them said, "Leah, you're home early!" I responded, "No I'm not". But, they seemed convinced, so I swallowed my pride and looked at the clock. They were right; it was 4 not 5... So I ran back to work.
Luckily, I only live across the street so I was gone for like 5 minutes. When I got back to the Center and told the ladies what happened we all had a good chuckle.
My job is a real blessing to me; it’s keeping me humble.

God is good. Even when it’s raining, and my timing is off... He is good to me.
Slow to anger, rich in mercy, abounding in love.

April 25th

2008-04-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;
And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God.
-Psalm 50:23

Today I ate an entire chocolate rabbit head left over from Easter...
Yesterday I cleaned out all my cupboards and put everything I own into a box and moved it.
The day before that I finished my last Greek paper; my last paper of the year.
Now I am on the farm again for a few days.

My life is in HUGE transition.

If it were a chapter book I'm on to the next chapter.
The last few were the best so far; hard to beat.
But I think this new one has started out pretty good.

It begins by remembering Easter.

Praise the name of Jesus!

2008-04-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this B-log is to lend you some insight into my life as I venture to Quebec on a mission. I hope to write on regular basis; I’ll start in the summer as I prepare to go. However, until I get through this last stretch of papers and exams, I will simply leave you some scripture to encourage you and a Merton that I jacked from Leslie’s blog to pacify your heart.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Our Eden is the heart of Christ,
Let grace come, Jesus.
Your name is on my heart
Your holy name is on the tower of my heart.
Let grace come and let this world pass away,
Jesus, You who are living in my exhausted heart.
-Thomas Merton