The Real Me:

...days ordained for me...

2012-02-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

I had started writing a blog yesterday. Since I had a bit of a crazy day I had typed a few thoughts, but hadn't completed anything. As it turns out, today I received an e-mail asking me to share at a ladies cafe-styled evening in a couple weeks. So, my thoughts will be saved until after that evening, at which time I'll post them on here.

I'm not one who believe in coincidences. To say that having these God-thoughts rolling around in my head & then being asked to share God-thoughts in just over two weeks, is a coincidence is not me. I do however believe in a much bigger plan.

The curriculum I use in the children's ministry I lead talks very much about The Big God Story. How this amazing story started in Genesis 1:1, continues throughout the Bible, includes me & will continue on to my future with Jesus. Such an amazing way to look at life. Not as isolated events, but rather as God's amazing narrative playing out as He reconciles humanity back to Himself.

Psalm 139 is one of my all time favourite parts of the Bible. As I've been contemplating timing in the midst of the thoughts rolling around my head & the incredible invitation I've received to share my thoughts, Psalm 139:15 has come crashing to the forefront of my mind.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

God knew exactly what was going to go down. In fact, He ordained it.

And so here I sit, mulling over numerous things, smiling to myself, amazed once again at how my God is at work.

January thoughts

2012-01-24T14:08:00.002-07:00

For someone who claims to love writing & one day dreams of writing a book, you'd never know it from taking a look at this blog...YIKES!

On the other hand, if you check out dgcchurch.ca and "click" on the "Blog" link along the top menu bar, you'd see otherwise...

Hard to believe that January 2012, is more then half over! Where on earth has the time gone? Seems like I was just preparing for Christmas. New Years came & went basically without me even noticing & now the second & shortest month of the year is nearly here. It boggles my mind to think of how fast time seems to fly by.

This past fall was certainly one of being stretched, challenged & learning to adapt. To say it was a difficult autumn would be a bit of an understatement. It was long & it was tough to get through. There were various moments of wanting to just up & move, to start over some place completely new. The good news is that I persevered, survived & perhaps in some brief moments even thrived. I believe I learned much. I had to work on my heart, which is always good for me & my character.

I think the older I get, the greater appreciation I receive for time. In the culture I live in, we don't like to wait. We want what we want, & we want it right now. No waiting, no lines, instant service please. Over the past few weeks I've really be challenged to re-evalute the value of waiting, being patient & even hopeful. I believe a certain level of contentment comes with being willing to wait. Such a beautiful thing when you exude peace because you're content & full of hope; certainly the opposite to an anxious, rushing society we live in.

All this being said, we're now well into the Winter Season. Things seem to be going rather smoothly & life is looking pretty good, however, I know that life is full of seasons. Perhaps what I'm experiencing at the moment is the "calm before the storm," who's to say what will come next?

In moments like this I'm consciously I'm choosing to be content. I'm choosing patience, hope & peace.

...the desires of your heart

2011-10-19T10:38:00.003-06:00

It seems to be fairly common for people to tell me, "you will have the desires of your heart" (Ps37:4). Mostly recently on Monday evening someone yet again spoke these words to me, which reminded someone else of a time when they did as well.

As I've been pondering & thinking about these eight little words that are so often thrown around, I'm realizing that at the moment I couldn't even tell you exactly what "the desires of my heart" are. I've had plenty of dreams, things I've wanted to accomplish. From getting married, to being a children's pastor, owning a home...the list goes on, however these are all things that have already been "checked" off the list.

At the moment, it feels as though I'm in the place of having to dream new dreams. What are those "desires of my heart"? It also feels as though it's the start of a new season in my life, & with this new season it would only seem natural for there to be some new dreams as well. Yet, it feels as though there aren't any at the moment.

The fabulous news, is that those eight little words are preceded by five profound words, "Take delight in the Lord." The truth is, that the desires don't come until I do something. This happens to be the best thing for me at the moment. I may not have a clear idea as to what my dreams & desires are right now, but I do know about delighting in the Lord. I also happen to firmly believe that not only is He the one who gives us the desires of our hearts, but He also plants those desires in our hearts in the first place.

Thankful

2011-10-12T10:37:00.003-06:00

This past weekend Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving, a time set aside every year to thank God for everything we have.

Yesterday a beloved friend sent me a list of 365 things she's thankful for in 2011, which got me thinking. The following list isn't quite 365, not nearly 365 in fact, but here's a few things I was reminded to be thankful for over the course of this past weekend...

I spent Friday afternoon & evening with my lovely sister-in-law, her husband & their beautiful twin girls. I'm thankful to have the kind of relationship with my sister-in-law that I'm able to be apart of their lives on a regular basis. I love that I get to spend time with my lovely nieces & watch as each week they grow up just a little bit more.

Saturday I got to spend basically the whole day with my husband. I'm thankful for someone who's strong, caring, generous, kind, honest, gracious, supportive, understanding, patient, loving, encouraging, wise, smart, sexy...the list goes on. Not only is this man my life partner, he's also my best friend. He's the only one who knows absolutely everything about me & yet still loves me.

Sunday morning in church I was reminded to be thankful that I live in a country where there is freedom to worship my God.

Sunday we celebrated Thanksgiving with both our families. I'm thankful for my roots. My parents are incredible people who have been amazing parents. They've taught me about life & have instilled great values into me. My in-laws are such amazing people who love ms as their own daughter. They have done a fine job in raising my husband to be the man he is today. I couldn't be more thankful for these two families who have shaped my husband & I. We are a direct result of their love, persistence & God's grace. Our meal was delicious & filling. I'm thankful for the abundance of nourishment available to me.

The majority of Monday was spent in my home, which is located in a fabulous little cul-de-sac with fantastic neighbours. I'm happy for the shelter I'm lucky enough to dwell in. It's comfy, it's warm & it's safe. My neighbourhood if full of amazing friendly people, all of whom I know are looking out for us & we for them.

Truly this is just scrapping the surface. There is so much that I'm thankful for & although this list isn't 365 things long, I know without a doubt it could be...

Psalm 136:1

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.

Sunday mornings...

2011-10-05T13:36:00.001-06:00

have been one of the times I look forward to the most in my week for nearly as long as I can remember.

However, working at a church has greatly affected the way I look at church...hopefully for the better.

I've come to realize that my time spent in a service on a Sunday morning really isn't about me. In fact, anyone who attends church on Sunday & only thinks about themselves is really missing the point.

It's not about if worship was too long/short/loud/quiet, if the offering message inspired/offended me, if the message was too long/short/irrelevant/spiritual, if the coffee was too strong/weak...etc.

Church is not about you, or me for that matter.

I will never forget as a young girl overhearing a conversation where someone said something like, "when you go to church you should be asking God how you can bless someone else, not how you can get blessed." There is so much truth in that statement! Because church isn't about an individual, church is really all about Jesus.

The greatest commandment is to love God & the second is to love others (Matt 22:38-39). There is nothing in there about I, or me...it's all about Him & everyone else.

How many times do people totally miss the point (even leaders!), when suddenly our own agenda, how WE want the 1.5 hours on a Sunday morning to look overrides anything else.

Truth be told, "the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed." (Heb 7:7)

When you attend church with an attitude of what you're going to GIVE rather then what you're going to GET, I guarantee what you'll receive in the end is far better then a Sunday service meeting your checklist.

what does your character say?

2011-10-03T09:37:00.001-06:00

I've been thinking about character quite a bit lately. We all know that actions speak louder then words. What you do & who you are has more weight then what you say. It's hard to listen intently to what someone is saying when you've come to know & experience the opposite through their actions.

As a result I've been hugely challenged to make the way I act matches up with the words I speak. Although I'm not perfect, I certainly want to be someone who lives & speaks with integrity.

I want my life to be one where the things I SAY I value are actually the things I SHOW value towards. I want my life to be one where people aren't left confused & second guessing what I actually mean.

I want my life to be one where unconditional love prevails over judgement. This means that when I notice someone who's actions don't line up with their words rather then dismissing, slandering, or judging I choose to give them the benefit of the doubt & love them regardless...

One of those days...

2011-09-27T13:28:00.000-06:00

You know when you ask someone, "how's your day going?" and they reply, "oh, it's one of those days."? It seems as though the past few months have been full of "those days." I'm not kidding! Although it hasn't all been BAD, it hasn't necessarily all been GOOD either.

The thing with "those days" is that you can make yourself comfortable & get stuck there, or you can keep plugging away, knowing that one day it'll get better. I've found that my life motto of "fake it 'til you make it" has never seemed to be more true then it is now.

If there's one thing I hope to be able to say with conviction & truth when the dust settles it's, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim.4:7)

I've been challenged more then ever to keep my heart right. To continually make sure that I'm forgiving others, seeking forgiveness & doing all that I can to allow myself to be changed to be like my sweet Jesus.

I'm confident that one day I'll look back & be able to say that this was a season that really built godly character into me, that it was a massive defining moment in my life, but at the moment it seems life is a bit painful, confusing, frustrating, yet exciting & definitely full of tears (ha! Who am I kidding, nearly every season I find myself in is full of tears ;) ). Realizing that there are bound to be many more months in my lifetime similar to the past few, I know without a doubt that basically my only option as I navigate what's to come is to just keep on keeping on.

Remembering Summer...

2011-09-06T16:00:00.001-06:00

The past few months of summer, have seemed to have been a whirlwind of emotions & memories.

From weddings, to funerals, auntie time, auntie withdrawals, family reunions, reunions with good friends, road trips, camping trips, packing for holidays, packing to move & everything in between its hard to believe the warmest season (not to mention my favourite!) is coming to an end.

Although with great sadness I say good-bye to long days, warm sunshine, short work days, weekends spent in my second home, BBQ suppers, iced coffees, raspberry lemon loaf, pedicured feet, sandals, skirts, tank tops & my fabulous tan lines I can't help but look forward to the new season just around the corner.

Having drank my first Pumpkin Spice Latte this morning I can confidently say I'm ready to welcome fall. Boots, pashminas, evenings spent in front of the fireplace with a book, the changing leaves & perhaps a new hair colour are all just around the corner.

As the seasons change a favourite verse from Daniel comes to mind:

He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. (2:21)

Knowing that He is the one who brings change, I'm ready for what's to come. I feel as though I thrive during change. I'm not a huge fan of the familiar as I feel that I get stuck in a rut & don't seem to reach my full potential. I enjoy challenges & being stretched, which is what I confidently feel autumn has in store. Knowing that in 9 months summer will be here again, with an open heart I'm ready to face autumn.

Go now...

2011-07-12T14:16:00.000-06:00

I've always loved the story of Jesus with the woman caught in adultery. So often I seem to hear these words rolling around in my head:

"Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." (John 8:7)

Those times when judgemental thoughts begin to creep up, these red letters seem to ring out as I'm reminded that I too am a sinner & no sin is worse then the other.

The other day as I was pondering this story, something stuck out to me that I don't think I've ever noticed, or paid much attention to before, the final words of Jesus to this woman are:

"Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:11)

So often I seem to get caught up in the grace, (which by the way is a FABULOUS thing!) that I forget the last & perhaps most powerful words of all.

Yes, we are forgiven, not condemned, shown undeserved grace, HOWEVER, we're then challenged to change our ways. We're all so quick to receive grace, but would rather just stay in that place then to actually take responsibility for our actions & leave those sinful ways.

This story ends up having two equally important challenges to it's readers:

1. It's not your job or responsibility to judge sin. Rather, show grace as Jesus did.

2. After you've received this incredible gift, do something about it & change.

Partners

2011-06-20T14:29:00.003-06:00

This past weekend I received a text message from an excited grandma, telling me that a grandson had asked Jesus into his heart the previous night with his mom. The part of the message that followed totally floored & humbled me, "Thanks for teaching him about Jesus."

Last night my husband & I were talking about this & both came to a unanimous agreement, it is far better for a child to make that amazing decision in the presence of their parents, rather then in our presence. Not that I don't love being able to watch children's faces as they begin a personal relationship Jesus, but there's something so special about this happening in the home...not the mention the fact that I believe that's the way God designed it.

"Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and get them inside your children. Talks about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminders; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates: Deuteronomy 6:6-9

It is such a great honour & privilege to partner with parents & grandparents as they raise children who know & love God. And that's really what my job is all about, being a partner. As a children's pastor, my job isn't to be the main spiritual teacher in children's lives, that job has been plainly given to parents, but I'm so happy to be apart of the process; to start conversations, plant seeds, prompt questions.

At the end of the day, it's all about partnership.

Auntie Catherine

2011-05-24T09:57:00.002-06:00

My husband's older sister gave birth to two beautiful baby girls on Friday, May 20 at 3:32pm & 3:38pm. They are the two newest, most beautiful additions to our family & although I have yet to meet these little bundles, I'm absolutely in love!

In fact, I've been in love from the moment the exciting news was shared that my sister-in-law was expecting. My love grew after the ultrasound, when it was announced that there were in fact two little babes growing inside. My love nearly overwhelmed me when I saw pictures from the ultrasound & was told that these two, were in fact fraternal twins & both little princesses. Every little girlie/petite/adorable outfit, fabulous accessory, cuddly stuffed animal that I've seen (& in quite a few cases purchased), my love for these little cuties has grown even more.

Working with children & families full time has allowed me to share in the excitement of many children who have entered the world. Although there are many babies who have been born that are so very dear to my heart, no one could have ever prepared me for the excitement, anticipation, and love that I have for my two nieces.

Knowing that these two little princesses will be a large part of our lives, that these little babes will one day be cousins/playmates etc. with my future children, that these adorable little ones will begin to shape what family get togethers/long weekends/Friday afternoons etc. look like makes my heart bubble over.

The words of Psalm 139 have been rolling around in my head, as I've had moments of remembering my parents speaking them over me throughout my life:

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

The truth is that through this whole process I've been reminded of what an honour & privilege it is to invited to partner with parents as they raise incredible kids who love God. With my nieces it's only natural that the family come alongside to encourage & help support throughout the parenting process, which is turning out to be one of the greatest honours I've ever had. I'm realizing though, how amazing it is to essentially be invited into families, as another member, as I come alongside to support & encourage.

To the families that I've been invited into, thank you for giving me this amazing opportunity. I'm realizing more & more just how much of an incredible privilege this is. I wouldn't trade my job or role as Auntie Catherine for anything in the world!

meddling

2011-05-19T15:33:00.003-06:00

I just finished reading Church+Home by Mark Holmen. He presents some excellent & challenging thoughts on Faith@Home, whichwould make sense seeing how he's the founder of the Faith@Home movement. This is his third book I've read, & all though they all seem to portray the same basic information, I'm still a huge fan.

One of the ideas that Mark presents is "meddling grandparents." He challenges & encourages grandparents to get involved in their children & grandchildren's faith walk, whether through writing letters/texts/email, making phone calls, & prayer. I love this...probably mostly because I have my own story of how my life has been effected by "meddling."

My great grandma Belsher was an incredible woman of faith. Although we did meet before she passed away, I can't say that I remember as I was still very young. Her legacy, however, lives on, not only in my life but in the lives of nearly all of my Belsher relatives. Great grandma prayed for each one of us every single day. I realize that many grandparents do this, but something to keep in mind is that she had 16 children who lives to adulthood! Praying for everyone in her family was no small feat. Once every three years the Belsher family gathers for a family reunion & it is tradition that on the Sunday of our reunion we have a church service. This was of course birthed & continues all because of great grandma.

I think the greatest way my great grandma has included my faith walk however, is a bit more specific to me. I was a bit of a "miracle baby" as I wasn't my parents first pregnancy. When my great grandma came to visit me as an infant she took me in her arms and said, "All children are a blessing from God, but this is a blessed child." Although I don't remember these words of life being spoken over me, my parents do. I'm fairly confident that now 20-something years later that those words have in fact made a huge impact in my life.

So, to all parents/grandparents/great grandparents out there, who are thinking it's too little too late to have any sort of impact on your children/grandchildren/great grandchildren's faith walk, I would like to encourage you to meddle. Send little notes of encouragement. Make regular phone calls. But most of all pray. You never know what seeds you've planted!

Lessons learned from camping chairs

2011-05-16T13:38:00.004-06:00

Camping season is here! This weekend will mark the first voyage of 2011, & I can hardly wait. After a years of sitting in those crazy, slouchy chairs that you pull out of bags & purchase for $10 at Canadian Tire, my husband & I have made the switch to seating which is a bit more expensive, supportive & comfortable. Between our new "directors chairs" & zero-gravity chairs we are not only set, but our backs are already thanking us!

I've determined that I will without a doubt be one of those crazy ladies, who will make it known when you've taken her seat. Should you be one of the many people who joins us in our camping excursions this summer, be warned, if you find yourselves in one of my chairs you will likely be evicted.

I wonder if there's a lesson to be learned in the possessiveness people (I) tend to have?

Although my camping chairs are only chairs, they're MINE, giving me the authority to decide who will or will not be able to sit in them. The outrageous thing about these chairs is that one was a gift given to me & the other a personal purchase & yet I'm equally possessive of both.

I wonder how often I'm willing to be this possessive over unseen things? How often am I willing to let promises & blessings given to me be taken? How often as I daughter of the King, am I passive & fail to use my authority (which is really His authority...)

AND SO...as the past few weeks have turned out be a ridiculously crazy season I'm reclaiming the following:

The Lord is Catherine's shepherd; Catherine has all that Catherine needs. He lets Catherine rest in green meadows; he leads Catherine beside peaceful streams. He renews Catherine's strength. He guides Catherine along right paths, bringing honour to his name. Even when Catherine walks through the darkest valley, Catherine will not be afraid, for you are close beside Catherine. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort Catherine. You prepare a feast for Catherine in the presence of Catherine's enemies. You honour Catherine by anointing Catherine's head with oil. Catherine's cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue Catherine all the days of Catherine's life, and Catherine will live in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23)

Mother's Day Prayer

2011-05-09T10:29:00.003-06:00

Generally at DGC, following worship, offering & announcements the children are dismissed to head off to DGKids. Usually their dismissal is proceeded by a prayer of blessing over them, asking God to touch their lives. Yesterday, being Mother's Day, we did our dismissal a wee bit different. Rather then asking parents/grandparents etc. to lay hands on their children, I asked the children to lay hands on their moms/grandmas/aunts etc. and led them in the following "repeat after me" prayer:

Thank You Father,

For putting me

In the same family,

As this amazing woman.

I thank You

That she loves You

With all her heart,

And that she shows me

That love everyday.

Thank You

That she has determined

To help me

Learn more about You,

And for being an example

Of how to follow You.

May she be blessed

This morning,

As she continues

To worship

And learn more

About You.

We both love You so much!

In Jesus' Name we pray,

Amen.

It was something fun, a little bit different, but most importantly something to bring honour & blessing to the most fabulous women in our lives!

Jesus Feeds 5000

2011-05-02T11:06:00.002-06:00

Yesterday morning at DGC something pretty darn awesome happened. While transitioning the service my senior pastor, Wayne Boersma, shared about Jesus feeding the 5000 (Matthew 14:13-23 & John 6:1-15).

Following transition, offering, announcements, the kids were dismissed & what do you think we talked about in Kingdom Park with our gr.1-6 kids? You guessed it, Jesus feeding the 5000!

Although I've experienced similar situations in my life before, where it seems as though God has totally orchestrated something no matter how simple, it was pretty wonderful to be able to see kids faces light up when they realized that what we were going to spend the morning talking about, was exactly what Pastor Wayne had already introduced.

Our focus in Kingdom Park was on Jesus having compassion. Prior to this incredible miracle of increase, Jesus found out that his cousin, John the Baptist, had been beheaded. Jesus had withdrawn, no doubt to mourn the loss of His cousin, the one who had prepared the way for Him. However, being Jesus & all, the crowds just followed Him, basically to the middle of nowhere.

In the midst of Jesus grieving it says "he had compassion on them" (Matthew 13:14). For real!?! Let me tell you the last thing on my mind in the midst of my hurt, pain & loss is compassion. Yet here's Jesus, caring for people & healing the sick!

And the thing that really stuck out to me, and continues to ring true in the back of my mind is this:

He has compassion on ME. Wow. Here I am in this season of confusion, loss & change, & He has compassion on me.

The best part of it all though, is that He has compassion on you too!

Easter doesn't end on Monday.

2011-04-26T14:50:00.003-06:00

I love Easter! Basically I'm a huge sucker for candy & sweets, so any excuse to put myself into a sugar comma is my favourite. I'm a huge fan of family, any excuse to get together & celebrate is a good excuse to me. I also love all that Easter represents; unconditional love, forgiveness, hope...

Easter weekend tends to be one of my favourite weekends in church as well. My whole faith system is built around this one weekend. That God would send His perfect, one & only Son to pay the ultimate sacrifice for all sins, and then to defeat death by raising from the dead...the very thought is completely overwhelming as I consider the incredible love shown.

I'm positive that the best thing about Easter is that it doesn't end on Easter Monday. Easter continues day after day after day, as I'm reminded of my Saviour's love in the beauty I witness in creation, as I receive His grace & forgiveness for the thousandth time through those who are a part of my everyday life & as I remember that I get to be apart of the Big God Story, beginning with Creation, including Easter, my life & all that follows.

Although the sugar comma continues for a few days following the fabulous visit of the Easter Bunny, Easter itself continues & will never ever end.

25 things...

2011-04-14T10:39:00.000-06:00

Just last week I celebrated my 25th birthday. Being inspired by my lovely friend Joh, who just turned 30 & decided to blog about it, I've created a new "25 things". A couple years ago "25 things" were popping up all over Facebook...this is new updated list now being 25, with various little (& some not so little) things that I've learned & random things about myself.

1. Nothing quite compares to being married to my best friend. Being married to Matt is the craziest, greatest, most exciting adventure I've ever been on. The only thing that seems to be predictable in our lives is the unpredictability & I love it! There's no one else I'd rather face each day with.

2. Although quitting would often be easier on all fronts, it's amazing the character that is built in continuing & pressing on. Hopefully the character that is being built into my life speaks of the God who's strength carries me through.

3. I am a mother. I've come to the realization that being a mom is more then pregnancy & giving birth. I love the children in my life & count it an absolute blessing & honour to mother those in my world.

4. People are of utmost importance. The day that I'm too busy for people is the day that I've completely abandoned that which I've been created for.

5. Family is irreplaceable. Four years ago my siblings & I determined that our relationships would always be a priority. I'm thankful that my parents instilled the value of family in the three of us. I'm also thankful for absolutely amazing in-laws who love & accept me as one of their family.

6. My parents have always told me to find my passion & chase it. This is quite possibly some of the greatest advice I've ever been given.

7. Words are important. Choose what you say wisely. Choose how you say something even more wisely. Ultimately choose to speak life.

8. A good cup of coffee & book is good for the soul. Take time to do that which refreshes and rejuvenates you.

9. Sometimes you just need to fake it until you make it.

10. Always be in a place of willingness to learn. My grandpa used to say that it wasn't a good day unless you learned something new...may everyday be a "good day"

11. Remember the legacy that has been built into you, and keep building upon it for the future generations. My great grandma Belsher was a great woman of faith, & there is no doubt in my mind that that legacy she built has been instilled into me. This legacy is something I hope to continue building upon, knowing that my ceiling will be my children's floor.

12. Never forget that there is no one else quite like you. No one with the same gifts, talents & passions. You are valued, cherished & loved just because of who you are.

13. Forgiveness is one of the greatest gifts you'll ever receive. Forgiving others is a greater gift to yourself then your offender.

14. Sometimes I feel as though by denying how I'm feeling I'm dealing with the issue, this is not true at all. Every emotion you feel is worth validation. Sweeping thoughts & feelings under the rug does no good to anyone. Recognize how you're feeling, but don't ever settle with staying there, be willing to move on.

15. Always give people the time of day. You never know who's path you'll have the opportunity to cross. Treat those you encounter with same dignity & respect that you expect.

16. Dream! When dreams become realities, don't forget to dream again.

17. Don't brush off gut feelings. Holy Spirit nudges in the simplest ways at times.

18. Diamonds are a girls best friend & pearls are for girls - words for all princesses. (PS: Although REAL ones are fabulous, the average person can't tell the difference between real jewels & ones bought at Le Chateau)

19. Waterproof mascara is without a doubt one of the greatest beauty product available.

20. Some of my closest friends are the same age as my parents. Get some solid, stable "older" people around you. Learn from their past. Ask them for wisdom. Allow them to speak into your life.

21. Community is essential to human survival. Some communities established will only be seasonal, some will be come & go communities that when reunited it seems as if you never left, & still others will be lifelong & very constant.

22. Tears are not always a bad thing. I definitely lean towards being someone who's overly emotional, & a result tears are often involved. Tears of pain, sorrow, hurt, joy, laughter & often just because I've completely overwhelmed. The amazing things about my tears is that there's a cleansing that comes with them.

23. Realize that there are more seasons then Spring, Summer, Autumn & Winter. Every stage of life is seasonal & although sometimes things seems to drag on forever remember that "He changes times & season; he deposes kings & raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise & knowledge to the discerning." (Daniel 2:21)

24. Unconditional love is grey. It's easy in my own mind to see things as black & white, I know what's right & wrong. The thing is, for love to be unconditional is has to be grey, willing to see past the behaviour & to love regardless.

25. There is always one constant. In a world that is constantly changing there is one who is the same yesterday, today & forever. It's in Him alone that strength, hope, peace, joy & true love can be found. He is always faithful & true.

Wall of Fame

2011-03-22T10:37:00.003-06:00

I have a cork/bulletin board in my office that hangs on the wall next to my desk. It's littered with notes, pictures, homemade jewelry, drawings & crafts...all little reminds of the incredible little ones in my life. This board is so full that artwork has spilled over to walls, held in place with sticky tack & push pins.

Although I feel so honoured & loved by these gifts which decorate my walls, sometimes I can't help but wonder who feels more loved. The kids who cry when they have to leave church on Sunday, who invite me to their birthday parties, who beg for an invitation to come to my house, to have my babysit, or to have a sleepover in my trailer while camping, who grow up a bit & begin to invite me to band concerts, sporting events & ask for permission to use my name on resumes...who feels more loved?

For as much as I'm assuming the precious children in my life must feel loved to want to give me gifts & invite me to be apart of their everyday lives, I'm the one who feels more loved then I can express. It's overwhelming for me to look around my office, to read text messages & comments on Facebook. For as much as my Wall of Fame may show how loved those in my world feel, it proves to me how loved I am. Truly, I'm the one who's really blessed.

3 years

2011-03-16T09:49:00.003-06:00

3 places of residences

13 vehicles

1 ATV

1 Sea-Doo

1 Trailer

4 job promotions

Many laughs, a few tears, plenty of memories

For better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness & health

3 little words that never get old..."I love you"

To the amazing women in my life:

2011-03-08T12:49:00.002-07:00

To the women who support, encourage & empower me to be who I've been created to be, thank you! May you feel & know that there is a support system of people who believe in you & your potential, in your corner of the ring as well.

To the women who challenge my thinking, behaviour & character, thank you for not allowing me to become comfortable with where I am, but for challenging me to continue to grow & enlarge my territory. Know that the best is yet to come, and although you're perfect the way you are, there is more for you to accomplish.

To the women who allow me to cry my heart out, share my moments of joy & all the emotions in between, thank you for being a safe place. Know that whenever you need an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on I am here for you.

To the women who go out of their way to generously give & lavish love upon me, thank you. May you feel that as you are a blessing to those around you that you are in turn being blessed more then you could ever imagine.

To the women who mother & care for me, thank you. Know that you are building something much larger then what you input into my life. The legacy you are building will continue to grow for generations to come.

To the women who come alongside & just do everyday life, thank you for being apart of the journey. I sincerely look forward the the many season ahead that we will get to share together.

To all the amazing women I have the distinct honour and privilege of knowing, Happy International Women's Day! Know that you are loved, cherished, valued & adored.

Love you to the moon & back.

xoxox

What's of Value?

2011-02-24T10:47:00.004-07:00

In conversations recently it's been amazing to me to realize what people put value on (myself included when I really take a good look at examining myself). It boggles my mind how at times things that are lies can receive more value, rather then truth.

A gentleman I know made a statement back in January that has stuck in the back of my mind, he talked about being Christ-conscious, rather then sin-conscious. The truth is, often times we focus more on our sins, or the wrongs in our lives, rather then on God & His incredible grace. In essence, we end up giving more value to our sin, rather to Jesus.

What we choose to focus our thoughts on is what we give value to. When we choose to believe & focus our attention on lies such as, "you're total worthless," "nobody wants you, loves you, or cares about you," & "you're not important," we're giving value to those statements. The truth is, in fact, the opposite of all of those statements, yet we devalue the truth by focusing on the lie.

In turn, we're becoming an society full of people with extremely low self esteem. Perhaps it's time to place value on that which is of true value, the truth.

Just another reason why we love the internet

2011-02-10T11:57:00.004-07:00

Thank you http://iconscrabble.com and Jeannine :)

When the going gets tough...

2011-01-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

...the tough get going. This is phrase that I'm sure most people have heard, and almost as many have said at one point or another. But where do the "tough" go?

Is it possible that maybe we have the quote all wrong? Maybe it should be said, "when the going gets tough, the tough tough it out." Because really, does it not take more strength to stay and press through whatever situation you're faced with, rather then to turn and walk (or in some cases run) away?

So, the challenge comes, will I be part of a complacent generation & society, who rather then facing trails & tribulations in the face decide to leave? Or, will I take a stand, stay where I am and do something to bring about change?

Maybe it's time to redefine "tough"

NEW

2011-01-11T14:23:00.002-07:00

It's amazing how at the end of the past few years I seem to have an anticipation for the upcoming year, believing that it will be better then the past year. This attitude seems to be common as I face new challenges, struggles, situations and circumstances, hoping that maybe next year will be easier.

Recently I came across the following:
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

And so, as I face a yet another year, I have great faith in His faithfulness. I know without a doubt that this year will be full of new challenges and struggles, but I also know that it will be full of new blessings, grace, strength, peace & love.

commandments

2011-01-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

Recently my thoughts have been on the commandments, both the 10 Commandments & what Jesus says are the two most important Commandments.

About a month ago I was part of a conversation with a woman who commented on how her "children know the 10 Commandments; they know what's right and wrong." Although, at the time I was quite impressed (I know the 10 Commandments, I'm not sure I could quote them verbatim and, I'm also 24, not 8!), I can't help but think perhaps something is missing.

While it's good for us to be aware of what is right and wrong, there must be a reason as to why Jesus seems to care about loving God & loving others more then we care about rules & laws.

The problem I think is that really loving people can get messy. At times its as though you're put in positions of having to choose sides. Or, perhaps when you choose "loving" over "judging" you become the one being judged for "condoning" or "enabling".

The truth is, it's much easier to stick to the 10 Commandments. They're straight forward. The law is black & white, as opposed to unconditional love, which I believe is gray, as it cares not about whether what you're doing is classified as "black" or "white".

If Jesus could love in spite of the rules being broken, somehow I must be able to as well. Unfortunately, more value is often placed on the rules then on people, which is where Jesus shows us an opposite way of doing life. People are important, and who they are is not tied up in what they do.

Although I believe living right is important, I'm fairly confident that loving God & loving people has even greater importance. As a result 2 greatest commandments that have been written in red, will be the 2 commandments that I focus on keeping.

servanthood

2010-12-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

servant
-noun
1. a person employed by another, especially to perform domestic duties.
2. a person in the service of another.

Without a doubt I'd say the best leaders are the best servants. There's really nothing that compares to servant leadership. It seems as though nothing speaks louder to followers, then seeing a leader place value on the simplest and smallest of jobs by being willing to do it themselves. That doesn't mean that a leader necessarily DOES those jobs, but you can tell when there's a willingness of heart to do whatever it takes - even if it's emptying garbage's, cleaning toilets, or sharpening pencils.

I think it's easy to look at leadership positions and see them as glamorous. Often times there comes fame with being a leader (maybe not always fame for doing good mind you!), and in some cases fortune as well...who doesn't want that? However, we often overlook the attitude behind it all, as well as journey that it took to get there.

As I think about leading/following, I can't help but compare it to employer/employee's as well. How many of us are currently employee's but really can't think about anything but the day when we will be employer's? We think if we were to be in the corner office that suddenly things would be SO different, however if we're REALLY honest, could we even handle the corner office? We sit back waiting to catch a big break, thinking that someday someone higher up the ladder will take notice of us...what are they supposed to notice? For the most part we are being extremely lazy, WAITING, rather then DOING the work required of us.

Christmas is coming, & as the birth of Christ is celebrated I can't help but remember, "He came to serve, not to be served..." (Mark 10:45)

And so, yet again, my attitude needs to be checked. If Jesus, the Savior of the world, the King of Kings, Mighty God, could serve, then certainly I can...and I'm pretty sure a smile wouldn't hurt either.

Learning to Trust

2010-11-22T11:20:00.002-07:00

Recently I've been in a place where I've had to just trust God. As I've been struggling to give up control and allow God to be in charge, I've been thinking about this whole thing of trusting.

In my case, trusting God means trusting that He is in control, and that whatever happens is ultimately best for my life (even if things turn out differently then I'd like).

The craziest thing about trusting God right now, is that ultimately I have no other choice. I'm essentially stuck in a waiting game, I've done all that I can do. There is no other option, & yet for some reason it's still so hard to trust that God is in control.

Perhaps our Western culture has ruined us from a life of allowing God to have total control. We've been taught and trained to look out for ourselves. We all work to be self-sufficient, needing no help or hand outs. The problem I find is that no matter how hard I try to control everything all by myself, ultimately I'm not capable.

And so, here I am, once again quoting Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG), because I know that my being anxious and worrying does nothing at this point, I just need to trust.
"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."

Redemption

2010-11-03T16:31:00.003-06:00

It seems over the past few weeks (possibly even months) that "redemption" has been a common theme. Whether it's in conversations, e-mails, DVD's, sermons, or children's ministry curriculum, this topic keeps coming up.

I can't help but think that perhaps it's because God's heart is for redemption, and He really just wants us (or at least me!) to "get it."

If you look throughout the Bible, it's plain to see how God's heart is to redeem His people back to Him. Ever since sin entered the world, a plan has been set in motion for redemption to take place. In fact, the whole gospel message is redemptive.

The question then comes, why this recurring theme?
Perhaps because I sometimes lose sight of the big picture, and what the Big God Story that I'm apart of is all about. Perhaps it's because this plan isn't only played out in my life, but in the lives of those I encounter. Perhaps because redemption is much bigger then praying & believing in Christ.

God's heart is for redemption. Between people & Himself. Between people & people.

be good.

2010-09-21T12:04:00.001-06:00

Being a twenty-something, I realize there are still many things for me to learn. However, in these twenty-something years, I think that I've gained quite a bit of knowledge and experience from several situations and seasons I've found myself in. I'm more then willing to admit that I'm not an expert in many areas, and yet there are a few things that I'm fairly convinced I have a pretty good grasp on...

Being someone who works with people on a daily basis, and in particular with children one thing that I'm quite certain of is that people will be as good as you expect them to be, or as bad as you allow them to be.

This isn't an earth shattering realization, and probably the best example of this can be seen in my own life. When expectations are placed on me to do/act/be/create/achieve etc. I more often than not will come to the party. However, when there are no expectations I will be exactly what I'm allowed to be.

In the end there should be absolutely not surprises. When clear expectations are in place, they will be respected and met...it may take a couple of tries, but ultimately that's what we as humans do.

And so being the twenty-something that I am, I know that I need to expect something of myself. I need to expect that I will be kind, loving, gracious, forgiving, generous, welcoming, faithful, patient...my list can go on and on and on. Ultimately my expectations of myself are to be good and to do good.

What about you? What guidelines (or lack thereof) are in your life?

perhaps this is for Lethbridge???

2010-09-20T10:00:00.002-06:00

Today I read Joel 2:23 -
Rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.

In Lethbridge we definitely had a wet spring, and this autumn is shaping out to the be the same, as a result upon reading this little clip from the prophet, I couldn't help but think of myself.

With the wet weather it's been easy to do anything BUT rejoice. Try complain, or whine and I'm right there, however Joel tell us that we're to rejoice, as if the autumn rains are a gift!?! And perhaps they are...

reason 1096743845

2010-09-15T16:54:00.003-06:00

Yesterday evening I got a text from a guy who's in grade 7, and part of my "dream team" at DGKids. I've had the privilege of watching this student grow from a young boy in elementary, to now a fabulous young man with incredible leadership skills.

It's not out of the ordinary for him to text myself or husband, as we have quite the relationship with him although yesterday's text message was slightly different. Normally our texting will begin with either my husband and I sending a quick message asking how his day is going after feeling a bit of "nudge" to do so. But yesterday he was the one who initiated the texting. Why? Because he had exciting news to share!!!

Romans 12:15a states: "Rejoice with those who rejoice..." and I'm pretty sure that's why he sent me the message in the first place! Knowing that Matt & I would definitely without a doubt rejoice with him.

And that is just another reason why I love what I do!

the story

2010-08-16T13:53:00.005-06:00

I JUST purchased a new children's story book by Michelle Anthony called The Big God Story.

"It's not just any story. It is a true story, full of mysterious people and secret plans and last-second escapes. It's God's Big Story, and every part tell us about His promise to love us. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's start at the very beginning, when God made the world..."

This beautiful introduction is followed by pages sharing about some of the people God used and some of the wonderful things He's done. It ends like this...

"You've just read the Big God Story, but it's not The End! You can be part of the Big God Story too and tell others about God's great promise."

So incredibly profound - and it's a children's book!

A girlfriend of mine is currently dealing with a loss in her life. Although her heart is hurting, with much wisdom she has been able to say, "We shall see how the story unfolds." I admire her ability to see this season as part of a greater story.

I sometimes find it difficult to see past my current situation, as I'm sure people all throughout history have as well. The thing is, in the grand scheme of things often my current situation isn't a "big" or as "bad" as I make it out to me. That's not to say that things I (or anyone else!) am dealing with are unimportant or insignificant, rather the seasons I go through are just apart of the Big God Story.

I've been told, and have said myself many times that, "our lives are not our own." And how true this is, but in a much bigger context then I have ever said or meant it. Although there are people in my life who are quite important, there's someONE even more important to whom my life fully belongs (or at least should fully belong - being the stubborn, selfish person I am there are many times when I find I'm reluctant to fully give myself.)

The Big God Story is bigger then the words that can be read in The Word, and it's bigger then what God is doing on the earth at the moment. The Big God Story is one that I will likely never fully know or understand in my lifetime, yet I have the distinct honor and privilege to be apart of it. And so, in the words of my beautiful, world changing friend, "We shall see how the story unfolds," not only in my life, but in the lives of the remarkable people around me.

summer

2010-07-22T11:54:00.000-06:00

The past three summers have been anything but restful. Between being involved in conferences and Day Camps my weeks and days have filled up leaving very little time to plan for the coming school year.

This summer however, has turned out to be quite different. Because of various changes in ministries throughout the city over the past year, my summer has turned out to be anything but busy, which has in turn been incredible refreshing.

In the months leading up to summer I found I had ample time to prepare for the school holidays, rather then feeling as though I've had to play catch-up throughout June, July & August. As well, I've had time to plan, prepare and pray for the coming school year. Not only have I had time to get ready for the fall season, but also time to make some changes and do a bit of face-lift to our children's ministry.

I don't know why I'm still surprised when God works out things perfectly in His timing. Truly this summer "off" couldn't have come at a more perfect time in my life. Although I faced the summer months thinking I'd be anything but productive, that has proved to be quite wrong, for which I am so happy. If anything, I've learned that I need to make the most of the time I've been given. Whether that's running a children's ministry program at a conference, or taking time to dream and plan for what's to come, how productive I am is totally up to me.

There is no doubt in my mind that God does not make mistakes, and although facing the summer of 2010 it seemed as though there was some sort of mistake, I realize that this is actually perfect!

get it first

2010-07-20T13:50:00.004-06:00

Legacy has been on my mind for the better part of this year. And I firmly believe that legacy must first be built in your own life before it can be built in the lives of others.

It's easy to have hopes and dreams of the legacy you wish to leave behind. The thing is, how can you pass something on if you don't posses it yourself?

For example: You want your future generations to love God with all their hearts, minds, souls, and strength. Before you can ever expect this legacy to be built in your children/grand children/great grand children's lives you must have it built in your own life. If you aren't modeling the relationship with God you hope your children will have, it's hard to expect them to have it themselves. If you aren't reading your Bible, praying, building the Church...how can you put expectations on your children to do that? You can't except your children to be or do something that you aren't being or doing yourself.

If you want your children to respect you and your spouse, guess what? You need to model respect towards your children and your spouse.

It's all about following the leader. So become the leader you want people to follow. Model the attributes and character traits you hope more people would have. Be honest, kind, respectful, loving, generous...

And when you are the person you hope those following behind you will become, you can be sure they'll just continue to built upon that which has been built for them. May your ceiling become the floor of the future generations. Set the ceiling high, and watch the building continue!

Spiritual Parenting

2010-07-20T10:34:00.000-06:00

Call me crazy, but currently some of my favorite books are parenting books. Although I don't have any children of my own, I do have 30-ish children in my life on a regular basis that I have the incredible honor and privilege of influencing.

Recently I read an incredible book called Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony. Truly a must read!

Unfortunately I think often times parents rate their parenting skills according to their children's behavior. The truth is, parenting is about much more then just behavior. I truly believe behavior is secondary to hearts that love God. When hearts are devoted to God, behavior will begin to fall in line with that.

The same is true for all people though, not just children. How often are we concerned with behavior, rather then looking at hearts? There has to be a direct link from the way we talk and act to what is within our hearts.

The great thing about reading Spiritual Parenting is that it only challenged the way I do children's ministry, but also challenged my personal life because it's really not about behavior, mine or anyone elses, it all has to do with the heart.

intentional connections

2010-07-05T10:41:00.006-06:00

I remember while at college hearing the following words come out of Lee Bruns mouth many times: "show me your friends, and I'll show you your future."

I don't know that I fully I understood those words at the time; I was young(er), and truly felt as though I was invincible. Surely I had a larger affect on the lives of those around me, then they had on my life. And although I do believe my life can have an impact on the lives around me, I'm starting to realize how important it is to be intentional about those you surround yourself with.

I've come to realize that you do in fact begin to become like those you spend most of your time with. And in realizing that, I realize that I have an incredible opportunity to influence those around me. And in the same breathe, I realize that I have another incredible opportunity to be influenced by those around me.

Proverbs 27:17 states the truth: "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

Being intentional about relationships is the key.

picky eaters and change.

2010-06-22T10:57:00.000-06:00

I recently read that often times children (especially toddlers) are picky eaters in attempt to gain some control in their lives. Which, when you think about it makes sense. As a child often there is no say in their wardrobe, who they'll play with, where they'll go, etc. It's true that a toddler's taste buds aren't fully developed, which would definitely contribute to their pickyness. Personally, I like the control theory better.

Maybe I like the control theory better because I think that even as adults we're often in the same boat as children. We choose to resist change in attempts to remain in control.

Just a couple weeks ago, I was talking to a young man who just turned 17. My husband and I have had the incredible privilege of knowing him for the 3.5 years as we've done children's ministry and he's been apart of our "dream team." As we were talking/scheming/planning for the summer months, and the coming fall season (seriously...how unbelievable that fall is on my radar already! Where has the first half of 2010 gone!?!), I mentioned some dreams I have for children's ministry at our church. This poor guy looked at me like a deer caught in headlights.

The very thought of change startled him, and all I could think about a two year-old who will only eat toast, apples, and rice.

I can't help but think that all of us like to be in control. Maybe not in control of something huge, but at least of our own lives. Unfortunately, our lives are often not our own, and various people and things bring change whether we like it or not. However, we can control ourselves, how we will act and react when change occurs.

And so, as I stand before an empty page, beginning to put plans and dreams into motion (and receiving calls/e-mails/texts from others who are bringing about change) I realize that ultimately the only thing that I can control is what's going on in my head and my heart.

In realizing this I choose to embrace the coming change. I am ready, because I know where I stand with the things that I can in fact control.

How prepared for change are you?

a thankful heart is a happy heart

2010-06-17T09:03:00.002-06:00

The weather at the moment is less then optimal considering it's the middle of June and Father's Day weekend. It's currently raining, and I don't mean just spitting, it's raining. Everything is drenched.

Unfortunately, Father's Day weekend plans may have to be canceled, adjusted, or relocated. There is more then enough reason to complain...and yet, I've decided to do otherwise. I've always been a huge fan of Veggie Tales, videos where vegetables talk and teach incredible life lessons. In a particular episode there's a song that has a the following line:
"a thankful heart is a happy heart. I'm glad for what I have and that's an easy place to start."
On this incredibly wet day, I'm choosing a thankful heart.
I'm thankful for, the roof over my head, the incredibly green grass, hot coffee, boots, pashmina's, trench coats, an indoor job, down spouts, muffins for breakfast, a loving family, the best husband in the world...

and I could go on, and on, and on.

It's easy to look at the negative, it's often magnified more then it deserves. What will you choose today?

As for me, it's a thankful heart all way, because truly, my heart is more then happy.

preparing

2010-06-08T09:51:00.000-06:00

I read the following in an e-mail yesterday:

Engaged people are obsessed with preparation. The right dress. The right weight. The right hair and the right tux. They want everything to be right. Why? So their fiance will marry them? No. Just the opposite. They want to look their best because their fiance is marrying them.

The same is true for us. We want to look our best for Christ. We want our hearts to be pure and our thoughts to be clean . . . We want to be prepared.

(Max Lucado)

I love it, and can identify with it.

The four years of my life it seems like I've been in this place of preparation. To say I've been on a roller coaster would be an understatement. I've dealt with various emotions that I never thought possible, and have spent countless hours crying out to God for some sort of relief, as it seems one painful turn of events leads to another. Yet through it all, there have been times when the only form of comfort I've received has been in knowing that I'm being prepared.

I can only take responsibility for myself - my own thoughts, actions and words. It's been a painful process of keeping my heart right, and watching what I say and do, but it's all out of love and preparation for the lover of my soul.

Legacy

2010-05-10T12:56:00.004-06:00

Yesterday our theme at church for Mother's Day, was "Building a Legacy of Faith." When I was first introduced to this concept during our planning, I couldn't help but think of the legacy of faith that has been built for me.

I don't remember my great grandma at all, but sometimes I feel as though I know her very well because of the stories I have heard time and time again about the woman she was. She built incredible legacy for our family, and it continues on through her children, her grandchildren, and hopefully through my generation - her great grandchildren, and beyond.

I've heard stories about when I was just a baby, and my great grandma took me in her arms at a wedding and said to my parents, "all children are a blessing from God, but this is a blessed child." And truly, I am blessed, looking at the legacy that has been built for me, I know without a shadow of doubt that I am incredibly blessed.

My great grandma was a woman who loved God. Our family meets once every three years for a family reunion, and one tradition that lives on is the church service on Sunday morning with the family. That is one tradition that could live on forever, as it's a vital part of the legacy built by my great grandparents.

I've heard stories about how great grandma would pray every single day for every single one of her family members. With sixteen children who lived to adulthood, that's a lot of family members, and yet each one of us was loving covered in great grandma's prayers. My mum has told me that when great grandma passed away, one of the biggest concerns of the family was wondering, "who's going to pray for us now."

My great grandma loved her family, and she loved God. My great grandparents built and incredible legacy for my family, which is one of the reason's why I am the "blessed child," great grandma said I am.

Laurel Place

2010-04-27T10:04:00.002-06:00

I've come to realize that I'm quite passionate about community. It's something that I crave and that I fight to maintain.

The cul-de-sac that my husband I live in, is one of the large reasons why I would like to never move. It has nothing to do with our house (although I REALLY love my home), it has nothing to do with the location (although the location is perfect for us at this stage in our lives), it's more about the other families who are our neighbors.

Over the past year, some of our neighbors have become our closest friends. It's not unusual for us to spent at least one afternoon/evening during the week with one of our neighbors. We've celebrated births, birthday's, we've helped landscape, done snow removal, played games, shared meals...the list goes on and on.

There's one particular family in our cul-de-sac that we don't see very often. With our different schedules it seems often the only times we ever connect is a quick wave as one is pulling into the driveway and the other pulls out. However, over the weekend this couple mentioned to us how sad they will be when/if they move, as they have never felt so loved and accepted by their neighbors! SERIOUSLY! We hardly ever see them, let alone spend anytime with them.

I've come to conclusion that building community doesn't mean that you have to be best friends. You don't have to spend loads of time together, or know ever detail about someone's life. You merely have to take the time to wave, to shout "hello" across the street, to shovel the sidewalk that connects the houses.

It's really not rocket science, and it certainly doesn't take much effort.

I love Laurel Place, and even now as it seems some changes will happen as new houses are built, and some original owners move on, I know that I will continue to love it. We're not only neighbors, we're friends. The bar for our community has already been set.

just bragging...

2010-04-26T11:42:00.002-06:00

about my husband. I am married to the man who:

worked long hours all week
at 11:00pm Friday evening, drove to pick up friend who was stranded on the highway
got up early Saturday morning to get ready for a day of quadding
drove the opposite direction of the mountains to pick up his friends, before turning around the heading in the right direction
suffered through seasonal/outdoor allergies all weekend without so much as a complaint or brief whine session
let his wife tag along for a day of quadding through the snow/rain/sun/mud
arrived home after said day of quadding, only to manually help neighbor back fill
got up early Sunday morning to do BV's
taught 2&3 year olds about Jonah and obedience
vacuumed both the truck full of mud from previous day, and my vehicle
had a neighbor friend over who's in the process of making some huge decisions
cuddled wife before falling asleep

I am a blessed woman. The above list may be specific to this past weekend, but I could come up with a similar one everyday if needed.

best ever!

2010-04-22T11:41:00.003-06:00

Since September, the grades 1-6 at DGCC have been learning about prayer. We've been using a great resource called PrayKids!. We've covered all sorts of topics from Praise, Confession, Thankfulness, Forgiveness, Hearing God, Agreement, and even Why Prayer Works. It has been so incredible watching students as they discover that they can indeed hear God when they pray, and see how their prayers make a difference in our church and city. And it's been amazing in my own life, as once again I've been challenged in my personal prayer life (I love how God works like that in children's ministry!)

This Sunday we're talking about Authority/Submission, a loaded topic for sure (at least with adults!). I'll be using an umbrella to illustrate how authority/submission works (when you submit to authority you're protected, and under cover etc.).

In my preparation for this coming Sunday I came across the best ever umbrella and must share it with you...I absolutely love it, and can't help but giggle when I see it!

On a more serious note: as I prepare to teach on Authority/Submission, know that I am being taught. Bring on the rain, because I am under cover!!!

spring has sprung

2010-04-13T13:13:00.003-06:00

You know it's officially spring in Lethbridge, when the wind is really blowing, followed by rain/snowfall.

Today, I've chosen to embrace the spring storm, as every spring this seems to be the norm. I've come to the conclusion that there's no use complaining about the seasonal weather, but rather to expect and accept anything.

I love the following words found in Daniel 2:21
"He changes the times and seasons.
He sets up kings.
He removes them from power.
The wisdom of those who are wise comes from him.
He gives knowledge to those who have understanding."

How true. Despite my wishes for warm sunny weather, the times and seasons change. And although at times I would wish for control, I can rest in the fact that HE is.

And so, today I choose to embrace change, knowing that it's inevitable.

the reason why...

2010-03-30T12:43:00.000-06:00

A little while ago I received mail from a local high school. Enclosed was a letter from a student attending there that my husband and I have the privilege of serving with weekly in children's ministry. The first paragraph in this letter included the following statement, "important people in my life." At reading this I was overwhelmed. This particular student has always been "too old" to be in children's ministry for as long as my husband and I have been involved, and yet, we were included in the list of "important people."

A few Sunday's ago, before church started, Matt and I were talking with some friends of ours, while their three young girls patiently waited. After our conversation, as we were preparing to head to our seats, one of their daughters asked if she could sit with us. During the course of praise and worship, their other two children ended up standing with us as well.

About a week ago, I went to listen to a certain grade six boy as his school band played at the local music festival. As I sat in theater waiting for them to begin playing this grade six boy proceeded to wave and flash the biggest smile ever.

And those are just a few reasons of why I do what I do...

thought of the day:

2010-03-02T15:51:00.004-07:00

The next time you think you should disinfect before/after touching something/someone, eating, using the bathroom remember this:

Every square inch of the human body has an average of 50 million bacteria on it. Did someone say shower?

Perhaps (all things considered) we're a bit too freaked out and paranoid with our sanitizing wipes, lotions and gels...

how big is my world?

2010-03-01T13:54:00.003-07:00

Often times I magnify my life to extreme proportions where nothing else matters...NOTHING (no one else would ever do this though...right?).
For example, if I'm having a bad day, and I'm really busy, and not feeling good, and my house is a mess, and my laundry basket if overflowing, and there's so much going on at work, you better believe that there is no one worse off then me.

HA!

Recently, I was challenged to re-evaluate my thinking. It all started when I was at my hairdressers (ever noticed how some of the best conversations happen in that chair?), and through various other conversations over the course of that weekend a common theme came up...life really isn't THAT bad...or at least not as bad as we tend to think it is. I mean, really, is anything that I'm facing that brutal? There are people in other countries who have literally lost everything and need to rebuild from scratch the lives they once enjoyed (ie: Haiti and Chile).

The whole, "woe is me" act that I tend to pull, is just that...an act.

The problem is that I've reduced my world to include...me. It's all about me. The only things that matter are me, my husband, our home, our jobs...
And the real problem is that the world is so much bigger.

What a humbling thought, to think that I'm actually NOT at the center of the universe.

When I take time to think about the children's song, "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," I can't help but be in awe. Here I am, complaining about my teeny, tiny problems, mean while, God's listening, while holding the whole freaking world in His hands. And yet He doesn't brush me off, saying, "Catherine, I've got far bigger things to deal with." (in the same manner that I would respond to those in my world)

Ultimately, it all comes down to two simple (yet, not easy) commandments, "Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with with all your soul. Love him with all your mind," and "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39)

When I get my life in line with these two commandments, my world almost instantly grows, and suddenly everything isn't about me and my "huge" problems.

How big is my world? Hopefully big enough to include more then just me.

servant leadership

2010-02-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

My to-do lists the past few weeks have been miles long. With everything from, finish laundry, up-date bulletin boards, write curriculum, and buy cream. To say my life has been busy would be a bit of an understatement. And in the midst of it all I have the incredible pleasure of meeting with people, listening to their stories, possibly shedding light into situations, and ultimately (HOPEFULLY!) shining Jesus.

As a leader in a church (or any place for that matter) my life should be an example to those around me. And quite possibly the most encouraging thing I've experienced during this busy time of my life has been the example of others in my life.

There is a handful of individuals in my world who constantly blow me away with their "whatever-it-takes" attitudes. People who have years of experience which should excuse them from menial tasks, and yet those are incredible people in my world who are the greatest examples. They are the first to arrive, last to leave, hard working, individuals that make me think, "when I'm "old" (they're really not OLD!) I want to be just like ________."

These few individuals to me are true leaders. They lead like Jesus, serving, not being served (Mark 10:45).

As a leader, I feel that if I need to learn anything, it's how to serve. To be just a willing (and happy!) to wash toilets, as to stand on a platform and speak to thousands.

To those in my life who lead in this manner, thank you. Thank you for being an example to me of what it means to lead like Jesus did.

family

2010-01-26T09:58:00.005-07:00

a group of people related to one another by blood or marriage
a person or people related to one and so to be treated with a special loyalty or intimacy

I have a soft spot in my heart towards family, I always have. I was brought up in a home where family was always priority. Be it immediate, or extended, family always came first while I was living in my parents home. As a result, now an adult, not too much has changed.

This Saturday I will be heading up to Calgary for a few short hours with my mother-in-law. We plan to leave early-ish, and will be back before dinner. Why spend four hours in a car for a mere 3 hours you ask? Because Matt's cousin Shawna from Australia is in Calgary and a wedding shower is being held for her. A four hour drive is a measly price to pay for family.

Family is where it all begins, and where it all ends.

good genes

2010-01-20T16:07:00.003-07:00

This week has been abnormally busy. And by busy I mean absolutely crazy!

I'm one lucky girl because even though its been outrageous in my life, I have one amazing, super supportive, always encouraging, best cheerleader on the planet husband (and he's hot, which is an added bonus), not to mention the fact that I live in the same city as my incredible parents who go out of their way to help others.

Case in point, my brother goes to a college where he's involved with the men's volleyball team. This weekend his team will be playing the college in my city. Pretty sweet as it means a chance to see my brother. Earlier this week my brother texted my mum saying that they were having trouble finding a hotel to stay in over the weekend. So naturally (although unnatural to others) she offered to let the team stay at their place. Keep in mind this is 15-ish, 6 foot-something, athletic men.

The main reason this comes so naturally to my mum is that my grandparents (her parents) were the same - opened their home. There was always an extra seat at the table, and more then enough food for whoever happened to stop by. Although I don't remember my great grandma, I can only imagine that she was the same. I'm convinced that this gift of hospitality has been passed on from generation, to generation - it has to be genetic.

In saying that, on Thursday evening, the men's volleyball team will be at my parents house, and the ladies...at mine.

And for this I'm truly thankful! Will it be crazy? Likely. Will it be exhausting? I'm sure. Will it be a blessing to the 15-ish people who enter my home? I certainly hope so.

My prayer is that those at my home, would leave the same as those who stay at my parents...well taken care of, physically and spiritually/emotionally.

gumballs

2010-01-14T15:32:00.003-07:00

I love this video.

Earlier this week I had a conversation with a mom, in which I was able to tell her that whatever her and her husband teach in their home, and model for their children will be what really sticks. And this simple illustration helps prove it.

Feeling pressured as a parent? Don't! Out of all the people on the planet God chose YOU to raise your children.

I like to think that I partner with parents as they raise remarkable children. They have a HUGE job and responsibility, one that I'm honored to be able to play a small part in.

I love my job.

Fake, Real or Faith

2010-01-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

Quite a few months ago I was having a conversation with someone from my church. She made a statement about something had been said on the pulpit. The person who had preached that Sunday had made a comment about putting a smile on your face even when the situation is difficult (I think...I actually wasn't there since I spend most Sunday's with children). The comment the person from my church made in reference to this was that when they're having a crappy day, they just want to have a crappy day. They don't want to have to "fake" their way through the situation.

This thought has been rolling around in my head since the conversation.

Personally, I crave people who are genuine. Those who are real about the very real struggles/situations/circumstances/issues they face. I'm pretty sure we all know some plastic people (I'm not talking about those who have been made plastic through surgery!). Although they SEEM to have it all together, there's something very unattractive about these individuals as they hide behind an image.

And yet, there are those who are so very real that you can't help but wonder if they're suicidal. Every situation sends them into depressive state, or into an angry fit.

And yet somewhere in between the two there's what I believe is faith. It's being honest about a very real situation, and yet having faith that things will get better. And that's where putting a smile on your face comes in.

I truly believe that every single situation I find myself in, that there's a very big God in control of it, and as a result, I can't help but smile.

There's those who are fake, those who are real, and those who choose faith...I'll pick faith.

SELFish

2010-01-05T09:44:00.003-07:00

The past few months I've become hugely aware of how selfish I am. Overall, I think its easy for me to identify how selfish OTHERS are, and yet often I'm less then willing to admit my own struggles with selfishness.

The truth is, everyone is selfish. I've come to the conclusion that all sin is caused by selfishness. Why else would I lie, gossip, overindulge, be jealous, greedy... I do it because of ME. Thinking of my SELF, rather then anyone else in my life, or the world for that matter.

I've been told in the past how much of a "servant" I am. This is partially due to the fact that I was raised in a home where an attitude of "whatever it takes" was cultivated. I learned quite early in my life that there are times when you just need to do whatever is needed. But that's only part of the reason why people would see me as a "servant." The other contributing factor is my self. Honestly, there have been times were I've served in some capacity with the sole purpose of getting something in return...whether it be a reward, thanks or recognition, there are many times I can think of where my motives have been less then pure. Again with the selfishness.

The problem is that selfish ambition is part of my sinful nature. (Galatians 5:16-21)

And once again I'm painfully aware of my need for Jesus and the help of Holy Spirit in my life.

The amazing and hugely interesting part of my sinful nature as described in Galatians is that it's followed by the fruit of the Spirit. I have a choice, I can live by the Spirit, or I can gratify my self. Unfortunately it's not a one time decision to choose living by the Spirit, rather a conscious decision nearly

every

moment

of

my

life.

Quote of the Day

2009-12-17T08:58:00.002-07:00

as heard on B 93.3:

It's been quite the year in sports; Tiger got caught with too many women and the Riders got caught with too many men.

lessons to be learned from Saint Nicholas

2009-12-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

Working with kids during the Christmas season has many challenges as well as joys. With kids coming for various backgrounds it's always interesting trying to include everyone in the festivities of the season, not to mention the fact that some families are able to enjoy a much more lush holiday then others...
PLUS, working at church the very mention of Santa carries its own issues with it...but perhaps the church (as a whole) could learn a few things from Santa.

Have you ever noticed how Santa is never seen as angry or grumpy? And yet, how many of us turn this way during the FESTIVE holiday season?
Santa gives without wanting anything in return. However, how often do we give with ulterior motives?
Santa is rarely seen when he gives! I have yet to give a Christmas gift that isn't clearly labeled "FROM CATHERINE".

And the list could go on and on.
Maybe its time that Christians stop condemning this very influential figure and rather learn from his ways.

Truth be told, Saint Nicholas' ways were learned from the one that the church attempts to put in the spotlight during the season.

I totally believe that the spotlight should stay on Jesus, the one that came in the form of a baby to save the world, but perhaps Santa is just one more way to illuminate the baby laying in the manger this holiday season.

Perhaps instead of viewing Santa as the "enemy" of our Christian holiday we need to start looking at him as an ally.

there's a plank in my eye

2009-11-24T14:33:00.000-07:00

I tend to have moments (more often then I would really like to admit) when I complain/vent/whine/gossip (GASP!) about people that I interact with. The unfortunate thing is that nearly every time I complain/vent/whine/gossip about people, and the things they do, the real issue at hand is myself, not others.

The truth is, I'm a selfish individual. I prefer to think of myself first and foremost. Most of the time I'm more then willing to admit this fact about myself, although sometimes I hide behind false humility. Somehow in my mind I come up with a reason as to why I'm justified in what I'm saying about others and suddenly my complaining/venting/whining/gossiping doesn't seem so bad, but in all honesty, it is that bad!

I'm often convicted by the red letters in Bible (Jesus' words). Recently in reading Luke 6:42, I felt as if those words were written down years ago just for me:
"How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

Ouch. That stings a bit. Perhaps because its true. I do in fact have a plank in my eye. It's huge, and ultimately it all comes down to selfishness.

It's easy for me to try and disguise the plank in my eye, only the disguises I come up with only make it that much more obvious. I'm convinced that it's easy for me to identify how others are selfish since its such a huge issue in my life. The truth is, I struggle DAILY with being a hypocrite.

If admitting I have a problem is the first step, then I'm there. Now onto the next steps...

intuition?

2009-11-23T13:27:00.002-07:00

Some people will pull out of their driveway, only minutes later to pull back in and check to make sure they remembered to lock the door. I am not one of those people. There is the very rare occasion in which I will double check something, but it is VERY RARE. This could potentially be because my husband double checks things, or maybe its because I just never think to do so.

One day last week happened to be one of those rare occasions though. As I was locking the door to my house and climbing into my car, I began to question whether I had unplugged my hair straightener or not. I brushed the questioning off as I'm not one to double check, "of course I unplugged my hair straightener," I attempted to convince myself. "I always unplug it before I leave."

As I drove down the street I couldn't help but continue to question and reason with myself.
"Did I unplug the straightener?"
"Of course I did."
"I don't actually remember pulling the plug out from the wall."
"You always unplug it, why would today be any different from all other days?"

I finally came to the point where I had to turn around. The battle in my mind was driving me crazy and just wouldn't subside.

I pulled into the driveway, unlocked the door and headed into house. As I entered my bathroom I realized that I HAD NOT unplugged my straightener. Not only was my straightener still plugged in, it was still on. Thank goodness for the battle in my mind!

Call that funny feeling intuition, call it too much coffee, call it Holy Spirit, call it paranoia, whatever you want to call that funny feeling, know that it left my house standing one more day!

I spend quite a bit of my time with kids. And often explain hearing the voice of God to them, the same as I described the above situation...a funny feeling that you get about something, or someone that you often try to talk yourself out of entertaining anymore, because of the risk of being wrong, embarrassed, or wasting time.

And so, in the case of my experience last week, know that I totally accredit my funny feeling to Holy Spirit, knowing that without that feeling, something awful could have happened in my home.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-19T09:14:00.002-07:00

In Canada, Thanksgiving is now a distant memory. However, this short video seems to resonate something within.

As always the fall season seems to bring changes and busyness as the lazy days of summer are put to rest. This fall has proven to be busy, and then some. With the normal going ons of the season, plus a few surprises along the way, life has been slightly more full then normal. But through it all, God has proven Himself to be good and faithful. And so, I'm choosing to say "Thanks God," yet again. He truly does rock :)

a privilege and responsibility

2009-11-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

The Fall of 2009 has been unlike any other I've ever experienced. It's been a very full mix of joys and sorrows. The interesting thing about this extreme mix of emotions is that nothing has happened to "me" directly. The ups and downs that I've been through have been those of others that I've had the privilege, and in some cases the responsibility to walk with them through.

I've been reminded time and time again of Paul's words, "Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down." (Romans 12:15 The Message) I'm a bit of a softy. It generally doesn't take much for me to get teary. On the other hand, it doesn't take much to get me laughing either. I'm generally not one to hide my emotions. It's not hard for me to identify with Paul's words.

This is one of my greatest strengths, and one of my greatest weaknesses.
A week ago, I was having a roast beef dinner with a few other people. Someone at the table started choking. Thankfully, this individual was able to get the piece of food out of their throat before the Heimlich maneuver was needed. Following this event, I was on the verge of tears for nearly the whole meal. To say that I was emotional and shook up would be an understatement (and I wasn't even the person who choked!). The poor person who was choking seriously started to question my first aid abilities as I could barely hold it together. This was definitely a point of weakness.

On the other hand, a close friend of mine is dealing with a family situation that involves cancer. Yesterday I had absolutely not problem weeping when I found out, and then again as I spoke with them on the phone. I've also spent many times rejoicing with this individual.

Because I work at a church occasionally it is my responsibility to "Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down."

But more then that I feel it is a privilege to walk with those in my life through their joys and sorrows.

put right

2009-10-28T11:13:00.000-06:00

A few months ago a couple people I know were telling me about a situation they found themselves in with people who were seeing and sensing things in the supernatural, and as a result some were losing sleep, and many (I would say) were confused.

They asked me how I would have approached this situation. At the time I was speechless, and had no idea what I would have said...until just recently...

One of my favorite parts of the Bible is something called the "Beatitudes", which states:
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:3-10 NIV)

A little while ago I was challenged by the sentence in there that states: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

What an honour, to see God! The Message by Eugene Peterson puts it: You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

What a challenge on our perspective! What are you seeing in the outside world? Whether you're seeing supernatural things, or just the natural, what is it? Are you seeing God's fingerprints on people, nature, circumstances...or are you seeing something else? And if you're seeing something other then God, could I challenge you to get your mind and heart put right.

Over the past few years I've found myself surrounded by different situations and circumstances where I've been challenged to keep my heart right. To choose forgiveness and love, over resentment and hate. The truth is, that when I've chosen forgiveness and love my perspective has changed.

And so, if I were given the chance to speak to those people who were seeing things, I would challenge them to get their hearts and minds right. When working with people it's especially easy to harbor feelings of resentment, bitterness and hate. It takes a conscious effort to keep your heart and mind right...perhaps choosing forgiveness and love would do the trick,
and sleepless nights would be replaced by sweet dreams.

lessons on listening from Disney

2009-10-21T15:53:00.005-06:00

I'm all about object lesson's. I'm not a visual learner, but I have a sister who's a visual learner.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif As a result when teaching, and specifically when teaching kids I tend to think beyond my learning to style to other learning styles.

I'm working on a lesson about Hearing God at the moment and have been drawn to a couple examples from Disney (go figure).

In Disney's Bambi, throughout the movie, Bambi's father has been there for him when he needed him, such as when he loses his mother. But most of the time he allows Bambi to just learn on his own - always keeping a caring, watchful eye on him but not speaking unless he needs to. Bambi respects his father and knows he speaks only when it's important, and when he does speak, Bambi listens. He knows his father's voice, and though he doesn't hear it very often, when he does he hears and obeys.
This saves his life near the end of the movie. The hunters have once again entered the forest. A bullet grazes Bambi and he's hurt. He lies on the ground, giving up. A forest fire has started, he's injured, and he just doesn't have the strength to try to find the way out. Suddenly, his father is there. His father's words are simple, yet direct and they save Bambi's life.
Bambi would have missed out on so much if he hadn't listened to his father's voice and obeyed witout question, even when it was hard!
(This is like God, as He's always with us and cares about us so much. We have to recognize his voice so that when he does speak, we will hear Him and then we need to obey.)

In Disney's Pinocchio, Pinocchio is a living puppet who must prove himself worthy to become real boy. Being quite naive he requires some guidance, and the Blue Fairy appoint Jiminy Cricket to be Pinocchio's conscience. At which point Jiminy Cricket breaks out in song telling Pinocchio that if he ever needs help or guidance to "give a little whistle...and always let your conscience be your guide."
(This is like Holy Spirit, who guides and directs us.)

Special thank you to Walt Disney for helping the great illustrations!

figuring it out

2009-10-20T11:40:00.001-06:00

I received an e-mail a couple weeks ago which stated that if you wear sunglasses while driving in the rain it cuts down the effect of water drops on your windshield. Interesting thought. I put that little piece of information in my back pocket for a rainy day (literally).

Today as I backed out of my driveway, I put this theory to the test. I put on my sunglasses while the rain fell. I must admit I felt slightly silly for wearing sunnies as the sky was overcast, and even more silly for trying it out and not having it work! I took my sunnies off, thinking perhaps they did make a difference. I put them back on again. No difference at all!

However, I would have never known if sunglasses made any difference in the rain or not, if I hadn't tried it for myself.

I find personally, that I'm quite naive. It's easy for me to take someone else's word, which has caused me issues on a few occasions.

My incident today reminds me of something that I need to continually be challenging myself with:
So continue to work out your own salvation. Do it with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12b NIRV)

It's not enough in our lives to let others decide things for us, experience things for us, create opinions for us, live for us...

We need to work things out for ourselves.

As a Christian, its easy to get caught in the trap of a "feed me" mentality. With so many resources out there it's easy to rely on sermons, books, podcasts, blogs and such to shape my relationship with God, which incidentally isn't much of a relationship if I'm relying on those around me to shape it for me.

And so, I'm glad I took the time to look like a fool in my car this morning, putting my sunglasses on, taking them off, putting them on, taking them off. It reminded me yet again how important it is to figure things out for myself.

The problem with AWD

2009-10-14T11:00:00.004-06:00

Today I woke up to snow on the ground, and even more falling from the clouds. This morning, along with many other commuters I hit the highway, with wipers going, and the heat blasting as I headed in to work.

While driving I heard warnings from the radio about bad road conditions. All around me people were touching their breaks and going at speeds below what was marked on the signs on the road. I however didn't find the roads bad at all. Driving to work for me this morning seemed to be the same as any other morning. This is probably attributed to my car having AWD (all wheel drive). My car handles really well in slippery conditions, which is part of the reason why we own it.

The problem with AWD is that it causes me to be slightly ignorant to what the road conditions actually are.

In thinking about my ignorance this morning, I couldn't help but think about other things my life that cause me to be ignorant; the home I grew up in, the country I live in, my education, the church I attend...the list could go on.

The truth is, we all have things in our lives that cause to be ignorant. The question is, are we willing to gain knowledge and information to help us be otherwise?

I need therapy

2009-10-13T13:21:00.000-06:00

The older I get, the more I experience, the busier my life seems, the more I realize how good it is to take time for myself. I've come to realize what activities seem to be "therapeutic" in my life, and I take advantage of spending time doing those activities. Sometimes I joke about needing retail therapy (which is really no joke at all!). And in all seriousness, some red, a bath, a book, a cuppa...my personal list of things that are therapeutic in my life could go on and on.

I think often times we refuse to admit that we need therapy as it is occasionally seen as a sign of weakness. But in our pride, we often loose it on our family and friends unjustly.

The definition of therapeutic is:
administered or applied for reasons of health; having a good effect on the body or mind; contributing to a sense of wellbeing.

If therapy by definition, is such a good thing, why don't we make a priority? Why don't we admit our need for it in our lives?

The past month or so has been outrageously busy for my husband and I, full of crazy work schedules and situations, trying to be family orientated and attempting to have some sort of social life. It has left us feeling exhausted, drained and both in need of some therapy.

The thing is, we're both able to identify what it is that's therapeutic in our lives, and we're willing to admit our need for therapy.

I love the comfort I find in the words of Jesus as I think about therapy and my need for it: "Come to me, all of you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest. Become my servants and learn from me. I am gentle and free of pride. You will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29 NIRV)

Truly, what could be more therapeutic then finding "rest for your soul"?
Truly, I need therapy...daily.

blessed to be a blessing

2009-09-21T12:32:00.004-06:00

This week (among many other things) I'm busy preparing for Defining Moments (Thursday, September 24th at 7:00pm at 236 Fairway Drive, Coaldale). For me part of that preparation includes gathering a few giveaways for the incredible women who will be in attendance.

While brainstorming what fabulous gifts I could collect, I had an extremely convicting thought (a Defining Moment of my own, if you will). I live in a country where I enjoy many freedoms and luxuries that women (and men) in other places around the world only dream about. These days, those of us living in developed countries have more then enough opportunities to help those in developing countries, whether it be through organizations where we can sponsor children or give funds to others in need, or through stores like Ten Thousand Villages where profits go back to those who worked to provide that product.

And so, as I begin to gather gifts for the women coming to Defining Moments, know that I'm having my own Defining Moment. I resolve to only purchase gifts that will not only be a blessing to someone in attendance, but also to a beautiful individual somewhere else on the planet.

The truth is that I'm incredibly blessed on so many levels. The least I can do is be a blessing...on so many levels.

appreciation for the desert

2009-09-16T09:07:00.002-06:00

Physically, I sometimes feel like I live in a desert. The climate is dry, and as a result, the roots of trees go deep to get the nutrients they need. As a result when the wind comes (and trust me it comes!) the trees may bend, but because their roots are deep its very rare that a tree gets uprooted.

In other places around the world where there's more moisture, roots grow horizontally rather then vertically to get nutrients. However, when fierce winds come, it's much easier for these trees to be uprooted as there is no depth.

Isn't it interesting how when we find ourselves in desert places we often complain about the lack of nutrients and feelings of being dry. But, it's during those times that our roots grow deep as we can't receive the nutrients we need from the surface (getting the nutrients we need produces shallowness...). It's the desert places that we gain the strength needed to withstand the storms we face.

I find it interesting that within Christian circles people often make comments about wanting "mountain top experiences". Please understand that I'm not discrediting those experiences, but have you ever noticed that there is no growth on the mountain top?

Although being in the desert is uncomfortable (I despise dry skin!), it's where I find myself growing deeper.

Perhaps being the desert isn't such a bad thing after all...

perhaps its not really about you

2009-09-14T14:10:00.003-06:00

I deemed last week "The Week From Hell." On top of the normal busyness I face each week, plus other random things that were happening in the building I work in, I attended two funerals.

A couple days after the first funeral of the week I was talking with someone who was also in attendance. This individual mentioned how they had left part way through, and as a result missed a "way too long a not necessary" message from the pastor. Although these aren't the words of the particular individual I was talking to (rather other's they had talked to), I couldn't help but feel a bit angry.

This particular funeral was for a teenage boy, who had passed away suddenly. Although this shocked everyone who knew him, I don't think it managed to effect anyone more then it effected his family. This funeral was planned and thought out by the family. Although many received closure during the funeral, it was for the family's sake more then anyone that the funeral was held.

It astonishes me that someone in attendance would consider a part of the funeral "not necessary"...

I couldn't help but be challenged in my own attitudes. There are many times when I'll put my own preferences and opinions before others, and how out of line I am! Not that there is anything wrong with sharing one's opinion, but let's be honest, the world does not revolve around me (or any other individual for that matter). For the most part, it truly does not matter what I think or feel. And in the case of this funeral, the only thing that mattered were the people sitting on the front row who had lost a son and a brother.

Philippians 2:5-11 says it so well:
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."

Hello! If Jesus, the Son of God made Himself nothing and took on the nature of a servant, how much more should each of us do the same.

The challenge then is for my attitude to be the same as Jesus'.

open door policy

2009-09-01T10:30:00.003-06:00

My husband and I moved into our first home earlier this year. This house has quite a bit of special meaning to us as we built it and we were able to put our own special touches in it. From picking out the floor plan and all the hardware, to the appliances and paint colors, this house is very dear to my heart.

This past weekend we had the privilege to host some of my husband's family in our home between my sister-in-law's wedding ceremony and reception. My husband comes from a culture where it is important to "pay it forward". Whether that means reciprocating a wedding gift, or hosting someone in your house after they have hosted you. For my husband having everyone over to our house was important culturally, but more then that it was important to us because we have been taught hospitality from childhood.

Where other people would look at us and think that having 15+ people over would be loads of work and huge strain, we look at it as an opportunity to use our house for what it was actually built for...a place of comfort, a haven, a shelter...a home.

People often comment on how my parents (and my in-laws) have the gift of hospitality. Personally I'm not sure its a gift, rather a lifestyle...a choice that both our parents decided to make. As a result we have an "open door policy" in our own home, since being hospitable is essentially part of our DNA.

In the entry way to our house we have a saying on our wall beneath our welcome sign..."Happy is the home that shelters a friend." We both know this to be true as we grew up in homes where friends were always sheltered and happiness was always in abundance.

Our prayer as we were in the building process was that our home would not only be "ours" but a "home to many." We are now seeing the reprocusions of our prayers...and we're loving every moment of it!

in all ways...always

2009-08-25T10:35:00.002-06:00

Every week I have the privilege of interacting with children and their families. It's amazing how much I can gather about a child's homelife just by observing their behavior and interaction with others.

Now, I'm not a parent, and definitely don't claim to be an expert or professional when it comes to raising children, but there's something very key that I've noticed when it comes to maintaining open, honest, and close relationships in families. It's something that seems so simple, yet is often misinterpreted or understood - it's unconditional love.

Perhaps I'm biased to unconditional love because I feel as though I grew up in a home where it was in abundance. To me it seemed like there was nothing I could do that would make my parents love me any less. And so, when I hit the age of becoming an adult, where many teens would keep secrets, conversation was open and honest with my parents. Now, there were times when my parents may have been disappointed, but it didn't change the fact that I was loved and accepted.

Unconditional love needs to be shown in the simplest of ways for trust to be built. For example, children need to know that they are loved regardless of their grades in school, their behavior, their looks - until they know that they are loved, the chances of them trusting an adult are very slim. If a child feels like they can't trust an adult with something as simple as a bad grade on a test, how will they ever trust an adult with a secret such as being abused, drinking or smoking, sex, pornography, relationships?

As adults we need to be certain that we are showing unconditional love to the children in our world. Unfortunately there are children who come from homes where unconditional love isn't found. It breaks my heart to think that there are children who have deep, dark secrets and no one to share them with. That's where I step in. Although I generally only spend a few hours a week with the children in my world, they know that I'm a safe place, that they are accepted and loved regardless of the week they've had. They are loved simply because of who they are, not what they do.

I see showing unconditional love in all ways, always, as being a crucial part in raising confident, secure, successful children.

Imagine how different our schools, churches, communities and cities could be if all children knew that they were loved unconditionally? Imagine how things would change if children knew that despite their current situation or circumstance that they're accepted?

My job is to let children know that there is at least one adult in their life who loves them and believes in their potential.

not alone

2009-08-20T09:50:00.003-06:00

I'm people-orientated. To me, people are far more important then a task, and I love being surrounded by bodies. Put me in a busy shopping center, at a conference, sporting event, festival, anywhere you find loads of people and I'm more then happy!

The office I work in is has been quite quiet since last Wednesday, and will continue to be quiet until September 1st. Summer tends to be a bit slower in the office as it is, but for the remainder of August while staff members are on holidays its exceptionally slow and BORING. Basically its totally brutal for a people lover.

Today while sitting in my lonely, quite office, while thinking about how much I dislike being alone, someone stopped by. It was glorious, even though brief. But before my visitor left she said something that completely changed my outlook on the next week and a half.

"You are not alone. You may think you're alone, but you're not. You have the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with you."

How true, and how quick am I to forget.

little identity crisis

2009-08-19T10:03:00.004-06:00

I was named after the fabulous, completely inspiring Katherine. But when I was born my dad wanted my name to be spelled with "C" so he could call me CJ. "CJ" caught on and some family members and a select few close friends have used those two letters to identify me over the years.
In January of 2005 I was introduced a "CJ" for the first time, and the name stuck. For two years of my life I was know exclusively as "CJ" and it was very rare that "Catherine" was ever used.
December of 2006 was the last time that I would introduce myself as "CJ," until The Edge...
One Friday morning a month I get to be "CJ," unless you tune into The Miracle Channel on Saturday mornings.

I used to joke about my "little identity crisis" as I went from being "Catherine" to "CJ" and then back again.
The truth is, my identity isn't found in my name.

I know who I am, because I know whose I am.

calm before the storm?

2009-08-18T11:22:00.001-06:00

My husband and I lead busy lives.

At the moment my life is not busy. Up until this point my summer has been pretty outrageous, and not your typical restful season full of holidays. The next two weeks before the beginning of September seem abnormally bare on my calendar, which leads me to one thought...

is this the calm before the storm?

Looking back over the past few years, it's a very rare thing to have "downtime" (whatever that is). Perhaps these next two weeks are clear on my calendar to give me time to get rested and rejuvenated for what the autumn will bring.

I've been challenged on numerous accounts to "be prepared in season and out of season" (2 Tim. 2:4). What better time to be prepared then when life isn't busy?

So, for the next two weeks I will be prepared, and I will be preparing for what is to come...
I've come to realize that any calm in my life is most certainly followed by a storm.

Thankfully I like storms.

Belsher Reunion Moment #2

2009-08-12T13:35:00.000-06:00

God, we thank you for this incredible time to gather once again as a family.
We thank you for giving us a strong family, not only in numbers, but in relationships.
We thank you for value that has been placed on family starting with great grandma and grandpa that has been passed on from generation to generation.
In an age where is seems the value of family has been lost, we ask that our family would be an example to those in our communities of what you desire family to be.
God, I thank you that you do not make mistakes, that no one is apart of this family by accident, rather by your design.
Continue to bless this family.
Give the parents, grandparents and great grandparents wisdom as they guide and raise remarkable men and women.
May the rich heritage and love that defines this family continue on through the future generations.
Thank you for Your love that is seen in and through those here as well as those who couldn’t be with us.
In Your mighty name, Amen.

Matty Got Ran Over By The Belsher's

2009-08-11T09:00:00.003-06:00

(sung to the tune of 'Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer')

Matty got ran over by the Belsher's
He didn't see them coming for afar
All he wanted was to marry CJ
At four hundred and counting, here we are

First he had to meet all of the aunties
All the kisses all the hugs and all the yuck
Then he had to go and meet the uncles
If it weren't for Uncle Ken he'd be a shmuck

If he said he'd seen it all he would have been wrong
For the cousins took him down the hill that night
And after all the beer and all the drinking
He was happy just to say he was alive

He was up on time and went to have some breakfast
Just to have his name pronounced wrong from the start
But when he looked at who was trying to say it
It was for him that he felt sorry from the heart

The next day at lunch he was told to come up
And asked why he wanted to be a Belsher
He didn't know but it could always be worse
He could have had to be a Lingerfelt

Well thank you for letting me be here today
To sing this song for my new family
Some may say the Belsher's are all crazy
But as for little Matty he believes.

By Matt Furukawa

Life of Worship

2009-07-29T10:20:00.004-06:00

Just putting a little challenge out there (more to myself then anyone else)...

I'm a little tea pot

2009-07-27T11:00:00.000-06:00

short and stout. Here is my handle, here is my spout. When I get all steamed up, hear me shout! Tip me over and pour me out.

The thing about tea pots is that they merely hold the tea.

Tea pots aren't responsible for making, or deciding the type of tea that steeps within them.

The tea pot cannot take credit for it's contents.

The only job of a tea pot is pour the tea.

I'm a little tea pot, my only job is to pour out what's been put within me.

wherever, whenever, however

2009-07-16T10:46:00.004-06:00

One of my (many) passions is family. I grew up in a home where family was a priority. When my husband and I went through pre-marital counseling together, one of the exercises we were asked to do as a questionnaire on our family, from which our families were then plotted on a grid. My family came up as abnormally close...no surprises there. As a whole, I get along quite well with my siblings, and I'm very close with my parents.

I'm a huge advocate of family meals. Growing up, often the deepest and most meaningful conversations happened around the table over a meal. There were many laughs shared around my parents dining room table, and also many tears. Supper was never to be missed by anyone! My husband has a demanding job, in which he often is needed to put in overtime hours. When we join my family for dinner (unless ABSOLUTELY necessary), we all wait for my husband to join us before we begin eating. It's just the way things work in my parents home.

However, I do remember a time in my life when meals were on the go...Tuesday's during my jr. high years were the manic days in our home. Tuesday was the day that we had music lessons, among other commitments. I can remember bolting from the school when the bell rang, signifying the end of another day, and hoping into my mum's van where my bag full of piano books was already waiting. We'd drive to the opposite side of the city for my piano lessons, and from there I often didn't see my siblings until 9:00pm that evening as we all had various activities we needed to be at.

But before anyone was dropped off after school we ALWAYS hit the McDonald's drive-thru for McFlurry's. And as we downed our McFlurry's on the way from point A to point B conversations flowed. We'd catch up on our days, on the challenges we faced, and everything we'd accomplished.

I look back on this time, and although I'm sure Tuesday's were the day my mum dreaded, for me the were often the highlight of my week. The point is, often times life gets in the way of the dinner table...and although I definitely believe that time spent together over a meal should never be replaced, sometimes you just need to make do with what you have. For my family, that meant staying a family even as we dined on drive-thru from McDonald's.

Life is busy. So go with the flow, create strong relationships with your family, wherever, whenever & however it may look for the season of life you find yourself in.

the fingers pointing back at me.

2009-07-13T15:55:00.005-06:00

I recently engaged in a bit of a debate on facebook. I'm normally not one to get involved in heated discussions (EVER), but a comment made triggered something within me that I can't contain.

I think it's quite easy as humans to point the finger at the person next to us. It seems there's always someone who's done something "worse," and therefore leaves us feeling slightly justified in our own sins.

As a believer is I find this even more prevalent in the church as we look at those who aren't apart of our "elite country club" and can not only point one finger, but many. Not to mention other believers who sin as well...
tsk, tsk, tsk.

The problem ultimately, is that God does not rate sin. In His eyes, it's all equally bad.

I'm often reminded of the story in John 8 where the Pharisees bring the woman caught in adultery to Jesus.
"Teacher, this woman was caught having sex with a man who was not her husband. In the Law, Moses commanded us to kill such women by throwing stones at them. Now what do you say?" (John 8:4-5 NIRV)
And Jesus, being in the incredible man that He is bends down and writes in the sand with his finger. As the Pharisees continue to question Him, he stands up and replies,
"Has any one of you not sinned? Then you be the first to throw as stone at her." (John 8:7 NIRV)
Jesus bends back down and continues to write in the sand. And eventually of course everyone leaves.

The woman may not have been stoned, but every time I read this I feel as though I catch a stone right in my gut. So often I look at those around me and can't help but to judge, and compare their sin to mine. How wrong!

You know that saying about how every time you point your finger at someone there are three fingers pointing back at you? Who am I to judge others sins when I gossip? lie? covet? ...

I do however believe that as believers we should be keeping one another accountable for our actions, words and thoughts...but, I also believe that there should be relationship in place before you start keeping someone accountable. And please, let accountability be as far as it goes. Let God be the one to deal with issues - He's the ONLY one who can bring the conviction to change a life and a heart.

love letters from God

2009-07-02T10:33:00.004-06:00

I'm in the process of recovering from "one of those" weekends.
After MANY hours of preparation and a weekend of full on ministry plus little sleep, I found myself completely exhausted on Monday. Monday evening was spent with my connect group, which was refreshing as always, but ended up being even more amazing then usual...

Our connect group is busy planning and scheming for taking over the Sunday morning service on July 12th (if you're going to be in Lethbridge you should come check it out!). Unfortunately one of the couples in our community will be away on holidays that week, yet was still at our meeting on Monday...for a God appointed reason I'm convinced! Following our meeting of planning this one individual felt she needed to pray for me...and she totally "read my mail."

Have you ever had a moment when you're feeling totally overwhelmed and completely underpowered, and then out of NO WHERE comes something resembling a love letter from your Creator?

That is exactly what I experienced Monday night. Words cannot express how incredible it was to receive exactly what I needed in that moment.

There were many things that happened over the weekend that have remained unheard by many, and yet this one woman seemed to speak into every situation I had faced over the three days prior.

I LOVE how God knows everything we need. Whether its a word of encouragement or confirmation, a hug, a smile, a rest...and somehow He always provides in unsuspecting ways.

Whatever situation you find yourself in...receive the love letters God is sending to you.

the end of a chapter, the beginning of another.

2009-06-17T11:57:00.001-06:00

A couple weekends ago I was in Regina with some family to say our "final good-bye's" to my grandma, as her ashes were placed in the ground.

In the past, our family hasn't been the closest. Different positions and opinions has caused division, and unfortunately as a result family get togethers have been few and far between, laced with bitterness and resentment.

In our grief and mourning however, the family has been reunited. Stories have been shared and feelings put out on the table. Regrets of the past have been shared, and as a result a wanting to change has come about.

And so, as we've all had to end one chapter in our lives, we starting a new one, with a fresh outlook and a renewed value for family.

Although relationships don't grow overnight, they're starting to blossom. Healing is taking place, and forgiveness is being offered.

Grandma would love it, and wouldn't want it any other way.

a new tradition

2009-06-15T14:08:00.007-06:00

Father's Day is just around the corner. This time last year my husband and I were stressing (as we do with most special events and holidays) as we had to plan and ultimately choose which family we'd celebrate with. I know it's completely possible to celebrate one the day before/after, but it seems someone's feeling always end up being hurt. For my husband and I holidays have tended to be a time of dread as we feel like we're on egg shells in attempt to keep both sides happy.

The worst part is both of our families are in the same city...it's not as though we have the option of actually leaving to visit the other in attempts to keep everything "fair."

And so, as I'm sure it is with many couples, weekends that should be filled with laughter and memories, have also included a bit of bitterness and resentment...until Mother's Day '09.

We had decided to join my family for Mother's Day this year since my grandma from Regina, SK was going to be around. Once again we were preparing to drop the news to the other side of the family, when something life changing (perhaps even a miracle) happened.

In one quick phonecall two families merged for an incredible afternoon. And in that a new tradition was born.

And so this Father's Day rather then facing Sunday with dread, it's a day we're ALL looking forward to, as once again the two families will join to celebrate together.

No more choosing side for my husband and I, because really, we're all on the same side...are we not?

I often comment on how lucky I am to have such incredible inlaws that I get along with so well. I now get to comment on how lucky I am to have such incredible parents (on both sides!) because holidays and special events are now all inclusive, rather then exclusive.

I so look forward to what Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Easter etc. will bring as we unite rather then divide.

To all my juggling, struggling-to-balance-the-families friends out there...if it's possible, just make it happen! Why not invite everyone over to your place? If the expense of hosting the family is burden make your celebration potluck style.

Start a new tradition and create new memories!

dedicated.

2009-06-02T09:58:00.003-06:00

This past Sunday, my friends dedicated their little man at church. When these type of things happen I tend to get a bit teary. Truth be known I'm generally a fairly emotional person, but more then that, it moves me to see parents making a commitment to God as they raise their children to be the amazing men and women they've been created to be. What an incredible responsibility and honour for parents!!!

Following the dedication of my friends little guy things only got more emotional...for me.
The time came in the service for the children to be dismissed, and so I took the microphone and began to pray for them...and during my prayer became overwhelmed by emotion...

You see, just as my friends dedicated their son (and themselves!), every mum and dad in that place did that same thing on Sunday morning. Although there wasn't the certificate, and blessing to go along with it, they had made the same commitment just by being there.

And this thought overwhelmed me!

And it continues to overwhelm me!

I think it's easy to go through with the "ceremony" of dedication. It's easy to stand up on stage, to answer yes, and to have your precious little one prayed over and blessed. It's hard when you've been running around crazy all weekend, and yet still get up early on Sunday morning to be at church. It's hard when the world screams for your attention, and yet you choose to raise your children to love and know their creator.

That's what it really means to have your child dedicated - it's more then a church service with your baby, it's more then a certificate. It's doing the hard stuff and doing it the best you can.

That's where my passion comes in,
that's where the tears come from.

And so I once again dedicated myself on Sunday, to being a support to the parents who have dedicated themselves and their children.

for real.

2009-05-19T15:58:00.003-06:00

I have a friend who owns at store in downtown Lethbridge called Edit: stylish and sustainable shopping.

"The goal of Edit is to help clients make ethically smart shopping choices, while not sacrificing style. We as consumers need to refine the way that we shop, to really think about what is behind what we are buying and to feel good that our decisions to play a part to better the world around us."

The thing that I love about this shoppe (besides the fact that they provide fair trade and eco-friendly product) is the person behind it. The shoppe owner not only provide great products that are great for the world, but she stands behind her commitment. There have been numerous times that I have seen her riding her bike downtown since she doesn't own a vehicle - just one more way to better the world.

I work in a field where hypocrisy if often seen. Although I believe it's absolutely true that no human is perfect and people will always sin and make mistakes, it's heart breaking to think that so many have trouble sticking to their commitments.

James 5:12b sticks out in my mind where it states:
"Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," be no, or you will condemned."
How easy it is to say, yet so hard to actually follow through. Perhaps rather then spouting out commitments with empty emotions it's time to stop and think about what the follow through will look like, and what it will cost!

So to my shoppe owner friend:
I applaud and stand in awe of you! Thank you for sticking to your commitment. Thank you for "practicing what you preach." I have much to learn from you.

To my other friends out there, I challenge you (just as I challenge myself) - "Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," be no..."

NOTHING!

2009-05-14T11:50:00.003-06:00

I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
(Romans 8:38-39)

Wow.

The past few days I've been trying to wrap my head around these verses, and simply put - I can't.

There is no sin, thought, person, thing, feeling - nothing - that can get in between us and God's love.

There have been times in my life where I've felt distant, and disconnected from a God who's love I can't escape - who's fault could that be?
I think without realizing it I've blamed God for the feelings of distance between us, as if it's His fault that I'm not perfect. And yet, when I take time to read and meditate on two verse from Romans I realize that it's not God's fault at all - it's mine. His love is so huge that I can't be separated from it, so huge that I can't even fully comprehend it...and yet I try to blame Him.

It's my blindness to His love that keeps me from realizing that I can never escape from it.
It's me, it's not Him. And so I make the choice to remember that my sin, my thoughts, the people in my life, the things in my life, the things that I feel - they have absolutely no bounds on God's love for me.

I'm always surrounded.
Always loved.

And so are you

God's Chisel

2009-05-12T12:19:00.001-06:00

predictably unpredictable

2009-05-04T13:40:00.000-06:00

I like to describe my life as 'predictably unpredictable.' It seems as though many things in my life are permanent, and I'm often faced with change [thankfully, I like change!].

With a husband who works at a car dealership it shouldn't be any surprise that over the past two years we've owned eight different vehicles (JUST got a new one in fact...a Jeep Liberty!!!).
I get bored with the same look and often when I got to the hairdresser I ask for something different (like last week).
Although I haven't been in my own home for long I feel the need to redecorate and rearrange often (good thing my husband isn't SUPER anal - nothing has a permanent home).
I truly do enjoy where I live, but frequently get cabin fever and have the urge to leave for a day or two just for a bit of change (we were in Calgary this past weekend).
I'm not one for meal planning and I like having options depending on what I'm craving (not to mention that taste buds are replaced every two weeks!).
I have a job in which my responsibilities seem to consistently change and expand (although some things remain the same, there are always seems to be a new project or event to work on).

"Everything is for sale for the right price," has become a motto for my husband and I, and although we both enjoy the things in our life we're not so attached to anything that we wouldn't be willing to get rid of it.

Although many things in my life seem to be constantly changing there is one thing that remains constant. My God (See Hebrews 13:8).

I love change, and I love having a life that is predictably unpredictable, but even more then that I LOVE knowing that my God is the same...yesterday, today, and forever.

When I grow up I want to be like Barbie

2009-04-22T12:00:00.007-06:00

Check this little Barbie video out: click here

Actually, I just want to be like my mum.

human doing.

2009-04-21T11:02:00.004-06:00

I have a very full life. From the responsibilities I face daily at work, the planning, the meetings, volunteering, keeping a (somewhat) clean house, family, keeping up with friends, being a friendly neighbor, sending and receiving e-mails, texts & phone calls, paying bills, being a wife...it seems there's always something to be doing.

It's interesting that in the full (or busy) life that I lead, I often feel very refreshed. I've come to understand that I'm not only a people person, but that crowds and activity seem to energize me. (This was an interesting discovery because at the time, as I was surrounded by introverted people who need time alone to have the same feeling I have nearly all the time.) It's been ages since I've been bored and have had nothing to do...and yet, I'm (generally) not exhausted.

I've heard the phrase before "we're human beings, not human doings." True. But how do I balance between "being" and "doing"?

The thing is that we've all been created differently. Just as there are no two fingerprints that are alike, there truly are no two people alike. And I've come to understand that my "doing" is also part my "being". It's just the way I've been wired. (Mind you, my heart and thoughts have to be in the right place in my "doing.")

It's ok, and perfectly normal for my life (at this point) to be very full. It's ok that often times I don't see my husband until we eat dinner (occasionally at 9:00pm). It's ok that I rarely get "me" time. It's ok that I don't remember sitting through a whole church service.

It's ok... because in all of this "doing" I truly believe that I'm just "being."

Lost Generation

2009-04-16T08:41:00.001-06:00

the way it should be.

2009-03-31T09:52:00.006-06:00

Matt and I have the huge privilege of having a good relationship with our neighbors. I realize this is a privilege because I know that on many streets neighbors don't even know each others names, let alone what's happening in their lives.

We have neighbors who recently invited a baby girl into their lives and home. The day after she was born from across the street our neighbor yelled, "Matt, I'm a father of two! We had a baby girl! You and Catherine need to come over for a drink to celebrate with us!"

Unfortunately that drink has yet to happen since the past few weeks have been complete craziness and Matt and I have had hardly anytime together, let alone catching up with friends and family.
Today, as Matt was leaving for work so was our neighbor. Matt apologized that we still hadn't been over to see the new babe, which has turned out to be ok since there have been oodles of family and friends visiting since mum and bub got home. Matt also said that with since there's less visitors around we would love to help with a meal, or in any other way needed. In reply our neighbor said, "no! No food! We have so much food from people!"

Wow.

And in my opinion that's the way things should be. When there's a need, family, friends, community should be filling it - over and above.

All Around Easter (in two days!)

2009-03-23T15:23:00.003-06:00

So, out of my [Easter] box I have come (sort of) (read THIS for a bit of background).

Although my big dreams for Easter at church aren't going to come to fruition this year, there are plans in the works for next year. This year however we will be doing a smaller, modified version of my big dreams and I am so excited for what it will look like!

Through a bit of "google research" I came upon 'All Around Easter.' Over the course of two Sunday's (Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday) I'll be taking the children in our children's ministry on a journey through Easter. By experiencing different elements of Easter at various stations hopefully this Easter Sunday kids will leave with a greater understanding and excitement for this holiday.

Stay tuned as 'All Around Easter' unfolds!

PS:Looks like some traditions won't die THAT easily and there MAY still be an Easter egg hunt - but don't get your hopes up...I'm still working on it :)

March = Courage

2009-03-17T12:55:00.003-06:00

My line for the past couple of weeks has been that "there are only two good things about March; my anniversary and the Ella's birthday."
My husband and I celebrated our 1st (!) anniversary on March 15th. We had a fabulous day together and I so look forward to the many anniversary celebrations to come.
Ella's birthday is on March 22nd. She's a ray of sunshine in my life, the offspring of one of my closest and most trusted friends. She's a darling child that I've had the privilege to know since the day after her birth four (!) years ago.

But along with these two happy occasions are a few sad ones.
One of which being the anniversary of my grandpa's death on March 24th. He was a wonderful man, who is greatly missed by his family and friends. Along with that day of remembrance is his birthday which falls on March 10th.
Not to mention the weather isn't exactly delightful. Although there are glimpses of spring, it seems as though nature is not yet ready to embrace the sunshine and warmth just yet.

As I think of the month of March, I can't help but be overwhelmed by emotions. Both the good memories and sad ones flood my mind as I look at the calendar on my BlackBerry.

In looking closer at the month of March I've come to learn that March's birthstone is the aquamarine and bloodstone. They mean courage.

How profound.

With half the month under my belt I resolve the face the last half with courage and strength.

How is your March looking? In what manner are you embracing the next 14 days of the month?

You Give and Take Away

2009-03-16T10:39:00.003-06:00

The past few days have been flooded with many emotions.

A good friend of the family just came out of intensive care. After heart surgery a week and a half ago, many prayers went up for him and his family as he fought for his life. What a relief for many when he finally came out of intensive care. Prayers continue to go up for this wonderful man, yet it seems as though the worst is over.

And while there was much rejoicing it was shadowed by mourning.

In the same city that my family friend was recovering in, a family member passed away. Although the family was somewhat prepared for this loss, its never easy to cope with death.

One of my favorite songs includes the following line:
"You give and take away.
You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say
Lord blessed be Your name."

As I've been caught in between rejoicing and mourning it seems this is pretty much sums up what I'm feeling.

The Why or the What?

2009-03-09T10:26:00.003-06:00

Since I rely heavily on volunteers through my job, whenever possible I try to volunteer myself as I know how hard it is to find volunteers.

This past weekend I was volunteering at a Speed Skating Meet in Lethbridge, AB. Both my dad and younger sister are members of the Lethbridge Speed Skating Association, and it was a massive honour to volunteer at something that they're both involved in.

My job at the meets is to ring the bell. The bell signifies to the lead racer that they are on their last lap. Although technically the position is titled "Lap Counter" I prefer to be called the bell ringer. Having a job like that is just more proof that I work with kids :)

This past weekend I worked with two individuals to lap count/ring the bell. One of which was a young woman from Calgary who is a speed skater herself. Upon meeting early Friday morning she proudly proclaimed that she was "lead lap counter."

Fabulous.

That introduction got me thinking...how often are we more concerned about our title, rather then the tasks at hand?

I know that there have been moments in my life where I get so hyped on my position or title that I loose sight of the reason for the position or title. I forget the "why" behind the "what."
In my work titles tend to mean lots, and it quickly becomes evident who is all about the title, and who's all about the task. There are those I've met in my field who hide behind their title, and spend the majority of their time on their rusty dusty.

After this weekend I was personally challenged to keep the "why" more important then that "what." I do what I do because I love kids and I love seeing them come into a relationship with their creator. That's what its all about...not my seat on the front row, not my nice office, not the trips or meetings, the conferences, reserved parking spots...

My prayer is that my "what" would never become more important then my "why."

a fabulous parntership

2009-03-05T15:52:00.004-07:00

As someone who's involved with children, I realize the amazing partnership between parents and childcare workers.

I remember an incident that happened while I was in grade six when I saw this partnership in action.
There was a student in another grade six class who would bring Tylenol with her to school and distribute it to other students during recess. The students who took the Tylenol didn't have any aches or pains, they took the Tylenol just for the sake of it.
A bit confused (I had trouble swallowing pills as a young girl), I talked to my mum about these strange occurrences in my life.
As a concerned parent my mum naturally (or maybe not so naturally) contacted the school so that the grade six teachers were aware of what was going on in the playground.
Within a few days all the grade sixes were crammed into a room with the school nurse who proceeded to tell us about the dangers of taking medication; when its needed, when its not needed, possible side affects etc.
Soon after this meeting the 'Tylenol dealing' came to an end.

A little while ago my husband and I had a run in with a young man who was telling us about watching inappropriate movies for someone his age (or any age in my personal opinion). At first we were both uncomfortable with how to deal with this; were his parents allowing him to watch these films? Should we ask at the risk of seeming judgmental, or would our concern be welcome?
Thankfully this mother came to us asking if her son had mentioned anything. We then proceeded to say that he had. It came as such a relief to her to know that we were concerned as well. We continued to come with a plan on how to discourage this young man for watching these shows in a diplomatic, yet very serious manner.

I think often parents feel their alone in educating their children how to be 'street wise,' which is quite unfortunate because of all the resources available through schools and other places where extra-curricular activities happen.

Let it be known that I personally believe in these partnerships as I have seen a very positive outcome. If you are a parent I would encourage you to spend time voicing your concerns to your children's teachers/childcare workers etc. Together the two are capable of shaping incredible young people.

having both is a blessing.

2009-02-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

My amazing mother-in-law has remarkable quote on the wall in her dining room, it says
"Having somewhere to go is HOME
Having someone to love is FAMILY
Having both is a BLESSING"

I love that quote because it's so true! "Home" doesn't necissarily have to be your house, or someone else's. It's a place where you can go and be yourself. And "family" isn't always just the people that you're related to. It's the people in your world who love you unconditional and take you as you are.

Being a children's pastor its my desire to see all children blessed with both. If they aren't finding these things at their house, I would love to be able to help them find it some other place...possibly even at church.

That's why the other staff at my church and myself have determined that we need to create "family" in our congregation. Through things as simple as the ushers and greeters who volunteer every Sunday, to connect groups, to family events...we're doing what we can to try and create a place of belonging where relationships can form and flourish.

My prayer is that our church is BLESSING to many.

won't you be my neighbor?

2009-02-24T10:41:00.007-07:00

I remember watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood when I was young. He would always sing a song asking me (and all other children viewing his show) to be his neighbor. After watching his 30 minute show on television I'd plan up ways in my head to become a neighbor to someone so kind and friendly...

Although I've never been Mr. Rogers neighbor, I most certainly have lived in communities with people much like Mr. Rogers - people who genuinely care about those in their communities. That's the kind of neighbor I aspire to be.

I live in a small town just minutes from the city I grew up in. It's quite incredible the difference a smaller center can make brining neighbors together.

There's a bakery in my town that has the most delicious pastries ever! It's locally owned and it seems like there's always a vehicle parked out front picking up a loaf of fresh baked bread, or goodies to take home and share with the family.

There's also a gas station just as you enter our town. It's one of the few Full Service stations in our area. There always seems to be teenage boys standing about waiting for the next customer to roll up and proclaim "fill 'er up."

In this economic crisis that the world is finding itself in, its quite evident that people are tightening their belts, including my husband and I. I have become quite the sale shopper and spend time going through flyers looking for the best deals on the goods needed in our home. However, one place that we refuse to cut costs is when it comes to supporting our local businesses.

Sure I could buy bread at the grocery store for a more inexpensive price. And I could fill up my gar with gas at a station that's self serve and spend less.
But then, what kind of neighbor am I being?

If I fail to be a good neighbor and support those who invest so much of their time into making my town better, I'm not only tightening my belt, but I'm also becoming stingy. This economic crisis is no doubt affecting the small businesses in my community, I would hate to be a contributing factor to businesses closing and my neighbors moving away.

I want to be known as someone who lives generously. I want to contribute to a community that lives generously.

I want to be like Mr. Rogers.

thinking outside of my [Easter] box

2009-02-17T11:26:00.004-07:00

This morning I sat down to work on my March calendar and realized that Easter is only 53 sleeps away! Now to the average person that would seem to be heaps of time to start planning for the holiday. For myself, I realize the clock is ticking and time's running out to plan something amazing.

Over the past few months my church has been trying to switch its focus towards family. With Easter quickly approaching I instinctively think of what we can do for just the kids. That's where I'm challenged to think outside of the box! For years we've done Easter egg hunts for the kids, which is generally great, but doesn't include the whole family in celebrating Easter.

And so, over the next 53 days I will be attempting to think outside of the box. To create an Easter experience for the whole family.

making a house a home

2009-02-11T14:07:00.003-07:00

Matt & I are so close to being in our first house! It's been quite the process. We made the decision to start building last summer. In July they started digging our basement and pouring our foundation. Soon after the process began we moved out of our rental home and into my parents house. We picked our flooring, cabinets, light fixtures, counter tops, appliances, hardware and finally we're almost at the point of being able to enjoy it!

Over the past seven months I've been reminded of what makes a house a home while living in my parents home again. Between the months spent with them and the days of "relief" (☺) spent with my in-laws I've began to realize what truly makes a house a home.

Its not the decorations (although those are very lovely and definitely contribute to the "homey" feel). Its not the space, or the designated rooms. It's not what kind of food is served. It's not the mood music that's played, or mood lighting.

Rather its the things that you don't see that make a house a home. It's the way that everyone belongs. It's the way you're allowed to be who you are. It's the way there's always an extra chair that can be pulled up to the table. It's the way the conversation just flows and you know that your opinion matters. It's the way family and friends alike feel sheltered and safe.

And so, although I'm EXTREMELY excited to get into our house and set it up as ours, I'm more excited to create a haven. My mother-in-law gave us something for our wall when the building process just began, and I truly believe it will become the essence of our home and it simply says: "Welcome, happy is the home that shelters a friend." And that is the home that Matt & will strive to create.

remembering someone great. - part 2

2009-02-04T09:49:00.003-07:00

She never once complained. It was clear that some of her life experiences were neither fair, or deserved, but through it all she had such dignity and strength. I never heard her speak negatively of those who did her wrong, or of a situation she found herself in.
She was the queen of glitz. I remember the sweaters she wore were always adorned with sparkles and golden threads.
Speaking of glitz, she was a princess. Her hair was always done and her finger and toenails always painted. She would squeeze her feet into pretty, strappy sandals and never once complain of the pain.
She was the only one who would let me get cookies a McDonald's as a little girl.
Although she was quiet it was never uncomfortable to be around her. There was something very relaxed and comforting about her presence even though she was a women of few words.
I remember delivering her poinsettia's every Christmas. She loved flowers, and we always made a point of getting her the biggest most beautiful bouquets when we had the opportunity.
She LOVED her family. Her home was full of photos of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. When she moved from her apartment into the nursing home her photos moved with her.
I remember she got along so well with grandpa McEachern. When they were together it seemed as though there was a mutual understanding between them. They simply seemed to enjoy being in each others presence. As a grandchild is was a fabulous thing to witness. I know that now they're both enjoying their time in a place far greater then any place they ever met here on earth.

She is still treasured in my heart and so missed everyday.