Finding New Strength

It's been a stressful week and some of the problems I've been facing have caused feelings of discouragement to rise up within me.

But last night something within me changed.  It started when I opened my study guide to see that the chapter our small group would be going through that night addressed one of the exact issues I was dealing with.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Then on the drive home I had a good reminder from God that He is still in control and I'm not in this alone.  It's not up to me to find a solution to the problem.  Yes I have my part to play, but if I turn it over to Him, He's going to lead me and show me what to do.

This verse keeps coming to mind.  I know it's quoted often, but it's one that really encourages me and I thought I'd share:

"The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31)

And that's what they call talent

Looking Beyond Today

Living in the Canadian North, I've become accustomed to the reality of having tons of snow in the winter and it usually only melting by the end of April if we're lucky.  That's just the way life is up here and while I wouldn't trade it for anything, this winter was a different story.  

I was in Chicago at the beginning of March and within days of arriving home, our snow was gone.  This kind of weather was unheard of for us, but myself and most people up here didn't give it a second thought.  We were so happy to have an early spring that we didn't think ahead to what the downside might be.

That is no longer the case.

Over the past couple of weeks as wildfires have threatened homes and cottages and burned thousands of hectares of beautiful forest, we've seen the consequence of having a spring where the snow left and no rain replaced it.  The ground got so dry that all it took was a spark to spread flames far and wide and do so at a frightening pace.

Isn't it so easy to enjoy the moment and not even give one thought to the consequence?

We do that a lot, don't we?  Not only in broad ways like in how we view the weather.  But in very specific ways in how we live our lives.  We are quick to enjoy getting away with things at the moment, but aren't wise enough to see where the path we're walking on is leading us.

We give ourselves a pat on the back when our boss buys our excuse for why we were late today.  But we don't see where this pattern of lateness or dishonesty will lead us in a few months from now when the boss has seen right through us and has ten people lining up, ready to take our jobs.

We get a little thrill when we watch things we have no business watching on TV or the internet and we shrug off the consequences, thinking no one will ever know.  While that may be true, we fail to think about the fallout that the forbidden has on our hearts, our lives, and our relationships.  If we looked ahead to see the chaos we were inviting into our lives from those so called secret moments, I don't think we would be so quick to flip the channel or open the browser.

In his book The Principle of the Path, a book I highly recommend by the way, Andy Stanley writes:

"Prudent people look as far down the road as possible when making decisions.  Every decision.  After all, they understand that today and tomorrow are connected." (p. 39)

That is so true.  Our decisions aren't sealed in some sort of box where they occur, but are sealed in to only affect what happens inside that box.  No, our decisions are like bombs that are set off that send shrapnel flying all around us.  The good decisions, like investing in our relationships or growing in our faith or living a life of integrity send life-giving water to everyone and everything around us.  Whereas the bad decisions like cheating or lying or living a double life or being stuck on spiritual cruise control are like sharp shrapnel that can tear down and harm all kinds of things around us from our relationships to our jobs to our ministries to even our witness to other people.  As Proverbs 13:20 says "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."

That said, we're all left with a choice.  A choice we have to make every time we're faced with a decision.  Are we going to see this decision as something insignificant or are we going to look down the road and see where this seemingly small choice is going to lead us in a week, a month or even a year from now.

"Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.  Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe.  Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil." (Proverbs 4:25-26)

Praying For Rain

I never thought I would pray for rain, but with the forrest fire situation surrounding our community and the nearby town of Kirkland Lake, that is something that we desperately need right now!

This afternoon the winds shifted and smoke from a huge fire to the west of the city started dropping over the area, leaving the sky an eerie colour and changing the sun in a way I've never seen before (see photo).

Unfortunately the smoke creates an issue for people like my grandfather who has respiratory problems.

Your prayers for heavy rain and the winds to change would be greatly appreciated!

"Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!  Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops." (James 5:17-19)

Loving God

One of the first books I read after becoming a Christian was Chuck Colson's "Born Again". While it documented his journey to faith, it also helped guide me on mine. Shortly after reading "Born Again" I picked up "Loving God" and was not disappointed. Colson's writings were very influential in my early days of growing in my faith and I, like many, am saddened to hear of his passing. It is my hope that when my time comes to leave this world, I could have touched even a small fraction of the number of lives that Chuck Colson did.

"More widely read, more frequently attacked than any other book in history, generations of intellectuals have attempted to discredit it; dictators of every age have outlawed it and executed those who read it. Yet soldiers carry it into battle believing it more powerful than their weapons. Fragments of it smuggled into solitary prison cells have transformed ruthless killers into gentle saints. Pieced-together scraps of Scripture have converted whole villages of pagan Indians.

Yearly, the Bible outsells every best-seller. Five hundred million copies were published last year alone. Portions have been translated into more than 1800 languages and even carried to the moon.

Literary classics endure the centuries. Philosophers mold the thoughts of generations unborn. Modern media shapes current culture. Yet nothing has affected the rise and fall of civilization, the character of cultures, the structure of governments, and the lives of the inhabitants of this planet as profoundly as the words of the Bible." (Loving God, Charles Colson)

Good Friday

Last night my small group got together for a dinner, followed by watching The Passion of the Christ. Seeing the words of the Bible brought to life for me brings such a greater understanding. It's so easy to read the words "Jesus died for our sins" and to let it pass by, being unchanged and unaffected. But when you see on the screen what "Jesus dying" really meant and the pain and agony He went through and how at any point during the ordeal He could have stopped it but instead choose to go on, it brings about a completely different perspective.

I don't know about you, but the list of people I would be willing to die for is not that long. And the list of people I'd be willing to die for under those extremely circumstances, even shorter, in fact if I was being really honest I'd say it's nonexistent. Diving in a lake to save someone who is drowning pales in comparison to being flogged then nailed to a cross, to slowly suffocate to death. Yet Jesus choose it. Jesus did it. And today you and I benefit from the fruit of His death with life. Not just eternal life in heaven for those who believe, but an abundant life beyond comprehension here and now.

That's the reason why I can call Good Friday good. Because it's about more than a death, it's about what life that death brought and how that sacrifice changed my life. Today I pray you know that life and that you take some time aside to realize what precious a gift it truly is.

"And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:8-11)

My Favourite City: Chicago

I've been home from Chicago for over two weeks and I've been wanting to post a recap of my trip but instead of journaling day by day I've decided to do something different. Here are the top reasons why Chicago is my favourite city, hands down. Because of time constraints, I've limited it to the top five, but believe me there are more!

The People

There is something different about people in Chicago. The friendliness of the people make Chicago feel more like a small town than a big city. They just love their city and they want you to have a great time visiting and experiencing everything Chicago has to offer. I've had strangers offer me directions before I've even asked (they overheard us debating which way to go). We were talking to a lady at a restaurant in the park and when we mentioned we wanted to go skating in the park the next day, she told us to come back to the restaurant first and she'd leave her job, walk us to the skate rental place and make sure we got set up right so we'd be good to go. Those are just a few examples of how people in Chicago go out of their way to make you feel welcome.

The Layout

After the Great Fire burned up much of the City of Chicago, the people made a very wise decision when it came time to rebuild. They decided to leave the waterfront industry free and instead of packing it with business, they left it wide open with parks and beaches from one end of the waterfront to the other and they made sure that residents of the city would always have free access to the highlights of the city. Museums and attractions often have free days to residents, the city even offers a free trolley to bring people down to the waterfront so they can enjoy what it has to offer. Brilliant.

Also while in most big cities one skyscraper looks just like the next, that's not the case in Chicago. Each one is more magnificent than the one next to it and most have great stories behind them. We went in one hotel where they recreated the Sistine chapel and another building that had a ceiling worth $32 million dollars. Art and beauty are a big thing in this city.

The Shopping

I never used to be a big shopper, but that has changed over the last couple of years and Chicago has the best shopping I've been able to find. In fact one of the main streets, Michigan Avenue, has one mile of nothing but stores on both sides of the street, complimented by a couple of malls. Then on the other side of the River are even more stores on State Street, like the biggest Old Navy I've ever seen- four floors high.

The Out of this World Experiences

In Chicago you'll get to experience things that you'd never get to do anywhere else. At the Sears Tower, North America's tallest building, you can step off the building and stand above the city with nothing around and beneath you but glass. At the John Hancock Center, another really tall building, I went up to the 94th floor and there got to skate on a rink with the city spread out below me.

At the Museum of Science and Industry I got to tour an actual U505 Submarine that the Americans captured during World War 2. They towed this sub all the way through the great lakes, then built a special track to bring it from Lake Michigan to the museum just to have this kind of experience available. And it wasn't just like you walked through the sub. No they had audio and visual effects so that while you were in the sub you experienced what the German soldiers would have when they were under attack.

Even at the Bulls game, it was more than just watching a basketball game, it was an experience. Nothing like any other sporting event I've been too. The crowd was wild and the energy was fueled by guys doing basketball stunts on trampolines, a guy doing tricks with his dog, parachutes dropping from the ceiling with free stuff in them, t-shirts being fired off into the crowd, fireworks, even a senior cheer-leading squad that was hilarious.

The Food

Deep dish pizza, Chicago style cheesecake, Vienna Beef hotdogs, the list goes on. Chicago has tons of signature food items that you won't find anywhere else.

Let's just say we ate very well for the week we were there and it's a good thing we did a lot of walking to burn of the calories. My favourite thing I tasted was their Red Velvet French toast. It was probably one of the best things I've ever eaten.

So if you haven't been to Chicago, I highly recommend going. I've been twice now and can easily see myself going back again (and then again).

New Hobby

As a northern girl, I've done a lot of the typical "northern winter things" like downhill & cross country skiing, snowshoeing, skating, hockey and snowmobiling. One I never tried out until last winter was ice fishing was because it never seemed like a fun thing to do. That was until I started doing it.

The weekend before last I took part in an ice fishing derby and even though it meant getting up while it was still dark and functioning in the cold on only a few hours of sleep, it was an incredible day. When I caught my first fish (see photo on the right) and my brother and I brought it to the weigh-in station I was thrilled to find out that so far it was in second, if not first place. So all day long we quizzed people walking by with their fish to see if theirs held up. As it turned out at the end of the day I lost out by one ounce but it was still a great experience. So much so that last weekend I went out with my family and did it again.

There's something about being out nature and the stillness and the silence (minus the distant sound of snowmachines) that is like a sabbaath activity for me.

Now I've got one more requirement for my future cottage- it must have a good spot for ice fishing!

The Blank Canvas

I'm not a big risk taker when it comes to my life. I'm the type of person that tends to play it safe. I'm predictable. Most of my decisions don't shock anybody. And for most of my life I was okay with that.

But lately something has changed. As my health has taken a dramatic turn for the better I knew that the time was coming to pursue a full-time career instead of juggling whatever part-time jobs I could come up with. And while I have been absolutely thrilled to have the energy and opportunity to do more with my life, I have to admit it was a little scary at the same time too. Because suddenly there was an awful lot of unknowns and a lot of decisions facing me down.

Should I move out of town to pursue a different career than what would be available to me here?

Should I go back to school?

Should I build on what I have been doing?

Or should I pursue something else entirely?

I have to admit somewhere deep down inside I was tempted to do something safe, something secure. Like work at a bank or something like that. But as I looked out at the blank canvas of my future I realized something. And that's if I'm ever going to take a chance, this is the time. By most people's standards I'm still pretty young. I have no big obligations or commitments like a mortgage or kids. If there was ever a moment to wander away from my typical path of taking the safest route, this is it.

And so after a lot of thinking and prayer I decided a few months ago that I wasn't going to play it safe when it comes to my career. The stability lover in me would be happy to take a nine to five job with benefits and a steady paycheck, but the dreamer in me knows that's not the path I'm supposed to travel right now.

Which is why I choose to follow my hearts desire and that is to pursue opening up my own business, something I'm in the process of doing right now.

The business? Media and design. For over 10 years I've been dabbling in web design. Over the years I've built quite a few sites for people and it was both something I enjoyed and a supplement to my income. Then over the past year I've expanded into video production and that's also been picking up steam, to the point where I think if I really pursue web design and media (such as video production) full-time I can make a go of it. Of course as anyone who has worked in the industry knows, to get where I want to be requires a sizable investment in equipment, software, and the like, which is where the risk comes in.

So yes, this is perhaps the most "unsafe" decision I've ever made in my life, but it is also one that is making me feel so alive and like I'm finally where I am supposed to be in life. Even as I work endlessly on business plans and cost projections and all kinds of things that are causing me to reopen my university textbooks, I'm loving every minute of it and I can't wait to see where this goes!

This song from Michael Paynter has become my theme song for this journey, because yes, I'm learning to love the fall.

The Reason We Celebrate

One of my absolute favourite modern day Christmas songs is "The Night Before Christmas" (see below). I think one of the reasons I love it so much is because it reminds me of the contrast of what our world was like before Jesus came in and what it was like after He took his first breaths as a baby. It also reminds me of the hope and light He brought then and brings now to everyone who believes.

I know my life has drastically changed with His presence in it and so that is what I am celebrating this Christmas. Sure I love having four days off work, yes I enjoy getting together with family and friends, and hey who doesn't love gifts. But in the midst of that I don't want the reason any of us have to celebrate be overshadowed by the celebrations themselves.

Jesus came down to our earth. Emmanuel, God with us. He came not just to die one day for our sins and pave a path between God and mankind; but He also came to bring us calmness in chaos, peace in uncertainty, love to those who feel unlovable and ultimately, light in the darkness.

That is the reason we have to celebrate. And that is something I don't want to lose sight of this season.

Merry Christmas.

One-Twelfth

It's no secret that for many December is the busiest month of the year. And when you ask people why they are so busy, chances are they are going to say it's because they are getting ready for Christmas. And while that's certainly an acceptable answer, let's just think about this for a second.

If every year in December we spend the majority of our time getting ready for Christmas, that means that we're pretty much dedicating one month of the year to it. Which doesn't sound so bad in the grand scheme of one year, but let's break it down further.

If every December we spend most of our time preparing for Christmas and December is one month out of twelve in a year, it's a safe assumption to make that many of us will spend one-twelfth of the free time we have in our entire lives getting ready for a holiday.

Now don't count me out as a Scrooge. Ask anyone around me- I absolutely love Christmas! But what I don't love is when I get so busy with preparing for the occasion that I end up losing Jesus in the middle of meals and presents and baking and parties. If I'm going to spend one-twelfth of the free time in my life on something, I want to make sure I'm spending it on something that is going to count. And if my way of celebrating Christmas and preparing for December 25th is nothing but shopping and to-do lists and obligations, then I'm afraid I'm missing the mark.

However, if my celebrations are centered around Christ and I use this time of year to do the things that He loves best, like:

-reach out to the lonely

-give to the poor

-share His Gospel with those around me

Then not only am I not wasting 1/12 of my life, but I'm actually living out the kind of life that God wants His followers to live. And that's something we would all do good to follow every day of the year, Christmas or not.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’" (Matthew 25:34-40)

Clean Drinking Water

The end of this month brings about the 10th anniversary of the MAD Christian Radio Show. That astounds me- I can't believe I've been doing this for 10 years! In some ways it seems like I just got started yesterday. In others it seems like this is something that has always been part of my life.

I wanted to do something special to mark the milestone and since MAD stands for Making A Difference it seemed only suitable to partner with a cause that would allow all the listeners to get involved and be Making A Difference. And the cause that has been on my heart for a long time is bringing clean drinking water to people in Africa.

It's unbelievableto think that something we have such free access to is virtually non-existent in many parts of the world. But thanks to organizations like the Blood:Water Mission it's very easy for you or I to do something about it.

For every dollar we give, they can give someone in Africa clean drinking water for an entire year! If you'd like to give the gift of clean water, click here to donate. Everyone who does using that link not only can make a huge difference, but also will have the chance to win in our 10th Anniversary Giveaway as a way of saying thanks for your generosity!

Creative Approach

I like things that are creative and a little out of the box, which can definitely be said for this video! It's a lego take on TobyMac's song "Tonight"- check it out!

Thanksgiving

This weekend us Canadians celebrate thanksgiving. Here are a few things that I am thankful for:

-My family and friends. Over this past year especially I've been realizing just how blessed I am to have the people in my life that I do. I've got an incredibly supportive "home team" and I value each one of them so much.
-My church family. I belong to a great congregation of people and I'm excited about the direction God is leading us in.
-My health. I've struggled quite a bit with health issues over the past 5-6 years and to see healing come in many ways over these past few months has been incredible! I'm so grateful for the improvements and love what feeling better has allowed me to be able to do.
-The MAD Christian Radio Show. I'm floored to think that I've been doing this show for nearly 10 years- that's over 500 shows! But in a lot of ways it feels like it's just getting started.
-New opportunities on the horizon. With my improved health and the changes that have come into my life as a result, I feel like I'm moving into the next stage of my life and while I can't say I know exactly what that's going to look like, the glimpses I've been getting are remarkable. I can't wait for what lies ahead!!!

So happy thanksgiving! I'll leave you with a thanksgiving clip from one of my favorite shows:

Boasting

Ever since I first heard this song from Lecrae I can't get it out of my head. It's one that I want to be my anthem.

The Unknown

Today I came across this quote from Theodore Epp:

"As we trust God to give us wisdom for today's decisions, He will lead us a step at a time into what He wants us to be doing in the future."

It hit close to home as over the next couple of months I have some decisions to make about the future. And where before decisions like these would cause me to worry, I find myself feeling kind of excited about them. I never used to be the kind of person who thrived in the unknown, but lately I have been.

But maybe that's because looking back I can see an intricate weaving of events where God had lead me thus far and I can now trust that the things that He has ahead for me are just as good, if not better, than the things I've left behind.

Here's to the unknown!

August Holiday

Our family started a new tradition last year that during the last week of August we all meet up at my aunts cottage for a family vacation. The tradition carried on this year and it's one that I love. Somehow when my family gets all together, we're transported back in time to when we were kids and many memories of the times we spent together growing up emerge.

This year there was added joy with the new addition to our family, my nephew Timothy, joining us. He's now eight months old and it's amazing to see his personality emerge and our personalities change with him being there. Where before we only knew our mom as a mother, now the Oma (grandmother) side of her has made itself known. I see the changes in my brother as he's a dad and have witnessed the changes in my sister and I as we are now aunts. They say kids change a family and only eight months in, I can attest that it's true and it's a wonderful thing to experience.

It was a fantastic week filled with so many precious moments. A few highlights:

-standing outside with all the lights turned off, looking at the blanket of stars that filled the evening sky. Then being filled with wonder as shooting stars streaked across the night sky.
-playing board games at the kitchen table, teasing each other and laughing so hard that our eyes filled with tears.
-going for bike rides around the lake and being floored with the expanse of God's beautiful creation.
-playing with my nephew and learning what makes him laugh. Having him sit on my lap and mimic my breathing and laughter.
-fishing below the dam and reeling in my catch.

I feel so blessed to be a part of the family that I call mine. While we like any family have had our struggles, the trials that we've gone through have refined us and made us a stronger unit as a result.

In my family I not only have people who love me unconditionally, but a team of people who are extremely protective of me. People who inspire me to dream and believe that I can accomplish great things. Having that kind of home team is something that I used to take for granted, but these days I'm learning to stop and be grateful for what I have.

I'm choosing to allow each moment to truly soak in my heart and soul, to reflect on the goodness of this gift from God and ultimately I'm aspiring to be the best sister, aunt, and daughter that I can be.

Young Love

I don't often run out and buy an album right on release day, but when it came to Mat Kearney's latest "Young Love" I made an exception and the album didn't disappoint.

Since coming out earlier this month I've been listening to it non-stop and I haven't tired of it yet. The beats are catchy, the lyrics are deep, and the songwriting is original. It's definitely made its way to my top 10 list.

Existing To Live

In her book Cold Tangerines Shauna Niequest wrote:

"I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that He gave life to someone who loves the gift."

I resonate so much with that quote because that's the kind of life I'm determined to be living. Ever since my sleep problems started getting better this spring I've been attacking life with a vigor and it's been such an amazing experience that I never want to go back to living to exist rather than existing to live.

I've had such an amazing summer so far packed with experiences that I'll never forget. Going horseback riding and feeling fear with an equal measure of feeling so alive when the horse started to run. Four wheeling through the bush and nearly coming face to face with a bear and her cubs. Kayaking on the lake. Golfing just because the weather was nice and I could. Staying up until all hours of the night talking with friends. Meeting new people and connecting with them on a soul level. Watching my nephew as he experiences so many "firsts". Spending days out by the pool. Reading books that are so good I want to share them with everyone I meet. Taking spontaneous road trips in my suv. The list goes on and on.

Today I'm writing this to reflect and be thankful, but also to remind myself never to get so busy or caught up in the details of life that I forget to really live. And also because I never want to overlook the One who give me this life and the One who I want to honour with every moment that He gives me.

God's Masterpieces

There are voids in this world that need filling. Did you ever stop and think that maybe you were created to fill one of them?

Ephesisans 2:10 tells us "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago."

You are God's masterpiece. Not His mistake. Not His leftovers. His masterpiece.

And He has something planned for your life. Not day after day of mediocrity. But a plan that takes your unique giftings to fill a void that can change lives, and maybe, even maybe change the world.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there! Masterpieces are created to be displayed on the wall, not hidden in a closet where no one can appreciate their beauty.