Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Last year at this time I was thinking and praying about the year 2010 and while I don't often get messages like this, I believe I got a message loud and clear from God saying that 2010 was going to be a year of change.

It rang so loudly and seemed so profound that I shared this with a number of people in my life. It's a good thing I did because I wasn't alone in shaking my head in awe as the events of this past year unraveled.

2010 truly was a year of the foundation being shaken up in my life and I experienced major changes in pretty much every area of my life: family, ministry, friendships, health, the list goes on and on.

While knowing in advance that 2010 was going to be a year of change didn't remove the effects that these changes had on my life, it did help to soften the blow because with each change and challenge I was reminded that God saw this coming. He knew what I would be facing this past year and in His grace He was kind enough to give me a heads up.

During one intense period of changes and challenges this spring I was talking with someone I respect very much and he told me that when I climbed out of this valley he believed that I would have a different and deeper relationship with God. To be honest, at the time that wasn't much of a consolation, but today I can see the truth in what he said.

My relationship with God has gone deeper and I see Him very differently than I did even a year ago. I also feel very much loved by Him, which is something that has been so amazing to experience.

As 2011 has arrived I have no idea what the year will bring, but I do know this- no matter what the next year holds, whether they are "Job sized" challenges or abundant blessings, God has His hand on my life. And if this past year has taught me anything it's that He walks with us every single step of the way. During no other time period in my life have I felt the nearness of God and it's been a remarkable thing to experience.

New Years Prayer

"May God make your year a happy one!
Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain,
But by strengthening you to bear it, as it comes;
Not by making your path easy,
But by making you sturdy to travel any path;
Not by taking hardships from you,
But by taking fear from your heart;
Not by granting you unbroken sunshine,
But by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows;
Not by making your life always pleasant,
But by showing you when people and their causes need you most,
and by making you anxious to be there to help.
God's love, peace, hope and joy to you for the year ahead." (Anonymous)

What A Wonderful Christmas

If your family is anything like mine Christmas day doesn't usually come and go without some sort of roadblock or mini-disaster.  Last year it was a flood at my grandpa's house right before we served Christmas dinner.  This year my brother called Christmas morning saying that he, his wife and my little nephew wouldn't be able to come for Christmas since he and his wife were quite sick.  When we found this out we knew we had a choice to make- focus on what we weren't going to have or focus on what we did have.  And so we continued on with our plans.

Christmas morning we had my grandfather and aunt and uncle over for a traditional McNulty Christmas breakfast.  The highlight of this being our stocking opening.  This has become somewhat of a legend in our household.  Our banister is packed with everyones stockings (at last count I think we had eight) and most of us contribute to filling them with unique and creative things.  This year the stockings were such a hit that we didn't have room in our stockings for everything that people brought!  After our stocking opening was done our company left so my Mom and I did our gift exchange and then had some downtime.

In the afternoon most of our extended family, along with my sister and brother-in-law met up for Christmas dinner at my aunts house.  It was great to get to see everyone and we had such a good time!  After our delicious dinner we had our 2nd Annual Baking Contest.  How it works is that everyone brings their entry (either a cookie, bar or square) along with a small entry fee and they are numbered so it's anonymous who made what.  We do a taste test of the entries and cast our vote for the winner.  The winner gets a cash pot, which suited me just fine because this year I took home first place!  

On Boxing Day after church we all gathered again at my grandfathers house for another family get together and of course, more games and contests. First was a dress-up contest where everyone came dressed up as a character from a Christmas movie and had to recite a line or two from the movie.  There were prizes for best costume and most convincing character and it was hilarious to be a part of!   My sister and brother-in-law even went so far as to do a scene from Christmas Vacation on my grandfathers front lawn.  I have no idea what the neighbors thought but I thought I was going to be sick from laughing!  This is the first time my family has done anything like this and I don't think it'll be the last!

Finally to wrap things up we played a game that I created this year called "Sing It, Act It or Say It".  I made it for a Christmas party I hosted earlier this month and it turned out to be a really fun game to play as a group so I decided to do a re-run on Boxing Day.  I've been encouraged to make a non-Christmas version of it and copyright it but I think it's something I'm going to keep for just family and friends...

So those are the highlights of my Christmas of 2010- how was yours?

God With Us

"All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us')." (Isaiah 7:14)

God with us.

One of the most stunning truths about the Christmas story to me can be summed up in three words: God with us.

The same God who was the mastermind behind creation confined Himself to a baby's body. The same God who ruled over creation was content to be brought up by human parents. The same God who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords was willing to humble Himself to die for those very beings who refused to worship and obey. God with us.

When we're tired. When we're discouraged. When we don't feel like we can make it through another day. God with us.

I can see evidence of God with me everyday. I see it in the sunrise that streaks across the sky. I see it in the music that moves my soul with every note. I see it in the people He sends across my path just when I need them. I see it in the circumstances He orchestrates into a brilliant set of events, otherwise known as my life story. God with us.

God with us. Not just today. Not just tomorrow, but forever. No matter what life events arise. No matter what our days hold, we've got God with us and that fact changes everything.

It puts the hope in the hopeless. The peace in the turmoil. And the love in what otherwise would have been lonely.

God with us.

That's the Christmas story. Not just sheep and wisemen, but what the birth of Jesus set in motion. Events that had been pre-planned by the ultimate God of love. Through Jesus coming to earth and dying for our sins, we were given a second chance. A way to restore our relationship with God. Our own story of Redemption.

My Favourite Time of Year

I love this music video. It looks like the people in my Christmas village come to life :) The band put a lot into this and they did it all without the support of a label- impressive!

Meeting Timothy

This past week has been one of the best of my life and it's all because of a bundle of joy weighing 8 pounds and 14 ounces.  My nephew, Timothy Ryan McNulty, was born at 10:41 on Tuesday morning and he is absolutely amazing!  From the moment I got to hold him shortly after his birth feelings of love, connection and protectiveness flooded in and they were amazing things to feel.  There's something so precious about a newborn baby.  When I get to hold this little guy it's like time stands still and all is right in the world.

I'm so thrilled to finally be an aunt and I'm excited to be able to be a part of his life.  I'm also so proud of my brother and sister-in-law.  No matter how many curve balls they were thrown throughout the labour and delivery they just rolled with the punches and kept their focus.  It was a truly amazing thing to witness and I'm thankful that they were so open to sharing the process with us.  We spent most of Monday and Tuesday camped out at the hospital and it was an interesting experience to say the least!

On Tuesday night after coming home from the hospital I went and "randomly" flipped open my Bible and wouldn't you know it, but the page opened on 2 Timothy!  My eyes fell to this verse and I knew at that moment that God has some remarkable plans for this little life: "Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 2:1)

Thank God for little miracles!

A Christmas Prayer

A few years ago I came across this Christmas prayer written by Henri Nouwen.  It's a powerful one I've found myself thinking of quite a bit these days:

"Lord Jesus, Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.  We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day.  We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.  We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom.  We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence.  We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light.  To You we say, come Lord Jesus."

Keeping Focus (even when life gets crazy)

While there are a lot of benefits to being able to work out of your own home, there are some downfalls too.  One of them being those moments when you realize that you haven't stepped outside in a few days (yes, it has happened on more than one occasion!).  The other one is that there is no punch clock at the end of the day.  If there is work to be done, it doesn't matter if it's 6:00 and you should be calling it a day, you've got to finish.  And I don't know if it's Murphy's Law or not, but at least with the various jobs and commitments I'm involved with, it seems like when it rains, it pours and I'm left desperately trying not to get wet (or miss a deadline)!

That's what the last few weeks have been like for me.  On top of my regular commitments, I've had quite a few unexpected things come up as well.  But even as challenging as it's been to get everything done, it's been good in the sense that I haven't allowed myself to become completely overwhelmed by it either.  Through doing this kind of work, I've learned my lessons (often the hard way) and as a result I've got quite the system for my to-do list.  I have it set up so at a glance I can see what needs to be done, who it's being done for and when it's due.  And when I finish an item I cross it off and don't start a new list until Monday morning.  It gives a sense of accomplishment when you look at your list and see more items scratched off than left on, doesn't it?  Well maybe it doesn't for you, but for me it does and it allows me to stay organized and keep my focus on what matters.

Another thing I've really learned the value of is saying "no".  In fact, the only reason I got through the past couple of weeks is because as certain areas of my life increased their demand on my time, I had to put aside other things.

But it isn't easy to say "no" or "I can't" or "not this time" because no one wants to let someone else down and it's also not easy to accept and embrace our limitations, but it's not healthy if we don't.  I've learned (the hard way) that I can't be all things for all people.  Over the last year or two I've been on the journey of deciding what's important in my life and what things, jobs, people, ministries, and relationships I want to invest my time in and go with that.  Of course that list is a work in progress and as things come up, I do re-evaluate, but keeping that in mind has allowed me to have the boundaries I need in my life to be well-balanced and keep my focus on what's important.

Because when I look back on my life I don't want to look back on one disorganized mess of a life where I was so busy running from one thing to the next that I didn't get anything done.  No, I want to look back and be able to say that I was faithful with what God gave me and what I did, I did well.  No one's perfect and I know I have many mistakes ahead, but at least this is one step forward on the journey... 

The Music That Makes A Moment

Recently I've been spending quite a bit of my time working on making videos. The more time I spend on projects like these, the more I enjoy it. There's something about telling a story with a mix of video, pictures and music that appeals to me.

With the latest video project I'm working on I've really noticed how it's the music that truly makes the video. You could have the best mix of photos and video clips and transitions, but if you don't have the right music playing in the background, you lessen the impact of the moment.

Whoever said that music speaks to us was onto something. And it's not just the lyrics that we can relate with or the melodies that catch our attention. It's the memories that we attach to the music we listen to that is truly a powerful thing. That's why you can be transported back in time just by hearing a song playing in a grocery store or you could have so many different emotions raised just by hearing a song on the radio. Music is something we identify with and carry with us on so many different levels.

Night Before Christmas

I love Christmas music, mainly the classics, but every once and a while a new song comes out that catches my attention and makes it onto my favorites list.  This song from Brandon Heath is one of those songs.  He released it last Christmas and it's a powerful one worth checking out!

Sabbath

I've been thinking quite a bit about the Sabbath lately. I have to admit taking a Sabbath day every week isn't something I've always done. There have been seasons when I did, but slowly but surely, my commitment to taking a day set apart would fade.

Recently I re-committed to taking a Sabbath day a week. One day completely void of work and filled with a combination of rest and time spent with people and God. I don't do this because I believe it's a requirement to get into heaven or something that we as Christians have to do, but I do it because I believe that the reason God instituted it is because He knew it has great value for us. Not only just for rest in our busy worlds, but also as a good reminder of who is in control at the end of the day. As Peter Scazzero wrote in Emotionally Healthy Spiritually,

"We stop on Sabbaths because God is on the throne, assuring us the world will not fall apart if we cease our activities."

So last Sunday instead of catching up on work or undertaking a project or scratching an item from my to-do list, I just took a time out from it all. I enjoyed a challenging church service, then went out with friends for lunch afterwards. In the afternoon I spent time thinking about that mornings service. I took a rest, played some video games, and did some reading. The after supper I spent some time with my family, watching our first Christmas movie of the season. It was a very enjoyable day that recharged me. And sadly, it was filled with things I would have missed out on if I was still pursing my to-do list or trying to fill my time with things I view as being "productive".

All in all I agree with what Andrew Wylie said: "The Sabbath is the link between the paradise which has passed away, and the paradise which is yet to come."

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Things Are Not As They Seem

A few years ago I read this quote on the back of a HM Magazine and it impacted me so much that I wrote it down and kept it for years in my "quotes file":

"David was the youngest son of a shepherd, but he became the greatest king of Israel. Paul ardently persecuted the early church, but he became the one who would spread the Gospel to the Gentiles. Mary was an ordinary teenage girl who became the mother of the Messiah. There are times in our lives when things seem almost hopeless but God wants to use us all for great purposes. He does not look at our current condition, but at what we have the potential to become. We should view others and ourselves in the same way...We should try to view all things with the faith and hope that God can and will transform us into the people He wants us to be."

It's a good reminder to me that "things are not as they seem". Sometimes I know I can be cynical and think that because I can't see something happening that the ending has been written in stone. Well I've been learning more and more over the years that the exact opposite is true. God can do anything and often His work comes in the most unexpected ways and in situations we've written off as hopeless and lifeless. We follow and serve a God who cannot be fit into a box and with whom all things are truly possible.

I Will Lift You Up Again

I wrote this in the summer when I was out at my aunts cottage and it's been playing on repeat on and off in my head ever since. It's a reminder to me that I have a choice whether I'm going to believe the lies that are being whispered or not. It's also a reminder to me that those whispers couldn't be further from the truth when it comes to what God thinks about you or I.

I Will Lift You Up Again

Satan tells you that you're insignificant

Not worthy of even love

He whispers you've gone too far

Your mistakes can't be undone

He's told you your dreams are over

Happy ever after isn't for you

You know his words are lies

But you still believe they're true

You've added your mistakes

They seem too count too high

But you're neglecting the truth

Don't you remember who's on your side?

God says,

You've fallen, but I will lift you up again

You've failed, but I still have a greater plan

You're broken, but hearts are what I mend

You're down, but I will lift you up again.

I will lift you up again, I will lift you up again.

Yes you may have disappointed

Those regrets might keep you up

But God hasn't stopped forgiving

Let Him redeem you with His love

Cause He says...

You've fallen, but I will lift you up again

You've failed, but I still have a greater plan

You're broken, but hearts are what I mend

You're down, but I will lift you up again

I will lift you up again, I will lift you up again.

Sudbury Getaway

On Friday I headed down to Sudbury with my sister and sister-in-law to do a little bit of shopping and have a change of scenery. We had never done a trip together just the three of us and since my sister-in-law is due in a few weeks, we figured it was as good of a time as any to have a little getaway.

We stayed one night and had a great time together. We hit up a lot of stores, had a delicious dinner at Respect Is Burning and enjoyed our hotel. It was also a good chance for me to test out the new camera I bought earlier last week. As much as I loved my previous Canon, this summer it bit the dust and I didn't want to be without a camera, especially with a niece or nephew on the way, so I invested in the Canon SX30. So far it has not disappointed. The first picture below was taken through the hotel window while the flag was going nuts in the wind. I love the responsiveness of the camera and the zoom is pretty amazing. The second image was taken through a (rather dirty) car windshield while the car was moving. Eventually I would like to save up for a real DSLR, but for now this will definitely do the trick!

Back to December

I'll admit it- I am a closet Taylor Swift fan. When "Speak Now" released last Tuesday, I did buy it on iTunes and I have to say, I'm loving it.

It's one of those albums that is really written from the heart and many of the songs are relatable to me, especially right now. I don't know if I should admit this or not, but yesterday at church I couldn't get one of them out of my head.

Here's a performance of one of my favorites "Back to December" that Taylor did today on Ellen:

The Best Question Ever

So last night brought about the end of "The Best Question Ever". It's a course that I've been helping out with at my church for the last six weeks.

The series is presented by Andy Stanley and it's one of those things that you can watch over and over again because there are just so many valuable truths in it. In fact this was my third time going through it and it hasn't tired on me yet.

Andy's "Best Question Ever" is "In light of my past experience, current circumstances and future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do?" He says that by asking this question in our decision making we can truly foolproof our lives and I believe it.

I've gone through many DVD series in small group settings and on my own and honestly, this is the best one I've ever participated in. No matter where we are in life, we all have decisions to make and since the series is all teaching us to make wise decisions, it's one of the most applicable things I've ever watched.

Some of my favourite quotes from the series:

"No one plans to mess up their lives, but we don't plan not to mess up either."

"We can talk ourselves into anything and make a bad idea sound like a good idea."

"We make bad choices because our hearts deceive us."

"Unwise decisions set us up for moral failure... we justify our unwise decisions by saying there's nothing wrong. That's why we need to ask not 'what is the right thing to do?', but 'what is the wise thing to do?'"

"For most of us our greatest regrets were at a time when we were consciously running from God. We knew 'I'm not going to listen, I'm going to say no' and then we wonder why that's the chapter of our lives with the most regret."

Emotionally Spiritually Healthy

Right now I'm reading a book called "Emotionally Spiritually Healthy" by Peter Scazzero (and I highly recommend it). Through reading the book one of the things I've been challenged the most about is facing things head on. As he wrote in the chapter I'm reading now: "When we deny our pain, losses and feelings year after year, we become less and less human."

In my own life often the temptation has been to sweep things under the carpet, especially when it comes to pain and hurt. But through the pages of this book and my own spiritual journey as of lately, I've been learning that denying the pain or dismissing the hurt is not the quick way to joy. Often it's only through embracing our feelings about something that we fully do come alive.

But this is something that takes courage. It's not easy to reopen wounds or look unpleasant things in the face. It takes a heart that is ready to be challenged in order to be healed. But when we arrive at that place, we do find something unexpected there- life.

What About Today?

Recently I re-read my copy of "No Compromise", a book that tells the life story of Keith Green, a radical Christian musician who passed away in a plane crash when he was only 28 years old.  Just one year older than I am right now.

One of the things that inspires me most about Keith's story is that while he could have never known that his life would be tragically cut short at such a young age, he lived like a man who was very aware of his mortality, making sure every day he had on this earth counted for something.  It challenges me and causes me to question myself because I certainly don't always have such passion and drive.

Isn't that sadly the way it goes?  We often get so busy thinking about tomorrow that we forget about today.  And in forgetting about today, we forget that tomorrow is no guarantee.

So the question that I ask myself, that we all need to ask ourselves, is "if today was it, would it have been enough?  Did I really make it count"

None of us are born with an expiration date stamped on our foreheads.  We don't know when our time on earth is coming to a close, so that makes it that much more important that we live life to the fullest everyday, leaving nothing undone.  As Paul instructed us, 

"Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out.  Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." (Romans 13:11)

So how do we live embracing today, knowing that we aren't promised a tomorrow?  Well  I believe it comes from sharpening our focus and getting serious about making a mark everyday.  That manifests itself in a variety of ways- of leaving nothing unsaid with friends and family and making sure that everyone in our lives are well aware of where they stand with us.  Of not putting things off for tomorrow that can easily be done today, whether that's talking to those around us about our faith or reaching out to the person who's been tugging on our hearts for a while.  And ultimately it means not allowing today to slip by without realizing its purpose and significance in the grand scheme of things.  

If satan can convince us that today is just another day and really doesn't amount to much in the end, slowly our purpose slacks and we become a people satisfied with saving everything for tomorrow and then the next day and then the one after that.  Soon our lives turn from being ones filled with passion and zeal into ones defined only by our lack of direction and motivation.  As Donald Miller once wrote: "It occurs to me it is not so much the aim of the devil to lure me with evil as it is to preoccupy me with meaningless."

We all have a choice of what we are going to fill our time and our minds with.  And I'm not saying that we always have to be doing something- there is also great purpose found in "being still and knowing that He is God".  But it comes down to the daily choices we make and often the smaller the choice appears, the bigger impact it can have in the long run.

Are we going to choose to spend hours in front of the television?  Or tonight are we going to turn off the tv early and pick up the Word of God to see what He might have to say?

Are we going to spend yet another evening reading status updates from people we might otherwise pass by on the street?  Or are we going to call up that person who could really use some company right now?

Are we going to join yet another activity, sports team or club to occupy and invest in ourselves?  Or are we going to take the talents we've given and use them to invest in other peoples lives and eternity?

Are we going to choose to continue in a cycle that finds us trapped in sin?  Or are we going to stop being complacent and do what we know needs to be done so that we can walk in freedom?

These are the choices we're faced with everyday and they are the choices that define what today means for us.  This day is not just another one on the calendar- during these 24 hours God could literally change the course of your own life or someone else's life through you.  So are you going to give it everything you have?  You might as well- there's no use holding back for a day that isn't guaranteed to come anyways.  As Theodore Epp said "Live as though Christ died yesterday, rose from the grave today and is coming back tomorrow."

Happy Thanksgiving!