Meanwhile

The end of March is almost upon us and so much has happened.  The last couple of weeks have been pretty busy.  I have met up with a bunch of people in the last few weeks, people that I do not normally see.  It has been good, just to get new perspectives and catching up.  My parents have also left for two months and now I am home alone with my brother.  It has been busier for sure and a little frustrating at times dealing with my brother, but I am glad my parents have this opportunity to travel and see the world and visit family halfway across the globe.  It might just be a long two months for me =p

Catchup

You know you have friends that love you when they buy you lunch when you don't ask them to or expect them to.  You know that you love each other when no one complains when you are walking outside in blustery winds out of our own volition.  You know that you are friends when you can share so openly even though you see each other less than once a month.

Today's lunch date with a dear, dear sister was so awesome.  Yes, we decided to walk to bubbletea, and yes, our ears and noses were cold by the time we got there, but it gave us more time to talk with one another.  And no one complained.  Our lives have gone down very similar yet different paths, however, we are able to talk to one another without abandonment.  The chatter keeps going, from family, to church, to weddings, to friends, to school, to work.  We could go on forever if time wasn't an issue ;)

Sometimes I think how different it would be if I had not made the decision to go to teachers' college, or OISE had not accepted us both last minute, AND put us in the same option!  Those chats on the way to class were priceless, the laughs and the seriousness of the conversations.  She gets me on a level that some do not, maybe it is because we are going through that same life stage, for lack of better wording?  But it's so exciting just to talk with each other and fill each other in on the eccentricities of each of our lives, because there are so many!  Love love love her!

TC

Last night I was exposed to Teens' Conference.  It was definitely fun, overwhelming, encouraging, and educating all at the same time.

I unfortunately did not have the opportunity to go to TC when I was in high school since I was not plugged into a church nor could I call myself a Christian at that time.  I always wondered about it every time it came up how it would have been like.  I got a tiny taste of it yesterday when I went for the evening session.  God is SO huge!  These kids were SO on FIRE for God!  It was awesome!

Before I went yesterday I had some discussions with a friend of mine online on the effectiveness of events such as this.  We agree that it definitely exposes non-Christians to the Gospel and it can pump kids up too.  However, what is lacking is the followup after these events.  These events pump kids up and they are on spiritual highs after being totally immersed in fellowship with other believers their age and how the Holy Spirit convicted their hearts.  Now what happens when they get back to their home churches, away from it all?  I find all too often they are left to fend for themselves, there is not enough followup, and that high can not be sustained.  There is a sudden drop and that is definitely not good.

So after last night, I came home, exhausted yet I know God was working in my mind, making me question why I had attended TC that night, what He had taught me about the kids, and how I can help to sustain this fire some of them have so longed for.  I pray that God helps me with this.

Support!

My thoughts in this post stems a bit from my last post.  Now you can really see my train of thought. =)

Isn't it crazy, that I have actually gone almost one week without physically interacting with some of my close brothers and sisters.  It is mainly due to the fact that I have had family obligations that has prevented me from meeting with them and seriously, it sucks.  Even with the sometimes long meetings or what seems to be the routine of the week.  Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but the lack of physical contact really does something to me spiritually.  It's so much easier for Satan to attack me.  And I have to fight it, and although I know that there are people praying for me and such, it's sometimes harder when I don't have face-to-face conversations with them.

I am really emphasizing the physical aspect because my online communications with these people can only go so far.  They are great conversations and such, don't get me wrong, but what I have learned the past few months is how awesome it is to sit down together, talk with each other, lay hands on each other in prayer, to hear our prayers rise up together, to have that community together, is so much more precious and priceless which cannot be replicated in online gchat, msn, and emails to one another.

This last week God has taught me how much I rely on the Body.  And this is how it should be!  We should know when each of us is hurting, how we can pray and care for each other, how we can celebrate the blessings God has so graciously bestowed upon us.  I love my family in Christ.

Thus, this leads me back to my previous post, how can people do it without the spiritual support of God's family that comes via the physical interaction on Sunday mornings, small group gatherings, prayer meeting, and spontaneous forms of fellowship?  Like, seriously!

I love you brothers and sisters!

Support?

In the last couple of weeks, I have had this conversation with a few brothers and sisters.  I believe that God has put this on my heart for a reason.  Making the decision to join the YMC may have opened up my eyes to this issue.  Or now I have a heightened sense of responsibility, I feel more vulnerable to Satan's attack because I have stepped out in obedience to God, yet also a greater responsibility to the youth, but also the children of my church - they will become youth one day, we have to set them up for success as I always say in the classroom, or in this case, to set them up to really understand Jesus and what the Gospel has to say!  My heart goes out for the youth at my church.  Hearing about how the Winter Camp went encourages me, yet how I executed on Friday discourages me.  I know I can do better for these kids.  Which brings me to what has been bothering me the last few weeks.

My concern, which I think may be becoming a burden (which could be a good thing!), is that there are brothers and sisters in positions of teaching who may not be the right people.  I want the best for our kids, they deserve the best!  And yes, when we are placed in these situations we are role models for these kids, you can not deny it - they look up to you, especially in youth ministry.  However, even if you are involved in children's ministry I still think that the kids look up to you, just in different ways.

When I say that these individuals may not be the "right people," I just have concerns about them, as a child of God.  Yes, I am wary at times of the training that they have received, but I am more so wary about how they are doing spiritually and whether their leaders are keeping them accountable.  Further, what support do they have behind them - especially spirtually, prayer and support from fellow brethren?

These concerns stem from my own experience in the past little while, with the YMC decision going through my mind.  I know that I could not have made this decision as easily as I did without first and foremost the prayer support I experienced with my fellow brothers and sisters.  I seriously do not know how I could have done the things I did in the past while and will be doing without their physical and prayer support.  They are, in fact, my family, they know when things are going well and when they are not, they are concerned about my spiritual wellbeing and I with theirs.  The fact that we know when there is something a little off with each other is a testament to how much we know and love each other.  Thus, I ask myself and it boggles my mind that someone can adequately serve in a ministry without attending Sunday service or to be plugged into the church through small groups/fellowship.  

Now the next question is why has God placed this on my heart and what he wants me to do.  I need to pray about this more.

Exercise

There has definitely been a lack of it coming from my end this year =p  But that could be why I've gotten sick 3 times this winter.  Alas, I think I have to climb back onto that dreaded treadmill and burn some calories and build my immune system back up!

Spring!

Monday = -20 degrees w/windchill

Friday = +16 degrees w/sunshine

Oh, how I love Canada! =)

Spring is in the air!

Teachings II

This is an amended post from last week.  Click here for the original post.

Radical Obedience.

Self-Sacrifice.

Patience.

Trust.

Discipline.

Such great things, yet so very hard.  May I rely on God evermore!

Recent verse I have been meditating on:

Humility and the fear of the LORD

bring wealth and honour and life.

                                   ~Proverbs 22:4