Internet Fast :)

As an early New Year's resolution, I have decided to fast from the internet for one week...no Facebook, no blogging, and no Skype-ing with my boyfriend while he's away in Phoenix (even though I really want to!).

Why? Well, I've been giving lots and lots of my time away to these things and not enough to God. I want to get re-connected with Him, spend some quality time praying and reading the Bible, and just sitting in His presence. I want Him to be my sole focus for a whole week, to let Him do whatever He wants with me for seven days. It's quite scary, but exciting at the same time.

I am reminded of how Jesus went away to pray in Mark 6..."After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray." (vs.46) Jesus needed to spend some alone time with God - He needed to retreat to be with His Father. That's what I've got to do. One whole week of devotion to the Lord! I'm ready to come back and share with you all the great things He will do in the next seven days. Blessings to all! :)

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Well, I'm finally 17! Honestly, it doesn't feel much different than being 16...but it sure feels a lot better to be caught up with everyone else in my grade. That won't last for long, though, because come January, everyone will be turning 18 and I'll have to wait another year for that to happen!

Today was such a great day, even though it got off to a rocky start. My boyfriend called (at 9:00 in the morning!) to tell me he had double booked me for that evening. (WHAT?!) Well, after I got over the initial anger, we decided to hang out in the afternoon instead. Before our hang out, my best friend took me out for a birthday lunch...he's the guy in the last picture. I blogged about him a while ago when I wrote about him coming to youth group in October. He seems to be doing well, and I am continuing to pray for him :) I had a delicious turkey clubhouse sandwhich...yum...and I helped him shop for his sister's Christmas gift, though we didn't really find anything at Walmart.

After lunch, I went over to my boyfriend's to watch my all time favorite movie - Pride & Prejudice. I don't think he enjoyed it as much as I did...but oh well, you can't make everyone happy! He surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers (seen in the first picture) which definately made up for the morning "mishap." I guess I just can't stay mad at him for long!

Another great part of today was getting a brand new camera and cellphone from the parents. The camera is amazing - picture #2 was taken from inside the restaurant of a bush that was 5 metres away! The 10x zoom is so great - be expecting lots of great pictures next year!

Well, I have to go because it is getting fairly late, but I just wanted to take this time and thank everyone who reads this blog and comments :) Your encouragement and kind words make my day so much brighter! God bless you all in this Christmas season!

Beginning of a New Chapter

Another year has passed, a new chapter has begun. It's crazy to think how time flies - and I'm only seventeen! (Well, not until the 23rd). I wonder how fast the time will go by when I'm 80!

To celebrate my birthday, I invited my friends for a time of hanging out, eating, and skating. I'm not big on skating, but really, what else is there to do when your birthday is in the middle of winter? Curling? Anyways, it turned out to be a fun day. I had lots of fun skating with my friends (and boyfriend!) and got some great gifts - candles, socks, and best of all, journals. If you couldn't already tell, I am very big on writing. I've been journaling every day for almost a year now!

This year is definately going to be a scary one. With the end of high school looming, a new chapter will shortly begin - University. My mom and I got into a huge argument today about where I want to go. She wants me to go somewhere nearby, preferably a big name secular University, whereas I've been considering a Christian one all the way out in Virginia. When I suggested my idea, she completely shot it down, flat out prohibiting me from applying there. What a conundrum I'm in now!

Nevertheless, I'm trusting God with this whole messy situation. It's in His hands, and He knows what He is doing...I just have to believe! I know that when I am 80 and time is flying faster than ever, I'll look back and be amazed at God's hand in my life and thank Him for His wisdom and direction!

P.S. Here's a few photos from my party:

Christmas Time is Here :)

I love Christmas time...it's probably my favorite season of the year. Everyone bustles about in the snow, people actually try to be nicer to each other, and above all, we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Isn't that what Christmas is all about? This year, I'm trying really hard to make Jesus the "reason for the season." I'm planning to read through the first few chapters of Luke over the next few days so that I can prepare myself for the wonderful celebration of Jesus' birthday.

Not as easy as I thought...

After my last post, I've been trying, really trying, to open up more to other people. It's proven rather difficult - okay, really difficult! I grew quite accustomed to my nice, safe, hiding place behind the walls of a fortress I created to guard my heart. I've allowed God to get in, and that was an amazing feat - of course, it was all His doing! But God has been nudging me to let others in, too, my brothers and sisters in Christ, so that I can experience love and fellowship with them.

Well, it's not as easy as I initially thought. I've deattached myself from so many people in my life so that I wouldn't have to deal with the feelings that came with them. I retreated deeper within my "fortress", hoping, praying, that no one would care enough to look deeper than my surface smile. God has a funny way of working things out, though, and it usually includes something that I don't want to do. He's been placing people in my life that are making me open up, and while it's scary, it's also freeing. I praise Him for His perfect plan, for it's making me more like Jesus. By letting others in, I'm letting in the love of Jesus that flows through them.

What it really comes down to is love (doesn't it always?). God loves us, and He gave us other people so that we may love them and let them love us. God created Eve for Adam because it wasn't good for man to be alone. Jesus said the two greatest commandments were to (1) Love God and (2) Love each other as we love ourselves. God doesn't want us to hide from Him or from the people He's placed in our lives.

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love...Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love another." - 1 John 4:7-8, 11

Whether you're running from love or not loving others, you are still not accepting and not showing the love that God gave us. He sent His son, Jesus, as the perfect act of love. In turn, we are to love Him back with all of our heart, and love those around us.

Getting Down to the Bottom of Things...

In my last post, I told you about the library books that I'm currently reading (one down, two to go!). I have just started the book called "Captivating" and it's really opened my eyes up to who I am as a woman. One of the insights I've gleaned is how we, as women, long to be loved and cherished, and actually WANT to be dependent. At first, that totally did not make any sense to me. I hate being dependent...hate hate hate! But after reading the section in the book that talked about it, I stopped and asked myself - "Do I actually hate being dependent? Or is there more to it than that?"

Well, obviously there's more to it! Here's what the author writes in the book. "I simply loved feeling wanted and fought for. This desire is set deep in the heart of every little girl - and every woman. Yet most of us are ashamed of it. We downplay it. We pretend that it is less than it is. We are women of the twenty-first century after all - strong, independent, and capable, thank you very much...At some core place, maybe deep within, perhaps hidden or buried in her heart, every woman wants to be seen, wanted and pursued. We want to be romanced." (pg 9-10)

Well, of course we want to be romanced! Of course we want to be dependent on someone! That's what love and faith and trust are all about...being dependent! Yet somewhow, our desire for that has been buried. We've become ashamed of being who we are at our core - a woman who wants to be loved and taken care of! Our world has sent us unhealthy messages that we have to be powerful, independent women who don't need anyone else. These are lies that we've unfortunately came to believe over time. Yet at our very heart, God created us with the need to be needed, the need to be pursued.

He created us with this need so that He could fulfill it for us. God pursues us with a passion, He romances us and sets us apart as His children. He went so far as to even die for us. In return, He wants us to be broken to the point where we come before His throne and confess that we are completely and totally dependent on Him.

Not only has God created us to be dependent on Him, but also for us to be dependent on others - in a healthy, safe way. This doesn't mean that we are to blindly put our trust in others, but that we can stop putting our guard up around our brothers and sisters in Christ. As women, we should stop building up walls of independence around us, and instead let people into our lives - that they may love us and utimately point us to God's love.

PS. Here's some pictures of our Christmas Tree this year...our very first live one!

Lots of News!

Wow, my weekend has certainly got off to an exciting and busy start! I'm reminded in the middle of it all just how blessed I am by the Lord, and how He works everything together for the good.

For starters, yours truly went on her first DATE on Friday night! Me, on a date! I wouldn't believe it myself, except that it's true! Well, me and this boy went to the movies to see The Blind Side. I was very hesitant at first, due to the strong theme of football in the movie, but it turned out to actually be okay. It was really sad at parts, but redeemed itself with a happy ending. After the movie, we went to a coffee place and had hot choclate (well, I did - he had coffee - yuck!). I had a splendid evening :)

Today, I went Christmas shopping for a few of my friends, and stopped by the library to pick up a few books. I'm really enjoying the variety of Christian non-fiction they have. I got out "Competely" by Shannon Ethridge, "Captivating" by John & Stasi Eldredge, and "Twinkle" by Elisa Morgan. I can't wait to read them all and learn more about the Lord through these books.

My last bit of exciting news is that I got my road test booked for January the 8th! Here where I live, you get your preliminary license (G1) which means you an drive a car only if you have an adult in the passenger side. After 8 months of having this license, you apply for a road test which enables you to drive by yourself. Unfortunately, the test center has been on strike since August, which means no one has been able to get their G2 license, even though you can still book tests. I'm praying that they'll be off strike by January 8th!

That's all for now...hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend! Keep following Jesus :)

I lift up my eyes to you...

Today I re-discovered just how much I love worshipping our amazing and mighty God. In a quiet and empty house, I turned on some worship music (Leeland!) and stood there singing out my heart to Him. What an amazing, powerful, humbling experience! To know that you are singing to the very same God that created the universe and brought Jesus back to life and opened His arms to us, His children. Amazing :)

I also re-discovered just how blessed I am by amazing friends that God has put into my life. Each and every one has a purpose - to cheer me up, encourage me, and even sing me songs. But their greater purpose, and the reason God has blessed me with them is for me to ultimately be drawn closer to HIM! They are tools that He uses for me to grow in my relationship with Him and teach me more about Him.

God has constantly been trying to teach me just how valuable and precious I am in His sight. I am guilty of forgetting that and brushing it off, falsely thinking that I have no worth and am really just a nobody. This negative thinking has leaked into my relationships with friends, causing me to compare myself to them and ultimately discourage me as a follower of Jesus. I guess God decided to step in and quickly correct my false thinking by placing a great friend in my life who has helped me to see God's truth. A simple message from her in my inbox worked miracles. Guess I actually do matter and I am making a difference - just in a different way than I thought.

We all need a wake up call once in a while to help us re-focus or eyes on the Lord and strengthen ourselves in Him.

When friends fail...

I have one of those small Gideon Bibles that they give you when you're in elementary school...y'know, when they come to your class and hand you a new testament and you never even open it? Well, I decided to look through it, and I found a great section that gives you verses to go to if you're feeling a certain way. I've found this very beneficial in my devotional time...it's helped me when I've felt afraid (Mark 4:35-36), when I was lonely (Psalm 23), and recently when friends have failed (Psalm 41).

Now, I don't give my trust easily when it comes to anything, friends included. It takes me a while to warm up to somebody, and even longer for me to share stuff with them. But when I find a good friend, I find that I put a lot of trust in them - which can turn out to be a bad thing sometimes!

Psalm 41 speaks of how the Lord protects and preserves our lives and how God has mercy on us when our friends have betrayed us. My favorite verse is: "I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me." (vesre 11) God has defeated the enemy - the war is won, yet Satan still tries to win a few battles here and there to drag us down. Sometimes we forgot that God has ultimately won and victory is His!

When friends/family/anything other than God fails us, we know that there is One who is constant and loving and whose arms will always be open for us to run into. He will not fail us because He knows what is best - He is perfect and good! When it seems like no one can be trusted and you feel alone, the Lord is right beside you, ready to be your strength.

You Satisfy Me...

When I walk with You,
it's like nothing else
in that single moment matters.
You and I are together,
and the day to day troubles
are far behind me.
You hold my hand,
and Your voice reassures me
that everything will be okay.
I believe Your truth,
and hold on to the promise
that You gave to us, through Your son.
How could I doubt You?
Never have You failed me,
never have You left my side.
Broken, I surrender all I am,
and give You my life.
For You satisfy...You satisfy me.

Decisions, Decisions!

Being in Grade 12 means LOTS of decisions to make. Questions such as "What do I want to do with my life?", "What do I want to be?", and "Where am I going to go to University?" are questions that frequently enter my mind. And, for a 16-year-old, are questions that I don't feel like I'm ready to answer. After all, how much have I lived of life to know who I really am or what I want to do? Am I really certified to answer that at such a young age?

This weekend, I visited a Christian University not far from my home that I'm considering. Everything was great, except for one thing - how small it was! Only 500 undergrads attend the University. For a social butterfly like me, this would definately be an environment that I'd have trouble with.

On Thursday, my parents and I are planning on taking a tour of the biggest and most prestigious University here in Canada. Over 40, 000 undergraduate students are enrolled, and that number is doubled when taking into consideration the graduate students. The "University Experience" is complete here - thousands of students, beautiful sprawling campus, and not to mention the variety of classes and courses you can choose from! The only negative, though, is the fact that it is a secular university. And while Campus for Christ is present, I wouldn't be recieving an education in line with God's Word.

Herein lies my conundrum. Applications must be submitted by January. That's no problem at all. But a choice must be made sometime in April...and although that sounds far away, the deadline is coming closer and closer. How am I suppossed to make a choice? Does God want me in one specific place? And if He does, how am I going to figure out where it is? What if it's neither one or the other, but a completely different option altogether?

All I know is that I have to trust in Him. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6) Oh, Lord! That I may always trust in You and depend on You is my prayer. May You lead me to wherever You want me, for I know that You have a plan for my life, a life that sings Your story.

An update :)

Hello :) I just wanted to write a little update on how I've been doing, and what God has been doing in my life. As you all know, life has been quite hectic, but I am trying my hardest to rise above the circumstances and look to God. Doing this is difficult, but SO rewarding in the end! It's great to know that your life rests in His hands, and that we don't have to do anything but give it over to Him.

It's the giving over part that creates problems for people. I know that for myself, being dependant on someone is the hardest thing for me to do. By nature, I'm a highly independant person, who doesn't trust people easily. I am skeptical of others, and am afraid of having to trust someone. Thankfully, the Lord has been slowly but steadily teaching me how to be dependant - first on Him, and also on Christian brothers and sisters.

Depending on the Lord is an area of my life that has been growing by leaps and bounds. When I look back to when I first became a Christian, I see a girl who was afraid of trusting even the God who had saved her. Now, I am learning to put my life in the hands of the One who created the universe, the One who can be trusted no matter what.

This is my prayer in the fire...

LIFE for the past week and a half has been trying to say the least. There is much going on with parents, friends, boys, and school, and I would LOVE if you could pray for me :)

Despite the trials that I am going through, I am finding that I love God more and more each day because of it. It's like when I'm in the storm, I can feel Him there so much more than when I am being complacent in my faith and not bothering to pray or read the Bible. Trials draw you to God because they show you just how helpless you are without Him.

Yesterday at youth group, we learned that suffering is a mark of a Christian. If you aren't suffering, then chances are you aren't living your life the way Jesus did. Not only should we expect suffering, however, we must also delight in it and be joyful! Thank the Lord for what people say against you, because that shows that they see your faith and are being affected by it.

Have a great week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a great holiday for many reasons - long weekend, no school on Monday, great food, and not to mention giving thanks to an awesome God for all He's done! Sometimes, it's hard to find things to be thankful for, espescially in the trials and in the chaos. Yet everyone, regardless of resources or wealth or stature, has something to be thankful for, and that is GOD.

We are so blessed to have a God that loves us and cares for us, who sent His only son to die for us so that we may live forever with Him. Every single person on this earth can be thankful for that, and they can give thanks on this wondrous day to the God of heaven and earth :)

Hope you have a great thanksgiving!

God is Good!

What an exciting and amazing week I've had! God never ceases to amaze me with what He plans. Despite having had a tough month of September (with school, work, and drama), God has decided to show me just what it means to follow Him and trust in Him.

A month ago, I gave a book called "Every Young Man's Battle" to my best guy friend. I've known him since the beginning of high school, and he is like the older brother I've never had but always wanted. Recently, I've been evangelizing to him a lot and I think he's starting to think about it a lot more. He's decided to abandon his life of sin and go looking for God. My heart was so warmed by that! Yesterday, God granted me another surprise - my friend actually came to youth group! He is still seeking, but I feel that he is getting close to salvation through Jesus!

I find that whenever you least expect something, that's when something amazing happens. It's because we decide to put our trust in God instead of in other things. When you put your trust in the Lord, He grants many beautiful wonderful things that you never expected. Yet if you put your trust in earthly things, you will never be truly happy, and the gifts that God gives will leave you empty and wanting more. True joy and peace are only found in God's arms!

In the midst of the chaos

Hello everybody :) Today, I just want to share a part of my journal with you guys. I've been having a really rough start of the year, and the only thing that has kept me going is the strength found in Jesus. Here's what I wrote after a particularly tough day:

Dear Jesus:

You are more than enough for me. You died on the cross for my sins, and by Your wounds I am healed. Despite the chaos and the storm raging around me, You are my rock, my strong Saviour. You ransomed me and gave me new life! Help me be strong. Amen!

Jesus is our strength when things go wrong. That is such good news! We don't have to be strong, because there is someone who is strong enough for us, and He will hold us in the tough times. If we only believe and trust in Him, He will carry us through the storm.

Here I am, once again :)

Hello, everyone! I realize that my writing is becoming weekly, and I must say that I don't quite mind that. There aren't really that many things to write about during the week, and Mondays are the days where I have a lot of free time. :)

Last week was another exciting and adventurous week. Since they cancelled my writer's craft class, I come home at 1:00 each day - an hour and a half earlier than normal! This enables me to have time to do so many things that I would rush before, such as blogging, devotions, and reading my Bible.

Today, my friend and I talked about "fate" and "destiny." To her, these words are a solid explanation for why things happen, whereas for us Christians, they are words that merely attempt to explain what is really going on - God's hand at work in our lives.

I've been learning so much about God's will lately, and His plan for our lives. My biggest battle has been explaining how God really knows what is good for us. How can He know for sure that what He wants for me is the best? Why is His will supreme over all?

Well, the explanation is easy. He is GOD. I am merely a human, a reflection of His perfect wisdom and all-knowing mind. He is bigger than I could ever be!

A beautiful metaphor of this is to imagine yourself standing at the beginning of maze. This maze is aboslutely huge - you've never seen anything so big! There are numerous twists and turns, and you find yourself wondering how you will ever reach the end. Now imagine someone who has a 100-foot ladder positioned so they can see everything in the maze. They know where the dead-ends are, and which path will lead you in the right direction. This someone has a walkie-talkie, and he gives you the other one to complete the pair. He promises to give you the right directions, if you only obey and listen to his voice.

We are the people standing in the maze, not knowing where to go. God is the one above us, our guide and our leader, the one who sees everything from His position. He will lead us in the right direction, if we listen to His voice on the walkie-talkie. Don't change the channel, don't turn it off. There will be other voices that promise to help us, but in the end, God is the only one who can be trusted, because He is the only one who can see what's ahead.

So, are you going to listen?

God Never Fails

We put our trust in so many things thoughout the day. We trust that our alarm goes off, that the car starts, and that there will be food on the table at dinner time. We trust in our friends, our family, and our church. Above all, we trust in God.

Out of that whole list, EVERYTHING will fail us at one point...except God. God goes beyond our expectations - He is perfect, He is good, and He is loving. He is for us not against us. Though sometimes it feels like God has let us down, when we look at the big picture, we see that everything that God allows or does in our life brings us closer to Him. In the end, His plan is always better than ours.

This first week of school has been beyond chaotic and confusing for me. Mentoring the grade 9's, wondering what to do about my job, not to mention deciding what I want to do with the rest of my life...well, it's been a lot of things thrown at me all at once. Today I was hit with the final blow. My Writer's Craft class (by far my favourite of them all) was being cancelled because there weren't enough students.

Well, I was just so shocked by this. What was I going to do? I want to be a journalist, and that class was supposed to help me with my dream of becoming one. There are no other classes in that timeslot that I wanted to take, so I decided on not taking any at all...a 'spare' period.

When I stepped back and looked at the big picture of my crummy week, I saw that I had no right to be upset. God never said that things won't fail us - He said that HE would never fail us. Everything else around me could fail, but He never would, and He never will.

"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you." - 1 Chronicles 28:20

First day of school...

First of all, I would like to start off by saying that Chicago was amazing! Lots of shopping, spending time with my mom and her family, and we even went to church on Sunday - the best part of the week! Unfortunately, it ended much too fast! Today was the first day back to school, and what a day it was!

I'm a mentor, which means that I lead a group of Grade 9s new to the school. I help them find their classes, talk to them, etc. My group this year is so funny! I've already earned a reputation of a Bible-beater amongst them, and only because I told them I wanted to be a missionary! They're a great bunch of kids, really comfortable with talking to me and sharing their thoughts.

One girl in my group is espescially loud and boisterous. She seems like such a nice girl, and is really kind and had a smile on her face the whole time. However, I notice some scars on her arms...and I will ask everyone who reads this to please pray for her! As I had the same experience in my past, I hope to be a light to her as her mentor :)

My classes are great, other than my last one, in which I have zero friends...I guess Writer's Craft is not a popular course! I also have Philosophy, Art, and Religion this semester.

Hope everyone out there is having a great week! Stay close to Jesus as you all follow Him!

Chicago!

Well, after a ten hour drive from my house to Chicago, I finally arrived last night. I LOVE it here in the States - Christian radio is on every second station, there are FREE refills at McDonald's, and everything here is way cheaper than in Canada. Not that I don't like Canada, but I totally understand why U.S. Citizens are so in love with their country :)

On Sunday, Mom and I are planning to go to Harvest Rolling Meadows - a huge church here in Chicago. I'm really hoping that we'll be able to go, because it'll be another opportunity to bring my mom to church.

I realize I haven't written in a long time - last week was pretty crummy for me. I made plans with friends, but those got cancelled. I had to go to the doctor and to the dentist (on the same day!). But the worst part of the week was telling my non-Christian friend that I wouldn't be able to date him. I know it was the right thing to do (2 Corinthians 6:14) but that didn't make it any easier. On the plus side, I got to evangelize to him, which was by far the best experience EVER.

I'll try and sneak onto the computer here a few more times while in Chicago. Enjoy your day!

Putting God First

I think most of us know in our minds that we are to put God first in our lives, but I've found that actually living it out is where I struggle. The unimportant day to day things catch my attention and time, and sooner than I'd expect, the day is already gone and I haven't spent anytime with God. How does one change that?

The easy thing to do is put God first - literally. As soon as you wake up, before breakfast or even getting dressed, spend time with Him. Read the Bible, do devotions, and spend lots ot time in prayer. Your whole day will be better because you've started out on the right foot - with God at the beginning, just as He should be.

Over the school year, I will definately try hard to put this into practice, even if it means getting up earlier than I want to. Time with God is vital to our Christian life - how does one know a friend if they don't spend time with them? The same thing can be said for spending time with our best friend, our God and Saviour.

Putting God first not only means being with Him daily, but placing Him above all other things in our life. Our purpose in everything should be to bring glory to God, whether we are eating, reading, or spending time with friends. I experienced this just a few days ago at the Lincoln Brewster concert (which was awesome) during the last song. Lincoln told us to close our eyes and lift our hands to worship God, and I was so into it that I didn't even notice him and the band leave the stage. I'm sure this was his intention, that God would be the purpose of the concert, not his performance or our entertainment.

We can trust that when God is first, we will be most satisfied because we are satisfied in Him!

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus."

- Colossians 3:17

Today is the day...

...that I am going to the Lincoln Brewster concert! Yay! the Christian Radio Station in Ontario, Life 100.3, is having it's Tenth Anniversary Party tonight, which includes a Lincoln Brewster concert. I've been waiting for this event for quite some time now, but only today it is becoming real to me. I even got my grandma to put my hair in rollers :)

Things have been going great for me! I've visisted the treehouse a few more times since Monday, and I've even got some great photos for you guys. I'm sure you'll enjoy them just as much as I do.

The treehouse!

The bottom floor of the treehouse

Two paintings on the top floor...done by yours truly :)

A Bunch of Good Things All At Once

Don't you just love it when a bunch of good things happen all at once? I do! It's such a great blessing from God when everything works out and all the stress and nervousness fades away.

Church yesterday was amazing! I love going there - the worship is awesome, and the preaching is great, too. My interview went a lot easier than I thought it would. I felt a little shaky when I was up there talking, but a lot of people came up to me after and said I was so composed and relaxed that it looked like I was reading off a script! I thank God for giving me the right words to say, and for calming me in His presence.

Another good thing was hanging out with my youth leader today. She's so awesome! I haven't seen much of her this summer because we've both been busy, but I just love hanging out with her. She's very smart and understanding, and gives great advice. Another thing to be thankful to God for.

Probably one of the best things that has happenned was getting my laptop fixed. The internet finally works, so I can blog peacefully from the quiet of my room instead of from the family computer in the basement. Expect to see lots more blog posts coming up!

"Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts."
- Psalm 105:2

Heading to Church Tomorrow!

Not that I don't usually go to church every Sunday - I do. My mom makes me go with her to Catholic Mass, and does not permit me to go to the evangelical non-demoninational church where I attend youth groups. However, God is good, and tomorrow I will be going to the church where I've wanted to go now for over a year. I am beyond excited! And even better than that, my mom is going to be coming with me!

The reason for my attendance is that I'm going to be interviewed about the Cuba trip in front of the whole church. I'm quite nervous about this, as the church doesn't really know me, and I do get a little shaky speaking in front of large groups. Yet despite my fears, I am absolutely sure that God can work through me and calm my fears.

Pray for me and my mom tomorrow as we go to church! Thanks! :)

Thankful Thursday

I just came across the Grace Alone blog and decided to join in this week's Thankful Thursday.

This week, I am thankful for:

-My job, even though it is quite stressful at times and I'm still fairly new at it, I'm happy that I even have a job, and that it is much better than my last one. I love working with the kids and seeing their happy, smiling faces, and knowing that I am helping them in some way.

- My family. Despite the fact that they are not Christians, they are still my family, and they love me alot and want the best for me.

- The forest. Such a simple yet beautiful part of God's creation that offers me a place to go and meet with Him. I love the green of the trees and the way the sunlight streams through the openings in the canopies overhead. I love the songs of the birds, and how peaceful and serene it is.

Thank You, God, for blessing me in all these ways and more!

Long time, no write!

Yes, I realize it has been forever since I have written, but I am back and will try and write everyday from now on :)

I have been caught in a whirlwind of friends, family, bible study, painting the treehouse, and reading some great Christian non-fiction. It has been quite busy, but very fun and fulfilling.

One of my favorite activities in the summer is walking in the forest. During one of these walks a few months ago, I came across a completed treehouse right in the middle of the woods, just a few minutes off the path. This treehouse became my little sanctuary, a place to sit and enjoy God's presence, do devotions, and sing worship songs. Unfortunately, a group of teenagers vandalized the treehouse around June, which greatly discouraged me from going there again.

Fortunately, God is good and He provides a way! I decided to get together with a few of my friends and paint the treehouse, covering up the obscure images and words. The treehouse is now covered in Bible verses, flowers, butterflies, and other various decorations.

I couldn't be happier about "my treehouse." I try and visit it daily, making sure to thank God for His goodness. The treehouse is just an example of how God can turn any bad situation to good if we only listen and follow Him.

Decisions, decisions...

After returning from my missions trip to Cuba, I've had a lot of time to think about what I want to do in life. Before I became a Christian last year, it had been my dream to work at a high fashion institute (ie. Vogue) as a journalist. After accepting Christ, I was determined to continue with pursuing journalism as a career, and I was dead set on going to a University which offered the best journalism program in the province.

This week, however, I felt God's nudge to look up a Christian college that I had heard of. As I looked at their program for people who were interested in missions, I knew that this was part of God's plan for me. Yes, it was more expensive than the non-Christian university, but only by a 1000 dollars. Yes, my parents would disapprove of my choice, but I couldn't let that hinder my decision.

The decision to go to either one or the other was based on where I would glorify God more. Would God be more glorified if I went to a secular college and pursued a career that would only benefit myself, or would He be more glorified if I went to a Christian college where I would learn about Him and eventually go out into the mission field to advance His kingdom? The answer was clear, and although my mom objected and the family finances are not in a good place, I trust that God will bring about whatever He has planned for me.

Hope

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge." - Psalm 62:5-7

Perhaps the biggest lesson I learned in Cuba was about hope. Before the trip, I had a vague idea of what hope was, but I had never seen it lived out in the way the Cubans did. Previously, I thought hope was a sort of wishful thinking, a nonchalant prayer to God asking for something. But in Cuba, I learned that my viewpoint of hope was completely wrong.

Hope is so much more than a wish or a want - it's putting your complete faith in God, the source of your hope. Psalm 62 outlines why our hope comes from God. It is because He ALONE is our rock and salvation, our fortress and our refuge. Apart from Him, nothing else matters. He is the beginning and the end, which is why our hope must come from Him and be placed in Him.

If we place our hope in other things, such as relationships, money, and worldly things, we will be disappointed. Yet God never disappoints, for He is sovereign and good.

I saw these principles at work in the people of Cuba. Despite the not so great accomadations and the persecution of the church, they hoped in God, and trusted that He would pull them through the tough times. Their passion and their love for God shone through in their prayers, their worship, and in their lives. To them, hope was more than wishful thinking - it was putting their complete trust in the Lord and waiting on him.

What a great lesson to learn!

Taymy and I - our interpretor who taught me a lot about hope!

The kids learning a new English song during youth group

Cuba Video!!

Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQdiZNcNcxE#watch-main-area

And here's the video:

Cuba, an in depth post

I first must apologize for not writing yesterday, but there is a good excuse. My laptop, which I've had for about 3 years now, has been infected with a virus, which means I had to reboot it. It is working now, but it is still very tempermental.

I miss Cuba like crazy - I can't stop thinking about it for a second! Despite the overwhelming heat and not so awesome conditions, I would give anything to go back there.

Most of our missions work in Cuba involved encouraging the church that was already down there. Because our two leaders were unable to get Religious Visas, we were limited in what we could do. Yet God still managed to use us and stretch us in amazing ways! We shared testimonies, led worship, conversed with the people of the church, and helped run a VBS.

We became very close with the Diaz family who shared their home as a church, a daycamp centre, a dining room, and a fun hangout spot. The husband and wife were both pastors of their house church, and were so kind and generous to us during our stay. Our bus driver, Negro, was also a person whom we became very close with. Although he was not as bold or outspoken in his faith as some of the other Cubans, his love for Jesus clearly shined in his life. His 7-year-old daughter, Daniella, became one of my good chums despite the language barrier we faced. I will never forget her smiling face as she said goodbye to me at the airport!

Overall, the experience was definately unforgettable. I learned so much about God and about myself. The Cubans showed me what true hope meant, and that happiness could only be found in God alone. I will cherish their lessons and their encouragement as long as I live!

I promise to devote a whole blog post t0 pictures and videos once my laptop is completely virus free. Thanks for reading, I hope you're having an awesome summer!

Back from Cuba!

Although I don't have time for a super long blogpost, I do have time to say that I've arrived back safely, and that I had a great time in Cuba!

Get ready for more information, details, and pictures tomorrow!

Tomorrow!

I've been waiting for tomorrow to arrive for at least 100 days. The countdown to this trip has been on my calender since April. And the reality of me going to Cuba has begun to set in.

We have recieved our "tentative" schedule yesterday of what we'll be doing while we are in Cuba. While the Spanish is hard to understand, I can discern that we will be doing work projects, evengelizing, and playing with the kids, as well as sharing testimonies and doing bible lessons. How amazing is that! I feel so blessed to be going on this trip, and to have God use me in whatever way He is going to.

As Paul said, "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel...pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." (Ephesians 6:19-20)

I will have a SUPER long blog post when I get back, filled with pictures and perhaps some videos!

Four days!

Only four days until I leave for Cuba!

This past week has been filled with preperations, last minute get togethers, and some rest and relaxation before the big day. We finally found out our flight time this week. We leave at 8:30, which means we will have to meet at 4 AM (!!!) to get to the airport. I'm not extremely happy about having to wake up in the middle of the night, but I think it's actually a blessing in disguise! An early flight time means that we will arrive in Cuba earlier, which means more time spent on Cuban soil!

I'm so excited to see how God is going to use our team while we're in Cuba. From our first meeting a few months ago, our team has come such a long way with being comfortable with each other and growing closer together. We've spent lots of time in prayer and companionship, and have seen God work in our lives concerning this mission trip.

Personally, I've learnt so much about God while preparing for this trip. I had so many doubts from the beginning, even wondering if I would be able to go. My parents, who are not Christ Followers, strongly opposed the trip, but with God's help, they have given in and allowed me to go! There are still a few fights over what I'll be doing there (Are you going to be praying every day?!), and some rude comments (You should focus on yourself instead of helping people!) but I've been able to survive them and focus on the real goal: sharing Jesus with the Cubans and glorifying God in all that I do! I know that God will always pull through if I only trust in His sovereignty and His perfect plan for my life.

I will update a few more times before Tuesday, and then this blog will have to go on a mini-hiatus as I spend 11 days in Cuba. I promise lots of pictures and stories when I get back!

Strawberry Picking

Today, my friend Ellen and I got to go strawberry picking for the first time this year. Although the berries weren't very ripe, and were also quite small, we ended up having lots of fun and even got to have our faces painted. We had a great time!

Our yummy strawberries!

30 Degrees

It's 30 degrees Celsius. Now, I wouldn't mind this as much if it was this warm outside - after all, who doesn't love a nice summer day? Unfortunately, this extremely high 30 degrees is the current temperature inside my house. I'm attempting to cool down in the basement, which although a little cooler, is still a warm 25.

After complaining about this to my friend, he said something that made me think about my situation a little differently. His exact words were, "It's preparing you for Cuba." Hm. Perhaps he's right. Perhaps this is just God's way of getting me ready for the even hotter temperatures in Cuba.

Often times, this happens in many of life's situations. We complain about things, like an annoying friend, or a broken air conditioner. We don't realize, however, that these can be situations where God wants to teach us something about life and make us into a person more like His son. The annoying friend could be the one who teaches us patience, a fruit of the Spirit, and the broken AC could prepare us for future tough conditions.

Next time you find yourself complaining about something, think about how God sees it. Ask yourself if He has put you in this situation for a reason, and if He has, then put a smile on, and bear the circumstances. You never know what God wants you to learn!