Moving

Hey! Incase anyone still reads this...

Paul and I will be moving to Winnipeg. Paul will be the youth pastor at Charleswood Gospel Temple. I will continue to train as an ASL-English Interpreter. We're excited to be a part of Charleswood church community!

Frustration

Since the evolution of facebook, I must say, I have cast my blog to the wind. But I've caught it again, because I realize that it is a valuable resource. I just can't share my thoughts on facebook like I can with a blog. I'm not even sure that anyone reads my blogs anymore. I wouldn't. I give up on those who don't update at least once a week!

Well, here it goes... is the way Chrstians live out their relationship with God changing drastically? I remember a time when being a Christian meant that you wore dresses to church (females of course), even when it was -40, slippery sunday shoes (why not just slap on a pair of ice skates... it would have been safer!), tights that were way to tight in the stomach and left you feeling nausious at the end of service and brought God's Word without fail. A time when the order of service was the static organ prelude, welcoming by pastor, sing two hymns. sit down, have announcements, offering, special number, hymn, message and maybe hymn at the end. All the pastors sat up on stage in their big red comfy chairs while we all sat on hard wooden pews. And if you ever talked... God be with you cuz' the look you'd get from your parents would send you straight to the grave. A time when it wasn't okay to sing "camp songs" in church, because they were resereved for camp. A time when a christian could talk about everyone in the church and judge how aweful of a person they were being but heaven forbid if we pierced a second earring hole. A time when we hid in the basements during halloween so people would know we were "different" (all along they thought we didn't like children). A time when dancing, having a drink and going to the club were taboo but it was ok to never have a reason for what you believed and you just believed because "those were the rules!"

argh.

Who wants that kind of Christianity? Isn't it about the heart? Can a person have a tatoo and be so loving that he wins the favor of his friends and God gives him the opportunity to share the love of God with them? Is it concieveable that a Christian can go to the bar, not to get drunk or find his release in the sensuality but rather because he wants to hang out with those God has put in his life simply because they're all people?

Is it possible that God does not care how we come dressed to "church?" and what about church anyway... Is God even in church anymore? aren't we the church? So then he is in us. Why don't we act like it? what if church was a group of believers of Jesus gathered together to encourage one another, and sing together and share what God had been teaching us. And what if church didn't suck. And what if people felt comfortable enough to ask questions and share their struggles with faith? And instead of others giving trite "i'm going to fix you" answers, they actually listened? And what if we accepted people for who they were and let God change them? What if?

Should Pastors be paid?

I've been struggling with a question. Should pastors be paid?

Here is a quick run down of why i'm questioning it.

1. Is ministry a career?

2. Is it about sacrifice?

3. Paul in the NT modeled "tent making"

4. If it's about money, no one would go to the small churches

5. Pastors are required to attend Bible college for 4 years. Just like the world is required to go to school. They graduate, get a job and get paid according to their schooling. Pastors graduate and if they go to a small church, get paid a bare minimum. How can they ever pay off their student loans?

6. Does financial stress make a pastor less effective?

7. Should they rely more on faith?

8. Do pastors wish to live beyone their needs?

What are your thoughts?

Ah, good ole spring

It seems I can never be consistant in my writing. Perhaps it's because I have so much homework that I don't want to read or type another word by the time i'm done.

I picked up an extra Distance Ed. course in biology and really need to keep myself focused with the reading and assignments!

I'll be done school for the year in April with only one final exam to write. yay! I'm looking forward to getting another job and not having homework for a little while.

Driving to school these days in a nightmare. I drove in today... on prayer! I started out and then decided this was ridiculous and should go back home. I attempted to turn around... but the divisions in the highway were completely snow drifted so I could not even do that. I stressfully crawled on the iced over highway and finally made it to class. I'm hoping by the time I leave that it will be somewhat melted and easier to drive on. I do love the warmer weather but hate it for the driving conditions. They even had HWY #1 closed from Portage to Saskatchewan border!

Anyway, let me know how life is with you!

Nice picture eh? we've both lost a little weight since. yay!

A Miriad of things

Hello Familiy and friends!
A New Year. 2007. Wow. I can't believe I graduated high school almost seven years ago. I have to say, life has been good. Especially good in the last few weeks. Our churches in Portage got together last week for Prayer and fasting. Each meeting was at a different church. What a great experience! It was awesome to spend time with God alone and with others. I guess life is good because I'm doing well with God. When I'm doing well with God, everything else looks a lot brighter and more manageable.

Yesterday I started a Jr. youth girl's discipleship night at my house. 10 girls came out and we had a great time! I'm so pleased how God is working in Portage! It's a great thing to be obedient to God and do what he puts on your heart at the right time. At Jr. youth on friday evening we had 29 youth come out. How exciting! It's not about the numbers, I know. I don't like to play the numbers game. At the same time, it's not like youth are just coming and we pat ourselves on the back. Many of these youth have given their lives to Jesus and are really growing in him as much as they can. Praise God!

Recently we had Bill Caruthers from China talk to a group of us Pastors at our sectional meeting (Carman, Morden, MacGregor, Portage, Roseisle). And he said something really profound. God wants to know us. And he wants us to know Him. I knew about the knowing him part. I was confused. I said... i thought God already knows us? But the Know that he's talking about when he says in Matthew 7, 21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' is an intimate KNOW. And that comes through spending time with him. That was awesome for me. one of the pastors said they heard CNN interview Mother Theresa. She spent 4-5 hours a day in prayer. The reporter asked her... what do you pray about for that long? she said " i just listen." the reporter asked... well, what does God say? She said "nothing. He just listens." Silence in God's presence. Just hanging out together. How awesome.

I challenge you today... Does God KNOW you, and do you KNOW God?
thoughts?

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Another day, Another Post

Another day, another post. I don't have internet at home anymore so i'm trying my best to update often when i'm on other people's computers. lol. that sounds like I go to random houses and use people's internet. I don't. Just to clear that one up! I'm acutally at my parents' house tonight. Had an Interpreter/student thing this evening in the city. Then i have a workshop all day in the city tomorrow, so I figured it would be better use of my time to stay in the city. Anyway, enough borring stuff.
I'm really ripped right now. It's hard to see people from the past sometimes. People who bring negative memories back just by their very presence. Not that there's anything wrong with them specifically. But that they were around during a time you'd rather forget about. And seeing them brings floods of bad memories back that you thought you had forgotten. I guess time and God heal all wounds.
On a lighter note, school is still going really well! I really do enjoy it a lot and i'm doing well, which is exciting for me! There are also some wonderful things going on with our church and i'm encouraged that God is using me to be a part of his wonderful plan for people in Portage. I've been job searching since i'll be finished this semester at the beginning of Dec. No calls yet. I vowed never to work at Subway again... i think my nightmare may become reality again. Nah, I really didn't mind subway and it looks like that might be my only option at this point. I wanted to do stock for Christmas but again, no calls. So i'll be patient and wait. At the same time, do what I can to get myself out there and look around. God knows best and so i do what I can and he'll do the rest.
good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite. Bite them first!