sweet memories

For close to 48 hours my Mom and aunt came to visit. . .and oh! it was wonderful.

I love visitors.

Robert came in September, Mom came in October. . .I'm taking reservations for November.

Now doesn't those suitcases make travel alluring? 

Let me know when to expect you. . .

what joy, what joy

Last Wednesday evening, we all gathered in the chapel to support the campus' favourite children as they gave their premier concert.  And I could not stop the tears from falling, as I heard their enthusiastic voices and watched their beautiful faces.  Their interactions on stage were so precious, as they helped one another remember where they were supposed to be even when they spoke different languages. 

Here is one of the songs that they sang. . .and I have to admit that I'm rather partial to their version :)  This song has been ringing in my head for the past number of days.  Let us remember what joy is for those whose hope is in the name of the Lord.

in the mountains

Oh! how I love being in the mountains (even though the Canadian Rookies are in a class all to themselves).  The fall colours are absolutely glorious, and the weather so beautiful. 

And as I sit here in a quiet coffee shop, with my cheeks still tingling from the wind, I am reminded of so many memories.  It was this time last year that I first arrived on campus.  And that is so hard to believe.  Oh! my heart is so full of gratefulness.  I could never have imagined that I would be sitting here now.  And I have a feeling that wherever I am this time next year, I will have the same feeling of awe at the working of God.  Where He leads may be a mystery, but oh! what a glorious adventure! 

tonight

I am sitting in my upstairs room, with the reflection of the Christmas lights around the window reflected in the mirror. 

I can hear precious children from Honduras and Ethiopia practicing their choir songs, singing 'our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.'   What a joy it is to share a campus with these kiddos - I love walking across campus and seeing them playing soccer.

I am sitting with a cup of tea, looking at my two birthday bouquets (yes, I was very spoiled over my birthday!)

I am listening to the soundtrack from this blog (which has become something of an evening tradition)

I am reminded of my need for my God.  He is all I have and all I need.  He fills all in all.  I know that 'dependent' isn't necessarily a very popular word these days, but oh. . .that is how I am upon my Heavenly Father.  Paul Washer has a quote that goes along the lines of "I used to tell preachers that in order to preach they had to have the power of God on their lives.  Now I tell them that in order to tie their shoes they need to have the power of God upon them." 

. . .from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the name of the Lord shall be praised. . .

last night I had a choice.

When I finally got to my room last night, two options lay before me.

Write 300 words and post it on my blog.

or

Do my laundry.

Last semester I didn't make time to do my laundry before orientation weekend and it was not good.

So last night, laundry won out.  Hope you don't mind - for I certainly don't regret it. 

And today, instead of 300 words, you have something like 30.

But that is life right now. . .

. . .and I'm loving every minute! 

tonight i feel like

Tonight I feel like a computer with too many screens open.

There have been a number of times in the last three hours that someone has asked me a question and it is a physical exersion to simply think.

If I was a computer you would see the little hour glass shape (if I was a PC) or the colourful spinning circule (if I were a Mac).

Maybe I should attempt to write 300 words in the morning, when things are working a little smoother :) 

....

Last summer, I read an Oswald Chamber's quote which profoundly challenged me.  Lately, the Lord has been reminding me of the same concept and I dug and found the quote:

"Have you the slightest reliance on anything other than God?  Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural virtue, any set of circumstances? . . . It is quite true to say - 'I cannot live a holy life,' but you can decide to let Jesus Christ make you holy.  'Ye cannot serve the Lord your God'; but you can put yourself in the place where God's almighty power will come through you.  Are you sufficiently right with God to expect Him to manifest His wonderful life in you? . . .  If we really believed that God meant what He said - what should we be like!  Dare I really let God be to me all that He says He will be?" - My Utmost for His Highest, July 9

It is easy to say things such as

"oh, yes, I trust God"

"He is my All in All"

"The Bible says the God is our Provider"

But what about our lives? 

Are we truly living like that is really real? 

Are we letting God be in our lives all that He has promised? 

Or are we clinging to our fleshly abilities, desires, hopes and fears? 

I remember a line from a song from years ago and all that I remember is 'playing gameboy standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon'

That line impacted me because I always wanted to - and still do! - visit the Grand Canyon. 

Is that how we are living, holding on to something trite and familiar while something vast and glorious is within view? 

photo by lauren

Oh, may we be a people who take God at His word, and may every moment of every day be a showcase of His glory and for the advancement of His kingdom.

you know it is fall here on campus. . .

. . .when you get leaves caught in your flip flops :) 

I just got inside from jumping and sitting in the first pile of leaves.  Another girl and I (both of us being interns) got the urge to do it at the same time, and oh! how wonderful it was to sit outside in the midst of the wind that was blowing.  We had quite a bit of fun throwing armfuls of leaves in the air and watching the wind scatter them.  A couple other girls went by and commented on how the interns were behaving :)  Well, one cannot behave properly and refined all the time and we figured it was better to get out our childlike urges now before the new students arrive!

Oh, and I have started receiving birthday mail :)  I now have a cute wee pile at the end of bed.  The plan is to make it to my birthday without opening anything, but it is rather tempting already.

Today was an office morning and a cleaning afternoon.  Mid-way through the cleaning, people came by for a quick campus tour.  So I shook the cobwebs out of my hair and switched gears again.

As I sit here, in my room that is looking more and more homey every time I walk in (thanks to my wonderful roommate - I simply been flying in and out the last couple of days!) my heart is so full of thankfulness.  And it is not just because Canadian thanksgiving is coming up :) 

I am just so thankful for my Savior.  For all that He is.  When I really truly think about it, I realize how amazing it is that He knows us - completely - and loves us - absolutely - and that He desires us to know Him.  Oh, may we not take one second for granted.  May we continually seek after Him, run after Him with all our might.  May eternity truly be stamped upon our eyeballs (in the words of Jonathan Edwards) that we may live in such a way the glorifies our Lord and Master. 

*Once again, I didn't count the words up in this post.  But my Dad informed me that the last post was something like 350 so I'm going to go forward in the assumption that this is similar in length :)*

ramblings

I'm really not sure that any of this will make sense - it has been a l.o.n.g. full day. 

300 words in random, rambling form here we come!

Isn't amazing that we serve a God who changest not?  I don't believe that we appreciate that fact truly.  He. changes. not.  From everlasting to everlasting, He remains the same.  His character is fixed and His nature has been revealed.

. . . .

It was another exciting day in the office again today (my first day in the office was complete with a power outage!).  Oh, what a blessing it is to work alongside of people who simply love Jesus and are seeking to put Him always, ever first in their life.  What joy was in the office all day as upwards of five of us were in there, with others popping in and out.  Putting Christ first never robs the fun out of life, as some would have us believe.  Rather, without Him, there is no true joy.

. . .
I recorded the voice mail message for the office phone.  It was rather intimidating to this girl, who doesn't even like leaving messages.  The fact that there was  audience in the background calling out encouragement and suggestions was near as bad as the adrenaline jarring 'beep' that preceded the time I was suppose to leave the message.  The first couple of times I think I was shaking!  Then the phone and I had a battle of wills, concerning whether or it was going to replace the generic message with mine, but human prevailed over machine eventually.

. . .
Today it seemed so much like fall...the leaves blowing off the trees whenever a gust of wind went by.  And how beautiful they looked, falling golden to the ground.  Tis the season for apple crisp, soups and cups of tea. 

. . .
"But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge that I may tell of all your works."  Psalm 73:28

. . .
I have no clue how many words that has been.  All I know is that my heart is so full, words simply fall short.    May you delight in Christ and His wonderful works this evening! 

new perspective

I am moving.

Ever since arriving on campus last October (goodness, I can hardly believe that I'm writing that!) I have been in the same room with the same roommate. That is, until a couple of weeks ago when my sweet roommate headed back home. And yesterday I started bringing things up to my new room.

the view from my old room

Originally the plan was to move over gradually, but I realized that after running to one room to get my shoes and the other to get my camera it probably wasn’t the most efficient way to live for an extended period of time. 

Things were comfortable, orderly.  I had figured out how everything fit in, and everything had a place.  It was familiar and homey and mine J 

Now, I’m surrounded by piles of clothes that need to be sorted through, various and sundry knick-knacks piled around and stacks of books that simply won’t look homelike on the shelves.  And the thought crossed my mind not that long ago that it would have been so much simpler to simply have stayed where I was. 

Yet as soon as I had thought that, I shook my head.  No.  I know this is a new season.  And for whatever reason, I know the Lord has hallmarked a number of changes for me.  Maybe He knows that when I get too comfortable, I have a habit of relying upon myself instead of on Him.  He does not want His daughter relying on anything but Himself for security.  He is to be the One I am dependent upon. 

the view from my new window

And the Lord showed me that there are two ways that I can walk into this new season.  I can either keep turning backwards, thinking of what was.  Or I can rejoice in the new perspective that these changes are providing. 

In that moment, He gave me the grace to rejoice and be excited about all that is up ahead.  For when He is leading a life, it may not be predictable, but oh! I wouldn’t have it any other way.  May He receive all the glory!   

'greater things are still to come, greater things are still to be done. . .'   Chris Tomlin