Freedom ends tomorrow.

So today I went in for what turned out to be an interview at a high school (grades 10-12) near the U of C. When I spoke with the principal on Friday about meeting with him today, he referred to our meeting as a 'chat'. Thus, I didn't much prepare or think too deeply about it, except for pray for God's will (of course ;P). I walk into the school this morning, find out its actually an interview, and begin to panic. My heart starts pounding...and then I think 'God, you are something!' I knew he wanted me to completely depend on him because my mind was scattered with a million and one things they could possibly ask me. 'They' being the principal and assistant principal. At the end of the interview (which turned out to be only three questions long taken from three pages of questions!) they offered me the job. It's a mat leave and I'll be teaching English 10 and 11. Thank goodness I have a prep one block!

So, freedom officially ends tomorrow as I'm back in my cave planning like a madwoman. I really need to learn to find loopholes in the system of planning and marking, but I'm not gutsy enough yet...;P

Rockband and other tidbits.

Rockband is, in my opinion, the greatest game created since Bomberman! Thanks to Hasmin, Dale and I are the newest owners of our very own band. I loooooove it. I plan on becoming the expert drummer in our two-person family!

It feels like we're on vacation except all of our clothes and my teaching supplies are unpacked and put away.

We bought the sweetest duvet cover today. 430 thread count. Can you say SOFT! I'm looking forward to sleeping tonight!

For the first time in three years, I'll be waking up early for church ;P The upside: The rest of the day is up for grabs!

Has anyone taken my advice and signed up for blogspot or got back in the habit of blogging? Please, let me know I'm not alone!

Time change.

We arrived last night at 6:30 Pacific Standard Time. It only took us 10 hours! The roads were clear, except for a little bit of snow on the Coquihalla that posed no problems at all. Thank you for your prayers. To God be the glory!

I just woke up from ten and a half hours of sleep. You can say I'm pretty well rested! Pancakes (my parents' dog) is nibbling at my feet. Her way of telling me to come play with her. So I think I'm going to do that for a bit. She's our replacement Charis because she is just as cute! ... Okay, I admit Charis is cuter ;P

Change happens.

I have a hard time accepting change and it's annoying sometimes. I was probably worse before but I still see that side of me surface when circumstances change unexpectedly. But I am (slowly) learning to let go and not always feel like I need to be in control. Because ultimately, I don't. Or I do to an extent, but God always has the final word. It's not what you think, because I know some of you might be thinking that I'm referring to our relocation to Calgary. Well, it has a tiny part to do with it. The moving part. Up until very late last night we had a set plan for moving our stuff over there. Then something unexpected happened and we panicked. We prayed for God's wisdom and direction in the matter, but I didn't leave room for the alternative to what I was anticipating would happen. Like I said, I dislike change, especially in situations where I've planned and prepared for something in advance with expectations for results according to my planning and preparation. In my mind, although the players would change the game would still be the same. Has that ever happened to you? You pray for wisdom but in your mind you presume to know what to do? That happens to me from time to time, and I still fall into the trap that things need to happen my way.

I'm thankful for a very patient and loving husband. Even though there are times when I know he knows whats in our better interest, he still lets me get my way. I put up pretty convincing (often attitude-filled) arguments that are really my tool of manipulation! Today, after we had our bout of disagreement (although it really wasn't disagreement but just me being whiny about having to change what was originally planned) I apologized to him for the way I had acted and gave him permission to put his foot down when I become uncooperative for dumb reasons ;P

To shorten the story, I didn't get my way. It's humbling but at the same time, God is teaching me where to let go and submit and I know that my character is being sharpened, changed, stretched. That's what matters.

We're still leaving tomorrow but it won't be with a U-haul filled with our stuff. Just us and our CRV and everything we can cram into it that we would need immediately.

Please pray for our drive! See you in Calgary. ;P

Moving Week...

T-3 days left in this beautiful city. I don't know what the "T" in that popular phrase even means. Does it mean "time"? Someone, enlighten me. Anyway, here's a quick post before I crash for the night. Firstly, belated Happy Resurrection to all. I say that because it needs to be said for what it is. Christ resurrected three days after he died and remains alive to this day! What glorious hope we have in our God because of what Christ accomplished on the cross and through His resurrection: the forgiveness of our sin, the blotting out of our transgressions, reconciliation with God, victory over death, hope when all seems lost, new life! This is just to name a few. Isn't it remarkable how such a holiday has made its way onto the calendar? God did not want us (believer or not) to forget what He did for us. And each year we are invited to remember corporately (although hopefully we remember daily) and perhaps for some, believe for the first time. Well, it's true whether you believe it or not. And one has nothing to lose by believing and everything to gain!

So Dale and I are spending the last few nights at his parents house since our place is pretty much packed up...well, almost there. It's taking longer than I had anticipated. Probably because I didn't think I'd have so many odds and ends here and there to (aka. junk) that needed to be sorted and gotten rid of. But we're well on our way in terms of packing up. My Dad is flying in on Thursday to help us drive the U-haul to Calgary. People have been asking me "How do you feel about moving?" To answer: I am sad. Moving away from people and places you know and love is never easy and I am definitely going to miss it here. At the same time, I am confident in where God is leading us and what He will do and accomplish in and through us. I don't have doubts but I do have some fears that I have been committing to God. I know that He is in control.

Tonight Dale and I had dinner at Provence, this Mediterranean grill close to UBC. It was basically fine dining because the food was not cheap. Lucky for us, we didn't have to pay a cent (except for tip!). His uncle is the head chef there and for a while now he's been inviting us to come and dine at his restaurant. So tonight we headed over there not knowing what to expect but just knowing that Tito Essex is a superb chef (he always cooks for Dale's family gatherings). To say the least, the food was excellent. It was a six course meal compliments of Tito Essex (he put his own little twist on some of the dishes) and I took pictures of every dish but unfortunately, can't upload them right now but I will later! They will make you drool. It was soo good. So good. Down to the very last bite of dessert! If you've never been, I suggest you pay a visit. It's a bit pricey but it will definitely be worth it.

I think I'm going to head to bed now. I've been making a habit of sleeping late these days when I want to wake up early, and then when I wake up the whole morning has almost gone by! Goodnight folks.

Photoblog

Because our laptop is slow and for some reason Mozilla won't upload in Facebook (or maybe it's just because our computer is SO slow), I've decided to post some pics here of random occasions last month and just recently =) Enjoy!

Click HERE for our group photo at our goodbye gathering. I decided to put a link because resizing it would only blur all of the beautiful faces!


03.17 Indian dinner with the Pongs, Paraisos, and Booj! (My first time having Indian food!)

03.16 Andrew, Dale, Justin, and Ant

03.16 With the Estebans and Licuds (and their cute baby boys!)

03.16 Friends since middle school!

03.16 Prodd praying for us

My favorite baby (and god daughter)

03.01 The closest I got to Beth Moore ;P

03.01 Living Proof Ministries - Conference

03.01 Posing after the conference

02.23 My elementary friend Sherry! First time we've seen each other in 12 years!

02.16 Charis' superman!

02.16 Again with my favorite baby!

It's finally starting to sink in.

I think up until today, the fact that we are moving had not really hit me as reality. And yet, the reality of our move is fast approaching (12 days!!!). Probably a big part of why it had not quite sunk in yet was because we hadn't started packing. But this week is packing week because I'm done work now that it's Spring Break for the schools. I'm so not looking forward to getting up tomorrow knowing how much there is to do.

Today was our goodbye gathering at Solid Rock. We will definitely miss our church family and the people we have grown with spiritually over the last couple of years. The church has truly been a blessing to both of us and although I am sad to leave, I look forward to taking what the Lord has wrought in my life through these years to Calgary and shining for God there. Although Solid Rock is small, their faith is big and their love for God is genuine. I have definitely learned that size means nothing when it comes to what a church should be all about. I'm sure its size has been judged by some as a reflection of what seems to be not happening that is supposed to be happening (rigorous evangelism, outreach, saving souls, etc), but really when you go back to the Word of God, nowhere does it place size or numbers as the defining factor of an effective and "growing" church. Nowhere is numbers even a goal. When we think "growing" in relation to church ministry, the first thing that always comes to mind is numbers. On the contrary, Jesus' commission to his disciples before he ascended into heaven was: "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them...and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded them." The Acts 2 church devoted themselves to serving one another and to growing together in the Word and in their love for God and for each other..."And God added to their number daily those who were being saved." God multiplied their number according to their faith in Him and their love for one another.

Thank you, Solid Rock, for being an instrument of God's love in my life over the past three years. You will be deeply missed.

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-13

Our spiritual giftedness is meant to build up the body of Christ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God. And we all do not possess the same giftedness. But with the giftedness that we do possess, whether for example it be teaching or preaching or evangelizing (as some are definitely called by God to do full time), we are called to exercise them by the power of the Spirit for the building of His kingdom. Regardless of whatever gifts God has bestowed upon us, we are ambassadors of Christ. All of us. At any given time or place. That mandate to us as Christians is set in stone.

God has truly allowed my love for His church to grow, not just the local body of Christ that I am a part of, but His universal church of believers all over the globe. I know and believe that the greatest testimony to unbelievers in our generation is not necessarily words but actions - a living testimony of the reality of Christ at work in one's life. Words take a back seat when it comes to what you believe. People aren't so much convinced by what you say than they are by what you do. When Christians preach love and forgiveness to the world and yet fail to love and forgive those within their own church walls, we show the world a distorted - even futile - picture of our message. Tragic but true. And we wonder why they don't believe.

I have only touched the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, in terms of really loving others with the love that Christ first showed me on the cross. And I mean really loving others. It's always easier to love those who are easy to love and difficult to love those with personalities different from us or who we just don't get along with for whatever reasons. It's also always easier to praise, admonish, and encourage others we love than it is to rebuke, correct, or speak the truth in love to those close to us. I'm working on that one.

So it's finally starting to sink in. I have mixed emotions right now, so I can't really describe how I feel about the changes that are about to take place. I'm excited and scared, joyful and sad, anxious and at peace, at times uncertain. But one thing's for sure, God will be with us wherever we go.

Down memory lane ... http://www.xanga.com/mizzd

Wow, 3 posts in one day. That is downright illegal. But I just had to write this one.

I'm being washed over by tidal waves of nostalgia as I read through my old blog on xanga. It's crazy how long I was a faithful blogger for. Like 5 years! I can't believe how much I wrote, and how often. I was a bit wordy at times, hehe. I think I still am ;P I wrote a lot while I lived in Edmonton. Maybe I'll pick up that streak again when we move to Calgary? Something about living in Alberta... What I'm finding to be really interesting about delving into the past through my blog is knowing that that was me, but a younger me, in a whole set of circumstances different from where I am today. Past circumstances that preceded those in my present and that wrought in me a character that would build into the person I am today. What is encouraging to me as I read is seeing how the Lord was so real to me in the circumstances that I faced, as I blogged about it so freely. Whether it be the pressure of finals, challenging courses, ministry, sibling rivalry, my keyloid! (Kelly!), boyfriend issues, you name it! This week in our women's study Believing God, we learned about the power of memory and how God often acts on what He remembers, and how we are likely to do the same (more so with bad memories than good do we act upon). When I read through my old blogs and see how God was at work in my life back then, I remember His faithfulness and that gives me hope to continue forward in my faith knowing that as sure as God was faithful then, He will be faithful now and in the future. I can count on it. Glory to Him!

I'm having so much fun! I highly suggest all you bloggers read through your past blogs and see how you've changed since then, what you've learned, and how your life has unraveled and God has been there all along.

For some strange reason, I feel less scholarly and less eloquent with words now than I did back then. Haha. Maybe because I was in the prime of my university days surrounded by intellects and academics hungry for more education, bigger words, bright ideas, bigger bank accounts, a bunch of letters beside their name.

Now I spend my days with a bunch of teenagers. They keep me on my feet!

--

In order to arrive at what you are not
You must go through the way in which you are not.

T.S. Eliot

--

Endpic:

Speaking of KELLY.



A reminder of His miracle.

Dedicated to the youth...

Last night we had what was pretty much my last youth fellowship since we are moving in three weeks. We meet every other Friday so I don't see the kids every week in that setting, although I see them at church all the time so I've learned a bit about each of them and their unique, quirky personalities. We played Taboo (the game the youth have come to love...and become good at, hehe), then I shared a bible study lesson on Abraham's faith (which I know can't be captured in one one-hour lesson) in particular living by faith during times in our lives when we don't know why something is happening or what will happen next. Then we shared our prayer requests and closed in prayer. On the surface it wasn't any different from other fellowships that we've had. But inside, I felt a difference.

I am sad to be leaving them not because I'm worried about what will happen to the group, I'm not, but because although I've been at Solid Rock for two or so years, I feel that it is only now that I am really starting to get to know them and to see their need for godly people in their life that they can relate to and be transparent with, especially since they are older than when I first met them (they've transitioned from tweens to teens). I've never laughed so much with (and at) them in the whole time that I've known them as much as I did last night. Back in 2006 when the group was first formed, the youth weren't even youth yet. I struggled with God in how I could minister to these kids who were much younger than the age group I had previously worked with and had grown a comfortability with. I felt like I didn't know how to relate to them, much less teach them God's Word in a way that they could grasp and apply to their lives. I honestly felt inadequate. But what God wanted to do was to teach me to depend on Him for what He could and would do in the present, not solely on what He did in the past and on what I found worked for me in the past. He is so much bigger than the box we tend to put him in! God whispered, "Give them your time and I'll do the rest." So we started to meet together every other Friday and, by His grace, have continued to do so. The Lord inspired me with what to teach through His Word, and gave me the words to say as I taught. And today I can say with all my heart back to Him that His words "will not return empty but will accomplish the purpose for which it was sent" (Is. 55:11).

There is a vibrant, joyous faith that characterizes the youth of Solid Rock. They are young but they have joy and that is something you don't often see among young people today. I know it's because they know Jesus and desire to grow in their knowledge and love for Him. Last night we talked about having faith like Abraham; faith that believes even when results don't happen right away; faith that trusts God despite insurmountable odds; and faith that waits. I have experienced a testing of my faith (and continue to do so every day) and God has proved Faithful every time. I believe with all my heart that because these youth belong to God and because He is the one who put this group together, He will be faithful to complete the work He started and whisper opportunities of service in the ears of the willing and obedient.

To the youth, I will miss you. I pray that your faith in the Lord will not waver as the changes in life will tempt it to. You are dearly loved by the Lord and I hope that you will let Him show you just how much He loves you each day of your life.

Sickos

Six days of sickness and counting. It caught me by surprise because I rarely get sick! At first, I didn't mind it because feeling feverish and complaining of the onset of a sore throat turned my husband into the most caring man ever! He cooked, cleaned, and answered my every beckon. Then the dry coughing and hacking started. Then he caught it. Then came the sleepless nights entertained by the chorus of "Cough and Hack", me the melody and Dale the harmony. Then we were both miserably sick. Still are, just minus the miserable. I have a respiratory infection among other things. We're better today than in the past six days, but hey, being sick together is better than being sick alone and envying the other's health! I'm not looking forward to sleeping though. Why? Because I've been coughing so hard it keeps me awake. I get a tickle in my throat and it's over for me. My asthma has only aggravated my cough to the point where I can't even breathe properly when I'm coughing. I just want this sickness to be over!

I need to pause to hack and spit. //PAUSE//

I just ate an orange creamsicle. Creamsicles are good. I haven't had much of an appetite lately. When you're sick food doesn't taste the same. In fact, it doesn't have much taste. Like right before my creamsicle I had a deep dish pizza, but it totally did not grab me like it normally does. It just tasted like tomato sauce and salt. Sucks. I think the only thing I really enjoyed eating this week was shrimp fried rice . Dale and I were craving corn soup and fried rice on Thursday. Since we were too weak to cook anything for ourselves (and surprisingly, strong enough to drive over to the restaurant and pick up our food) and it was Thursday (Takeout Thursday is takeout day) we decided on Chinese and boy, was it good. I think it tasted so good only because we were craving it.

I am definitely thankful for the strength God has supplied me with this week amidst this dreadful cough and cold. At times like this, there is the temptation to give in to the helplessness of my physical estate, even though I know I'm not completely helpless and can do things, as bad as my cough is. Of course, when I really can't function properly because my body is weak, I have to give in. And I do. But sometimes "being sick" can be an excuse to evade stuff, and I'll admit to using it as a cover sometimes. But God always gives me extraordinary strength to do what He has called me to do.