The Exciting News

Say hello to our new house!

Now it's the beginning of real, real life: Paying a mortgage and bills of all kinds! I'm excited (not for the bills part). It's gonna be a whole new adventure for us, and I can't iterate enough how faith-stretching I know it will be as well (it has already been that and we haven't even moved in yet!). The details are almost completely finalized, but it's safe to say that this will be our humble abode for the next 5-10 years...until our family gets too big and we outgrow the place!

So that's the exciting news. No, I'm not pregnant! (Yet) One blessing at a time =)

Trust Lesson (Part 2)

Dale and I have been praying every night for the past week and a half about the present/future plans that we have and are making. One in particular has been my job (as reflected in my blog 3 or 4 posts previous). I was not worried that I wouldn't have work in September because I know that God will provide. Rather, it was the anxiety of the possibility of having to wait the entire summer to find out (and being directionless in planning), especially when my colleagues in the same boat were offered positions at the school. I admit, I got frustrated, disappointed, down on myself, but at the end of the day gave it up to God in faith and with trust. Well, to be plain: I'm staying at the school for (God willing) the next school year. I say "God willing" because, as always, God is telling me that by not working things out completely (for the sake of detailed elaboration, I'll just say it's not completely stable), I need to TRUST Him. That's really all I can do (really; the system is so crappy here!) So that's what we're going to do. It is a faith-stretching experience when things don't 'fall into place', but perhaps that's the point God is making when He doesn't allow the pieces of the puzzle to fit together right away. If He did, there really wouldn't be any incentive to trust Him, would there? Or seek Him. Or persevere in our faith and hope in God. On a larger scale, that can be attributed to many of our unanswered questions, hardship and trials that we experience daily. How are you doing with putting your trust in God?

In a way, I am glad for the uncertainty because I know that the Lord is sharpening me.

Now I gotta do real work at work ;P

Fraidy Cats

I'm talking about the drivers in this city. You'd think that they'd be fearless when it comes to RAIN since they are so used to snow; but no. Apparently, rain is much more menacing and people need to drive "extra slow" because the roads are "really slippery" (quotes are of the radio station). ARGH!!! When it rains, I am surrounded by the slowest drivers in the universe. The usual 15 minute drive to work today became 40 minutes NOT because there was an accident or a stall but because PEOPLE WERE DRIVING SO SLOW!!! It is really really annoying.

And it didn't help that this morning, I needed to be at work early.

Just got home from a day trip/hike in Kananaskis Country. Dale's boss, Rob, wanted to show around their new post doc so he asked us to go for a hike up Mt. Indefatigable. What a name, eh? So we went. It was a BEAUTIFUL day. The hike up the mountain was pretty fun, as much as I huffed and puffed. I only seem to have a hard time at the beginning of a hike, perhaps because my body is getting used to the effort and energy its expending. Like the time Dale and I, Rob and Trace, and my Dad hiked up Sulfur Mountain in Banff, back in 2006. That was pretty hard for me at first, but it was worth the 3 hours in the end with the magnificent view (and we got to take the gondola down!). This time around was much easier, and we worked up a good sweat. We took some beautiful pictures but with Dale's camera phone cuz I forgot to bring my camera =( After the hike we drove over to Canmore and walked around downtown, which reminded me a lot of Whistler Village. Canmore is a beautiful town settled nicely beside the Rockies. Dale and I now have some good ideas of places that we can take our friends who have promised to come visit us from BC (yeah, YOU!)

Afterwards we had dinner at Rob's place. He's married to this wonderful, cute and easygoing lady named Amy who's just as smart as he is (she's a veterinary pathologist). This is the second time we've had dinner at their place and they always cook up a storm of good food. She's due any day now with their first child. They are a super nice couple and, as you can probably tell, really personable with their employees. We got to talking a bit about our involvement in the church and I invited them to come and visit our church one of these days (they know that we are part of the music team) and they said they definitely would. I know that it is not by chance that the Lord led Dale to this job and to have the employer that he does. In fact, to think of situations outside of a spiritual point of view is to think without the wisdom that comes from the Spirit:

"So from now on regard no one from a worldly point of view." 2 Cor. 5:16

I pray that God will give us opportunities to share our faith with this couple the more we get to know them and share a meal together.

All in all, it was a pretty physically productive day. I'm beat, sweaty and sticky all over. Time to get clean!

Wise Words for the Worryer

"Why do you worry? What possible use does your worrying serve? You are aboard such a large ship that you would be unable to steer even if your Captain placed you at the helm. You would not even be able to adjust the sails, yet you worry as if you were the captain or the helmsman of the vessel. Be quiet, dear soul - God is the Master! Do you think all the commotion and the uproar of this life is evidence that God has left His throne? He has not! His mighty steeds rush furiously ahead, and His chariots are the storms themselves. But the horses have bridles, and it is God who holds the reins, guiding the chariots as He wills! Our God Jehovah is still the Master! Believe this and you will have peace. 'Don't be afraid' (Matt. 14:27)."

- Charles Spurgeon

Another beautiful day in the neighborhood! Hope ya'll enjoy it!


This pretty much sums up what I've been doing at work for the past 4 days!

Kidding. Well, kinda =P

I guess I should be catching up on some curriculum reading, planning out potential units, or taking down stuff from the walls. Oh, but doing nothing is just so much more appealing!

Trust

The Canadian Oxford Dictionary defines trust as:

1 a faith or confidence in the loyalty, veracity, reliability, strength, etc., of a person or thing
3 the obligation or responsibility placed in a person who is trusted or relied on

I like these two definitions and they go hand in hand. Putting your trust in someone is exercising faith in their loyalty to you and in their reliability and strength (assuming that they have both, and that you have bore witness to it). To the one being trusted, you have an obligation or responsibility to live up to the loyalty, reliability, and strength that you have been attributed.

Those who love us (like really love us), always tell us to trust them and many have lived up to their demand. Of course, we are only human and are prone to fail (and have failed) someone's trust before - perhaps out of love or just plain mistake. In any case, we trust those who love us (because they want to be trusted) and for the most part, they have remained loyal, reliable, and a source of strength to us.

What more when we put our trust in the unfailing love of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ?

Numerous times in the Word we are told of people who did and did not put their trust in God. While those who didn't reaped the consequences, those who did reaped the benefits. And the Word is so clear of the benefits that come with trusting God in anything and everything:

He answered their prayers because they trusted in Him. 1 Chronicles 5
Those who know your name will trust you, for you, Lord, have never foresaken those who seek you. Psalm 9
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped.
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 path straight. Proverbs 3

These are just a few! But my heart and mind are comforted by the absolute fact that God can be trusted and obliges himself to fulfill what His Word tells us comes when we trust in Him.

Exciting News!

...But I can't say what it is just yet ;P

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day! It's nice to finally see some sought-after sunny days in this city. Unfortunately, I can't fully enjoy the sun cooped up in my classroom, but it makes the view outside my window very pleasant (and I can wear shorts!). Anyway, here I am again blogging from school. My course exams have all been written and I've finished marking one class set of exams and am half way through another set (I have three total). I don't want to finish too quickly and then having nothing to do for the next week and a half! I'm actually quite enjoying the marking since it's their final exam and I all I gotta do is slap on a number as opposed to correct and comment. That makes my job easier.

I thoroughly enjoyed my Grade 11s this semester. There were some brilliant (and not so brilliant) kids in my class that I would love to know 5 years from now what they pursued after high school. Challenges of all sorts come with the job, but at the end of each day I always feel blessed to be a teacher and to have the opportunity to spend my day with young people (as immature, annoying, and dramatic 'smart alecs' as they can be at times). I am looking forward to really planning effective units that the Lord can use to reveal Himself and His design of life to my students.

So, amidst the easier days at work Dale and I have been house hunting. We saw this nice and new single family house in the new community of Evanston yesterday and, being new at the house hunting business and anxious to get a place and thoroughly impressed with the interior design and decoration of the current owners, we were sold. We made an offer last night (a good 15K less than the selling price, which was just newly reduced 15K) but probably won't get it. We're still waiting to hear back from our realtor. Another offer was made this morning, which was probably better than ours. In any case, we aren't worried or restless. That's the result of trust in the Lord. We know and believe that God's plan for us will prevail if and when we actively seek and trust Him. I'll keep you posted on the house hunt.

Back to marking...

I hate boredom at work. Which RARELY ever occurs because my job is the total opposite of everything that defines boredom...except when school's out, all your marking is done, you don't have any exam supervision scheduled, there's no planning to do, and no one to talk to. Then school can be boring. But I get paid, so I won't complain. I'm very fortunate to have a job that 1) I love, and 2) I don't get bored at. There's always stuff to do (which can be the crappy part of the job at times!).

So here I am at work, bored. So I decided to blog since it's been ages and I have a few things to vent out (and, sadly, no one really to vent to). What are blogs for in one's time of need?

Vent #1: What is up with the weather? I thought we left Vancouver IN Vancouver. For you Calgarians (ie. Mark), you know what I'm talking about!

Vent #2: Why does this city's board of education suck? I may not find out where I'll be next year until the first day of school.

Vent #3: I need a vacation. In response to this, praise the Lord I'm getting one in 23 days! Mayan Riviera here we come!

Vent #4: For the first time since I've been serving in ministry, I feel suppressed and discouraged (as opposed to empowered and encouraged). I guess that's what happens when God is put in a box labelled "One Size Only".

Vent #5: How can we be the light of God's love to the lost when God's love is lost in our own churches?

Vent #6: The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. This isn't so much a vent (although for some, it may be)as it is an observation of life in the last few months.

In spite of my hardship, I give thanks to the Lord because I am learning to lay all of my burdens, worries, and care at His feet. And leave them there. There is the temptation to pick them up again after laying them on the altar perhaps because of the fear that He might do something with them that we don't like, or worse, do nothing at all. Well, even so, what would carrying it again accomplish? The Word tells us to cast our cares on Him because He cares for us. Our limited and finite perception of things should cause us to look up at the One who sees all and knows all, and to trust that He has our best interests (although not the most comfortable interests) in mind.

This past weekend, we went to Edmonton for the annual BGCA conference. I always love going to Edmonton because it's home to people that I love and my beloved LGI church family. I wish Edmonton and Calgary were as far away from each other as Surrey and Coquitlam because then we'd be able to fellowship more often. But I thank God for the times that we do, because I cherish them. I am always humbled and amazed at how God transforms lives and reconciles people back to himself. And I am encouraged when I hear and see churches committed to outreach, to building up the body of Christ, and to serving one another in love. That is why the church exists.

It's sad when politics, preferences, and personal agendas destroy churches and relationships. That is a prime example of making Kingdom work about us (as we tend to do) and not about the King. But I know that ultimately the Lord's churches will prevail against the deception and scheming of the Enemy. And I believe that what is from man and not from God will fail. I only pray that humilty would come to the proud before the Lord bends their knees.