The Resolve of Difference

I'm really excited to be back at work! No, really. After a good summer break and times of reflection, I feel like its time to get back into the swing of things...with a different kind of swing.

On another note, I have a good friend (who has requested to remain anonymous at this time) who is in need of your prayers. Just recently, this friend was given some surprising news about his health; basically, that he could have cancer. He is still undergoing some tests to confirm a diagnosis. Please pray for God's comfort to surround Him and lift his spirit; please pray that he will still believe and stand firm in God's love for him; and please pray that the test results will bear good news.

Thanks, you.

Settling the heart

Since the start of summer, unease has uncomfortably burrowed itself inside me with no apparent signs of leaving. I couldn't pinpoint the reason after much contemplative inquiry and prayer, and I still am not certain although I think a part of the unease is reflective of what I am doing (or not doing) in life and the conviction that I could be and do more. I'm not talking about moving up in the academic world, or looking for a different job, or making more money, or owning more material possessions. I'm talking about my identity as a child of God, as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as a mere human who has been chosen and set apart by God to do and to be all that I was created to do and be in Christ. I can't help thinking that I've fallen short, and am falling short, of that. I guess in many ways the realization and unease is a good thing; I can't go on the same. Some things need to change. I need to change. At the same time, it hurts to know I've wasted too much time on things that don't matter and too much energy on tasks for the moment, for personal gain, for something to do.

I had the privilege this summer of visiting a place deemed one of the most beautiful places in the world - Hawai'i. Not quite a world away but definitely some beautiful landscapes to take in that (almost) make you forget the heaviness in your heart...or help you put it into perspective. I find that if anything, when a beautiful ocean sits before my eyes, or mountain summits, or a birds-eye view of the world below on an airplane ride to anywhere, the more I cannot help but reflect on my life, on life in general; the more questions arise, the more finite I feel, the more futility I determine in actions, the more doing and being make sense and in what order and how.

That probably made no sense at all.

So here I am again, looking for solace in writing but not so much for you as for me. My heart yearns for more than this and I am trusting that God will satisfy that more with Himself.

Five days left of work! The past week has been the slackest; I love it! No more late night planning, endless marking, having to deal with hormonic raging, ETC. I'm glad to have a break and am SO looking forward to summer. Next year is going to be interesting but I'm excited - I'm teaching Grade 7s for the first time! Thankfully, I have huge support and a lot of materials to peruse from the teachers at my school.

It's been an interesting two months (going from the date of my last blog) on all levels. God, in His infinite wisdom and love, allowed things to happen that did not make too much sense at the time but now do (to some degree). He always manages to keep us on our toes with things that matter the most to us so that we trust Him every step of the way.

I'm at work about to start my exam supervision. Til next time...

I'm feeling down. I both know and don't know why.

I just spent the last 5 hours prepping for the next two weeks. It was a very productive 5 hours, and it wasn't. It was because I was doing something related to my job which in turn provides an income which in turn helps pay for our basic necessities. And it wasn't because my spirit wasn't being fed; and it needs to be.

Which begs the question: Why am I blogging right now?

I don't know.

"Christ's love compels me..."

The church preaches the life-changing, sin-forgiving, all-powerful love of Christ that a person can experience in his or her life. We preach the gospel and we pray relentlessly for our unbelieving family and friends. And rightly so because the Word of God is true and so is the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead - that same power that is now at work within us (Eph. 3). There is no other name given in heaven or on earth from which we can be saved.

But I can't help but think: we eat our very words and deface the testimony of Christ when, within our own churches among those who are followers of Jesus, there is envy, dissension, jealousy, pride, gossip, slander, hatred, discord, rage, hypocrisy, malice. No wonder those we are trying to 'witness' to don't see any witness at all.

When we do not allow the Spirit to change us and yet preach Christ's power to change, we not only show ourselves as hypocrites, but we also defame Christ - God himself - in the eyes of the very people we are trying to 'win'.

Time for a reality check.

Weekend Recap

Friday night: Youth. The topic was "If we know we have been saved from death AND sin, why do we as Christians still wrestle or struggle with sin in our lives?" The answer has more layers than you think. Romans 5-6.

Saturday: Riding at Sunshine. A great day to say the least. My body aches all over (I am totally in shape) but working on my toe carves was worth all the wipe outs! This was pretty much an all day event. In the evening I could barely keep my eyes open to watch the sad Canucks game.

Sadly, below is the only memory I have of the day =(. Dale's phone camera is pretty clear though!





Sunday: Church in the morning, vietnamese for lunch, salmon and Dale's awesome potatoes for dinner, planning and marking all evening.

I don't know why I felt compelled to write about what I did this weekend when it was pretty regular (except for the snowboarding bit), but what are blogs without posts that simply reflect the external goings-on of the day?

Back to work tomorrow!

So, I was in the ladies staff bathroom doing my thing when I reached for the door to leave and I saw this:





I couldn't stop laughing! I know there is something horribly disturbing about this animation, but you have to admit: it's (disturbingly) funny.