Catch Up Part Two

Well now that we have talked about my job situation let me fill you in on life.

Frankly life has been a little bit boring since Ireland, however not nearly as much as I thought it would be, I have recently developed a love of snow. But hear me clearly when I say I love snow but only as long as its snowing and its not that cold out. As soon as it hits -20 and stops snowing I am over it.

I also have been blessed with a small group or house church group this year. This group is something that I never saw coming, I have always avoided church small groups out of the knowledge that I cannot keep a long term commitment. But this year I decided that I needed something in my life that would force me out of my comfort zone and challenge me for however long I was in Calgary. I have been so blessed by this group of people that I meet with and share a meal with once a week. It is a group that only God could have put together and I am forever thankful for them.

I have also been thankful for the quietness in my life, it has been a time of just sitting and waiting on the Lord and although that has not been easy I have felt my faith grow because of it. In my life there has always been a plan and a next step to take, however for the past several months I have felt the Lord saying that the next step is waiting and trusting in his time. Its been a challenge but I am thankful for it.

That for now is all I can think to catch you up on. Thank you for continuing to read and support me all these years it really encourages me to think that people are reading this and hopefully praying for me as I follow God through all the places and stages that he has taken me through,

Catch Up-Part One

Catch Up- Part One

We took a quick trip to Northern Ireland before going home
to Canada

Since I have arrived home and even before that I got out of the habit of writing on here, I would say I feel bad about it but I haven't. Before I left Dublin I felt God telling me to live in the moment, be fully present in what was happening around me, that didn't change when I got home.

When I got home it wasn't necessarily pleasant, it was hard ,I had car problems that cost to much money to fix, I had no money due to the fact I lived in Europe and spent it all.Then there was the fact that I was home in Calgary with no clue what the next step was.

Logically I started to job hunt. I am very blessed to live in a place that essentially always has plenty of jobs avialable but strangely I could not get one in that first month home. I was forced to live on the good will of my family and God and that was really hard. Here I was almost 24 and I felt helpless. But God is forever faithful, not only did he make sure I was provided for I was given more than I needed, no it wasn't money but not only was my needs provided for I was blessed by so many around me.

When I got home I got to attend the wedding of
a good friend. Thanks Lindsay for helping
me get there

Then finally God provided a job, it wasn't at all what I was looking for but they were offering money, how could I say no, it was above minumum wage, it wasn't working with food or retail, I couldn't say no. So I accepted it, the only downside was it was only part time and would not provide what I thought I needed.

But God again was so good through this season, I made it through I always had enough. Finally through months of prayer for the Lord to bring me full time work the Lord provided a place for me at the place I was already employed which was in some ways an incredible answer to prayer. I like where I work and I am so thankful for all God has given me in this.

One of my jobs when I got home, she has great jewlery

Now that is only one aspect of the past six months. But this is long enough as it is, I will write another time of what else is going on.

I have missed writing here so hopefully my postings will become more frequent.

The liturgical practice of LENT

LENT is something that I have come to adore in recent years, however my feelings about it are hard to express.
This season actually tends to be the time of the year that I most enjoy. It is a time of slowing down and remembering who God is in preparation of Easter.

When participating in lent you are encouraged to give up a luxury in your life for forty days. During the forty days you abstain from the (now) forbidden luxury in the name of remember Christ. Except on the Sabbath, one day a week you declare the Sabbath and you party. You do NOT abstain on this day, on the Sabbath you partake and enjoy what you have given up.

I find that during Lent is the only time that I truly keep and appreciate the Sabbath. Other times in the year I do go to church and life goes on the same as any other day. However during Lent my focus is clearer and more direct, I find I appreciate my Sabbath day of rest, I slow down and truly just rest. I find that as I indulge in my luxury I think more clearly about who God is. I crave deeper intimacy with him, I find I crave to know more of His word just so that I can truly understand and appreciate why I am putting myself through a fast.

Yes we could all be very holy and proclaim that I should feel this way all year long, and I am not saying that this is not something I do not experience at other times of the year however there is just a different feeling associated with Lent. There is a shared knowledge that people are around the world are also partaking in this spiritual time, that you are all thinking and remember Christ together over these 40 days. Then at the end everyone celebrates together, we know truly how to celebrate the rising of Christ from the dead because we have been focusing and thinking on it for the last 40 days. This is truly a feast day, this is when the fast ends, this is when we all party.


So I encourage you to participate, just try it out once, what do you have to lose?