0 Sleeps! but MAYBE a nap!

Well today, in two hours to be exact, I find out where I will be going for my first appointment. Now, what a weird sleep I had last night. First of all Danette and myself did not leave the Scott's until 1:30. Then, I came home and chatted to my friend on line until 2:30. Then, I tried to get to sleep - HA - what a joke! I got to sleep, slept 1.5 hours, and then woke up! At four something I thought about phoning my mother. I was awake until after 6:00, fell asleep until 7:00 on the dot, and it is now 7:23 so I decided to write. Maybe I'll sleep a few more minutes, if I can. I am so excited! and nervous! I have no idea why I'm nervous. Well actually I do!

I can see myself either crying when Major Sandra tells me where I am going. Not because I would not like where I am going but rather, it makes the calling confirmed once again and then I will be emotional, hence the crying. Or I am going to be that excited, I am going to RUN right into her arms or I'll start jumping!

Anyway, looking forward to hearing where everyone else is going! So exciting!

Rebecca

Ok so about a month and half ago I posted a blog called 25 Random things about myself. Anyway, I was thinking today that I could probably write 25 things about me and food (ha ha). Well I don't know about 25 really but let's see how many I can get. Let's Entitle it - Food Weirdness... just for the fun of it and to amuse some others here I go.

1. When I eat pizza I scrape of all the toppings first - eat them and then eat the crust part. I once was eatting pizza with someone and did this. The person looked at me, "Rebecca, if you didn't like pizza, we didn't have to order it." THe person didn't know that I was actually going to eat it differently - ha ha.

2. I like to eat olives and dill pickles while I study. If they were not so expensive I would eat them more often.

3. When I eat a grapefruit, I like to peel the whole thing and then peel the bitter stuff from each individual piece. It is quite the experience and messy but GOOD!

4. Hamburgers - especially those from A&W with a fork and knife.

5. I have been to MacDonald's on numerous occasions, and have only had one hamburger there in my entire life... it's always McNuggets, never anything but.

6. I like to eat tomatoes like an apple.

7. I like to eat oranges like an apple, the peel and all.

8. I always save the best for last - especially in Jigg's dinner - the salt meat has to be ate last.

9. Pineapple taste really good in spaghetti - you should try it! (I've gotten a few weird looks when I do it).

10. When I eat a Sundae from McDonald's I eat around the toppings, and then eat the toppings last.

11. I microwave bread for breakfast, I never toast anything.

12. My tea is more like warm milk... not really, but my cousins would say so!

13. I think I freeze everything now from living in Labrador... it's really good for us single folk... cheese, yogurt - see anything, and everything.

Ok... I shall digress with my food weirdness - does anybody else have any food weirdnesses that you would like to share? I must be very tired to be taking time to do this but it was a good brain break before I start planning upcoming things today!

Blessings to each of you!

Great is Thy Faithfulness!

A Note of Praise and Thanksgiving to GOD!

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

his love endures forever." - Psalm 118: 1

Four days ago, my Dad started month number 4 of being back to work as a Long Haul truck driver. My response to that is one of thanksgiving and praise to God!

You see, in July of this year (2008), as my dad was driving through Louisiana when his foot began to hurt. Within eight hours the pain was unbearable so he pulled over at a truck stop. Hours later, my mom and dad decided to go to Emergency. Little did my dad know that the next eight weeks he would be in hospital.

That night they hospitalized my dad. He had a severe foot infection. Within two days he was needing emergency surgery, and then two days after that another surgery, but the infection did not cease to stop. My dad was getting sicker and sicker, and during the second surgery, my dad was very close to saying good bye to life.

A few days after this surgery, things started looking hopeful again so they medivacked him from Louisiana, USA to St. John's, Newfoundland where a bed was waiting for him. But shortly after the trip, my dad began getting very sick again. We were still hopeful that he would keep his leg but the infection was spreading and my dad was getting sicker so a doctor came in and said they had no other choice but to do another emergency surgery - this time an amputation of his lower leg from just below the knee.

The surgery was done and the leg amputated and my dad in the next few days slowing began to get well again. Praise God!

During this time my dad was visited by the Corps Sergeant Major of my home corps. He asked my dad how his soul was and after asking the question, God through the CSM led my dad back to Him - into a relationship with Him. Praise God! This, for me, lifted the whole burden of the surgery and the wondering about work for my dad, completely from me because I knew it was all in God's hands.

After the leg was amputated my dad spent the next seven weeks in hospital in St. John's and then the next 3.5 months driving back and forth to St. John's for treatments and fitting of a new leg. It was during this time that we prayed hard for my dad and prayed hard that he would get back to work doing what he loves best - long haul truck driving.

I must tell you - I did not know how he would be able to drive a truck again. I wondered if he would be able to use the clutch again since this was his amputated leg. I wondered how he would use a handicapped washroom. I wondered how he would ever be able to climb back into that truck again. However, my wonderings and what I think is impossible, is possible with God and on January 1st my dad left to go long haul truck driving again.

Although, I was somewhat concerned for him - seven weeks into his return to work, I received a phone call from him. He was at the Flying J on the perimeter of Winnipeg so I went to visit him. The love of God was evident on my dad's face and in his walking, I saw God's faithfulness and grace.

I was amazed at my dad's progress. He met me at the door and there he was refusing to use a cane, walking pretty well. Then we headed to his truck and I watched my dad climb into the truck easier than I could. Today, as you look at the pictures you would never know by looking what he went through from July to January. You would never know because God's grace transformed my dad's life and I praise Him for that tonight. I praise Him for He is love, compassion, and grace! Thank you so much God!!!! Thank you for Great is Thy Faithfulness. Since returning to work because of our Great God, my dad has driven to California, Texas, and all throughout the eastern seaboard - what a miracle! It's because of God's faithfulness that He is doing what he loves best! and it is because of God's faithfulness that my dad gave his life to God.

Thanks God!

Rebecca

Just a Thought:-) Maybe some thoughts . . .

Well, I'm not so sure why I am still up. I am usually always in bed and probably fast asleep by 10:30 but tonight, I have a sudden burst of energy so I think I'll wait up for a while. Secondly, if I were to be honest - I have a dryer full of dress pants and I really do not want to have to iron them so I will wait up for the dryer to stop.

Well, I have been reading a book called Falling in Love with Jesus. When I worked in Kippewa All Girls Camp in Maine during the summer of 2002, one of my Christian friends was reading this book. We talked about it many times, discussed as we had devotions occasionally in the Upper Room - what memories. (It was a secular camp!) Anyway, after I left Maine that summer I bought the book and read it throughout that semester of university. It was a wonderful book when I read it then.

However, feeling led to read this book a few days ago, I picked it up again and it is absolutely way more amazing than when I read it the first time. It truly talks about showing an immense love for Jesus and having that sense of abandonment. What does it mean to truly worship our Lord? Reading the book now, 7 years later, I totally see it from a different perspective and I see it through new eyes.

Since reading it 7 years ago, I am in a completely different place in my life than what I was then so reading it brings new insights and makes me embrace the words in a different way. Since reading this book the first time - I have embraced healing and forgiveness, I have learned what it really means to make Jesus the center of your life, I have had profound life experiences - many different life experiences and each of these elements through God and his gift of grace has changed me as a person and has changed my perspective on many things. So as I read the words and as I let them generate many thoughts, I pray that God will continue to speak. WOW! God is so good!

Drawing Close to God through Spiritual Disciplines

As I sit here trying to write a paper on Paul's Understanding of the Gospel and Salvation, I find myself more wrapped up in my thoughts on the spiritual disciplines. At present, I am in the process of creating a series called, "Drawing Close to God through Spiritual Disciplines" for Revive at Weetamah. Revive is a discipleship group that meets after the service on Sunday to fellowship together and study scripture for discipleship purposes. This year, God has given me the privilege of leading this diverse group so after much prayer and listening to God's voice, our final program is teaching about the spiritual disciplines.

Now, if you know me well, you know I have a passion for spiritual formation and I see a huge importance in discipling the baby Christians as well as the old Christians. I am very passionate about this because I have seen too many spiritual crib deaths!!!! - including dear friends who I watched come to Christ when we were children together and now walk far away from Christ. So helping someone draw close to Christ through teaching them about the spiritual disciplines and encouraging them in their Christian walk is a passion of mine.

I also have a passion for this because we live in a world that is extremely busy however, a world that is good for making up excuses. Sadly, we as Christians make up excuses about our own devotional times with God as well. We have all been there, myself included. I can hear the excuses now - "I'm too tired to spend time with God today," "I've been too busy all day - I guess tomorrow," "Was out longer than expected!", and "Need some time to myself for a bit!" You can hear those phrases - 'we've all been there.

But lately - I totally feel we are without excuse for not spending time with God. Because how many times do we not spend time with God because we say we're busy or too much going on, but we sit down in front of the television and watch television for two hours, or we browse the internet, talk on the phone for long periods of time, read a novel... but yet, we make up that excuse about not spending that valuable time with God.

For myself, I see a huge value in spending time (alone time) with God each day. I see value in spending time in scripture - I see it as a means of grace. A means of grace that God gives us to draw closer to Him, to come to truly know Him and truly enjoy the fullest of joy in God's presence as we come to KNOW HIM MORE AND MORE.

So I encourage each Christian out there to spot making excuses and make spending alone time with God each day a priority. God desires for you to KNOW HIM and He is waiting for you to KNOW HIM MORE AND MORE.

So as I leave - I pray that you will practice the presence of God like Brother Lawrence did and make God the first priority of your life so that you can truly be lost in the joy that He offers!

Blessings to each of you! My prayers are with you as you try to establish a life of spiritual disciplines for HIM!

Let's continue to LOVE CHRIST!
Blessings,
Rebecca

It has been a while since I last wrote here... just over a month to be exact.
Things have been rather busy with school, field, and assignments. Crunch week is officially over thankfully - and I am glad that this will be the last crunch week that I will endure for a while. 7 years of Post Secondary out of 9 years of being out of highschool is too much at this point. However, I do enjoy what we are learning at CFOT - I am a lifelong learner but for now, I can desire to write a paper in a few years. Anyway, I shall digress there.

I have been rather busy since I last wrote here. I have done a specialling weekend with Danette in Brandon. From that experience I definitely learned that God works in mysterious ways. I have also done a service at Weetamah and preached there too. From that experience I learned that sometimes we will have to preach as God is trying to work on things in your own life - but we still have to believe and have faith that God will use it.
I have done papers galore - God taught me that writing papers go be part of your spiritual journey as well (God speaks through exegetical papers). I have spent many hours planning for REVIVE and have had one REVIVE fellowship time. God still answers prayer - I learned that quite truly from Revive Fellowship.

I have had a full 12 hours straight of scrapbooking - that happened last Saturday. Crystal and I started at 9:45 and ended at 9:15 - by that time I was completely drained - plus many other people joined us for the day. I had fun and got some more of my cruise scrapbooked. From this experience God taught me the importance of friendships once again!

I have changed my devotional times from the night to 6:00 in the morning. What a blessing that has been and will continue to be as I "practice the presence of God" in the morning. God has taught me that He is the priority not my sleep.

Finally, we had IN-SUNDAY this Sunday. God has been doing a huge work in my life for the past month and on Sunday, I was able to respond to His voice. What an uplifting day! From this experience I learned how to give everything over to Him again.

WOW! So this month has definitely been a great month of learning in my relationship with God and spiritually. God is great and I look forward to learn where I will be serving Him in my first appointment in 31 days from today. Keep your eyes fixed on Him!

Blessings,
Rebecca

LIFE ENRICHMENT RETREAT

In our second year of Training College we go away as a session for a Life Enrichment Retreat at a resort here in Manitoba. This year the retreat was held from February 13th - 15th - last weekend. What a blessing! Truly, something I needed!

It was wonderful to spend time with God this weekend and spend time with my sessionmates. It was great to keep building bonds and connections with each of them. It was even more fun to try and figure out where we are all going. Lunch and dinner discussions always circled around educated guesses where we each are going. I think I have them all nailed down - not really. However, my guesses would be lovely places where God could use my sessionmates. However, we can all joke and say we are going to have a Mega Church together. On the way back in the van we assigned everyone to a role within the church. Very fun! Anyway, let's digress here. 62 sleeps and we will find out for real where we will be going!

So to the most important part. God really met me where I was at this weekend. And this whole week has been very enriching as I look back on this past weekend and reflect on what God spoke into my life last weekend. God has really spoke to me about the concept of honesty - being vulnerable, authentic and real. Don't get me wrong - I am an honest person but I can be better at if I am having a horrible day I am allowed to be vulnerable and say that when people ask me how I am doing. It is ok to be real with your people. But I guess this honesty thing really goes deeper than - I learned that I needed to be honest with how my identity was formed through God spiritually. It is ok to admit things that once felt shameful! And the matter is, once you are honest with yourself - you are released and free. WOW!! This weekend God's Spirit really touched my life and God revealed parts of me (my life) that I needed to be honest about. What a blessing!

I appreciated this weekend a whole lot! It was wonderful!