For The WIN!

On Sunday I got back from a weekend of 18*32 camp!

It was my first time that I have gone to any camp other than family camp when I was really young. I was nervous at first because I wasn't quite sure what to expect since it was a new experience and a new location, but I ended up having a great time! I was able to met and get to know quite a few new friends! I was also able to share memories of Kamloops as I had the opportunity to talk with the worship leader Dan Bremnes during "Mug Up" the first night!

The theme of the weekend was "Winning." The speaker, Alison Springer, spoke on different aspects of winning, and I was challenged and encouraged to continue believing for a WIN in a particular situation that has been extremely difficult and upsetting.

Alison said a few things during the second session that was very impactful! That particular session she was sharing about praying a prayer of faith versus a prayer of hope in the situations we find ourselves in that become our causes. Anyway when talking about her cause she said "Devil, you've chosen the wrong girl!" and "Satan, you're going down...AGAIN!!!!" These two phrases really stuck out to me. I find it so easy to get discouraged when things are going badly...when people who know the truth are turning away from it. It is easy to become upset. It is easy to allow the negative thoughts to come in. Since that session on Saturday morning I have been saying to myself everytime I think of my particular cause "Satan, you've chosen the wrong girl. You've chosen the wrong family. YOU ARE GOING DOWN...AGAIN!!!! God is on our side and we are going to WIN this one!!!! Amen!!" Over and over again this is going through my mind as I declare that in the name of Jesus the battle will be won! We will overcome! This situation won't last forever. The unbelief won't last because God is greater! He desires everyone to love and serve Him, therefore He will battle with us!

Ephesians 6:12-13 says "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."  

God will give the ability for us to stand firm. He will give us strength to battle against the powers of this dark world. He will give us grace to walk through this valley to the other side. And we will get to the other side! We will!

This is for the WIN! Romans 4:20-21

Family Friday

Well Friday has arrived.  Today I leave for 18*32 camp.  Today I am writing my first "Family Friday" post.  I still need a better name for that...

I didn't know where to start with for my family, so I thought I'd start with the youngest in my extended family...my cousin Trae.

It's hard to believe that he is already 7 months!  Time has flown by! 

Trae is my youngest cousin.  He is the only one who I was able to meet while still in the hospital!  I've seen him grow and change...something I wish I could've seen firsthand with all my cousins. 

If I hadn't of moved to SK, I most likely wouldn't have even seen Trae yet.

Trae brings so much joy to our family!  I love little ones, and when they're family it's even better! 

I am so thankful to be your cousin, Trae!  I can't wait to continue watching you grow up and become the man God has created you to be!  I love you!!

No Matter What...

I'm supposed to be getting ready to go to 18*32 Camp this afternoon, but I want to share a song with you all that's been really speaking to me this week.

The song is "No Matter What" by Kerrie Roberts.

There's been so much going on right now that I don't understand.  I can't comprehend why some things are or aren't happening in my life.  For example, I was hoping and praying my good friends from Kamloops would be at camp this weekend with Dan Bremnes, but they aren't.  It's just Dan Bremnes coming and playing with some people from my church.  :(  I won't get to see my friends which saddens me. 

I also don't understand why I feel "silent."  For example, I've been trying to contact/stay in contact with different friends of mine but time after time again they've been either purposefully or not purposefully ignoring my attempts.  It hurts.  It doesn't make sense. 

This song has been a source of encouragement to me in these areas in particularly while reminding me that no matter what happens God is in control and I can trust Him...even when things don't make sense. 

So just sit back and let this song speak to you. 

Well...Youtube's embed feature still isn't working so you'll have to click here to listen to the song.  Sorry about that!

Here...There...

Is it normal to have waves of sadness over moving when it's already been 10 months? 

May and June have been unusually difficult for me.  It all started at the beginning of May when out of the blue I got extremely homesick for BC...  It still comes and goes, but I feel homesick more than I don't right now... 

I know God wants me here, yet I miss my 'other home' so much.  One of my closest friends in Kamloops had her first baby on Tuesday.  An adorable little boy!  I wish with all my heart that I could be there to meet little Nathaniel!  Yet, it appears I won't get to meet him at all this year...and maybe not even next year.  That thought fills me with sadness...  Time is going by, fast, and each day that passes is one day further from when I saw the people I care about. 

I wouldn't trade the months of joy I've had here, nor trade the time I've spent meeting the incredible people here, but all those months can't ever take away from the fact that I spent 9 years in BC.  9 years in the same city.  And in those 9 years I met people that I love dearly!  Being here can't take that away from me, but I feel that as time goes on and distance creeps in that our lives are going to change so much...too much.

I wish I could be in two places at once.  Here with the people I've met but also there with the people I love.  Here with the people that accept me and there with those who have watched me grow up. 

When I was there I wanted what I have now, but now that I'm here I want what I had there.  It's the never ending cycle of 'the grass is greener on the other side'...

I'm just rambling on now. 

Will life always be this way?  Being in one place but wishing for another?  Being tired of getting out of my comfort zone to meet new people and make new friend so I wish for being in my comfort zone with my old friends?  Seeing people walk in and out of my life faster than I can keep up with?  Watching friends lives blossom with marriage and children while feeling like I'm stuck in a rut? 

Ahhh...I don't know anymore.  This rambling isn't making sense!  Haha!  All I know is I'm feeling homesick once again...and I really, I mean REALLY miss my Kamloops friends!  All of them...but today especially Adam and Rachelle...and the chance to meet baby Nathaniel...while he is still tiny!

Book Review: Praying For Your Future Husband

I just finished reading Praying for Your Future Husband, (PFYFH) by Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer.  I have read many, if not most of Robin Jones Gunn's books, so when I heard about PFYFH I was excited to read it!

Like the other Robin Jones Gunn books, this one was an easy read full of many points that made me stop and think.  I have prayed for my future husband throughout my life, but this book showed me that there is more to praying for our future husbands than just praying for him.  By praying for him our lives will be changed and molded into who God has made us to be.

Both authors, Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer, shared stories from their individual journeys of life and love, while describing how they came to a place where they began to pray for their husbands.  They broke their life stories into thirteen key characteristics that we need to focus our prayers on.  They describe each area by telling their stories and then give outlines and sample prayers to give the reader ideas to begin praying about.  Throughout the book it becomes evident that if we are open to God working in our lives He will take our love story and make it His love story for us. 

There are so many things I enjoyed about this book!  In fact, I enjoyed every part of the book from the layout, to the incorporation of scriptures.  I definitely would encourage every woman to read it, single or not.  The key characteristics are ones that every woman should focus on praying for their husband, whether they know him yet or not! 

Personally this book reminded me of the importance of setting time aside to pray for my future husband.  I look forward to the day I meet him and see the results of those prayers!  The following remark is from the closing thoughts of PFYFH and it beautifully describes how incredible praying for your future husband is:

"When the day comes that your love story is celebrated by your closest friends and family, you'll know that every prayer was worth it.  Every whispered word from a tender heart is precious to God.  No request is ignored.  No moment spent with your Heavenly Father is wasted.

You might even wish you had prayed more.  Why?  Because your prayers are the first gifts you will give to your future husband.  Gifts in which heaven participates.  Gifts sent ahead before the two of you have even met.  How cool is that?"

Praying for Your Future Husband, page 192

Wow!  Just to think that God takes the prayers we pray and uses them to unite our hearts to the man He has in mind for us excites me!  In the process He also takes our prayers and brings us closer to Him!  It is incredible!

*Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers provided me with a complementary copy in exchange for an honest review of the book.  All opinions about Praying for Your Future Husband are my own.

Friends...for Life

Here is my very first "Peculiar Treasure Tuesday" post!! 

I am going to start this series of posts by writing about my first ever 'peculiar treasure' Megan! 

(At my third birthday party.  Megan on the left, me on the right.)

I honestly don't know when I met Megan.  She was the first friend I ever had!  We probably met shortly after Megan was born...so a few months old or so!  (Okay...so my mom corrected me and told me we were probably two when we met...)

(Me, James (a friend of ours), and Megan at church.)

I have many good memories of the times we spent together when we were young!  When I moved away to a new town at the age of 5 or 6, Megan and I kept in touch by writing letters, and later emails. 

(Megan and I won the church picnic race against our two friends James and Jordan!)

When we were 10 my dad was speaking at the camp Megan and I had gone to in the past.  It was so good to see her again!  I remember camp that year as if it happened yesterday!  I am so thankful for those memories! 

Somehow once camp was over we lost contact for 12 years!  It was unintentional but looking back I wish I hadn't of let the years pass without communicating with Megan!  Yet, God knew how thrilled I would be to get back in touch with my childhood best friend!  (We used to have a pact saying "best friends for life" or something along those lines!  I'm sure she remembers that better than I do...)

(At camp when we were 10.  The last time I had seen Megan.)

This past April my mom and I went to my birth town to see an Easter musical that our old church puts on.  It was going to be showing 3 times.  We went to the Saturday night showing.  When we got there so many people recognized my mom.  I remembered a few of them, and a lot of memories were brought to mind!  There was one lady that I didn't really remember but I won't forget what she told me that night.  She is Megan's grandma and she told me Megan was going to be coming to the church to see Hosanna that night!  I was so excited!  I hadn't seen Megan in 12 years and I was going to see her again!! 

Seeing Megan was like time hadn't past!  Our moms both said we look exactly like we did when we were little!  It's true!  Haha!

(April 2011)

Megan, I am so thankful I saw you at Hosanna in April!  Though many years had passed, when I saw you it was like I had seen you the day before!  That's the beauty of a childhood friendship like ours!  NO matter where life leads us, when we see one another again we can pick up where we left off!  I'm grateful I only live 4 hours away from you now, and I can't wait until you possibly move to my city!!  :)  I am forever grateful for your friendship!!

Honouring Friends and Family

I have officially decided I am going to do a version of "Friends and Family Friday" but I am going to change things up a bit.  If I only do a Friday post it will take forever to go through all my friends and family, so I am going to do two posts a week.  One on Tuesday.  One on Friday.

Tuesday will be "Peculiar Treasure Tuesday."  I love the Robin Jones Gunn books and two of the main characters refer to themselves as 'peculiar treasures' taken from Exodus 19:5: 

"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine."  (KJV) 

"Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession."  (NIV)

I really like the message this verse brings across and I like to claim this Word of God over my life and my fellow 'peculiar treasures' who are the people God has brought into my life!

Friday will be "Family Friday" but I'm still trying to come up with a nice descriptive term to go with it, so if you think of one feel free to let me know!  I need ideas!  Haha!
So tomorrow I'll write my first "Peculiar Treasure Tuesday" post!  I've been afraid to do posts like this because I am afraid of forgetting someone...but I apologize in advance if I do!  There have been so many people who have impacted my life and I want to honour them!  I'll write about the person who God lays on my heart each week...because He constantly brings people to mind.  Some of those people I haven't seen in years, and may never see again, while others are people I see every week.  It will vary.  I am excited to start these posts! 
Oh, and if you ever want to go back to the various posts, I am going to have headings in my linkbar where they will all be listed for easy viewing! 

Peace

June 15, 2008.

It was Father's Day. 

It is a day that I will always remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. 

I woke up like any other Sunday and got ready to go to the church to help out with Kidz Rock.  It was a routine type of day.  I tried not to think about the fact that my Great Grandpa Sigglekow was terminally ill with only days left to live.  I tried to believe that all would be okay. 

I went into the "Keep" and began to set up for worship.  The worship leader, and great friend Dan got there only minutes after me and began to set up.  He asked if I would co-lead with him that day.  I hadn't co-lead with him before.  I was nervous, but I said I would.  He went to get his guitar...

My dad came up the stairs, came to me, and told me Great Grandpa was gone.  I couldn't believe it.  That was it.  He was gone.  The Great Grandpa I knew the best was gone.  The Great Grandpa who I have so many good memories of was in heaven.  I didn't get to say goodbye...

Dan came upstairs.  Tears were filling my eyes.  I told him I couldn't lead anymore.  In fact, I didn't know how I would get through the day.  I tried to be strong, but it hurt so bad.  Dan asked me what was wrong.  So I told him...

The first thing he did was come over to me, put his arm around my shoulder, and prayed for God's peace to rest upon me.  It was thoughtful.  But it was exactly what Dan would do.  Looking back on that moment I realize the importance of his prayer.  You see, many people found out that my Great Grandpa had died.  Nobody seemed to care.  It felt as though people figured my Great Grandpa had lived a good long life, which he did, but they didn't seem to care about the hurt the family felt.  We missed him.  We still miss him.  We will always miss him.  Out of everyone who found out what had taken place, Dan was the only one who showed genuine care and compassion.  It meant more to me that he will ever know.  In fact, I believe that prayer was what got me through the days that followed. 

Later on in the day Dan asked me how I was doing, and I had to rack my brain to try to figure out why he would ask that...then I remembered Great Grandpa was gone.  Dan's prayer for peace was answered in an instant, and God filled me with so much peace.  More than I've ever felt. 

To most this story may seem insignificant, but to me it meant everything.  God brings people into our lives who will be by our side through thick and thin.  There have been many moments in life where I have felt alone, but when I need someone to be there God is always faithful to bring that friend into my life.  I am so grateful for everyone God has placed into my life in each season I've gone through.  Most of the people in my life will never fully comprehend the value they have in my life or the joy memories like the one I wrote about bring to me.  You all mean more to me than I could ever say! 

*By the way, I'm thinking about starting doing "Friends and Family Friday" themed posts.  I may have to do it more than just on Fridays because I have so many friends and family to write about, but I think it's time to start...it's time to honour my friends and family!

Perspective

A few years ago I went Rock Climbing with a good friend of mine.  He emailed me a couple days after with the following statement:

"Hey, so rock climbing with you was a blast! Thanks for coming out! My arms are actually pretty sore right now, but I love how that feels. Lets you know you worked hard at something..."  DG

In the years that have passed since I received this email I have tried to keep it in mind when I am physically sore.  Whenever I have pulled muscles the first thing I want to do is slow down to minimize the pain.  The memory of this email always reminds me that the pain is a reminder that I "worked hard at something." 

Doing the cleanup from our flooded basement has caused many unusual, and normally unused muscles in my body, especially my left leg, to be injured.  Thus the reminder of this email...

As I was thinking about this email a couple days ago I began to think about how this applies to other parts of life.  I've shared in this blog several ups and downs I've had both now and in the past.  Could the statement my friend made apply to more than just the physical aspect of life? 

The soreness of muscles represents pain.  Could it be that when we face pain in life we can change our perspective from feeling down and gloomy to saying "I love how this feels, because it shows me I did something...I cared." 

There are so many different types of pain people feel throughout their lifetime.  The majority of pain I have felt is pain from friends and family.  Pain from friends walking out of my life without any warning.  Pain from choices friends and family have made that are hurting not only themselves, but those around them.  Pain from seeing people know the truth but have turned from it.  Pain from seeing brokenness.  Pain from the distance that comes as time passes. 

Can it be possible for me to look at all the pain life brings and say with confidence that I embrace it because if I didn't have pain it wouldn't be so obvious that I care about those individuals that have brought the pain.  The pain is a reminder that I care, and care deeply.

Life will be full of joy and pain.  There will be ups and downs.  We can choose how we look at each season of life.  It's all about perspective.  Can we take the common negative connotation of pain and turn it around to remind us that the pain we feel is because we did something...we felt something.  We care.  Can we truly say, like the words of my friend, "...I love how that feels.  Lets you know you worked hard at something!"

**Thanks for your words of wisdom Dan! 

Flooding...

I was planning on writing a post about everything that I've been up to over these past 2 months...

But my household was met with a little 'excitement' this afternoon.

Last night my dad and I put lino in our basement bathroom.  Today the plan was to put the door on and begin putting the sink, toilet, and shower in.  Then it would be completely finished...

Well...my dad was putting the door on and needed to get something for it so he went out.  I was making lunch.  In the meantime my mom and two sisters came home...good thing they did because when my dad got home he noticed the sewer hole for the toilet was backing up into our bathroom...

That was the beginning of our problems.  Long story short, the entire bathroom flooded (time will tell how badly it damaged our work from last night...) as well as many other spots in the basement.  We've spent a good couple hours moving everything away from the flooded areas.

And to think...I thought it was bad this morning when our backyard corner was flooding.  I'd rather have that then a flooded basement!  My dad thinks he figured out the problem so hopefully this will be the end of the flooding...

GO CANUCKS!

Will the Vancouver Canucks take home the Stanley Cup tonight?!  I sure hope so! 

Before the playoffs started I heard the following thought on the news:

Montreal hosted the Olympics...the following year they won the cup.

Calgary hosted the Olympics...the following year they won the cup.

Vancouver hosted the Olympics...will they also win the cup?

GO CANUCKS GO!! 

(I'm not usually a hockey or any type of sports fan...but when it comes to the finals I definitely have sides...and I can cheer pretty loud!  Haha!  Since I lived in BC for so long, the Canucks are one of my teams!)

Oh Technology

I love technology.  I love that it connects me with people who don't live nearby.  When I was in BC I loved that I could see pictures of my extended family and feel like the distance between us was minimal. 

Yet, as much as I love technology and the ease of communication it has brought, lately I've been finding myself feeling silent...or maybe it's just ignored.  Whatever the case, lately the majority of people I've tried to stay in contact with are ignoring my attempts.  It makes me feel silent.  Like what I am saying isn't getting across or is unimportant.  I feel like I'm throwing my heart out into a giant void of nothing and it's being engulfed.  It seems as though every effort I put out is useless.  Yet I keep on trying...and trying...and trying.  Maybe it's me.  Maybe it's them.  Maybe I'll never know... 

I'm not quite sure when to give up...if I even should.  I don't want to.  I care too deeply to give up on anyone, especially those whom God has placed on my heart.  So I try, and try again, hoping that someday someone will at least care enough to respond.  That would sure make my heart happy!  But unfortuately that isn't the case right now...so I'll keep trying and reaching out, while praying that even as they ignore me they will feel God's arms of love around them.

Someday...

On the weekend some of my family and I went to visit a family from our church that lives outside of the city.  I had only driven through that area twice before, but both times I found myself wishing and hoping that someday I'll live there.  This time was no different...except I had an even greater desire to live out there someday.

The area is the Qu'Appelle Valley.  It is one of the few places in SK that is hilly...it reminds me a lot of Kamloops.  And someday I'm going to live there.  The yards are larger.  (The majority of yards in the city are tiny compared to what I had in BC!)  The land is hilly.  It is beautiful!  And the best part is that although it is a small town (not what I'm used to) it is only 15 minutes outside of the city!!  I can handle that! 

Ever since driving through the valley on Sunday I've found myself dreaming of the future...a future in the valley.  A future where I'll have a large yard with a big garden.  AND GUESS WHAT!!!??  I discovered this past weekend that we can grow fruit here in SK!!!!!!!! 

Not just raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and saskatoon berries.  No!  In Kamloops I said I was going to have an orchard someday!  And I still can...but in SK!  I can grow cherries, grapes, apples, plums, peaches, pears, apricots, and arctic kiwi!!  I am so excited!! 

AND, until I have my own home with my own orchard, I will enjoy the fresh fruit from a local orchard...one I just found out about moments ago!  Mmmm...my mouth is watering!  Haha!! 

Someday I'll have my dream come true.  I may not be in BC like I imagined just over a year ago, but I'm where God has me...and it's just like God to show me that by being where He has me I will be blessed...blessed to live out my dream! 

Beautiful Blossoms

This is what I've been enjoying over the past week or so...

It is some sort of a 'fake cherry tree' but it reminds me of my yard in BC!  In BC we had a grape vine and plum, cherry, and apple trees!  We used to always enjoy the beautiful fruit blossoms at this time of year!  I am so thankful our new yard has at least one blossoming tree...even if it only has ornamental fruit on it! 

Just like this time last year, I am once again enjoying the blossoms.  This time I am not dreading my final days in the city I grew up in.  Instead, I am remembering the memories I made there. 

Catching Up

Wow!  Blogger has completely changed it's website!  This may take a while to get used to! 

On the weekend a lady by the name of Joan Hunter came to do some healing services and teaching.  It was a great weekend!  There were 8 services!  Thousands of healings took place and on Saturday Joan Hunter did some training sessions to teach us some of the things God has showed her.  I have always known God heals, but as I saw the thousands of healings occur I realized that God can and will use me, and every other Christian who steps out in faith.  As I go out and pray for people to be healed Jesus will reach out and heal them!  It's exciting! 

Arms and legs grew.  Backs, necks, and knees were healed.  Shoulders were restored.  Arthritis and Osteoporosis were healed.  Walkers, slings, and crutches were left behind!  Lives were changed forever!  All thanks to Jesus!!  It was amazing!

Other than being busy with all those services, I have been busy doing odds and ends around the house and enjoying my few weeks off before I start a new job.  I kind of wish I had been smart and caught a ride to BC with my grandparents.  It would have been nice to go to the mountains, especially because I do not know when I will be able to go back.  With a full time job with limited vacation time it will be impossible to go away this summer...and I just may end up using my vacation time to go to Israel in February!!  (If I have enough by then!)  So it may be over a year before I can go back to my 'hometown'...  :(  BUT, I am thrilled to think that I may actually get to go to Israel!!!  It would be a dream come true!  I have always wanted to go there!! 

Oh, and I printed out most of my pictures from 2010, so I'll hopefully be getting some scrapbooking done in the next couple weeks!  Going through all the pictures from my last days in BC brought back so many memories!  I can't wait to scrapbook them! 

"Faith" Cake

My camera cord is still missing, but I was able to put my memory card into my computer...in the past every time I tried this the card wouldn't go in...today it did thankfully!!

Here are the photos of my "Faith" cake!

Attempt #1:  Fail

This was my first attempt at the "Faith" cake but unfortunately it crumbled.  Lesson learned: Add more icing to chocolate mixture!

Attempt #2:  Success!

I didn't have time to decorate this one, but the inside is what really counts...the cross!  :)  Now I know how to make it for next time!!



I found the idea for this cake at I Am Baker and since it looked so neat I had to try it! 

Lost :(

Apparently I have misplaced my camera cord so unfortunately I will not be able to upload my cake pictures until I find it!  :(

Hopefully I'll find it really soon!  I'm eager to share my pictures with you!

A Brief Update

Okay, I admit that I made a nice cake and it was a flop...so I didn't really take any pictures of the inside.  :(  The entire cake crumbled, but everyone at Bible Study said it tasted good.  Since I took the original cake to Bible Study on Monday my family wanted me to make another one, which I did today.  This one turned out wonderfully!!  I'll upload and post my pictures tomorrow!  I don't even want to say what the cake looked like...I'll let you see it!

On a completely different note, I realized today that today, June 1, marks exactly 4 years since my grad ceremony!  I can't believe how fast time has flown by!  So much has happened in the past 4 years.  I went through 2 years of ID, 1 year of Tourism Management, moved two provinces away, completed a few health related courses, met many people, and have been very blessed!  I wonder what the next 4 years will have in store!