About a year ago, there was a terrible earthquake in China. One of the reporters who went there to investigate further into the cause of the earthquake, and to interview the mother of one of the children who died, encountered animosity and even violence from the authorities, which was caught on video... you can read/see the video about it on the Financial Times World News website.
It's so sad to think of the incredible amount of oppression and intervention of the government on every part of the life of the Chinese people, and even on outsiders! We know of it, but often forget about it - they live such a different life, so totally unfamiliar to us.
We can be so thankful for the freedoms that we have here in North America! Sometimes it seems as if we're slowly giving up our freedom in other less noticeable ways (but perhaps more sinister?) - take for example the new driver's license: it's got a radio chip and barcode in it that can be tracked through some sort of magnetized code (I don't understand it completely). You can read a little bit about it on The Toronto Star's website. The U.S. is also starting to issue these new "enhanced" drivers licenses (click here or here to read more).
Sign of the times? who knows...
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Valley of Vision
Thou incomprehensible but prayer-hearing God,
Known, but beyond knowledge,
revealed, but unrevealed,
my wants and welfare draw me to thee,
for thou hast never said, ‘Seek ye me in vain’.
To thee I come in my difficulties, necessities, distresses;
possess me with thyself,
with a spirit of grace and supplication,
with a prayerful attitude of mind,
with access into warmth of fellowship,
so that in the ordinary concerns of life
my thoughts and desires may rise to thee,
and in habitual devotion I may find a resource that will
soothe my sorrows, sanctify my successes,
and qualify me in all ways for dealings with my fellow men.
I bless thee that thou hast made me capable
of knowing thee, the author of all being,
of resembling thee, the perfection of all excellency,
of enjoying thee, the source of all happiness.
O God, attend me in every part of my arduous and trying pilgrimage;
I need the same counsel, defence, comfort I found at my beginning.
Let my religion be more obvious to my conscience,
more perceptible to those around.
While Jesus is representing me in heaven, may I reflect him on earth,
While he pleads my cause, may I show forth his praise.
Continue the gentleness of thy goodness towards me,
And whether I wake or sleep, let thy presence go with me,
thy blessing attend me.
Thou hast led me on and I have found thy promises true,
I have been sorrowful, but thou hast been my help,
fearful, but thou hast delivered me,
despairing, but thou hast lifted me up.
Thy vows are ever upon me,
And I praise thee, O God.
--Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, God Enjoyed
Monday, April 27, 2009
Columbine High School Shooting - Parent's Address
I couldn't find his address on the House Judiciary's Website (I'm wondering if they might have taken it off), but found it on the National Rifle Association's page (find it here). His address is very moving, and forces us to see where sin and violence actually come from - our own hearts.
"Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?...." James 4:1
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
His Masterpiece
My life is but a weaving, between my God and me,
I do not choose the colours, He worketh steadily,
Oftimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.
Not till the loom is silent, and shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful in the skillful Weaver's hand,
As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned. (anonymous)
I found this poem while reading Corrie Ten Boom's book, A Tramp for the Lord. Her life was often hard and full of sorrow, yet she always rejoiced to see God's working, and loved to do His will and tell of His love. Her testimony is such an example to me, how she persevered, trusting the Lord, even when life looked anything but hopeful. She says,
Looking at life from God's eternal perspective gives hope; I know that all things will work together for good, because I love God, and I know I'm called by Him (Romans 8:28). There are so many things right now that I sometimes think, "What His purpose in putting this in my life? why do things have to happen this way? why does it seem like everything is going wrong?"
But in the broader perspective, we must learn to see that God has His own mysterious purposes, some of which we will never know until we join Him in glory. And really, "this life is just a vapour... it will soon pass away." When we get to heaven, it will seem like such a short moment that we were here on earth, and we will wonder why we didn't trust God more, live for Him to the utmost of our ability, or love Him to our greatest capacity. Why do we worry about our lives? what can we accomplish by worrying? God will take care of you, and show you His ways if you keep trusting Him, resting in Him, waiting on Him.
I do not choose the colours, He worketh steadily,
Oftimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.
Not till the loom is silent, and shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful in the skillful Weaver's hand,
As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned. (anonymous)
I found this poem while reading Corrie Ten Boom's book, A Tramp for the Lord. Her life was often hard and full of sorrow, yet she always rejoiced to see God's working, and loved to do His will and tell of His love. Her testimony is such an example to me, how she persevered, trusting the Lord, even when life looked anything but hopeful. She says,
Although the threads of my life have often seemed knotted, I know, by faith, that on the other side of the embroidery there is a crown.
Looking at life from God's eternal perspective gives hope; I know that all things will work together for good, because I love God, and I know I'm called by Him (Romans 8:28). There are so many things right now that I sometimes think, "What His purpose in putting this in my life? why do things have to happen this way? why does it seem like everything is going wrong?"
But in the broader perspective, we must learn to see that God has His own mysterious purposes, some of which we will never know until we join Him in glory. And really, "this life is just a vapour... it will soon pass away." When we get to heaven, it will seem like such a short moment that we were here on earth, and we will wonder why we didn't trust God more, live for Him to the utmost of our ability, or love Him to our greatest capacity. Why do we worry about our lives? what can we accomplish by worrying? God will take care of you, and show you His ways if you keep trusting Him, resting in Him, waiting on Him.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Seasons of Darkness
We must remember that seasons of darkness in the Christian's life are in fact, normal. We still should try to rise above the darkness, to reach for the light of Christ; but above all we ust remember that we are not lost, and that we're not in this on our own. Christ is right there with us.
I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD.
Psalm 40:1-3
Take Strength
"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."
2 Timothy 2:1
2 Timothy 2:1
These strong, simple words can be spiritual adrenaline for us when we need them . They were written by a man who knew what he was talking about, as he himself was in prison. He was writing to a young minister who was also suffering and evidently tempted by doubt, fear, even uncertainty of his call. The older man admonishes him very lovingly to take his share of suffering, take his share of hardship like a good soldier, and to take strength from the grace of God.
Where shall I ever find the strength I need to get through this experience, this ordeal, this day, this week? The answer is Take it! Take it from the grace which is ours already, in Christ Jesus.
"Here it is," He is saying, "Will you have some?"
"Yes, thank You, Lord. I'll take it."
A Lamp for my Feet, Elisabeth Elliot
Monday, March 2, 2009
Faith Bible Conference
February 9-13
LaFayette, IN
One cannot help but come away from Faith Bible Conference refreshed and energized in your walk with the Lord. Listening to these men and women of faith stimulates a desire for truth, growth in faith, passion for lost and hurting people. This conference, though it is designed for those heading into the counseling ministry, has proven to be very helpful for me in my walk with God.
We get a whole lot of knowledge and theory in our Reformed churches; and for sure, this is all very good. But what are we struggling with every day? what are we saying, thinking, doing? how are we spending our time? sometimes it's hard to connect theory with practice. We struggle to know how to handle our problems Biblically. I struggle to know how to help my friends - what do I say when they go through hard times? How can I help them, and direct them to the One who can alone provide true hope even in our trials?
God has used this conference to bring me to my knees and to see my sin. But He doesn't just leave it at that - He also shows how we can overcome those sins and live a life full of joy and hope! It is my prayer that I may learn to put to practice what I'm learning, and help others to also find the joy and hope in believing in our Saviour's name.
We had a wonderful visit with Steve and Amy and Sierra on the Sunday that we were there; they've been living in Chicago while Steve goes to seminary training there.
The weather was beautiful, perfect for a walk... it brought back memories of Michele and my walk from the previous year...
Sunday night, Brian, Liz, Charlene, Tim, and myself all enjoyed playing a game of "Train through Europe" (is that right, Charlene?)
I didn't really take many pictures the rest of the week...
packing up and heading home!
he loves his teddy's
Mom went down to check on Jaden during his nap one time last week.... she was shocked and frightened to see his empty bed, and frantically searched the rest of Carole and Kevin's place, only to come back to his room again, and find that he had climbed out of bed and lay down amongst all his teddy's, and promptly fell back to sleep.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
A Hunger for God
John Piper, in his book A Hunger for God has some powerful ideas and revelations on fasting - why people did it in the past, why we should be doing it still, some of the misconceptions that we have of fasting... he has a totally different perspective that's really refreshing and encouraging. Fasting is another means of bringing glory to God. It must be done with the right motives; it's not about earning "browny points" to get us closer to God. Rather, it's about seeing Christ's all-sufficient work on the cross. It's "an expression of secure and happy longing for the all-satisfying fullness of Christ.... it looks away from itself to the final payment of Calvary for every blessing it will ever receive.... it is a hunger for God awakened by the taste of God freely given in the gospel." We fast in order to cultivate a hunger for God - whether that hunger is something that we have, or something that we desire to have.
The following quote from this book was very convicting; it's so easy to be carried away by all the things in this world - the 'things' that we have, the 'things' that we 'need', things that we just can't live without, be it a person, possession, dream, ambition, etc.
"The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night. For all theill that Satan can do, when God describes what keeps us from the banquet table of his love, it is a pice of land, a yoke of oxen, and a wife (Luke 14:18-20). The greatest adversary of love to God is not his enemies but his gifts. And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but for thesimple pleasures of eath. for when these replace an appetite for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable, and almost incurable....
..."the pleasures of this life" and "the desires for other things" (Luke 8:14, Mark 4:19) -- these are not evil in themselves. These are not vices. These are gifts of God. They are your basic meat and potatoes and coffe and gardening and reading and decorating and traveling and investing and TV-watching and Internet-surfing and shopping and exercising and collecting and talking. And all of them can become deadly subsitutes for God."
"[Chrisian fasting] keeps the preferring facutly on alert and sharp. It does not let the issue rest. It forces us to ask repeatedly: do I really hunger for God? Do I miss him? Do I long for Him? Or have I begun to be content with his gifts?"
The following quote from this book was very convicting; it's so easy to be carried away by all the things in this world - the 'things' that we have, the 'things' that we 'need', things that we just can't live without, be it a person, possession, dream, ambition, etc.
"The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night. For all theill that Satan can do, when God describes what keeps us from the banquet table of his love, it is a pice of land, a yoke of oxen, and a wife (Luke 14:18-20). The greatest adversary of love to God is not his enemies but his gifts. And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but for thesimple pleasures of eath. for when these replace an appetite for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable, and almost incurable....
..."the pleasures of this life" and "the desires for other things" (Luke 8:14, Mark 4:19) -- these are not evil in themselves. These are not vices. These are gifts of God. They are your basic meat and potatoes and coffe and gardening and reading and decorating and traveling and investing and TV-watching and Internet-surfing and shopping and exercising and collecting and talking. And all of them can become deadly subsitutes for God."
"[Chrisian fasting] keeps the preferring facutly on alert and sharp. It does not let the issue rest. It forces us to ask repeatedly: do I really hunger for God? Do I miss him? Do I long for Him? Or have I begun to be content with his gifts?"
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalm 73: 25-26
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalm 73: 25-26
A Chance to Die
To be transformed in to the image of Christ I must learn his character, love his obedience to the will of the Father, and begin, step by step, to walk the same pathway. For Christ the pathway of obedience began with emptying Himself. I msut begin at the same place.
He "made Himself nothing." (Phil. 2:7 NEB)
"You must arm yourselves with a temper of mind like His." (1Pet. 4:1 NEB)
"If anyone wishes to be a follower of mine, he must leave self behind." (Matt. 16:24 NEB)
What does this mean? Is it mere words? How can one leave self behind, make himself nothing? The answer will not come in a vacuum. If a man or woman honestly wishes to be a follower, the opportunity will present itself. Christ will say,"Here is your chance. Now, in this situation, you must make your choice. Will it be self? Or will you choose Me?"
An oder missionary said something to Amy Carmichael when she was a young missionary that stayed with her for life. she had spoken of something which was not to her liking. His reply was,"See in it a chance to die."
A Lamp for my Feet, Elisabeth Elliot
He "made Himself nothing." (Phil. 2:7 NEB)
"You must arm yourselves with a temper of mind like His." (1Pet. 4:1 NEB)
"If anyone wishes to be a follower of mine, he must leave self behind." (Matt. 16:24 NEB)
What does this mean? Is it mere words? How can one leave self behind, make himself nothing? The answer will not come in a vacuum. If a man or woman honestly wishes to be a follower, the opportunity will present itself. Christ will say,"Here is your chance. Now, in this situation, you must make your choice. Will it be self? Or will you choose Me?"
An oder missionary said something to Amy Carmichael when she was a young missionary that stayed with her for life. she had spoken of something which was not to her liking. His reply was,"See in it a chance to die."
A Lamp for my Feet, Elisabeth Elliot
Friday, February 20, 2009
Resolutions
The following are selected resolutions from The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards:
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.
17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
19. Resolved, never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.
20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and drinking.
(I could work on that one!)29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.
30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.
36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.
37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent,- what sin I have committed,-and wherein I have denied myself;-also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec. 22 and 26, 1722.
46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye: and to be especially careful of it with respect to any of our family.53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.
60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination. July 4, and 13, 1723.
62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty, and then according to Ephesians 6:6-8, to do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man:‹knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.Š June 25 and July 13, 1723.
65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this, all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness, of which I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton' s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119. July 26, and Aug.10 1723.
67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what am I the better for them, and what I might have got by them.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Watching Quietly, Praying Silently
The man whom Abraham sent to find a wife for his son Isaac had been long in Abraham's service. No doubt he had learned much of trust and obedience through watching his master walk with God. He set out on his mission, confident that God would help him. Beside the Well of Abram of Tow Rivers he halted his camels and was praying silently when a beautiful young woman appeared with her water jar on her shoulder. She responded to his request as he had prayed she would, and he watched quietly to see whether the lord had made his journey successful (Gen. 24:21).
Very possibly we often miss what God wants to show us because we don't take time to pray silently and watch quietly. It was by doing those tow things, along with the obvious practical things (let us not leave those undone) that the servant was able to say, "I have been guided by the Lord" (Gen. 24:27 NEB).
A Lamp for my Feet, Elisabeth Elliot
Very possibly we often miss what God wants to show us because we don't take time to pray silently and watch quietly. It was by doing those tow things, along with the obvious practical things (let us not leave those undone) that the servant was able to say, "I have been guided by the Lord" (Gen. 24:27 NEB).
A Lamp for my Feet, Elisabeth Elliot
Invisible Blessings
Being very much of the earth - earthy - we always want tangible, visible things - proofs, demonstrations, something to latch onto. If we always had them, of course, faith would be "struck blind." When Jesus hung on a cross, the challenge was flung at Him: Come down! He stayed nailed, not so that spectators would be satisfied (that miracle, his coming down, would have been a great crowd-pleaser), but that the world might be saved.
Many of our prayers are directed toward the quick and easy solution. Long-suffering is sometimes the only means by which the greater glory of Go will be served, and this is, for the moment, invisible. We must persist in faith. God has a splendid purpose. Believe in order to see it.
"Our troubles are slight and short-lived, and their outcome an eternal glory which outweighs them far. Meanwhile our eyes are fixed, not on the things which are seen, but on the things that are unseen" (2 Cor. 4:17, 18 NEB).
A Lamp for my Feet, Elisabeth Elliot
Many of our prayers are directed toward the quick and easy solution. Long-suffering is sometimes the only means by which the greater glory of Go will be served, and this is, for the moment, invisible. We must persist in faith. God has a splendid purpose. Believe in order to see it.
"Our troubles are slight and short-lived, and their outcome an eternal glory which outweighs them far. Meanwhile our eyes are fixed, not on the things which are seen, but on the things that are unseen" (2 Cor. 4:17, 18 NEB).
A Lamp for my Feet, Elisabeth Elliot
Leave Him to Me
When there is deep misunderstanding which has led to the erection of barriers between two who once were close, every day brings the strengthening of those barriers if they are not, by God's grace, breached. One prays and finds no way at all to break through. Love seems to "backfire" every time. Explanations become impossible. New accusations arise, it seems, from nowhere (though it is well to recall who is named the Accuser of the brethren). The situation becomes ever more complex and insoluble, and the mind goes around and around, seeking the place where things went wrong, brooding over the words which were like daggers, regretting the failures and mistakes, wondering (most painfully) how it could have been different. Much spiritual and emotional energy is drained in this way - but the Lord wants to teach us to commit, trust, and rest.
"Leave him to me this afternoon," is what his word is. "There is nothing else that I am asking of you this afternoon, but that: leave him to Me. You cannot fathom all that is taking place. You don't need to. I am at work - in you, in him. Leave him to Me. Some day it will come clear - trust Me."
"Humble yourselves under God's mighty hand, and he will lift you up in due time. Cast all your cares on Him, for you [and the other] are his charge" (1Peter 5:7)
A Lamp for my Feet, Elisabeth Elliot
"Leave him to me this afternoon," is what his word is. "There is nothing else that I am asking of you this afternoon, but that: leave him to Me. You cannot fathom all that is taking place. You don't need to. I am at work - in you, in him. Leave him to Me. Some day it will come clear - trust Me."
"Humble yourselves under God's mighty hand, and he will lift you up in due time. Cast all your cares on Him, for you [and the other] are his charge" (1Peter 5:7)
A Lamp for my Feet, Elisabeth Elliot
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Toronto Motorcycle Show!
December 12, 2008
How fun, that Robert also loves motorcyles! :) I never thought I'd find someone who likes those noise-making, speedy, adrenaline-pumping toys as much as me! I think that's the one thing about Robert that my family shakes their heads at...
We were talking to this guy who gives tours all over the world on his bike (see below)... On one trip, he went all the way round the world, going west through Canada, up through Alaska, over into Russia and down through Europe, then south to Africa. His next trip, he'll be shipping his bike (pictured below) out to Africa and giving a tour, raising money for some schools that he supports. He was pretty interesting to talk/listen to! 
I'm not sure for what reason, but they had some really cool birds on display at the show - peregrine falcons, owls, a bald eagle and a couple others as well.
After the show we enjoyed a delicious dinner at East Side Marios...
after dinner we walked around downtown and then made our way home again
After the show we enjoyed a delicious dinner at East Side Marios...after dinner we walked around downtown and then made our way home again
Niagara Falls
November 29
:)
Before heading off to the Messiah concert that evening, we enjoyed dinner and a walk at Niagara Falls, looking at the light displays...
Our first picture together :)
Contrary to some belief, Robert is NOT a goat farmer, as one of my previous posts might have suggested (see here) :) haha nope that is most blessedly untrue.... (no offense to any goat farmers who may read this)
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
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