Rejoicing in Christ

Today was one of those Sunday mornings-where any doubt that I ever had of God NOT being alive or moving-ceased to exists!  It was a morning of amazing worship (beyound the 'musical' worship sense-but that too-was great!), fellowship, celebration and rejoicing.  It was a morning of hearing testimony to God's greatness-of answered prayer and strength when there seemed to be nothing left.  Angels rejoiced as stories were told of youth picking one another up, encouraging and blessing each other, of hearing a story of another sinner repenting and the endless praise and party that must have taken place in Heaven.

Our youth team got back yesterday (but they shared today) about how God worked/moved in their lives and in the lives of the people and kids they were ministering to this last week on their missions trip.  It is a trip that our church has been doing for almost 30 years to a native/metis community just past Winnipeg.  it is a trip, that I believe, truly began MY outlook-and later-passion- with missions.  I spent a week there, each summer throughout my high school years.  In those 4 years of going back for just one week a summer-taught me, blessed me, shaped me and molded  me, into a major part of who I am today-both as a person and who I am in Christ.  It was and remains, a major Faith step in my life and for that-I am SO incredibly thankful!

It was a morning for me, that re-affirmed my choice to live/work here in town for another year.  All week, I was looking forward to seeing the youth who went again, and hearing their stories.  I was not disappointed this morning!  It started right off the hop walking in to church sanctuary. Hugs, hugs and more hugs!!  Then, of course, there was that "attack of hugs' from a couple of the girls (thanks ladies! made my morning!)..  I am truly blessed!

What a great morning.  God you are SO awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Church

What an interesting day (to say the least today).  I was quite looking forward to church this morning because I hadnt been there yet at all this month! crazy I know! Not that I am using these as an excuse-but I sort of am...one weekend was long weekend (I was gone), and last weekend was our church conference in a different town-so our services were cancelled.  BUT point being, I was quite looking forward to heading back and worshiping with people there.  I had no idea how interesting the day would be...

I woke up to a nice rain (which, after having like +35 for 3 weeks, was a welcome blessing), went to church and discovered the pews I grew up sitting on, where gone.  Instead-there were chairs! weird! I knew our church sold the old pews and are getting new chairs (good use of money? another topic for another time)-but point being-that really threw me for a loop...church almost seemed "less welcoming?" if that makes sense?

The service was really good and the worship (music part) was good as well. Actually the service was on "worship" and what it is (another discussion for another day) but it was still a good service! well done Ryan!

So, like normal after church I stuck around a bit and was one of the last ones to leave...went to go look for my jacket and well, long story short-my jacket got 'taken' (for lack of better word)...Im thinking someone accidently grabbed it instead as there was another lone jacket there when I looked...so i biked home (in the rain) and ended up going back to attach a note to the other jacket..BUT it was NOT there!!!!!!! One would think that if the person realized they took the wrong one...would bring the other one back too when they went to go get theres...

Now really, I dont really care.  its just a jacket..but the thing that sucks-is that my keys (work included) were on a landyard in my pocket in my jacket (usually keep those in my pant pocket, but for some reason today-figured they would be fine in my jacket-ironic eh?)  Praise God I have an extra house key and will just get a new work key tomorrow.

What a way to start the day


middle of the day was good

I left my parents to head home later in the evening and discovered a small leak in my bike tire (mode of transportation to work...) great.  Thank you God for dad's!  Although my parents were gone, when they got back, my dad patched my tire...so I am hoping its good to go still tomorrow!

needless to say-I will be glad when today is over-maybe it will go better tomorrow?

Going for needles later this week (travel needles)..could be an interesting week!!

Worship

So, here it is...an update..one i have been meaning to do for a while.  How am I doing now, compared to last post?  Honestly?  Better.  Still not 100% but I know that that will take time.  since I last posted, I have had a number of chats with people in person, through email, skype, telephone and facebook and all of them have been really good and a lot of them have been super encouraging as well.  It is good to know that in this battle we are fighting, we are NOT alone...Praise be to God for that and so much more!  Work has proven to be a blessing other that the fact that its a job and I am getting paid there. and yes, there are days when i do not want to be there, but it has proven to be a blessing in the sense that I have a lot of time to think, which some days is not good, but others, it allows time for me to spend it in prayer.  To really pray for family and friends  and for those around me.  Through that, what I have discovered is that I need to be in constant communication with God.  like Hello "duh" nikki, the Bible mentions that, doesnt take a genius to figure that out...well actually it was a song by Big Daddy Weave to remind me of that.  I also realized that having the latest Christian song in my head during work isnt a bad thing either (though side note, sometimes it is really annoying having a certain song in your head that you just cant get out!), because I mean after all...that is worship as well, singing praises to God.

So then what the heck has been "wrong" with me lately?  Though i still think it has been a number of litttle different things (which after a while just add up) the biggest thing is My relationship with God.  Now, not sure if I have ever experienced spiritual warfare but honestly, thats what i think a big thing of it was...thats the only thing that makessense.  There was one day last week where I just lost it.  I was literally on my knees crying.  No, God did not miraculousy speak to me or anything like that, but after that, I just had this sense of peace, like it would be ok.  A few days after that, my aunt called for something and she mentioned/asked somethign on the phone which struck me....it was something along the lines of, "you sound better, you sound happy!".  now this struck me cause I dont recall even talking to my aunt at all during my "down time" so how would she know how I sounded then? but yah since then, things havegotten better.  Yes there are still moments, but those moments will always be there.  But so will faith, and so will God.  With Him, I know anything is possible and I just gotta keep believing that, hold strong to my faith and never let go

Worship and church

So the other day in church...I was looking around and my mind wondered from the message (sorry Ben!) on to something else...still church related! It was this concept of worship, and church itself. The thought jumped into my head..."what IS worship?" Is it singing songs sunday morning and thats it? is it all of us bowing our heads when the pastor says its time to pray (if you ever wait just a tad longer and watch people bow their heads when that is said, its actally quite amuzing, as its like robots and out of habit..try it sometime...)? What is church? is it the place where we gather on sundays and that is it?

These are just a few of my thoughts, as it is something I am still processing and learning each and every day. For myself, church IS good (dont get me wrong) but it is not where I worship the best.  For myself, I come to learn a few things about myself...one-I need/crave community of some form.  Now this seems wierd then that church isnt a place where I worship the best, because it totally is a community...but what I think it is, is that its too big...at least the church where I am now....there are some people who I know...but over all its too big.  that is one thing I love abtou school now, is the student size of it.  people are not just friends, but we are like one big family...you get to reall yknow people and so feel more open and honest with them...something I dont feel when I go to church.  Perhaps smaller churches are different, I am not sure, but still.    I just do better in small, more intimate crowds.  This past summer at WBC, we had a few "jamming" sessions outside where people would pull out their guitars and we would just sing praises to God.  Ther was one day where 5-6 of us sat between teh dorms, one sunday and just played and sang..very informal, but God spoke more than to me, then I think he would have had I actually gone to a church buiilding. It was great...that is where I connect really well.
 
another place where I love to worship God, is anywhere on my OWN.  I LOVE going out and just taking my journal, camera and pen and "losing" myself somewher eout in the country or off somewhere.  Just taking pictures, even though i may not be thinking anything or saying anything... I guess its a gift God has given me and I just love using it and capturing his Beauty and glorifiying Him through that.  Plus it does give me a chance to be on my own since I am still an intervert at heart for sure.
 
And i think the same goes with church...smaller populations and more "one on one' situations...a place where one can really get to know each other and lift each other up in prayer.  Church now is great on sunday mornings, but school, chapels and just hanging out in dorm, chatting and sharing life together, is what i love. 
God is all around us no matter wehre we go.
 
So not sure why I wrote about that, but felt like I wanted to, needed to...
Just a few thoughts and I thought it was time to update this once again