Interesting Discussion on Face-off

To many videos for me to put on here, at least with my limited knowledge - but check it out. There are multiple good ones, but speaking at this point to the discussion on the existence on Satan.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Nightline/FaceOff/

The Shack

Here is a clip by Mark Driscoll on "The Shack" very interesting. I have not read the book but no many that have. Check it out for yourself. Would love to hear feedback on what he says.

Baby Practises

So as we have a new foster baby thought I should do some research on what to do ...

Whispers

So we had an awesome Sunday morning at Church. Our youth band played amazingly. Steve is taking us through Nehemiah - "Descending to Greatness". One things he said, or at least that I heard from God through him that came as a challenge to me was in how we look to hear from God. Many hide behind I haven't felt God telling me to do this to do ... nothing. It would seem they don't change their underwear without a sign, but we all know that's not true, they just use it as a excuse when they don't feel like doing it. God speaks in so many ways, but often I have and heard others say God make it so clear to me, like yell it at me so I can't make a mistake. I was challenged that our intimate relationship with God, brings us to the point where we hear even the faintest whisper from God. We are in tune, listening, conversing, reading his Word so much that his whispers are all that we need.
I'm stubborn and so I'll still pray for God to make it so clear that I can't help but follow his will, but my goal and prayer is that I'd be so close to Him, I'd hear the whispers and follow.

Difference in Words

So I'm not a big political person and am a hard core Canadian, so really the presidential stuff yesterday didn't mean much to me. That being said I do understand that this really although being a US thing was a World event, so I watched the speech while at my desk and then again at my homiletics class last night. We had a big discussion on the "rhetoric" in it - the use of words, what he said ... Someone mentioned something about Rick Warren praying, but I had missed that one so I googled it to see what he said. It was interesting - he got slammed it seemed from every direction. For not being "professional" enough for this event, for saying the words "Jesus Christ", for not saying enough on the stage he was given. Some say he left his words to too easily be taken multiple ways to not offend anyone, some wonder what he really meant and question whether he is really accepting of everyone or as one person put it 'does he hug the Muslim and the homosexual, but in the back of his mind think about the fact that they are still going to hell'.
The thing is that Obama - although the speech was good said .. nothing - he talked about history and got people excited, but really didn't lead me anywhere. But I guess maybe he knew the lash back he would face.
So the question is should Warren have been more careful as to not draw attention and ridicule or should he have just be more blunt knowing it was coming anyways.

A journey of different sorts

So we went to Belleville this weekend for Elisabeth's Dad's 60th birthday party. I had checked the weather earlier in the day and they were calling for snow flurries so I mentioned that we should leave a little earlier. The fact that Elisabeth wanted to stay as long as possible combined likely with the fact that it was not snowing there made Elisabeth come to the conclusion we should stay longer. We finally pulled out just before 10pm. The road was clear for .. about 30 minutes, then what should have taken about 2 hours took 3 hours. The snow started and who knows where the snow plows were, the few times we saw them it was one semi clearing off 1 lane. We saw more accidents than we saw plows even as we got close to home after 1 the roads were covered and no plows in sight.
Back the the accidents - I saw 8 accidents in TO that night. 1 happened 100 feet in front of us while we were driving - all I saw was a huge puff of snow and then a car spinning around. 2 more were in the middle of the road facing us waiting for a tow truck after spinning into the median and damaging the car to the point of not being able to move. 3 more were either just being loaded up or the truck was pulling up to the car and the final 2 well I just saw car parts up against the median where tire tracks led to. There were more tracks that looked like something had happened but these are the 8 that we saw complete evidence of.
So what was going through my head ... well I've often had the talk with people about prayer and whether you should pray to ask God to keep you safe. A well know writer and speaker, Erwin McManus - says we shouldn't that what happens is what happens and that we should just do what we feel God has for us. He talks about explaining this to his son, and about flying often after 9/11 when so many were canceling speaking engagements. I'm still working through where I fall on this but as we drove through that the other night scripture came to mind and it was my prayer as we made out way home "They rod and the staff they comfort me" other translations are protect, secure - this doesn't really answer the question of whether we should pray this or not, but it was my prayer and a little comfort as we drove - a thought from the protector, comforter.

The Journey

God has taken me on a journey over the past couple years - which amazingly took me to other parts of the world and to levels of faith and evaluation of life I had not been before.
The other parts of the world, well the biggest was Ethiopia where this picture is from, and this is Nardos a little girl who touched my heart. It has been amazing to travel with teens and be a part of the lives of kids especially that need love - to just be played with, hugged, smiled at, given gifts to, and most of all just spend time with. Through this God took me from the most comfortable place at home in a church I loved, through one of the hardest years of my life and through trusting in Him - to another church that I love. It's been here that a journey that started in my heart long ago has started to move again.
I'm a selfish person - I realize that - I thank God for his patience with me as I try to give me to Him and others. I've been challenged more lately though on a different end of the compassion spectrum. I've experienced amazing things travelling the world caring for kids, caring for kids that come to our home as foster kids but its some of the little things in life that God has been pulling at. I'll share a story with you to help illustrate before I rabble on and confuse you.

Just before Christmas we were on our way back to Cambridge when we stopped in Woodstock for gas (cause Cambridge is the most expensive place ever for gas for some reason!) There were 4 spots all taken and I was next in line finally. A guy pulls out slowly so I try to be patient and wait till he completely pulls away. When the lady behind me pulls around me and towards that spot. I think "No way she must be pulling up to buy something", so I pull around the other way to pull in there ... Nope she pulls in so I pull up beside her and give her the horn! She deserved it right. I felt like getting out and asking her what made her more important than everyone else in the world, but I used some self control - like I said God has me on a journey. I pull in to the next open one and the guy beside me who saw it just smiles and shakes his head.

See my understanding before was, well she deserved it so I better give it to her so she can learn - and in some certain circumstances I'm sure that is true - but I wish and God keeps impressing this on my heart - that I would have just let it be. Who knows what God may have had in store, who knows why this lady pulled in there.

I wonder at times where my selfishness even in areas like this that don't seem like it at first glance - continue to get in the way of my testimony, to God's plan for me and those around me.

The journey started with doing fun always rewarding times of working with kids - and takes me to the place where I really need to do some work, check myself at the door and let God rule in all my life.