Nunavut and Beyond

questions

2009-01-18T05:36:00.004-06:00

Who cares what clothes designer that you're wearing? Whichever person does, why does their opinion matter to you? Why do some people's opinion matter more than others? What exactly makes someone cool and why is that so important? Is it important enough to be something you're not?

Here's my opinion: God made you to be a certain type of person, in HIS image and not someone off of an Ambercrombie billboard...I believe you don't need to act like your friend down the street... you're living a lie if you are. You need to be you. And if someone doesn't like it, so what? Be true to yourself and God, that's what matters. You are so amazing in Christ, God made you so awesome. I don't care how ugly you are to "the world", You were made in His image and that makes you sweet. Anybody that makes fun of you for your looks or how smart you are, or dumb, or how you act, laugh, if you're emotional (I wish more people in this world were emotional and moved with compassion), they are making fun of God because you were made in His image! Remember that also if you are tempted to sling a comment along about someone. I'm guilty and I repent right now. I'm sorry, Jesus. You are what matters. It's all about you and it's all for God's people. We need to be better brothers and sisters so the world will stop seeing a church full of hypocrites. Just be the best "you" that you can be. Confidence is prettier that designer mascara. Know who you are in Christ.

Today is day 8 on my fast

2009-01-15T06:12:00.002-06:00

Lots of fasting questions from girls at work. Don't wanna give them stuff they wouldn't understand yet I want this to be an opportunity to magnify my sweet Lord. I'm not preachy and tend to really weigh things out as I do not want to come across holier-than-thou, I cannot get into that here. BUT this is so dear to me and I'm not going to take any of the importance away from it. I wish no one would have known really. But I believe it was brought up for a reason and I'm simply going to make sure He gets Glory. I love Him so; He's my everything.

Today's Focus...In Christ

2009-01-13T06:05:00.002-06:00

2 Corinthians 5 (The Message)

1-5For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven—God-made, not handmade—and we'll never have to relocate our "tents" again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move—and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what's coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we're tired of it! We've been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what's ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less.
6-8That's why we live with such good cheer. You won't see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don't get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going. Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we'll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.

9-10But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that's what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions. Sooner or later we'll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what's coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad.

11-14That keeps us vigilant, you can be sure. It's no light thing to know that we'll all one day stand in that place of Judgment. That's why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God. God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care. We're not saying this to make ourselves look good to you. We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we're on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are. If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. Christ's love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.

14-15Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own.
16-20Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you.
21How? you ask. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.

Such excitement!! A born again Christian should be excited! Look what we have to look forward to! The world is here and spinning the way it has since....forever. Icky circumstances are not new; we are living in them the same way these guys lived in them. BUT did it drag them down? NO! They kept their focus on the One that delivered them; they are pleasing God and not dwelling on the junk tied to this world; they are remembering that because of Jesus, they are now FRIENDS with God and they choose to live that way. Does your life reflect the fact that God is your friend? The excitement of that should be emanating from you every day! Read this chapter again (and again if you need to!) and know that because of Christ, all is RIGHT with you and God! That's exciting! :)

Monday, Day 5 of this fast

2009-01-12T20:18:00.005-06:00

Today went well. There were a few hungry times but who cares? Drank a lot of h2o, I cut back somewhat on my coffee which is a good thing, had a sf red bull (yukky). I like the regular so much better. I heated up a small bowl of stew for dinner. I got full pretty quickly & didn't feel very well while eating so I didn't finish. Today I prayed for: our family, my church, my pastors & LFC leaders and their families, God's Grace, our finances, wisdom, peace, revelation, boldness. I prayed for past, present, and future LFC youth members, the new youth building, Ironwood's water, and my pets too. I also prayed for GVH. I didn't spend as much time in God's Word this morning as I would've liked but I did make it to Bible study tonight. We bought 3 books for the next series beginning next Monday. sooooooo,ya! That's my day today!

new direction?

2009-01-11T21:26:00.003-06:00

I think I may have boxed up God a little with 'my vision' for missionary work. So, to fix this little dilemma, I am backing up a bit and writing down a few things that I need to do to open the path in my life for God's way to take over. I mean, Nunavut is MY dream because it just is. But my mission for now is leading my husband to a real relationship with Christ, aiming my kids to Him, getting that youth building up at LFC(!!!!!!), so much more.
THe 21 day fast is going to help clear things up. I'm journaling along and taking it one step at a time. We shall see...

Pre-fast

2009-01-09T19:27:00.002-06:00

I began a pre-fast fast on Thursday. I am allowing one simple meal daily not to be consumed before 5pm and never eating after 6:00. I drink lots of fluids during the day limiting my coffee, allowing a dairy product, and only one energy drink. Nothing with HFCS either. I still take my vitamins and make sure I exercise. I have a specific prayer list that am fasting and praying for. I need to find out what Pastor Tom wants us as a church to be praying for. It's EXCITING!! I'm really excited for it which is why I started early. I just had to. I KNOW what God can do for a person physically and spiritually when you fast. I know what God can do for a church too. I have something very special that happened to me that I have as the #1 thing in my "book of memorials". I will never forget it as long as I live. I know it was because of the 21 day fast I did along with my church a few years ago. I'm just so very excited this year!

2009: Love

2009-01-01T13:13:00.004-06:00

Love is not a gushy feeling for someone special, that's attraction.

Love, biblically, is not really a feeling..............it is a verb. We love. It is something we do, it is a choice. Sometimes it is easier to do than other times. The Bible says to walk in love. God knew we would experience circumstances and people that are not lovely. But we need to love them. He told husbands to love their wives;she is a good thing. (what if she was the kind of wife in Proverbs that was contentious?Nagging?Annoying?) Love her, He says. God is love so we can actually say "Walk in God".

I believe we should keep the whole love-attraction thing going in marriage; it's important to fan those flames and serve each other, showing one another that even though life can become busy, your partner is still important deserving some of your time and energy. My husband and I are on vacation together this week. We work opposite shifts and there are many days in a row in which we may not see each other. By week's end, there are times when he may call home and when I hear his voice, my heart aches because I want to see him! (love attraction still burning after 18+ years of marriage) This week has been a wonderful time for us. When I noticed him so comfy in his chair, I would ask him if he wanted me to get him something to drink or eat so he didn't have to move. Omgsh, he appreciated that so much! Before I knew it when I was lounging reading with my feet up, he would appear with a nice mug of yummy coffee. Reciprocate. Plant seeds. Love on each other. Now don't think this is everyday life for us. There are times when I am with him and he is annoying me and I'd be hoping he would go for coffee somewhere. There were times when I would experience strong feelings of intense dislike. I know he has felt things similar towards me, believe it or not. lol haha But then we'd work it out and I'd in an instant experience feelings exactly opposite. The point is, feelings come and go, feelings change, circumstances can wreck havoc with the best of us. But our wonderful, all-knowing God knows it best and tells us to walk in love. Still don't really know what love really is? It's best said in 1 Corinthians 13(Message):

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

In 2009, I am going to really step it up in the Love Dept. The unlikeable, know-it-alls are going to be loved on. God gives us grace plus He knows my heart, I can do this. I will walk in God, I will walk in Love. And I believe it will come back a hundred-fold!

All I need is a big mouth filled with the Word of God

2008-12-29T06:20:00.006-06:00

Last night's post was a little whiney, I thought about deleting it but that would not be right. The purpose of this blog is to jot down my studies, thoughts, and prayers from the start of my journey which began already back in the planning stage to beyond because doing mission work will not stop until my last breath. I believe in being positive, speak the Word, pray the solution; I am an optimist. But I will not deny this blog the reality of battling demons along the way. The battlefield is between the ears. Some of those fights end as soon as they begin, some drag on. This one didn't last very long before I won. Sometimes I realize the AWESOMENESS of God and I cannot believe He cares as much as He does for "us little people" but He does and that's the whole point about me being a missionary. So people can know how this GreatBigGod loves each of us and has a great plan for our lives and gave His only Son to save us and be with Him eternally all because of His great love for each of us individually. He knows me, intimately, every desire I have, every like and dislike, every good and not-so-good thing.........and He still loves me. And that will never change. I'm not stupid when it comes to God things, just lacking what I want to know...which is everything. lol I want to know it all! But God had a plan for that too. Not only did He give His Son but then He turns around and sends His Holy Spirit. He told his disciples do not go out until He sends them the Holy Spirit. and then see this: John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. :-)
So I will keep on studying and be patient and pray and continue to fight those little demons along the way. I will win. Like Moses, I carry a big stick and I know how to use it, haha. The Word never fails. :-) Life is good, eternal life is better.

dreaming white

2008-12-28T17:56:00.005-06:00

I am a little discouraged tonight. Who am I trying to kid? I am not a missionary. I am in no way capable of being a missionary. I am this: I am a wife. I am a mother. I volunteer for my church. From 8-4 M-F I am an insurance biller. I am a daughter. I am a homeschool teacher that struggles. I love Jesus with everything I've got. I am becoming a fit forty-year old. But I am not a missionary. They're very important to the world; I am in Ironwood and that's the way it is. Maybe Ironwood is my missionary field. I don't even know what to do with the field! I am clueless. I should've started 20 years ago, but I didn't. So tonight I sit and wonder, "what the heck? What can I do?" The answer is: the best I can in all of the above. I think Nunavut is just a dream, Canada is a vacation spot down the road maybe. And that's ok. I can't help God out without knowing how to help? I am not equipped to do Him good outside my above list. My life is full. He has blessed me beyond all I could imagine. I will continue to study and become stronger, but being on a mission in Nunavut is a long stretch. Where did it even come from? I think because I have always been facinated with the extreme up-north. So, I am going to give my best with what I've got each day to all the areas I'm involved with right here in Ironwood. And I'll dream of Nunavut, I'll dream of the great white north, northern lights, the people and their stories, the ice and snow, the cold, the quiet, the peace. I haven't seen the northern lights in 2 years. I look every night. I look for Jesus too; He's coming back soon. I really believe it. Do I sound sad tonight? I'm not, really. I'm fulfilled, I'm happy, I love my life, my relationships, I just cannot seem to make my one dream come true. At least tonight it seems out of reach for some reason: I feel stupid with the things of God. He's huge, I'm small and I don't ever want to steer someone wrong. What a huge responsibility! I'm not capable, I know too little. That's it in a nutshell.

Pulled like a rope

2008-12-21T18:10:00.003-06:00

I am taking two days off for Women of the Word and a week off in June for Family camp. After that, I do not have PTO left until 2010 so that's the earliest I can go on my mission trip. I love the sound ministry I'm involved in now, I love ministry period. I have such a deep compassion for all people, and am pulled to giving my life to it... but I cannot quit my job. At least not now. Plus, I have no training for ministry. I can hardly even make it to bible study! But now that I do not have overtime, I can, thank God. Plus I'm opening the church back up for prayer on Friday nights. I need training. I gotta find out where to go for this. I pray for open doors and stronger faith than I even have now.

Fear Not

2008-11-27T09:16:00.005-06:00

I've been studying Romans for awhile and I wanted to share what the Message says in
Romans 10: 14-17

But how can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That's why Scripture exclaims,

A sight to take your breath away!
Grand processions of people
telling all the good things of God!
But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: "Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?" The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ's Word is preached, there's nothing to listen to.

So a fear we all have as Christians when talking about our faith to the unchurched is "what are people gonna think?". God's point is, it will at least get them to think. I guarantee that even if they deny it and act funny at you at first, it will be something they will ponder for time to come. And when a circumstance comes up in their life where they need help, they can and will cry out to God maybe because you had enough gumph to mention Him to them one day way-back-when and got them to think. God needs us to tell others about the good things of God so when bad things are happening, it is He that they'll cry out to. It is He that can turn the situation around. It is then that trust will be built, belief can come, and faith in Christ will grow; that's a living relationship with a living God that loves us beyond our imaginations. All because of a preacher, unafraid.

Thanksgiving in the Bible

2008-11-25T21:11:00.001-06:00

Some things I'm reading & meditating on this week:

Psalm 106:1- "Praise ye the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever."

Phil. 4:6 - "We tell God our problems, making our requests known to Him with thanksgiving."

Thessalonians 5:18 - "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God."

Psalms 50:14 - "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most high"

Psalms 92:1- "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High"

Colossians 3:17 - "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

Psalms 140:1 - "Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence."

Salt Of The Earth

2008-11-17T06:46:00.005-06:00

1st off: I'm not judging. This is one thing lately that I've been studying and it's really heavy on my heart.
Christians, they way we act is how the world perceives our witness. Christ said, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men" Matt. 5:13.
This is happening all across America. We are allowing and conforming to lower and lower standards. We do not want to come across as judgemental or hypocritical. Yes, everyone grows at a different pace and we need to love each other. But since when don't we help each other learn? In a big way, I blame the church.(not mine)I'm talking the church as a whole. Not many want to tell the truth, they don't want their numbers to go down so they preach only a good 'God loves you' message over and over again to keep them coming. If we were bringing them to repentance, they could begin a true growth in the right direction and the country would be a "saltier" presence in today's world. Some churches are doing a very good job, thankfully. Individually, we should be checking up on ourselves about our daily walk. Is it lining up with God's way? Or are we living the way we want and holding off on anything Godly until Sunday morning knowing deep down we need to make changes. Maybe we don't know how. We need to get equipped. Maybe we don't care. Maybe Christianity is just a label we have in this life instead of a way of life. Maybe our hearts are the whole problem. The bible says in Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. It also states: Philippians 4:6-8 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So it's the peace of God that will help us guard our hearts. That comes to us when we are a people of prayer. Then, he goes on: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. We have to renew and re-train our minds in order to live a refreshed real christian way of life.
So really, the church as a whole equips us, but we must take the responsibility and individually grow by being a do-er of the Word. In order to know what to do, we need to READ the bible and be a person of prayer. Then we can better heed the warning Jesus gave us in Matt. 5:13: "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men" Bottom line, as an individual Christian, I need to be careful to retain the flavor so I may be useful to the world. OK. amen

a destination

2008-11-14T22:27:00.001-06:00

See where Grise Fiord is on this map?? This is where I am going to go someday.