Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The Wonder of Christmas!

Here I am sitting in my warm and cosy home, preparing for our Christmas brunch and imagining the laughter and love that this season brings! I feel my heart explode with love and thank Jesus for giving us himself to show us what true love is! Paul and I are thrilled to be in Thunder Bay and celebrate Christmas with his family. Last year we spent Christmas in Montreal with my family. It was truly wonderful spending not only Christmas but also my 30th birthday with my family! Nonetheless,this year is very special not traveling, just spending Christmas with my in-Laws and looking forward to some quality time with my mother-In-Law! Paul and I are so blessed to be in Thunder Bay during this season of our lives!
Just two days to Christmas and the preparations are making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside: the hot chocolates, the smell of cinnamon in our house, the wrapping of the presents, the cards hung above our livingroom window as a testimony of all the friendships we have built, but mostly the shopping with my mother-in-law, sharing the wonder of Christmas together! What joy this brings to my heart!
We pray that you and yours will have a Christmas filled with Wonder!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Spoken To

I am sitting here pondering on the last few months where Paul and I have been searching for God’s will in Paul’s life regarding his job search and for the next job I could get that would sustain us for the remainder of our stay in Thunder Bay before we leave for Toronto, Lord Willing, in May or June\09. Much has happened since our last blog and we owe all of you an apology for our silence.

Moving on, in these past few months, Paul has been filming for the Eagle’s Cry Life Centre. He has also found some part-time work cleaning but he is still looking for another part-time job that would somehow build him up for working in his field once we arrive in Toronto. Paul has also been busy editing for a church in town. As for me well, I worked a lot. I taught French as a full time job and had different opportunities presented to me to teach French in the community and working with children at an after-school program, and also tutoring on the side. Now my question is not what will the Lord provide next but more how will he guide me in making the right decision? I don’t need to worry about that either. We are His children and are cared for unconditionally. Let me encourage you in showing you how Our Father cares for us in very mysterious ways.

Yesterday, I went to a fruit of the Spirit night at Care’s place, a powerful woman of God who is so hospitable that when you enter into her house, you feel you have entered a haven, a holy place. She has made her house a sanctuary. It was such a beautiful evening and filled with God’s love and a fellowship of women who come from different backgrounds and life experiences. It was so refreshing to the soul. Imagine sitting by a creak of water and building your roots by this creak. It makes for solid roots and no winds can affect these roots. Imagine a bond fire and a circle of women just sharing their lives, being vulnerable and when one hurts all the others gather around and help her with her burdens, carrying the load. Around a bond-fire there is also singing lifting each other up and keeping Christ the center, Christ is our fire and He ignites our hearts. Last night reminded me of Psalm 23:1-3 “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul...” Last night restored my soul and helped me to realize that I need to lie down in green pastures more often. Yesterday I witnessed (not for the first time) the Holy spirit at work. Some of these women knew my heart before I even spoke to them. What a miracle! I love it when that happens, I really feel cared for and witness God’s love in a tangible way!

I didn’t have any pictures from last night but I hope that I painted a picture that moved your hearts in some ways. So I would encourage you all to put on the Armour of God (Ephesians 6:14-18) and remember if God is for us who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)Read the Word of God. It not only refreshes, it heals our wounds, binds the broken-hearted and sets the captives free!