Summer's a-coming!

Hello family! 
Over the Easter break we headed to the Salmon Arm area to scout out something different.  As you likely know, we spend 5-6 weeks each summer travelling with our truck and trailer but this year we thought we'd give a single campground our time.  We found Blind Bay Resort and have secured a site for a year (until April 2014). 
This coming weekend our hope is to take the trailer out, get it set up, enjoy the night and then to return home because at present, there's more to do here... such as finishing school.  That being said there are only 48 more school days.... :) 
Anyways if you're looking for us this summer you'll know where we'll be.  There is B&B nearby as well as park models available in our campground - come stay awhile. 

Who is God?

He is Elohim Creator, the Omnipotent who rules.
He's the Sovereign King of Glory and earth is His footstool.
He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.
He sends forth lightening that later checks back in with Him.
He speaks worlds into existence and spins them out in space.
He gives orders to the morning and shows the dawn its place.
He prophesies the future then orders it fulfilled.
He bears fruit from a landscape that man has never tilled.
He feeds the beast of the field from the palm of His hand.
He watches while they bear their young and teaches them to stand.
He gives the seas their boundaries and hides His creatures deep.
He teaches eagles how to fly and nest upon the steep.
He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on wings of wind.
He champions the victim and brings proud men to end.
He is Emanuel, God with us, come to earth through Christ.
He is the Kinsman Redeemer who paid the slave man's price.
He is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords and worthy is the Lamb.
He holds the keys to life eternal where the dead in Christ now stand.
He is enthroned between the Cherubim and great is his reward.
The devil, His defeated foe, the weapon, His swift sword.
The story has a moral so I'll hasten lest you tire.
Whoever you perceived He is...you might aim a little higher.

Author unknown

A new twist on the Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

• Spend some time praising God
• What are you thankful for?
• Tell God how awesome he is.

May your Kingdom come soon.  May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

• Ask God to have His will in your heart, life and future
• Ask God to have His will in your family
• Ask God to have His will in your friendships
• Ask God to have His will in your school/workplace

Give us today the food we need,

• Ask God to provide Spiritual food:
• Knowledge?
• Wisdom?
• Love?
• Kindness?
• Patience?
• Courage?
• Confidence?
• Soft hearts?
• Ears to hear?

 And forgive us our sins,

• What sins do you need to confess to God?  Tell him.

As we have forgiven those who sin against us.

• Who do you need to forgive?
• Who are you mad at?
• Who do you dislike?
• Ask God to hlep you see that person through God's eyes.

And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

• Ask God to keep us from the temptations of our lives -
• Inside temptations: distraction, laziness, boredom, hard feelings, bad attitudes, selfishness.
• Outside temptations: gossip, pornography, cheating, swearing

Jealousy quote

I don't know who came up with this but I thought it was good.

Jealousy is when you count someone else's blessings
instead of yours.

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

New Opportunities to live out the
New Life we have in Christ because of the
New Covenant of His Blood leading to our
New Birth thanks to His mercy and grace making us a
New Creation called to live out a
New Command to love as a fruit of the Spirit in our
New Nature as we await the promis of a
New Heaven and Earth, with Him in glory forever!

thoughts

Yesterday a member of our church was stuck and killed by a C-train.  He's left behind a wife and children.  He wasn't yet 55. 

This morning I watched a portion of a program highlighting the efforts of the SickKids Hospital in Toronto.  They profiled real families going through unspeakable pain and wondering, as world reknowned doctors do whatever possible to increase the chance of survival for these children. 

These two incidents caused a twist in my thoughts - almost a conviction in how I'd been feeling about preparing for Christmas.  While families sit bed-side in hospitals "holding on" or are today going to funeral homes to make final plans, perhaps many of us are busily running around hoping to cross items off of our to do lists.  I don't think I'm alone in my musings, this is a busy time of year!  But why?  Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves to shop and spend and plan and bake and clean and invite and send cards?  Is it satisfying?  I think if it were truly enjoyable we'd do it all year long; wouldn't we? 

I've noticed personally that this time of year is more about the 'getting it done', finishing the shopping and card writing, it's far more time stealing than celebrating the birth of our Savior.  Or if you don't want it that deep - when was the last time you spoke with that someone you're stressing over purchasing a gift for?  Actually sat down and looked at their face while they talked about real life? 

Sharing time, making memories.  I'm putting that on my to-do list and while we're doing that over and over again, I'm not crossing it off of the list.  The rest of the push, the planning, has little importance to me now.

Home / Stats

We pulled into the neighborhood around 4:30 yesterday and that meant we'd had a long day on the road - we left the campground in Moose Jaw at 8:15.


Here are some stats from our trip:

6 US States
4 Provinces
37 nights
9114 km
2230 litres of diesel
2 30 gallon bottles of propane
5 new tires
20 rolls of tp
3700 sneezes from Scott (ballpark)
A lifetime of good memories

Cheers!