G.R.I.T.S. Youth

Heeeeeeeeeeeeey
It's us! At least our group from the Scavenger Hunt. We got 2ND Place for our run-around. ~Woot woot~

Okay, so Dave just recently got a site up for our youth.

Check it out!

You'll hear Dave's thoughts, see pictures, get the scoop on upcoming eveeeeeents.
Oh! And don't want to miss the leader's profiles!

All you need to know...
Hey Reaco, THAT is the best pic I've seen of you.

Okay, my plan is: get pictures from Dave of OUR amazing group we ran around with for Scavenger Hunt and post em >>here<<.
I have to say, our substitution for our 'Bird of Prey' was pretty good. Jay and Brian, you guys did pretty good! Apparently all the youth who were judging didn't think so.
Being monkeys on trees was really good 'n our last minute snooping for a boat! Aah, sigh..

Okay my 2ND plan: sign off
3RD: make lunch for me and Eli
4TH: head out and pick up Eli
.. WOW, am I sleeeepy, I mean pick up Sasha (.. from schoool)

CHOW!

PS. Squirrels are pretty good for picking your teeth.

Who has told the lightning where it should go...

-All the sky-
Chris Tomlin, you speak the words of my heart...
To the Lord,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untamable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go

I hear these words and I know,
I
am a star that God has
placed
in the sky.
God has told me this in Daniel 12:3

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens,

and those who lead many to righteousness,

like the stars for ever and ever.

Lord let your wisdom reign on me that it may lift others and point them to you as the stars do in the sky over me right now.

You put this Light in me.

Phillipians 2: 14-16

Do everything without complaining or arguing,

so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God

without fault in a crooked and depraved generation,

in which you shine like stars in the universe

as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day

of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

You put this Light in me.
Don't let me shut it out.

For your words and all your intentions for me Father, are not for nothing.
They are achieving in me what you've intended it for,
and that's life.
Fulfilled, abundent life.
You are making yourself known in me.

And the thunder is... mighty.
Let your presence, real and very alive in my life, be evident. As we cannot ignore the sound and fear that thunder brings to some of us, let your loved ones hear your breaking love in me.

Everyday that I choose to give my Yes to you, you bring me to ''humbly proclaim (that) 'You are amazing God'.''

And You, Jesus,
are amazing.

Our everyday ravens...

Huh, God used donkeys to speak to one man, whale to swallow another and He also used ravens as well. Looks like humans are not the only ones who play significant role in God's Kingdom...

1 Kings 17 says: 2 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 3 "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."
5 So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

I know, God's used a lot of things to build his kingdom that amaze us. A lot that He suses seem really odd though. I was homeschooling Eli this morning, he was doing his work and I grabbed the Childrens Bible that He has. I saw a picture of ravens with food in their mouth and a man receiving it. I hadn't heard of this story before. I like it. God allowed manna to rain from the sky, poured water out from rocks, split the Red Sea that His people may cross it ('N I think2-4 more times after that at the Jordon!), commanded a whale to swallow a Jonah, donkeys, angels, humans, a fire bush... wow.

Today I'll just stand in awe and gawk at God. Why don't you join me. He uses everything that He has made to show us He loves us... that He is in control... that He's Faithful... that He is God... the One and Only God worthy to be praised... to teach us a lesson...

Used these things, odd as they seem, that we may stand and look at God who's done it, be at awe and give Him praise for who He is. Cause He is magnificent, beautiful, glorious, good... more than anything He deserves our attentions, devotions, eyes and heart be centered around Him.

Just breathe...
take in the air.
Open your heart,
and chew on these words...

An hour of content- ment. An hour when deadlines are for- gotten and strivings have ceased. An hour when what we have overshadows what we want An hour when we realize that a lifetime of blood-sweating and headhunting can't give us what the cross gave us in one day-
a clean conscience and a new start.

-MAX LUCADO "No wonder they call him the savior"
p.121

Godliness with contentment is great gain.
~I Timothy 6:6

Krutches of truth

"I am here".
:) Throughout these past weeks I been feeling down, been struggling. But I see right now, as I reflect, how evident it was that I wasn't alone in it all.
I looked back over the few months and remembered all the times where my Dad has shown up, just by bringing comfort to my trembling, writing in people who made me feel better, or just spoke to me through the Bible in ways that amaze me.
He's been coming to me in image of a Father, I as His daughter, and we're on a beach. The beach has been a good place for me to meet with Him. Through prayer with others and in my own time, He likes to meet me there.
'N something's just come to light in these struggling weeks of how I got through it all.

It's been guiding principles,
'krutches of truth' that's helped up the mountain,
standing on the strong steady rock in the desert through winds of change,
being lifted up on 'eagles wings' out of the dark and above the clouds,
and like a refreshing long drink after having no water for days...

These are all images of help, guidance, a sense of victory or release after battling for awhile.

I've asked God to help me with what are my krutches that I lean on when I'm needing the extra strength, what truths come into my life or rise up in my memory when the devil is telling me lies or life throws me something hard. What's my rocks, wings, drink... (when I need it)

Here are some of mine (I recorded it in just how I remember it in my mind...):
-Every morning, renewed, release breath upon me (I am a new creature, new life in Christ, I wake up with this every morning)
-Release... in forgiveness.
I am releasing them from chains and snares. I am releasing myself from prison (of unforgiveness).
-Better in your courts than thousands else where... (seriously no better place than standin before God... in prayer)
-Hope doesn't disappoint.
-Embrace (my sis, Yo). Over time I've found that this word has opened me up to vulnerability in a healthy way, helped me to always be aware of when I need to take action to care and tend to people.
-There's jus no other way. Only one path, why take longer way of getting to place God is leading me too. I only jip myself. Listen to God in the first place. I only receive unnecessary beating from going down wrong path that I don't need.
-Confidence in fact that when I face something, I won't receive more than I can bare.
-I've received grace. Don't deserve good things. But I'm given it anyway. GIVE as I have freely been given.
-Only give what I have in my bowl, when I have nothing to give, don't feel bad about it.
When I am at a time where I need to receive, I trust God will send me someone to give to me (In other words, be okay when I have no words to say, no action to give, no service. I'm not meant to. Maybe I am to receive then? But when I have words for someone, act of service I can do for someone, love to give, I give abundently). (If I give when I have none, I'm giving of only myself, my selfishness, my human-ness. If I'm giving when I have something to give, I'm giving from the Spirit of which has allowed me to share)
Guess I could have given the reference of II Corinthians rather than explaining it all...
-Rise to compassion, not to anger. 'Cause this is what God for me...)
-There's a time for everything.
Time for assertion, time to lay back, time to mourn, cry etc. If I'm given words to speak in a moment, I am responsible for speaking it and God will hold me to it.
-Yes, Jesus is my friend. In balance with this, He is also my King. I receive freedom to lament as a friend, but respect goes hand in hand with it. My King is to be honored.
-Joy. Is my strength. Is my wings:)
I have joy with Yo, Joy in my life, even in hardship, but in the end, "I am okay.. everything is going to be okay". God has the earth, all in it, the heavens and the splendor of the galaxy in His hands.
With All this in His hands, with His hands He lifts me up to wipe tears off eyes and comfort me.
-God made me uniquely. With any authority I have, I have authority to be me. Freedom to be me. Free child. Be confident in it. I am pioneering in God's leading in my life.
-Jesus is the way. The truth. The life.
-My Lord is my Light and my Salvation.
-I picture how things could look funny as I stand before God on Judgement day. What angers me now, anything at all, would it be something that I care about when I stand before God.
Should I really get angry if a family member took the last piece of chicken (even though I really wanted). Should I sin against my brother just because of a little chicken?
(Although I don't think of chicken when something comes up, just using this silly analogy. 'N sometimes our anger is just really silly)

There's definately a lot more, these are just what came to mind as of now...

I was talkin' to Yo about this and she mentioned some of hers...
Grace and mercy... especially this year she's encountered experiences where God's shown her emmense Grace, where she herself has had to show Grace. It's kind of funny cuz through this I've seen the importance of having grace. It's releasing for others.
The word Hallelujah has become a word for her that she loves. It's excites her, it's her praise word.
Joy also has been something for her, joy in all areas of her life.

What are yours? Writing down a list is therapeutic (sp?).

Meanwhile, I got to take Eli and Sasha to Laurel's place, maybe me and Janelle will head to the beach...

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

Use the alphabet if you've got nothing intelligent to use for title.
Well HELLO.
I'm chilling with the boyz right now.
Finished drawing and help painting a set for them.
They're goin to perform for the neighbors.
And all the neighbor kids are in it!

Wanna know somethin crazy? Some guy tried to steal a guys street bike...
at the house across from us!
Our next door neighbor stopped the bad guys.
It turns out the guys who were trying to steal it lived a few houses down the road!!!
Incredibly s-t-u-p-i-d-.
Crazy world we live in.

This afternoon I was supposed to chill with Daniel but that didn't work out.
Guess we'll meet at Small Groups tonight!!!
We're goin have hotdogs, marshamellellows, 'n snacks.
MIRANDA jus came back from her missions trip!!!
She's goin to tell us all about that tonight.
Oh 'n Kryssi's sis is goin chill with me for tonight too.
She'll join us tonight. She came in from up north!
Be hanging out with Kryssi for the next lil while, thats sweet.

We didn't get to planting yesterday, so I'll help Iona with that todaaaay.

Lately I been watching "The OC". Yoyo got me into watching another one!
First Gilmore girls, now this one. I can't wait to get the 2nd season!
I hated Gilmore girls at first. Everything seemed so negative.
So fast. Now I guess... I'm used to it.

Yoyo is here. She brought me ICE CAP!!!
I will enjoy my icecap:) See ya' lata!

Tickle fight!

Well tonight I had some tickle fights with Eli and Sasha. The 2 got me when there was three of us, wrestled Sasha to the bunk, and then worked some muscle with Eli. He had sticky hands that wouldn't let go of his mum 'n dads blankets, grabbing on to doors and everything to keep from getting to bed. LOL wow, my stomach was sore from laughing. Both me 'n Eli lost it, we burst out laughing cuz I was dragging him, he was upside down, finally got him into bed! and Eli snorted. Good thing though, Sasha was sound asleep through all our laughing.
Rob and Iona are out. Iona had to speak at a church tonight. Rob is back from his 5 day trip at Juan de Fuca.
Yayyy!!! We're all together again!
Ummm well.. we went to Kamloops this past weekend. Lots-o-fun! We had dinner for Kimmy's grad, went to her grad, took ton of pictures, went to Marion's place to get ready to go out for the night.
The night was pretty good:) We went out dancing and stuff. The floor was dead, just me dancing out there lol. Kimmy, April 'n Gerald joined me. Jessica joined us too when she got there. There was this guy there who was doing some crazy moves! Man.. I was intimidated. I didn't go out on the floor that time. :S haha Anyhow, loved dancing.
After our boogy-ing, we got hungry. It was like 3 in the morning 'n we hit Dennys LOL. Yummm. Hot Chocolate is gooood.
Finally after 4 we got to sleep. Slept til close to noon and got ready.
Todaaaay, umm went to church. Almost didn't go. Was tooo tired in the morning. I just forced myself to get up. In the afternoon I hung out with Merci for mentoring time:) That was AMAZING. I picked her up, we got slurpies 'n went out to Fishtrap. My fellow winged-friends came over again (The geese visited us). This time they had lil WEE ones! Babies that looked like lil fluffs, perched bums and 2 lil feet. SO CUTE. Wanna take one home:( The mamma geese might give me quite the beating though. Ok.. keep the lil ones.
We talked about God as "LIGHT". Something I was encouraged by what Merci said and something that's been on my heart but she had said it so perfectly was the fact that when God shines his light on something ugly (in our life), it's not comfortable at all, we tend to hide or run the other way, but something she said was that His light draws something beautiful out of us. She used a cave analogy. Cave may not be so pretty but when it's light out and season for it, bears come out (and they are beautiful). I thought wow... Yeah, it could only be God who draws something like beauty of what was only ugly.
He takes away selfishness and draws us to a place where our world is not centered around ourselves. Draws us to place God in the middle, in the centers of our hearts, and care about others.
He takes care of our anger, and draws in compassion. Then we have mercy, tenderness, kindness...

The pass lil while it's been really hard. Spiritually. Felt beaten up. Deprived. Thirsty. Hungry. You could probably see that from my last posts. Blah. Just got tired. I needed help.
I realized something. I always knew it, but God really spoke to me that I cannot be spiritually independant. Just like how an island can't be... something all by itself. LOL well, I can't remember that saying but the point is that not any one person can make it all by him or herself. In whatever is coming up soon, the fact that I need help is sticking with me now.
Aright, I'm going to help Iona with planting her plants!

Reminder, we are risen with Him who has beared the cross.
He lives.
We live.

I love honesty. It's beautiful.
And sincerity. Being sincere.. it's meaningful, heartfelt.. real.

In all my ways God, I want to be sincere.
When something's too difficult, I like the fact that I can be honest about it.

Putting on a mask is tiring. Takes too much work. Drains me.
Putting on a act.. takes too much worthless effort.

And seeking sincerity.. this is my practice. I always remind myself of good thoughts.. and I go "Do I really believe in those for myself.. ?" When I don't, I ask God why. Show me how I can take His truths and make them my own. How can I make it ours, for me and God, and for me and other people.

God knows all. Why try to be a fake.

Under all this, the tip of the iceberg, is the struggle to be obedient.
How can I sincerely be obedient and mean it? With my whole heart, with my whole mind, and all my soul.
I know I can be honest before God.

Even with little strength I have, how can I bring You glory Jesus, with the obedience I have left.

Do people see You? In me... where are the fruits... ?

"I just don't know how to surrender it to you God...
I don't know anymore."

Always in my mind there's this thought that.. I have to have this formula.
Got to get it right.

I hear again "It's not about you".
I know.
"Depend on me".
How? I feel like I don't know HOW anymore.
How? I just keep taking the wheel.
Why? Sometimes it would seem so much easier to be like a robot.
To be like the angels who see You in ALL Your GLORY.
Dependance.
I don't know how to anymore.

I keep thinking I can do it on my own.
And I think, "I'm a big girl..."
"can do it on my own.........................................."

I feel lonely.
It's fear.
It's guilt.
It's shame.
It's independance,
that keep me from going to someone, to Someone.

Fear is poison. And I hate that I drink it all the time.

It's SO easy to say "no" to God.
SO easy to scream out my list of excuses saying why I CAN'T do it.

Wide and easy, it's simple. Narrow and difficult path... it's too difficult, too narrow.
That's why it's so easy not to choose it.

This puke-ey feeling comes up in my soul everytime I think I have to always be dealing with something new, something difficult. A challenge that I may not make it over..

In all this scatter and anxiety... a voice...
"list off to Me WHY you CAN do it".

hymph

thinking of changing backgrounds... for this blog I mean. The title doesn't always show up 'n other lil stuff like that. I like this background though! I don't have the skills to make it any cooler.
Ideas people? I want a funky site. This one's just going.. funky.

Right now I am... waiting 'til 3 to pick up Mercy. Me 'n Yo are chillin at Rob 'n Ionas place. Kryssi was here but she's gone home. Got nothin much doing except for tonight at 9. I be hanging out here as the kids sleep while Rob and Iona go out:)
This morning me 'n Yo got up early to go to Mum's Time Out to look after the kids. It was low-key today. I LOVE THE KIDS! They were just so adorable. I love being part of their life. Right now Isaiah is walking! We got to see him from barely crawling to where now he's running over things! Aww.. want to take him home..
Bailey and Carter were spinning themselves around in the chair.. I want to take them home too.

Tomorrow I may be chilling with Jocelyn! In the morning I may have to drop off Reaco at the church if he can't get a ride. We might also join Yoyo 'n Sammy at the lake too, we'll see. Then in the night I'm helping Rob to man the booths at Northview. It's Global Connnections weekend and Lifeteams 'n YFC have booths that need to be... governed. Looks like we might go out to coffee with Joyce as well...
busy weekend!

Well I'll gallop out of here, Me 'n Yo are off to Walmart.

The day the sun stands still...

Be courageous. Be strong.
This is the message God had given Joshua when He had elected him to lead Israel into the Promise Land. Through the ages God still speaks these words to us, they have been passed down from generations. Thousands before us have whispered the same prayer "God be with us. Be our courage and our strength".
Jesus declared in his prayers "I trust in you, in You I take refuge".
And the Lord had done great things. He literally let food rain from the sky when needed. He gave water, it ran from rocks as the thirst of His people cried out for it. He empowered one man to defeat an army of a thousand (with an animal bone). He let His beloved son die, as needed.
The Lord lived up to His fame, Faithfulness. He called for His followers to do tasks that were seemingly impossible... they even seemed dumb. His tasks were things that looked foolish in the eyes of all who did not follow Him.
If my Lord can empower a kid, armed with a few rocks and little piece of leather, to win a battle with the biggest and most feared man, armed with a sword and all the armor one can get,
If my Lord can allow the sun to stand still so that His nation can win a battle,
If my Lord can bring His faithful to our reserve that is 3 hours from civilization to share the gospel,
If this power can work that brought Jesus from death and than to life with Him,
If I am risen with Him and in the new life now and forever...
WHY
should I fret.
And sometimes I do.

Remembrance has quite the force to move me out of my own fear, laziness and comfortable place to go to the place in my walk of faith where all I see is what God sees. When I look through His eyes, hear what He is speaking to me, know His wisdom (His wisdom which had created all the heavens, the earth and all in it, sort of billions of peoples lives and say "Piece of cake"...), feel what He feels, walk where He walks, when I am there, I am in His will.
Jesus prayed fervently in Gethsame, alone before God... "Your will and not my own".
Remembering who God is, remembering who He says I am, remembering why i am here is so vital. If I'm missing these.. it's like stepping out the door with no shoes (or with no clothes), stepping into the battlefield with no armor (yet so many times we forget to do this daily..), like driving with no steering wheel, it's meeting dead-ends where we thought we might be going somewhere..
God will grant us the faith we need to walk on water, will give us the love we need tp pray for our persecutors and love our enemies, will work in us the strength we need to be light in the dark vallies and trudge through the difficult.
He has grace for us, mercy toward us, hope layed out for us.. He has the victory over every test, trial, joy in life.
Before He spoke "Light", he had the victory. Before we were made in the wombs, He held the victory. Before Christ died on the cross, He held victory. After Christ, it hadn't changed.
He holds the past, present and future in His hands. Everything is held together by Him, creation and our lives. Because this is so, we have every assurance that "everything's okay", everythings in control. Let confidence and boldness be your staff in being still or moving in the direction the Holy Spirit leads.

The burden of failure, let this not be a worry.
God always seems to patch up our messy jobs, He weaves something good always seems to come out of what's gone bad.
You won't be loved more the more you do.
You won't be loved less for the less you do.
You are loved the same in all you do.
God is proud of you.

Let His strength in you, His courage in you hold up the victory.

Little reminder...

Hi friends,
It's been a little while. I haven't had any computer or internet to keep you guys updated so here is my past few weeks...
We had our exams,
3 of us graduated from college,
me 'n Yo moved out of our apartment,
I moved into Rob's and Iona's house and Yoyo moved into Mary and Randys',
and
I'm looking after Rob 'n Iona's boys this month and the next.

I'll say more about the stuff laters, I don't got too much time...

Last night, I didn't have a very good sleep. It was restless and.. a lil disturbing.
Took me forever to fall asleep, my mind was racing with all these things, I couldn't find myself comfy enough (even though I have an amazingly comfy bed.. one of clouds and softness.. maybe because my body ached), 'n I had some weird dreams that were disturbing. But it caused me to REALLY pray so..
Hmm..
Yesterday I went on a lil hiking trip with Lifeteams close to Chilliwack, that was fun! At least after I puked. I was going along, had no energy, felt light-headed and then I puked. After that everything was fine! I then had all the energy in the world. Sort of.
Lately I just been seeing God's order, His design, in everything. He gave us all these wonderful things to take joy in. Enjoy nature, enjoy others, enjoy our coffee, begals, chocolate... yesterday I saw Eli, Rob's lil boy, enjoy the simplest thing of trying to catch the hailstones that came down on us as we were heading back to the van.
I heard God say "Take joy, Jo, in what is before you"...
"You're surrounded by beauty, my creation, by people who are working out their salvation as you are... in all this you are surrounded by my love. I am holding up creation, my hand will not leave it, holding up this earth filled with 'beloved' souls, I haven't abandoned them, I am holding you up, I will not leave you".
I been feeling like I need the assurance of something to depend on, something that'll be there for me to fall back on. I KNOW that God is always there, I know. God doesn't get frustrated with me to tell me again and again that He is it. "Everything is going to be okay", so take joy.

Until next time,
remember...
"You are in the hands of grace".