So I never finished posting my string of california posts. Mostly because they're not terribly exciting without pictures and they're on RJ's computer while they need to be on mine, and I haven't had any time. Time time time. I feel like I'm in a bit of a whirlwind right now. So many things fighting for my focus, which as you should've learned by now, doesn't exist.
Physio exercizes and appointments for my knee - It's getting better!
UM stuff - the ever-changing drama continues to unfold, and it's still hard.
Romance - As if this is third on my priorities or focus, but I thought I'd try and fool you anyway.
The list goes on music, friends, family, God, cooking/cleaning/laundry, working, thinking, dreaming, forgetting. I'm wearing out though. Beware. I'm tired and my brain is melting. Not just the usual post's sort where I'm writing, while tired at the end of the day. The continuous zombie-state is approaching.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Ten Days - Part Six - Rain & Sunshine
Jason would get sick as I drove at least 30 miles of endless hairpin curves. That kind of driving demands all of your attention and is very draining together with the rain. After we got to the coast I continued for a few hours of more intense driving. I had Jason take over beside someone's Taj Mahal house after our morning prayer. I was in a very dour disposition I'm sorry to say. I kept giving Jason driving tips, which I tried to do in a civil manner instead of just giving him looks when we skidded out or went off the pavement. He had lots of time to practice and improved leaps and bounds. The turns never ended though and by the end we were imagining how glorious the interstate route going home would be. We stopped for an Indian lunch of Seekh (lamb) kebabs with nann, rice, a lentil curry and a vegetable curry soup. Yay! I got to eat one of the sheep I enjoyed dotting the hill sides. The countryside became so unusual. African looking trees with Scottish looking hills. I drove into San Fran for rush hour with the doubtful plan of finding a visitor info centre still open, finding an internet cafe to check for billet request responses, and getting a calling card to check in at home and inquire about James. None of it, but we did help two ladies at a gas station. A big what if ending with the second but what can you do after the fact?
Annoying downtown lostness and a sample of the freeway traffic jam had us parking and walking around to kill time and clear heads. It didn't really work. Traffic was still ugly and we were still unorganized and cranky. We got to Vacaville by 9, found a 7-11, got a calling card, and an uncooperative pay phone incurred my anger. Drove around in mostly fruitless attempts to find the Walmart. Wasted time in the store because we were grumpy, but I did talk to RJ. Located a campground, went around in circles finding a restaurant. It was a classy retro-diner Jamie would've been more proud of. The chicken burger-Mexican style- and the chocolate milkshake were good. We got to the campground by 12ish and it wouldn't allow entry after 5:30 PM. So we parked at a gas station and slept in the car, showerless again.
I awoke early enough to watch the sun rise and life feel better.
We set off for AAA and praised God for the sunshine. Now I have to go finish this day before telling you about it.
Or not. Well I've registered, and bought pretty much every Graham Cooke resource available. Now I've got some time again.
So the AAA loaded us up with maps galore and let me call to confirm where the conference was and upon receiving no word about James we were able to keep our intention of not setting foot in San Fran again. Instead we went to Safeway to get yogurt and calcium antacids for Jason, and bread and wine for communion later. Then we walked over to Bath & Bodyworks for Christmas celebrations in shorts and sandals. Yes fun was had by all.
We went and got bulk bags of outcast jelly bellies resisting the urge to buy 5 lbs of candy for $10. No wait, 10 lbs for $5. We returned to Safeway to grab eggs for lunch and went to Best Buy. I found 3 CDs for smashing prices not even available in Canada and I was very happy. Then we headed for the local park where we boiled the eggs for our lovely picnic lunch. We had our daily scripture reading and shared a delightful communion with an olive loaf and Sutter Home cabarnet sauvigon. Then I read poetry while we breathed in the flowers. Hey wait a minute, there's no flowers here...
Now we have 40 minutes before the conference starts.
Oh Holy Spirit, the trips feels so long already. May this piece not be diminished. May our hearts jump at your voice. May we dance and sing without thought of dignity or distraction. We will trust you. We will love you. We will fight fears. Open our minds and spirits to receive and possess truth.
Annoying downtown lostness and a sample of the freeway traffic jam had us parking and walking around to kill time and clear heads. It didn't really work. Traffic was still ugly and we were still unorganized and cranky. We got to Vacaville by 9, found a 7-11, got a calling card, and an uncooperative pay phone incurred my anger. Drove around in mostly fruitless attempts to find the Walmart. Wasted time in the store because we were grumpy, but I did talk to RJ. Located a campground, went around in circles finding a restaurant. It was a classy retro-diner Jamie would've been more proud of. The chicken burger-Mexican style- and the chocolate milkshake were good. We got to the campground by 12ish and it wouldn't allow entry after 5:30 PM. So we parked at a gas station and slept in the car, showerless again.
I awoke early enough to watch the sun rise and life feel better.
We set off for AAA and praised God for the sunshine. Now I have to go finish this day before telling you about it.
Or not. Well I've registered, and bought pretty much every Graham Cooke resource available. Now I've got some time again.
So the AAA loaded us up with maps galore and let me call to confirm where the conference was and upon receiving no word about James we were able to keep our intention of not setting foot in San Fran again. Instead we went to Safeway to get yogurt and calcium antacids for Jason, and bread and wine for communion later. Then we walked over to Bath & Bodyworks for Christmas celebrations in shorts and sandals. Yes fun was had by all.
We went and got bulk bags of outcast jelly bellies resisting the urge to buy 5 lbs of candy for $10. No wait, 10 lbs for $5. We returned to Safeway to grab eggs for lunch and went to Best Buy. I found 3 CDs for smashing prices not even available in Canada and I was very happy. Then we headed for the local park where we boiled the eggs for our lovely picnic lunch. We had our daily scripture reading and shared a delightful communion with an olive loaf and Sutter Home cabarnet sauvigon. Then I read poetry while we breathed in the flowers. Hey wait a minute, there's no flowers here...
Now we have 40 minutes before the conference starts.
Oh Holy Spirit, the trips feels so long already. May this piece not be diminished. May our hearts jump at your voice. May we dance and sing without thought of dignity or distraction. We will trust you. We will love you. We will fight fears. Open our minds and spirits to receive and possess truth.
Ten Days - Part Five - Ents & Sleeping To Waves Crashing
Ewoks, yes yes the Ewoks. We hiked through the magical Redwood Forest of Endor after a breath-taking safari-like car ride. We stopped for a mini-warm up hike and then moved onto the intermediate. Such fond times. Singing improvised songs and rapping based on nonsense hip-swaying (you'd have to be there). Many times we'd take off running through the trails which was grandish. We had our morning prayer beside a waterfall. Swapped stories of the recencies of life, and God.
[yes this is rather a short way to describe most of a day, but hey, that's where pictures come in real handy - and I need to figure out a way to get free album-like online publishing for the trip]
So after the Coastal Trails at Enderts Beach, we drove on right through a tree (after some bonus sight-seeing - yes more twisty driving - yes it is my fault we had to drive through the tree in the dark because I didn't read the sign very carefully). Then we traveled the original highway, which was a potted dirt road, until we came to the top of [a] High Bluff. We stared out at the ocean and prayed and sang with the slightest remaining hints of twilight. We were tired, it was dark, the road was rough. So we camped in a turnout and went to bed with only a little poppy-cock for dinner. Even though we went to bed obscenely early at 8:30 (which meant we were very silly for a while), we were groggy after nine hours of sleep.
But it was rainy and we needed to get going so we 'hurriedly' took down the tent and left at the crack of dawn, or slightly earlier.
We drove until Eureka before having breakfast at 8 at Adel's, a quaint diner Jamie would've enjoyed. I had a Belgian waffle and silliness ensued over some pink table decorations. Were they edible?
Again we took scenic detours to satisfy our Redwood addictions. I was sad not to have any battery power for RJ's camera because the country side continued to change but remain magnificent. Then we chose the coastal detour highway that decided our fate. Instead of reaching San Fran at 1:30, it would be 5.
[post break]
[yes this is rather a short way to describe most of a day, but hey, that's where pictures come in real handy - and I need to figure out a way to get free album-like online publishing for the trip]
So after the Coastal Trails at Enderts Beach, we drove on right through a tree (after some bonus sight-seeing - yes more twisty driving - yes it is my fault we had to drive through the tree in the dark because I didn't read the sign very carefully). Then we traveled the original highway, which was a potted dirt road, until we came to the top of [a] High Bluff. We stared out at the ocean and prayed and sang with the slightest remaining hints of twilight. We were tired, it was dark, the road was rough. So we camped in a turnout and went to bed with only a little poppy-cock for dinner. Even though we went to bed obscenely early at 8:30 (which meant we were very silly for a while), we were groggy after nine hours of sleep.
But it was rainy and we needed to get going so we 'hurriedly' took down the tent and left at the crack of dawn, or slightly earlier.
We drove until Eureka before having breakfast at 8 at Adel's, a quaint diner Jamie would've enjoyed. I had a Belgian waffle and silliness ensued over some pink table decorations. Were they edible?
Again we took scenic detours to satisfy our Redwood addictions. I was sad not to have any battery power for RJ's camera because the country side continued to change but remain magnificent. Then we chose the coastal detour highway that decided our fate. Instead of reaching San Fran at 1:30, it would be 5.
[post break]
Ten Days - Part Four - Run The Rainforest & Revelation
I'll write about Ewoks later - right now I'm going to talk about Coastal Trail. It's like Heart Mountain only a rain forest. Huge encouraging spiritual discussion for 5 or 6 miles or so. Then we ran back - breathing Jesus. And I served Jason. I fell behind and prayed and prayed. I praised and interceded. And God showed me:
Jason John Harder submitted his body to his spirit. Blessed are the feet of the one who brings good news. John the Baptist preached the good news. He is anointed. He is a king in God's kingdom.
And God showed me something too. Nolan Barry Archer. I have a heart after my father.
Now he has your eyes.
Something you wanted.
Your ever wayward eyes.
Wayward to heaven! To Jesus. And I cried while running, and smiled and kept breathing and praying. And when we stopped I got on my knees and blessed Jason's feet with God's anointing. Glory to God in the highest. Peace to all man! Jesus be praised! Hallelujah! Thanks.
[Again, I suppose I haven't adequately related this event, but it seems strange to try and record something that was so deep in my spirit, so beyond words. I will credit Andrew Schwab of Project 86 whose lyrics were used by God (again). I will also acknowledge Shavinesh who shared with me one of the things God's had him working on for years and years. Meditating by repeating Je-sus through breathing. In-out. Je-sus. Until you see him seated on his throne on Zion. I will also recommend The Way of a Pilgrim, the Russian classic, again. It was these two sources that inspired a great portion of the initial discussion - praying without ceasing, and later fueled the run back. I must say that I love running as prayer. My breathing always becomes a rhythm anyway, so it's easy to turn it to meditation and prayer. I did this often when I lived with RJ in Whitehorn and jogged nearly every day. It was also very cool to find that I could split my mind between breathing Je-sus and praying, or singing worship songs, or interceding for family and friends back home.]
Jason John Harder submitted his body to his spirit. Blessed are the feet of the one who brings good news. John the Baptist preached the good news. He is anointed. He is a king in God's kingdom.
And God showed me something too. Nolan Barry Archer. I have a heart after my father.
Now he has your eyes.
Something you wanted.
Your ever wayward eyes.
Wayward to heaven! To Jesus. And I cried while running, and smiled and kept breathing and praying. And when we stopped I got on my knees and blessed Jason's feet with God's anointing. Glory to God in the highest. Peace to all man! Jesus be praised! Hallelujah! Thanks.
[Again, I suppose I haven't adequately related this event, but it seems strange to try and record something that was so deep in my spirit, so beyond words. I will credit Andrew Schwab of Project 86 whose lyrics were used by God (again). I will also acknowledge Shavinesh who shared with me one of the things God's had him working on for years and years. Meditating by repeating Je-sus through breathing. In-out. Je-sus. Until you see him seated on his throne on Zion. I will also recommend The Way of a Pilgrim, the Russian classic, again. It was these two sources that inspired a great portion of the initial discussion - praying without ceasing, and later fueled the run back. I must say that I love running as prayer. My breathing always becomes a rhythm anyway, so it's easy to turn it to meditation and prayer. I did this often when I lived with RJ in Whitehorn and jogged nearly every day. It was also very cool to find that I could split my mind between breathing Je-sus and praying, or singing worship songs, or interceding for family and friends back home.]
Ten Days - Part Three - Two Strangers
We woke up to the end of shoes and shirts, in Oregon anyway. Some exercize, porridge and off to the beach for morning prayer. Then on the coastal 101 we went. We stopped for excursional jaunts down to find dead sea lions and climb big rocks. We had a faith stretching journey to make it to a gas station on empty after Jason wouldn't pull in for 2.63/gallon - "It will be cheaper later"... Again I toke comfort in Andy's song because we were empty and needed filling up. Then we picked up a hitchhiker, John. We took him to Crescent City but he declined our offer to eat at a Mexican restaurant and instead went and found a new friend - Garry. The food was good, the conversation behind me, "deep", and Jason made me glad by swapping free chip baskets with the people who left beside us. Yes we did squeeze everyone and their stuff into my car and went back to the campground in the Redwoods.
That night was interesting to the least. On the way to the campground Garry told us how someone came up to him on the street and said, "Do you wanna hear something corny? Jesus loves you." and gave him $5 and it made him so happy.
At the campground we sat around talking while they smoked pot, and when I came back from brushing my teeth Jason had brought the conversation to beliefs. John had a lot to say, and I kept listening. To him, and for God. Earlier, we'd told him we were going to a conference.
What kind?
A prophetic church kind.
Prophetic?
Hearing God's voice.
At long last I did hear. I received a story for him. Moses and the Egyptians' staffs turning to snakes. I'd already stated my heart for Jesus' being the only way which had launched Jason into a very long disjointed biblical/historical explanation of why Jesus was key that I don't think got through but ended up getting Garry asking questions. I LOVED when Jason ended in prayer. The whole thing was messy and satisfyingly led by the Holy Spirit. I fell asleep in the tent still praying. John even woke us up to say good bye - he caught a ride with the guy beside us. He assured us he hadn't stolen anything (I hadn't been worried, but I had prayed about it :).
[I didn't do a good job of writing about this on the trip, but basically, I feel there was a breakthrough for John. He has a Christian family who prays for him and I prayed a lot for them. He uses drugs contemplatively, and it was hallucinogens that first got him started thinking so much about beliefs - he had a lot to say because he thinks about it all the time now. I prayed that God would reveal himself in those times. And even though he wrote off both things I felt God tell me to say, I think it got to him. He believes in, and has seen the supernatural, but is very universal about it. I got to talk about Jesus after he made a comment about how it frustrates him that so many Christians think that there can only be one way. It went really good, but he wasn't ready to accept the truth. Still, in the morning, there was something about how he said goodbye, that made me think God was niggling at him. It was great to keep praying for them throughout the trip.]
We made breakfast for Garry, and it was grandish and now we're off to find Ewoks.
That night was interesting to the least. On the way to the campground Garry told us how someone came up to him on the street and said, "Do you wanna hear something corny? Jesus loves you." and gave him $5 and it made him so happy.
At the campground we sat around talking while they smoked pot, and when I came back from brushing my teeth Jason had brought the conversation to beliefs. John had a lot to say, and I kept listening. To him, and for God. Earlier, we'd told him we were going to a conference.
What kind?
A prophetic church kind.
Prophetic?
Hearing God's voice.
At long last I did hear. I received a story for him. Moses and the Egyptians' staffs turning to snakes. I'd already stated my heart for Jesus' being the only way which had launched Jason into a very long disjointed biblical/historical explanation of why Jesus was key that I don't think got through but ended up getting Garry asking questions. I LOVED when Jason ended in prayer. The whole thing was messy and satisfyingly led by the Holy Spirit. I fell asleep in the tent still praying. John even woke us up to say good bye - he caught a ride with the guy beside us. He assured us he hadn't stolen anything (I hadn't been worried, but I had prayed about it :).
[I didn't do a good job of writing about this on the trip, but basically, I feel there was a breakthrough for John. He has a Christian family who prays for him and I prayed a lot for them. He uses drugs contemplatively, and it was hallucinogens that first got him started thinking so much about beliefs - he had a lot to say because he thinks about it all the time now. I prayed that God would reveal himself in those times. And even though he wrote off both things I felt God tell me to say, I think it got to him. He believes in, and has seen the supernatural, but is very universal about it. I got to talk about Jesus after he made a comment about how it frustrates him that so many Christians think that there can only be one way. It went really good, but he wasn't ready to accept the truth. Still, in the morning, there was something about how he said goodbye, that made me think God was niggling at him. It was great to keep praying for them throughout the trip.]
We made breakfast for Garry, and it was grandish and now we're off to find Ewoks.
Ten Days - Part Two - Snow-Stolen-Summit & Down Down Down Into The Heart Of The Earth, or maybe just the ocean.
So anyway we drove down to exit 21, got some groceries - Health Chips, Sobeys, Carrots, Fruit, Yogurt (we were not nutritious! Not even close. Turkey Pepperoni, granola bars and some particularly awesome cookies were eaten in copious amounts). Then we had a windy (as in curvy) drive through the park to Cougar where we had to sign in for our {mis}adventures. We said we'd be back by 7 (it got dark 6-6:30) and it was already 3:30. The ideal parking lot was private so I opted for the extra hike route. I followed the directions from the map for a very windy long, scenic drive until we decided we were crazy (I was crazy) and turned back for risking a ticket. We found a snow park with x-country ski trails and snowmobiling... 5 minutes turned from snowless to more snow than Calgary's had all year put together. Lucky for us we're stubborn, the pastor had told us about Ape Caves, and I had an intense feeling that God was waiting for us up there. Back when I had that moment, I realized that instead of taking Exit 69 (our plan) we took Exit 21, the last exit. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. A funny way for one part of Andy's song to find fulfillment.
We hiked through probably a 6 ft bed of snow for 30 minutes to go Lava Tube Speleunking. Speleunking was SWEET! I had Jason's flashlight and he had his headlamp. A mixture of bouldering, hiking and eventually... climbing. We found a vent to the surface. It was a wet, mossy wall, but why not free climb it? [I hadn't seen the 3 rules I was emailed to follow - Don't die & Don't whine]
At one point I had to use Jason's shoulder to reach the top but he was stubborn and got up bracing his face against the wall (insanity!). Part of me thought Jason! How are we going to get down now?!?!? (we were NOT hiking back miles through untouched 6 ft of snow) but most of me thought, yeah I would have done that too. Now I had to do some highly intense free-climbing down, and the daylight was now gone and not helping. But Jesus got me through and I helped Jason down. No one died. Then we kept going to the real exit (with complimentary mounted stairs) and got good and wet traipsing around in the snow topside. Back down for a long hike back. Oh yeah and I scared Jason by going ahead, hiding, and turning off my light, waiting for him and screaming on the way up! I kept ending up ahead of Jason so I'd stop and stand like a statue with my light off in absolute darkness and pray. Mmm prayer. Like the morning prayer we'd had earlier in the car. So I was a bit impatient getting back. Because were late and I was concerned for the Search & Rescue people and it's mildly depressing speleunking that long. Stopping and praying was a good counter. The Search & Rescue guy was awesome! Praise God! He was just impressed that we'd gone all the way to the end and back that quickly (no he didn't know about our little side venture either), and couldn't believe I was only wearing runners. He wasn't worried at all, didn't give us a ticket, and didn't even sick his german shepherd on us for fun.
More fun driving for me (RJ would have hated me) - in the dark and then I swapped with Jason at the interstate. I swapped back later, in time to get to do the almost psychedelic downhill twisty fast forested dark run to our campground at the coast at 12:30 AM. We set up the tent and had a long shower and went to bed with thank you prayers. We'd had evening prayers the night before (in the mystical foggy drive) where I asked Jason what was on his heart and we prayed for the addicted in Calgary.
[post break]
We hiked through probably a 6 ft bed of snow for 30 minutes to go Lava Tube Speleunking. Speleunking was SWEET! I had Jason's flashlight and he had his headlamp. A mixture of bouldering, hiking and eventually... climbing. We found a vent to the surface. It was a wet, mossy wall, but why not free climb it? [I hadn't seen the 3 rules I was emailed to follow - Don't die & Don't whine]
At one point I had to use Jason's shoulder to reach the top but he was stubborn and got up bracing his face against the wall (insanity!). Part of me thought Jason! How are we going to get down now?!?!? (we were NOT hiking back miles through untouched 6 ft of snow) but most of me thought, yeah I would have done that too. Now I had to do some highly intense free-climbing down, and the daylight was now gone and not helping. But Jesus got me through and I helped Jason down. No one died. Then we kept going to the real exit (with complimentary mounted stairs) and got good and wet traipsing around in the snow topside. Back down for a long hike back. Oh yeah and I scared Jason by going ahead, hiding, and turning off my light, waiting for him and screaming on the way up! I kept ending up ahead of Jason so I'd stop and stand like a statue with my light off in absolute darkness and pray. Mmm prayer. Like the morning prayer we'd had earlier in the car. So I was a bit impatient getting back. Because were late and I was concerned for the Search & Rescue people and it's mildly depressing speleunking that long. Stopping and praying was a good counter. The Search & Rescue guy was awesome! Praise God! He was just impressed that we'd gone all the way to the end and back that quickly (no he didn't know about our little side venture either), and couldn't believe I was only wearing runners. He wasn't worried at all, didn't give us a ticket, and didn't even sick his german shepherd on us for fun.
More fun driving for me (RJ would have hated me) - in the dark and then I swapped with Jason at the interstate. I swapped back later, in time to get to do the almost psychedelic downhill twisty fast forested dark run to our campground at the coast at 12:30 AM. We set up the tent and had a long shower and went to bed with thank you prayers. We'd had evening prayers the night before (in the mystical foggy drive) where I asked Jason what was on his heart and we prayed for the addicted in Calgary.
[post break]
Ten Days - Part One - Fog-Filled Magic & Church
We begun late. I'd been up until 5:15 AM the night before working on my taxes - which I didn't finish. I awoke late - 8:30 AM - and ate cereal with Connor & Andy. Andy had a song for me and had already been praying for me. I loaded up the car and went to pick up Jason [note, I was informed that I left a trail of pistachio shells from my backpack through the house - like hansel and gretle, to find their way home - also note, those were leftover stache from my Christmas stocking forgotten in my backpack]. We prayed with Rod (Jason's boss) and headed out along the scenic route. The round about Cochrane, Priddis, towards Crow's Nest Pass. I drove from 12 - 1:30 and then Jason took over in Priddis. I rested a little bit until Scott (Jason's older brother) phoned and we prayed for him. We stopped at Frank's Slide for gas and the door panel was off. How annoying, and funny. I drove again at 5:30. We stopped at a Superstore for some food for supper, except by then we didn't care and ate at Burger King anyway. It meant we polished off a bag of grapes at the border. The truck in front of us got a rigorous search, but we just had our trunk glanced inside. I drove to Spokane by 10:30 PM and then Jason drove until midnight - we got to Yakk. It was foggy and mystical outside in what we guessed were foothills. I remember the car jerking while resting just after we switched drivers. I smiled and thought of Jesus in the boat and just prayed. Jason said there was some crazy cross-winds later. I woke up and was awake with Jason for most of that drive and it was special. It was like I woke up totally different - in a different world, crossed over in the time between times (Celtic folklore).
God was now foremost.
We slept in the car at a rest stop which wasn't bad. Then we wandered around a bit before heading off, for church. We stopped in Mossy Rock at 10:45 to join the Assembly of God. It was fantastic!!! Small town church and the people were WARM. They wandered around socializing, greeting us kindly. They gave us advice and directions for Mt. St. Helen's when we told them we were going to hike it. They had a big worship team. My favourite part was a very old man (think happy Monster House) who danced a jig in the aisle and then danced up a storm in front of the drummer - encouraging him to play his heart out!
The turn-and-greet-someone time didn't mean turn at all. It meant wander all over the church very genuinely appreciating and loving people. Long period of singing then a sermon on missions and their commitments. Could have been bad like so many other Give sermons but wasn't. It was beautiful and powerful and Truth! Interactive. There was prayer and prophecy going on in the middle of the service - very natural and organized. Yay! "Come on now!" was repeated by someone up at the front which Jason adopted to my delight.
So off we went again. Oh yeah, on our way there we drove to the top of a mountain with a ski resort using the highway as a parking lot. Crazy.
[post break]
God was now foremost.
We slept in the car at a rest stop which wasn't bad. Then we wandered around a bit before heading off, for church. We stopped in Mossy Rock at 10:45 to join the Assembly of God. It was fantastic!!! Small town church and the people were WARM. They wandered around socializing, greeting us kindly. They gave us advice and directions for Mt. St. Helen's when we told them we were going to hike it. They had a big worship team. My favourite part was a very old man (think happy Monster House) who danced a jig in the aisle and then danced up a storm in front of the drummer - encouraging him to play his heart out!
The turn-and-greet-someone time didn't mean turn at all. It meant wander all over the church very genuinely appreciating and loving people. Long period of singing then a sermon on missions and their commitments. Could have been bad like so many other Give sermons but wasn't. It was beautiful and powerful and Truth! Interactive. There was prayer and prophecy going on in the middle of the service - very natural and organized. Yay! "Come on now!" was repeated by someone up at the front which Jason adopted to my delight.
So off we went again. Oh yeah, on our way there we drove to the top of a mountain with a ski resort using the highway as a parking lot. Crazy.
[post break]
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Adventure's Eve
Hey! Tomorrow I leave for California! Or today even since it is now 5 past the hour. Yes I'm still procrastinating! I finished a big chunk of my income taxes though. Yes there are still hours ahead and then in the morning I get to wake up and have breakfast with Andy, pack, and take off with Jason. I'm very excited about the trip. It's highly unorganized. No defined route, or resting spots. We're not even officially registered (I was assured it didn't matter and we could register at the door). God said to go, and then he showed me several passages in Genesis (all the classic covenant building events with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). He tells them to go. Then they go and at night God talks to them. What does this tell me? God likes road-trips, and talking at night. So bring it on, because I'm a fan of both too! I just got the photos from my road trip last April visiting Sindy. She took some stellar pics. I would share them with you but I'm just not that technological. So maybe you should hang out with me instead... Like cool people who called me up and made me come out for Vietnamese tonight (yes, more procrastination), or Shay who decided to come over even though I was doing income taxes, although I sent him off to hang out with people having fun, but not before socializing over freshly baked cookies - Sherry's doing - they were fantastic and lucky me, I'm being sent off with a traveling supply.
But I'm tired. So I'm going to stop procrastinating and wish you all well for the next week and a bit. If you're fortunate I will come by a computer with free-internet access, and update you all. Otherwise, don't wait for phone calls because I don't have a long-distance calling card, and we all know how cheap I am, and my parents for sure know how bad I am at calling to let you know I'm OK - except I did call them overseas, just because I love them though.
When I am afraid I will trust in you, I will trust in you, I will trust in you.
Children's songs are the best. And I keep singing this as a prayer (I sang Kelly Clarkson songs to pray for Jenn in Brazil) for other people. Maybe it's because I sang songs like this when I was a child, or maybe I'm blessed because my grandparents are super cool and pray for me all the time, but I'm not afraid. I relate better with the psalmist who says, The Lord is my refuge, whom shall I fear? But it's not about me. It's about the whole body. The whole body doesn't react to fear. Maybe you feel it in your stomach, or throat, or mind, and maybe I'm none of those things. Maybe I'm the feet and I'm going to make you stand when you want to fall. Or maybe I'm the elbow (I'll never know, I never got the haiku). Either way, how can I go to other people to fight their fears, when the same lives in my house. And I have so much compassion for it. Prayer for that is probably the most precious part of filling in for the neighbour once in a while and brushing off snow.
But I'm tired. So I'm going to stop procrastinating and wish you all well for the next week and a bit. If you're fortunate I will come by a computer with free-internet access, and update you all. Otherwise, don't wait for phone calls because I don't have a long-distance calling card, and we all know how cheap I am, and my parents for sure know how bad I am at calling to let you know I'm OK - except I did call them overseas, just because I love them though.
When I am afraid I will trust in you, I will trust in you, I will trust in you.
Children's songs are the best. And I keep singing this as a prayer (I sang Kelly Clarkson songs to pray for Jenn in Brazil) for other people. Maybe it's because I sang songs like this when I was a child, or maybe I'm blessed because my grandparents are super cool and pray for me all the time, but I'm not afraid. I relate better with the psalmist who says, The Lord is my refuge, whom shall I fear? But it's not about me. It's about the whole body. The whole body doesn't react to fear. Maybe you feel it in your stomach, or throat, or mind, and maybe I'm none of those things. Maybe I'm the feet and I'm going to make you stand when you want to fall. Or maybe I'm the elbow (I'll never know, I never got the haiku). Either way, how can I go to other people to fight their fears, when the same lives in my house. And I have so much compassion for it. Prayer for that is probably the most precious part of filling in for the neighbour once in a while and brushing off snow.
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