Tuesday, November 30, 2004

It's Snowing!

I discovered something new about myself - I actually really like the snow! It was snowing as I walked home today, and wow did it ever make me smile, even though it was slightly chilly. To me, the snow is like the sun, it gives me energy, makes me smile and points my thoughts to God. Some people get seasonal depression when the sun isn't there, but now the snow has become my sun so I don't need to get depressed - not that I would anyway, but yeah.

This weekend was so much fun, filled with only a little bit of homework and lots of people. I learned how to drive standard again, and I actually drove on a real road - oh how exciting! Then I went to my two Chinese friend's house for supper, and oh my goodness, so yummy with chopsticks! We had ground beef and egg plant, shrimp, tofu, boiled cabbage and green pepper with pork...and for dessert there was mashed potatoes with strawberry jam on top - sounds really gross but was actually super good! We all had bowls of rice with chopsticks, and then we all ate out of the same plates of food in the center of the table - so fun!

Anyway, on Sunday I went to Church of the Rock, and then went skating for the first time this summer - and I discovered the Skate Patrol! There are actually jobs for people who want to skate a whole bunch and patrol the ice, making sure everyone skates in the same direction and that no one gets hurt - sign me up, that's for sure!

As I was walking in my icy park again this morning, I was thinking about how if I just keep my eyes focused on Jesus, then I probably won't be as likely to give into temptation. It's once I take my eyes off of Him that I become focused on my sinful nature and then it's so easy to give in and sin...so yeah, that's what I need to do, obey what Jesus is asking me to do and be renewed daily, for the old life and nature has gone, and the new has come, but I have to choose to live in it. Hmmm, definitely a life-long thing I'm thinking, but with God, anything is possible!

Friday, November 26, 2004

Walks in the Park

Yeah, I finally went walking again today, it's been about a week since I have actually walked in my park...I was going to study anatomy as I was walking, but then the trees and the river started distracting me, and so talking to God became much more interesting than anatomy!

Anyway, as I was walking I was thinking about why God created us in the first place, like human beings in general. And then I realized yeah, He wanted relationship with people, not to be alone...isn't that kind of like us? I don't like being alone, like alone permanently, and since we are created in the image of God and in His likeness, then we also possess some of His characteristics. And so that would make sense that we don't like being alone, and neither does God, we were created for relationship - that's why church and fellowship is so important huh? I have definitely realized how amazing fellowship can be, I go to Church of the Rock right now...and I have definitely learned about fellowship there.

Church is what makes me want to stay in the city on the weekends, it's so challenging too, to bring God and my relationship with Jesus into my everyday life. Not just to walk and talk with God, but that it flows from my life into the lives of others - not living in isolation I guess. One thing I read in Oswald Chambers stood out to me today, "the greatest need we have is not to do things, but to believe things." Hmm yeah, believing in what Jesus has already done for me on the cross by taking away my sin and actually living in His grace, by His strength alone and nothing of me (John 3:30).

Thursday, November 25, 2004

Witnessing

Well yesterday I went to Bible study in the evening and we were talking about evangelism, and how you can either be bold or pushy. Some might think that by just walking up to a random stranger and talking to them about God is being pushy since there was no relationship developed first.

But then again, it totally depends on the person who is witnessing and the person who is being talked to...some people are already searching and have heard of Jesus, and some people witnessing have the gift of evangelism whereas others are gifted at talking to people and walking with them through life, showing Jesus through their lifestyle - which is i guess where relationship with Jesus should always be lived out.

And then we were talking about how Jesus did it - and he used both methods of evangelism, except that he had the advantage of knowing everyone's heart. So with the woman at the well and with Zacchaeus (or however you spell that name), Jesus didn't develop a relationship with them first, but other times he did...and he always started the conversation with a question.

Anyway, definitely made me realize that I need to rely only on God and on His power and not my strength at all, because I don't know the hearts of the people I talk to, whereas the Holy Spirit does and He can prompt me to say certain things that correspond with that person's life. Relying on my own strength and words to say sure would not get me very far - I ask for wisdom and discernment Jesus.

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Joy*Life

Oh my goodness! I just love Gospel Wednesdays...before I went sharing I was super tired, but after talking with Jen (staff with Campus Crusade for Christ) and this one girl who was really searching spiritually, I felt so energized and filled with joy. This is what has been missing from my life, like I know in church the pastor or whoever would always say that I should witness to my friends, and I did more with actions than with words I guess...the words part always kind of scared me.

Even last year when I was at Master's Commission and we would do street evangelism, I would always prefer to build a relationship first and then bring the conversation around to God and what they believe - but now I have been shown another way. That's the thing I think, I had never been shown how to do this, like to observe someone else sharing their faith, just always told that I should do it. And wow is it ever addicting, I'm realizing that it's actually not that hard to go up to someone and ask them what they believe and what their opinions are about spiritual issues.

Last Monday Jen and I met these two international students, one had just become a Christian through Gospel Wednesdays last week, and on Monday, Jen and I were sharing about Jesus with her roommate - and she also became a Christian - praise the Lord! It was so awesome, and now we get to do follow-up stuff and discipling with them, so exciting! So yeah, I remember these people at my church sharing about their mission trip, and they were saying that the one thing that had been missing from their life was sharing their faith - now I realize that was also true for me too...and so I'm definitely learning.

Learning that it's not me at all, all through God's grace, I am nothing without Him...and learning not to rely on my own strength and my own words, but only His, letting the Holy Spirit guide my words because sometimes the questions people ask are pretty crazy! Thank you Jesus for your gift and you life that now lives on in us - may I be your hands and feet today.

Thursday, November 18, 2004

Jam time!

If there is one thing I am learning these days, it's that my faith grows so much when I have to share it with other people. Yesterday was Gospel Wednesday again, and one of my friends and I talked to this one lady for almost an hour. She knew a lot about Jesus already, but thought there were a lot of contradictions in the Bible...and some of her questions made me wish I could remember all those neat facts about how even thought the Bible has been translated so many times, there are not many errors.

Today is our first 'Jam' time with Campus Crusade for Christ. A bunch of people are getting together and we're just going to worship and play our instruments, hang out and sing. I brought my mom's keyboard from home this weekend, but it's been so long since I've played. I kind of thought that after Master's Commission (an intense discipleship training school) which I did last year, I wouldn't have the chance to play in a worship team again - I was wrong...I guess God has a way of surprising us huh? So anyway, may all I do today be only for your glory Jesus.

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Life

I went for a walk today after school, as I always do (or usually do!), except today it was to study for my computer quiz tomorrow. Usually I am studying for anantomy with my red duotang, so the people who usually see me walking with the red duotang must have been pretty confused - computer is pink! Anyway, there was the most amazing sunset today, I had forgotten that sunsets are so beautiful, even in winter - but then again, I guess it's not really winter yet either. Oh well, still was quite pretty!

And then I got caught in the dark since I was too busy 'studying' (aka, studying the sunset!), that I lost track of time and did another round of the park. So there I was, walking in the dark and I couldn't read my computer notes very well by the light of the streetlights. By the way, there is this one streetlight that either turns on or off every time I walk by it. Anyway, I was thinking about what the Christian life should be characterized by.

That verse in John 10:10 says that Jesus came to give life more abundantly. And then I was wondering what that would exactly look like. So I was reminded of Romans 8 where it talks about how we're supposed to live with the Holy Spirit controlling us. And if He controls us, will we not also demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit in our own lives (Galatians 5:22-23). Going back to Romans 8, it says that the Holy Spirit inside us (if we have accepted Jesus into our lives) has made our spirits alive, and so we will live eternally.

So what is life? As John 14:6 says, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. So Jesus is life, when I have Jesus I have life, I have the Holy Spirit inside of me who produces fruit in my life, and if I am led by the Spirit of God, then I am also a child of God (Romans 8:14). And if I am a child of God, I can call him my Father. True life = eternal life, forever. Okay so that's the Sunday school answer I guess, but when this makes its way from my head to my heart...life overflowing!


Friday, November 12, 2004

Confrontations

Today I learned about being confrontational. It's not something that is on my list of favorite things to do, but I also learned that being honest with people is far better than just tolerating something that I know is wrong. I mean, Jesus was certainly confrontational when he overturned the money changers tables in the temple. He didn't care what people thought about him, didn't give in to peer pressure or to the cultural and societal norms of the time. Even how Jesus talked to the Samaratan woman at the well was totally going against the culture of the time since He was a Jew and a male, and she was a Samaratan and a female - two people that definitely did not hang out at the time.

Anyway, I was also reminded to hang onto the dreams that Jesus has given me, to ask myself everyday, "What have I done today that I believe in and that I am proud of?" Not proud in the way that I'm getting full of myself, but something that I can point to and say yes, that was good, a place in my life where I have grown or surrendered over to God. I was also reading in My Utmost for His Highest this morning, and he was talking about how instead of looking at every experience and saying, "What did I learn through this," instead realizing that God brings us through experiences to make us something, to develop our character. May my character be ever more fashioned after yours Jesus, make me your disciple - a disciple of the unashamed.

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Gospel Wednesdays!

Cheer for the end of midterms! Yeah, they are finally done - for the next four weeks anyway! But whatever, I don't have to worry about the future, instead learn to live so that I am all there in the present. Isn't that what Jesus did? Wherever He was, He was all there, no half-hearted committment or listening with only one ear to someone - such a hard thing to do sometimes.

So now there is this evangelism day through Campus Crusade for Christ at the University of Manitoba called 'Gospel Wednesdays.' Every hour people meet in front of Answers, and then pair up and walk around the campus and just talk to people about spiritual issues and ask their opinions about what they believe and who they think Jesus is. I did this for the first time yesterday and wow was is ever amazing! It totally makes my faith come alive and when I have to answer people's questions it makes me realize what I truly believe. I think that's what life is all about - building relationships...with God and then other people, introducing them to the relationship that they can have with Jesus if they choose.

Anyway, I found this verse in Mark 9:23 which is so neat, there is this father in the crowd who has a demon-possessed son and he asks Jesus to heal him if He can. And Jesus says, "What do you mean, 'If I can'?" Jesus asked. "Anything is possible if a person believes." Such a simple concept - anything is possible if a person believes - but yet so hard to live out and to not doubt. Faith like a child...

All right I must go and read all about nursing now, but peace to all of you who read this, may you truly feel the presence of Jesus in your life if you know Him, and if you don't know Him, I pray that He would be made real to you in your everyday life as well.

Run to meet Jesus.

Thursday, November 04, 2004

Living in Grace

Wow I have not written in a very long time...that's what midterms do to me. Anyway, one thing that I realized today is that I really like anatomy, I am learning so much by studying it, things are becoming so clear and now when I eat food or something, I envision the food travelling through my digestive system and the enzymes breaking it down and stuff - so funny!

Another thing I realized today is that I am nothing and Jesus is everything, or should be.
John 3:30 says, "He must become greater, I must become less. And Galatians 1:10 says, "Obviously, I'm not trying to be a people pleaser! No, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ's servant."

So that really impacted me today, everything I do is not on my own strength, all that I am is by God's grace. And what exactly is grace? I've heard it said that grace is something we receive that we don't deserve. Exactly. So every conversation I've had with people about God and everything I've ever done for Him is not on my own strength, but totally by His grace. Puts a lot of things in perspective for me, I am nothing, Christ is everything - use me for your glory Jesus.