Thursday, 23 February 2012
Hope Now
I love this song. I cannot listen to it without crying. If I am ever feeling down, I just need to listen to this song. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do! :)
Have a great day!
Shalom!
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Devo
After I was done high school, I took a one year program, and am now a certified child and youth care worker. Every time someone asked me “why that course?” I would always respond cheerfully and with a smile on my face “I want to help people!” I always get upset whenever I see people living difficult lives. It tugs at my heartstrings, makes me cry and I just want to reach out to them. This is worsened when it is children. So I figured that this would be the perfect job for me because I am helping people and the focus is on children and youth.
Part of my course was to do a 4 week practical at the end. This practical involved going to a youth center, group home etc, and gaining practical experience that we would use in the field of child and youth care work. I was placed at a drop in center for inner city youth. Even though the center was for youth we did have some adults drop in as well. One Thursday when I arrived at work a middle aged woman, down on her luck had stopped in to have something to eat, and to pick up some hygiene products. I sat down and talked with her and discovered that she had been through some hard times in her life and was finally getting her life back on track. She was really excited to be having a second chance in life, after going through a lot of hard times in her past. I wished her luck in her future, said good-bye and told her I would see her the next time she dropped in. She came in a few times after that and it was always so good to chat with her, she was a bubbly person, always focusing on the positive. I always looked forward to seeing her. One Tuesday I got to work and my boss told me that on Saturday night, she had been raped, stabbed, thrown in a dumpster and left to die.
I was speechless when he told me that. It shocked me. How could someone who had been so alive and full of life one day, be dead the next? I was in such shock that I could not focus on my daily tasks. I kept thinking back to how happy she had been, how excited she was that her life was finally getting better---it took me a while to come to terms with what had happened. I remember thinking “I wanted to enter this profession so that I could prevent this from happening”, I want to help people”
I spent a lot of time thinking and praying about this experience. I did learn a big life lesson from it. It made me realize that death is inevitable to us all. We will die, it is a given. Up until that point I had just been going about life thinking I always had tomorrow to do something. I may have tomorrow and I may not. We never know when our life could end. It could be today, tomorrow or thirty years from now. From life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands our destiny. It’s His choice not ours.
So what can we do about it? The answer is nothing. What we can do though, is make sure that we are prepared to leave this life behind us at any given moment and live forever in His amazing grace. I made the commitment to try and enjoy every single day of my life, to not be negative( and I still struggle with this, as sometimes we just want to complain and not focus on the positive), to live to help others up, and be a bright spot in people’s lives, just as my friend was in mine. I also learned that we must be prepared to say good-bye to a family member or friend at any given time.
Throughout my time and reflection, there were a few things that stuck out to me; I would like to share them with you. I hope they mean as much to you as they do to me.
1. Read the word of God daily and spend time with Him. He is our strength and our comfort.
2. Never leave home without telling your parents and siblings that you love them. Even if you are mad at them, still say it.
3. Never say good-bye to a friend without telling them how much you appreciate them, and that you care for them.
4. Say thank you, to your parents, grandparents, sister, brother, your friends, or whoever deserves it. Thank them for what they have done for you. Say it when it’s least expected, and when it will make the biggest impact.
5. Remember these three things, I can change the world, I will change the world, I have changed the world.
6. Live so that you have no regrets, everything happens for a reason (Romans 8:28) and God never gives a person more than they can handle. So why would you have regrets?
7. Remember that you can’t find time. You have to make time. There may never be a ``next time`
8. Live your life that so that when you are standing before God you can say `I have used everything you gave me`.
9. Do not worry- who by worrying can add a single year to their life, also worry is a sin!
10. If you love someone...TELL THEM!! You may never get the chance to if you keep putting it off.
I know that I cannot speak for everyone in this room, but I have been guilty of not following these golden rules( as I like to call them) I have been known to forget to thank people, I forget to tell my friends and family that I care about them and that I appreciate them, I’m forever saying `` Oh I’ll do that or say that the next time I see so and so`` and just ask anyone who knows me and they can tell you just how much I worry! (This by the way is most of the time!)
I also know that death is something that not many people like to talk about, it makes some people squirm in their seats, and you want to look anywhere but at the person who is talking about it. I know that I would rather have my legs waxed....one hair at a time, then talk about death. But let’s face it it’s a part of everyday life and we have to deal with it. Our relationship with God, how we live our life and how we treat people will affect how we deal with it.
So I guess the question that I’m going to leave you with today is this, `Are you ready to say good-bye to a family member or a friend at any given time or leave this life at any given moment and live forever in His amazing grace``
I encourage you to make the commitment to see each day as a blessing and to remember “This is the day that the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it”. Enjoy every single day you have, and focus on the positive not the negative. Be a shining light to someone!
Part of my course was to do a 4 week practical at the end. This practical involved going to a youth center, group home etc, and gaining practical experience that we would use in the field of child and youth care work. I was placed at a drop in center for inner city youth. Even though the center was for youth we did have some adults drop in as well. One Thursday when I arrived at work a middle aged woman, down on her luck had stopped in to have something to eat, and to pick up some hygiene products. I sat down and talked with her and discovered that she had been through some hard times in her life and was finally getting her life back on track. She was really excited to be having a second chance in life, after going through a lot of hard times in her past. I wished her luck in her future, said good-bye and told her I would see her the next time she dropped in. She came in a few times after that and it was always so good to chat with her, she was a bubbly person, always focusing on the positive. I always looked forward to seeing her. One Tuesday I got to work and my boss told me that on Saturday night, she had been raped, stabbed, thrown in a dumpster and left to die.
I was speechless when he told me that. It shocked me. How could someone who had been so alive and full of life one day, be dead the next? I was in such shock that I could not focus on my daily tasks. I kept thinking back to how happy she had been, how excited she was that her life was finally getting better---it took me a while to come to terms with what had happened. I remember thinking “I wanted to enter this profession so that I could prevent this from happening”, I want to help people”
I spent a lot of time thinking and praying about this experience. I did learn a big life lesson from it. It made me realize that death is inevitable to us all. We will die, it is a given. Up until that point I had just been going about life thinking I always had tomorrow to do something. I may have tomorrow and I may not. We never know when our life could end. It could be today, tomorrow or thirty years from now. From life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands our destiny. It’s His choice not ours.
So what can we do about it? The answer is nothing. What we can do though, is make sure that we are prepared to leave this life behind us at any given moment and live forever in His amazing grace. I made the commitment to try and enjoy every single day of my life, to not be negative( and I still struggle with this, as sometimes we just want to complain and not focus on the positive), to live to help others up, and be a bright spot in people’s lives, just as my friend was in mine. I also learned that we must be prepared to say good-bye to a family member or friend at any given time.
Throughout my time and reflection, there were a few things that stuck out to me; I would like to share them with you. I hope they mean as much to you as they do to me.
1. Read the word of God daily and spend time with Him. He is our strength and our comfort.
2. Never leave home without telling your parents and siblings that you love them. Even if you are mad at them, still say it.
3. Never say good-bye to a friend without telling them how much you appreciate them, and that you care for them.
4. Say thank you, to your parents, grandparents, sister, brother, your friends, or whoever deserves it. Thank them for what they have done for you. Say it when it’s least expected, and when it will make the biggest impact.
5. Remember these three things, I can change the world, I will change the world, I have changed the world.
6. Live so that you have no regrets, everything happens for a reason (Romans 8:28) and God never gives a person more than they can handle. So why would you have regrets?
7. Remember that you can’t find time. You have to make time. There may never be a ``next time`
8. Live your life that so that when you are standing before God you can say `I have used everything you gave me`.
9. Do not worry- who by worrying can add a single year to their life, also worry is a sin!
10. If you love someone...TELL THEM!! You may never get the chance to if you keep putting it off.
I know that I cannot speak for everyone in this room, but I have been guilty of not following these golden rules( as I like to call them) I have been known to forget to thank people, I forget to tell my friends and family that I care about them and that I appreciate them, I’m forever saying `` Oh I’ll do that or say that the next time I see so and so`` and just ask anyone who knows me and they can tell you just how much I worry! (This by the way is most of the time!)
I also know that death is something that not many people like to talk about, it makes some people squirm in their seats, and you want to look anywhere but at the person who is talking about it. I know that I would rather have my legs waxed....one hair at a time, then talk about death. But let’s face it it’s a part of everyday life and we have to deal with it. Our relationship with God, how we live our life and how we treat people will affect how we deal with it.
So I guess the question that I’m going to leave you with today is this, `Are you ready to say good-bye to a family member or a friend at any given time or leave this life at any given moment and live forever in His amazing grace``
I encourage you to make the commitment to see each day as a blessing and to remember “This is the day that the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it”. Enjoy every single day you have, and focus on the positive not the negative. Be a shining light to someone!
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Dog Show!
Today my friend is putting down her dog. Adrian has been part of her family for 13 years. I can only imagine the pain of putting down a beloved pet. It must take great strength and courage to put down a pet, I have not yet had to do it but I have had a couple similar experiences and today I have been thinking of them.
When I was 7 my dad got me my first pet dog. She was a black lab and she was my baby. Let me tell you that dog put up with a lot! From me dressing her up in baby bonnets, to making her wear socks! We would go for walks and she would always look back at me and give me this look as if she was saying “hurry up and catch up with me”. One day on one of these walks ( I can feel the tears starting to flow right about now) my dear girl ran onto the road and was hit by a truck, I remember watching in horror as she rolled down onto the side of the road. I don’t think I have ever moved so fast in my life as to get to where she was, she was alive still…but barely. I remember hugging her and crying and having her die in my arms. That was one of the hardest things I have had to experience in my life. I had only had her for two years.
My second dog came along two years after that. A purebred border collie. Ohh she was such a cutie when she was a puppy! Watching her run on her little chubby legs and then topple over. It was so cute! She was in my family for 5 years. We all loved that dog and we spent countless hours spoiling her to death! She was loved to bits. One day when I went outside to find her, I found her laying down with blood streaming out of her nose and she was coughing up blood. We had no idea what was wrong with her. Two hours later she was dead. She died from poisoning the vet said, but how she got it we had no clue. We had “doggy-proofed” our farm to make sure nothing would hurt her.
My neighbour then comes over and tells us her poisoned her because he “didn’t really care for her””. Golly gee thanks guy, your lucky I was to upset to say what I wanted to.
A few years later my third dog came along. He is half border collie/ half German Sheppard . He has been around for about 5 years now. He is my most spunkiest dog yet. He loves to hug ( he will jump up and wrap his paws around you, we tried to train this out of him…but we failed…we jokingly say he‘s a lover not a fighter!), he cannot sit still, and he loves to chew holes in my socks( imagine my shock when I go to put on a sock and there’s a big hole in it…). I love that little guy to bits and don’t know what I would do without him!
As you can tell I am slightly dog crazy! Never mind the crazy cat lady, I’m going to be the crazy dog lady! Pets are an important part of the family. They always listen to you when you are upset and can make you feel better by just letting you talk to them and pet them. Its very therapeutic. So if you have a pet: hug, cuddle and love them to bits while they are still around!
Shalom!
When I was 7 my dad got me my first pet dog. She was a black lab and she was my baby. Let me tell you that dog put up with a lot! From me dressing her up in baby bonnets, to making her wear socks! We would go for walks and she would always look back at me and give me this look as if she was saying “hurry up and catch up with me”. One day on one of these walks ( I can feel the tears starting to flow right about now) my dear girl ran onto the road and was hit by a truck, I remember watching in horror as she rolled down onto the side of the road. I don’t think I have ever moved so fast in my life as to get to where she was, she was alive still…but barely. I remember hugging her and crying and having her die in my arms. That was one of the hardest things I have had to experience in my life. I had only had her for two years.
My second dog came along two years after that. A purebred border collie. Ohh she was such a cutie when she was a puppy! Watching her run on her little chubby legs and then topple over. It was so cute! She was in my family for 5 years. We all loved that dog and we spent countless hours spoiling her to death! She was loved to bits. One day when I went outside to find her, I found her laying down with blood streaming out of her nose and she was coughing up blood. We had no idea what was wrong with her. Two hours later she was dead. She died from poisoning the vet said, but how she got it we had no clue. We had “doggy-proofed” our farm to make sure nothing would hurt her.
My neighbour then comes over and tells us her poisoned her because he “didn’t really care for her””. Golly gee thanks guy, your lucky I was to upset to say what I wanted to.
A few years later my third dog came along. He is half border collie/ half German Sheppard . He has been around for about 5 years now. He is my most spunkiest dog yet. He loves to hug ( he will jump up and wrap his paws around you, we tried to train this out of him…but we failed…we jokingly say he‘s a lover not a fighter!), he cannot sit still, and he loves to chew holes in my socks( imagine my shock when I go to put on a sock and there’s a big hole in it…). I love that little guy to bits and don’t know what I would do without him!
As you can tell I am slightly dog crazy! Never mind the crazy cat lady, I’m going to be the crazy dog lady! Pets are an important part of the family. They always listen to you when you are upset and can make you feel better by just letting you talk to them and pet them. Its very therapeutic. So if you have a pet: hug, cuddle and love them to bits while they are still around!
Shalom!
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
GF,DF and Kosher for Passover Brownies
I made these today and they are so yummy! They are GF,DF and Kosher for Passover! :D
Brownies!
½ C. Margarine
½ C. Cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 C. Sugar
¼ C. Potato flour
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease a small 8x8 baking pan( or line the bottom with parchment paper). In small saucepan, melt together the butter and cocoa powder. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Stir the eggs in quickly, one at a time so they don’t scramble. Stir in the sugar, then potato flour, salt and vanilla. Pour into baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. ( Better to underbake then overbake!)
Enjoy!
Shalom!
Brownies!
½ C. Margarine
½ C. Cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 C. Sugar
¼ C. Potato flour
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease a small 8x8 baking pan( or line the bottom with parchment paper). In small saucepan, melt together the butter and cocoa powder. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Stir the eggs in quickly, one at a time so they don’t scramble. Stir in the sugar, then potato flour, salt and vanilla. Pour into baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. ( Better to underbake then overbake!)
Enjoy!
Shalom!
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Blue fingers and Ninja moves
So last night I went to wash my face before bed and I noticed that my hands and fingers were blue.
What the???
I tested the circulation on my fingers thinking that I must have a lack of circulation in my fingers. Why else would they be blue?
Nope, circulation was fine.
I looked at my feet and toes to see if they were blue.
Nope, they were fine. By this time I am really confused.
I eventually gave up puzzling over this mystery and washed my face, only to have my cleanser turn blue.
Now I am really really REALLY confused!
A minute later I had my “Aha” moment. I was wearing new jeans that day and they had not yet been through the wash, and of course they were dark rinse jeans. They dye from my jeans had gotten on my hands. Good one Krystal!
On another quick note, this morning while laying in bed I was texting a friend and I dropped my phone on my face…the iPhone is great but not when it hits you in the face, it really hurts! It’s like a brick hitting you in the face. Let me tell you, that phone has some sweet ninja moves! :p
Have a great day everyone!
Shalom!
What the???
I tested the circulation on my fingers thinking that I must have a lack of circulation in my fingers. Why else would they be blue?
Nope, circulation was fine.
I looked at my feet and toes to see if they were blue.
Nope, they were fine. By this time I am really confused.
I eventually gave up puzzling over this mystery and washed my face, only to have my cleanser turn blue.
Now I am really really REALLY confused!
A minute later I had my “Aha” moment. I was wearing new jeans that day and they had not yet been through the wash, and of course they were dark rinse jeans. They dye from my jeans had gotten on my hands. Good one Krystal!
On another quick note, this morning while laying in bed I was texting a friend and I dropped my phone on my face…the iPhone is great but not when it hits you in the face, it really hurts! It’s like a brick hitting you in the face. Let me tell you, that phone has some sweet ninja moves! :p
Have a great day everyone!
Shalom!
Saturday, 11 February 2012
GF&DF Banana Bread
A friend of mine gave me this banana bread recipe, its GF( Gluten Free) and DF( Dairy Free)! It tastes so good! I cannot get my fill of it, so for all you other GF&DF people, here it is!
Rice Flour Banana Bread:
1 C. Mashed Bananas
¾ C. Sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla
2 eggs
1 ¼ C. Rice Flour
¼ Chopped Nuts or Chocolate Chips
¾ Tsp Baking Powder
½ Tsp Baking Soda
¼ Tsp Salt
¼ C. Oil
Add bananas, sugar and vanilla and beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Add eggs and mix well. Add everything else and mix well.
Bake at 350F for 3--35 minutes or until done. I covered mine with tin foil to keep it from getting to brown. Cool on counter before removing from pan. Makes one medium sized loaf.
ENJOY!
Shalom!
Rice Flour Banana Bread:
1 C. Mashed Bananas
¾ C. Sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla
2 eggs
1 ¼ C. Rice Flour
¼ Chopped Nuts or Chocolate Chips
¾ Tsp Baking Powder
½ Tsp Baking Soda
¼ Tsp Salt
¼ C. Oil
Add bananas, sugar and vanilla and beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Add eggs and mix well. Add everything else and mix well.
Bake at 350F for 3--35 minutes or until done. I covered mine with tin foil to keep it from getting to brown. Cool on counter before removing from pan. Makes one medium sized loaf.
ENJOY!
Shalom!
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Tests just dont happen in highschool.
Every once in awhile I will stumble upon something from my Bible school days and I will go “Ohhh, wow!!!! This is EXACTLY what I needed to hear RIGHT NOW!” Today was one of those days! I was cleaning out some boxes of stuff from when I was in Bible school and I came across a handout about tests. It really just spoke to me, and I feel that I need to share it on here, So here it goes!
PASSING THE TEST!
Yeshua with disciples( John 6:6)
Children of Israel in wilderness( Deaut. 8:2) “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways( Ps. 95:10). The ways of God with testing:
God is teaching us to live above our circumstances, not by them.
God not only frustrates us---He causes or allows our pain.
He is more concerned about what happens IN us than what happens TO us.
God doesn’t usually tell us when we are being tested. What is a Test? A test is a physical, psychological or spiritual trial that God uses to develop our character. It threatens our peace and joy. We will either pass or fail, responding to God or reacting to the test.
What are tests like?
Tests touch us all. They are common and universal in scope. James wrote “Consider it pure joy whenever face trials…” not “if you face trials”. Peter told suffering saints “ You know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering ( 1 Peter 5:9). We also said not to be surprised when they come ( 1 Peter 4:12). Paul wrote “No temptation (one kind of test) has seized you except what is common to man” ( 1 Cor. 10:13)
Tests check our attitude. “Consider it pure joy…” Joy is not a normal response to trials. Your attitude will determine what you receive from the test. “Your attitude determines your altitude.”. The earlier you embrace the test as something God can use, the sooner you can pass it and receive the rewards that it brings. James says “Consider it pure joy when you face trials…”, not when you finish them. God makes it worth it to pass the tests. You don’t truly know me in pleasure, you know me in pain. When God “squeezes” us, what is on the inside comes out. When he squeezed Israel, complaining came out. When God squeezed Joseph, forgiveness came out.
Tests are varied “ Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds…” “…though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” ( 1 Peter 1:6). Different physical exercises develop different muscles. Consider the variety of tests that “exercise” different areas of our life: finances, family, health, relationships, inner wholeness, habits, temptation, work, ministry. What kind of tests are YOU facing?
Tests can be friends “You know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance”. Paul said “we rejoice in our sufferings, because we KNOW that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character…”( Romans 5:3). It is what we KNOW that enables us to rejoice at the outset of hardships. Tests give us what we need and want the most---the fruit of the spirit, the character of Christ. What could be more important?
Tests bring tension Four truths about tension:
God often causes it
God always uses it
Tension precedes breath through
We must learn to steward tension Rather then trying to avoid or dismiss tension, we use it to confront and overcome
“Tension doesn’t mean something is wrong; it means something is happening”
Tests come from different sources Some are hand-crafted by God. Some are sourced in the devil. Some trials come our way by wrong decisions or actions, either ours or others. Some come from both God and the devil. Whatever the source, we are to “resist the devil and submit to God”. Other tools God uses in testing: difficult marriage, personal failure, overbearing boss, imperfect parents, hard co-workers, friends who misunderstand.
Tests are made to pass “ These have come so that your faith may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed” ( 1 Peter 1:7)
God doesn’t give us tests to flunk us. He gives us grace to pass. Satan tempts us to fail. He comes “”to lie, kill and destroy” ( John 10:10)
Tests get stronger as we grow Tests are harder in graduate school then in grade school. Mature believers more difficult tests. The greater the anointing, the greater the testing. Don’t envy those with strong anointing; just pass your tests.
Tests can confuse. Ask for wisdom Trials can raise questions about me: “Is this happening because I disobeyed in tenth grade?” or about God: “Is He really that good?” We must keep a true and Biblical picture of who God is and who we are in Him. Or tests will “unsettle” us ( 1 Thess. 3:3). Don’t let tests make you a victim, which brings passivity, or give you the feeling of entitlement: “I don’t deserve this”
Tests pass bring a reward “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him ( James 1:12). A crown ( “stephanos”) speaks of victory and authority. Tests bring us a new revelation of God, a new authority and confidence, a new joy.
Tests bring a testimony
Abraham: “So Abraham called that place ‘ The Lord will provide’ “ ( Gen. 22:14)
Joseph: “You intended to harm me, but God it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” ( Gen. 50:20)
David: “ They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me” ( Ps. 18: 18, 19) If you have ever thought, “I don’t have much of a testimony”, pass a test and get one!
Tests last “a little while” Peter writes, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials…” ( 1 Peter 1:6,7 See also 1 Peter 5:10). What could James have said instead? “Consider it joy when you get through trials.” But he said to do it at the onset. Okay, try this in the Spirit: Consider it pure joy when people criticize you, when you are ignored, insulted, misunderstood or manipulated, and get read for a significant upgrade in your relationship with God and people. The things that often discourage us are meant to give us a deeper joy in the Lord!
I hope that everyone gets as much out of that as I did!
Shalom!
PASSING THE TEST!
Yeshua with disciples( John 6:6)
Children of Israel in wilderness( Deaut. 8:2) “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways( Ps. 95:10). The ways of God with testing:
God not only frustrates us---He causes or allows our pain.
He is more concerned about what happens IN us than what happens TO us.
God doesn’t usually tell us when we are being tested.
What are tests like?
Tests touch us all. They are common and universal in scope. James wrote “Consider it pure joy whenever face trials…” not “if you face trials”. Peter told suffering saints “ You know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering ( 1 Peter 5:9). We also said not to be surprised when they come ( 1 Peter 4:12). Paul wrote “No temptation (one kind of test) has seized you except what is common to man” ( 1 Cor. 10:13)
Tests check our attitude. “Consider it pure joy…” Joy is not a normal response to trials. Your attitude will determine what you receive from the test. “Your attitude determines your altitude.”. The earlier you embrace the test as something God can use, the sooner you can pass it and receive the rewards that it brings. James says “Consider it pure joy when you face trials…”, not when you finish them. God makes it worth it to pass the tests. You don’t truly know me in pleasure, you know me in pain. When God “squeezes” us, what is on the inside comes out. When he squeezed Israel, complaining came out. When God squeezed Joseph, forgiveness came out.
Tests are varied “ Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds…” “…though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” ( 1 Peter 1:6). Different physical exercises develop different muscles. Consider the variety of tests that “exercise” different areas of our life: finances, family, health, relationships, inner wholeness, habits, temptation, work, ministry. What kind of tests are YOU facing?
Tests can be friends “You know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance”. Paul said “we rejoice in our sufferings, because we KNOW that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character…”( Romans 5:3). It is what we KNOW that enables us to rejoice at the outset of hardships. Tests give us what we need and want the most---the fruit of the spirit, the character of Christ. What could be more important?
Tests bring tension Four truths about tension:
God always uses it
Tension precedes breath through
We must learn to steward tension
“Tension doesn’t mean something is wrong; it means something is happening”
Tests come from different sources Some are hand-crafted by God. Some are sourced in the devil. Some trials come our way by wrong decisions or actions, either ours or others. Some come from both God and the devil. Whatever the source, we are to “resist the devil and submit to God”. Other tools God uses in testing: difficult marriage, personal failure, overbearing boss, imperfect parents, hard co-workers, friends who misunderstand.
Tests are made to pass “ These have come so that your faith may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed” ( 1 Peter 1:7)
God doesn’t give us tests to flunk us. He gives us grace to pass. Satan tempts us to fail. He comes “”to lie, kill and destroy” ( John 10:10)
Tests get stronger as we grow Tests are harder in graduate school then in grade school. Mature believers more difficult tests. The greater the anointing, the greater the testing. Don’t envy those with strong anointing; just pass your tests.
Tests can confuse. Ask for wisdom Trials can raise questions about me: “Is this happening because I disobeyed in tenth grade?” or about God: “Is He really that good?” We must keep a true and Biblical picture of who God is and who we are in Him. Or tests will “unsettle” us ( 1 Thess. 3:3). Don’t let tests make you a victim, which brings passivity, or give you the feeling of entitlement: “I don’t deserve this”
Tests pass bring a reward “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him ( James 1:12). A crown ( “stephanos”) speaks of victory and authority. Tests bring us a new revelation of God, a new authority and confidence, a new joy.
Tests bring a testimony
Joseph: “You intended to harm me, but God it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” ( Gen. 50:20)
David: “ They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me” ( Ps. 18: 18, 19)
Tests last “a little while” Peter writes, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials…” ( 1 Peter 1:6,7 See also 1 Peter 5:10). What could James have said instead? “Consider it joy when you get through trials.” But he said to do it at the onset. Okay, try this in the Spirit: Consider it pure joy when people criticize you, when you are ignored, insulted, misunderstood or manipulated, and get read for a significant upgrade in your relationship with God and people. The things that often discourage us are meant to give us a deeper joy in the Lord!
I hope that everyone gets as much out of that as I did!
Shalom!
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Krazy Klutzy Krystal
Good gracious, when is my streak of self-injures going to end?! It all started last April when I was hiking in the Rocky Mountains and I fractured my foot fifteen minutes into the hike, I still managed to make it to the top of the mountain though ( Stupid? Yes Crazy? Yes Would I do it again? You bet your bottom!). Then four months later I hurt my foot not once but twice while at camp…resulting in me arguing with everyone at camp that I CAN STILL DO THINGS BY MY SELF! ( Sorry guys…).
I month after that I go for a walk and get a sliver in my foot and have to perform minor surgery on myself to remove it. Did I mention that it then got infected? A month and a half after that I re-sprain my foot. Two Shabbats ago I ripped a hole in my foot. I am now spending twenty minutes every night cleaning and re-bandaging my poor foot.
Ohh did I mention that these injuries are all on the same foot? Sigh….
I am not regretting taking all my first aid courses, although I never thought I would be using them more on myself then other people….
My sister though had the best reaction to my latest injury. I told her I ripped a hole in my foot, her reaction “ SWEET! Take a picture for me will you?!” Thank you sis for making me laugh at my silly self!
So please pray that this last injury will indeed be my last injury….by now I am seriously considering amputating my left foot.... :p
Shalom!
I month after that I go for a walk and get a sliver in my foot and have to perform minor surgery on myself to remove it. Did I mention that it then got infected? A month and a half after that I re-sprain my foot. Two Shabbats ago I ripped a hole in my foot. I am now spending twenty minutes every night cleaning and re-bandaging my poor foot.
Ohh did I mention that these injuries are all on the same foot? Sigh….
I am not regretting taking all my first aid courses, although I never thought I would be using them more on myself then other people….
My sister though had the best reaction to my latest injury. I told her I ripped a hole in my foot, her reaction “ SWEET! Take a picture for me will you?!” Thank you sis for making me laugh at my silly self!
So please pray that this last injury will indeed be my last injury….by now I am seriously considering amputating my left foot.... :p
Shalom!
Thursday, 2 February 2012
M is for Mom and Missions
Ever since I was a little girl, whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up my first thought was to say “I want to be a Mom!”, but instead I would say what they expected me to say, teacher, nurse, etc. How come I want to be a Mom? I want to give somebody life. I want to raise Godly children. It would keep me more humble. Morning cuddles, bedtime kisses and prayer, tiny ponytails, baby feet, baby giggles, you get the idea!
I do realize that being a Mom is not all about the good, its also about the bad. But I am willing to accept that. One of my hearts deepest desires is to be a Mom. I hope that someday I am blessed enough to have a little sweet baby voice call me “Mom”
Last February I realized that I also have a passion for mission work. I want to be a missionary as well as a mom.
I used to think that being a missionary meant going to a 3rd world country and serving there. Helping build wells, houses, spreading the love of Yeshua etc.
One of my friends told me this though and it has stuck with me ever since
“As soon as you step out your front door, you enter your mission field”
How true is that?! We can make a difference in the world right here, in our own country in our own province, in our own city. There are so many things we can do. We can volunteer in homeless shelters, do prayer/rose walks through the worst area of our cities, sit down and really just talk and listen to someone on the street. There are so many people out there that need to hear about Yeshua’s love and forgiveness.
We can also write letters to our government letting them know that we do not approve of things they are doing. Slowly one by one the government is stripping away our rights and freedoms. If you do not agree with what they are doing it is time to start speaking up!
Write letters, make phone calls, have a rally, start a petition, hand out brochures. There are so many things you can do.
If you think that you do not have the power to change the world, you are wrong. Remember Rosa Parks? She refused to give up her seat on a bus and that started the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Little things done with great love can change the world.
If you believe in something, firmly stand up for what you believe in. Do not let others stand in your way or try to bring you down. If you get a few enemies along the way, good it means you stood up for something you believe in!
My big sister once told me( ok, not just once, being the super awesome big sister she is, she has kept reminding me! If your reading this, I love you sissy!) that I am never ever to say that I cant do something. Because I CAN do anything ( I CAN do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13) . The more you say that you cannot do something the more you believe it. Instead start saying “I can do this”. After awhile you will start to believe it and you will have a more positive outlook on life and what you want to do. Remember that you are capable of doing way more then you know you can!
Those are my two passions in life. They may not be the social norms but that is OK. I am all about breaking the social norms and thinking and living outside the box, and being my own person. God made me an original, why be a copy?!
Be the change you wish to see in the world!
Shalom!
I do realize that being a Mom is not all about the good, its also about the bad. But I am willing to accept that. One of my hearts deepest desires is to be a Mom. I hope that someday I am blessed enough to have a little sweet baby voice call me “Mom”
Last February I realized that I also have a passion for mission work. I want to be a missionary as well as a mom.
I used to think that being a missionary meant going to a 3rd world country and serving there. Helping build wells, houses, spreading the love of Yeshua etc.
One of my friends told me this though and it has stuck with me ever since
“As soon as you step out your front door, you enter your mission field”
How true is that?! We can make a difference in the world right here, in our own country in our own province, in our own city. There are so many things we can do. We can volunteer in homeless shelters, do prayer/rose walks through the worst area of our cities, sit down and really just talk and listen to someone on the street. There are so many people out there that need to hear about Yeshua’s love and forgiveness.
We can also write letters to our government letting them know that we do not approve of things they are doing. Slowly one by one the government is stripping away our rights and freedoms. If you do not agree with what they are doing it is time to start speaking up!
Write letters, make phone calls, have a rally, start a petition, hand out brochures. There are so many things you can do.
If you think that you do not have the power to change the world, you are wrong. Remember Rosa Parks? She refused to give up her seat on a bus and that started the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Little things done with great love can change the world.
If you believe in something, firmly stand up for what you believe in. Do not let others stand in your way or try to bring you down. If you get a few enemies along the way, good it means you stood up for something you believe in!
My big sister once told me( ok, not just once, being the super awesome big sister she is, she has kept reminding me! If your reading this, I love you sissy!) that I am never ever to say that I cant do something. Because I CAN do anything ( I CAN do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13) . The more you say that you cannot do something the more you believe it. Instead start saying “I can do this”. After awhile you will start to believe it and you will have a more positive outlook on life and what you want to do. Remember that you are capable of doing way more then you know you can!
Those are my two passions in life. They may not be the social norms but that is OK. I am all about breaking the social norms and thinking and living outside the box, and being my own person. God made me an original, why be a copy?!
Be the change you wish to see in the world!
Shalom!
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
A New Perspective on Fire Drills
I lived in dorms when I went to both high school and Bible College. They were different in so many ways. But yet similar. In both it was like a family, your home away from home. There was always someone to talk with or pray with. Everyone loved you for you. Another thing that was the same...Fire Drills. Ohh those dreaded fire drills; they go off at the most inconvenient times!
In high school us girls had two separate incidents with the fire drills. On the third day of school, one of the girls from Mexico pulled the fire alarm because she didn’t know what it was...this resulted in panic and us girls fleeing from the dorm( but remember to put a pillow outside your door! :p ) and the fire department being called.
The second incident was during finals in January when a girl on second floor left a container in the microwave for thirty minutes...resulting in smoke billowing out of the microwave and the fire alarms going off( Now to put a funny twist in this...The girl from Mexico and the girl that left her container in the microwave were roommates...ok I’m probably the only who is getting a giggle out of that!) Again us girls flee the dorm ( some in pjs, some with facial masks on, me in bare feet, Very inconvenient timing! )
When I was in Bible school us girls also had a problem with the fire alarms. One morning between 5:30 and 6:30AM the fire alarm went off in the girls dorm. Nobody panicked, routine fire drill, or so we thought. We get out to the parking lot and we are all standing there in our pjs...wondering where all the boys were. Our fire drills were usually co-ed, but not a light was on in their dorm. We then get ushered into the main building, and our dorm dad tells us that it was not a planned fire drill and they could not get the alarm shut off. Bleh! Funny thing is it was only going off in the girls dorm( and usually they go off in all three buildings if one goes off)
As a joke my ohhh sooo lovely sister turns to our instructor ( whose suite was in the girls dorm) and says “This is how we wake up every morning!”
The next day at four in the morning, the same thing happens....Sigh, Thanks Sis! :p
Needless to say us girls were grumpy and tired for a couple days!
The reason I told you all that is because we never knew when our fire alarms were going to go off. We always had to be prepared. ( Shoes by the bed, blanket or coat ready to grab and throw on as you ran out...).
Thats how it is with Yeshua’s return. We don’t know when Yeshua is coming back but we must be prepared for when we hear the sound of the trumpet upon his return. It’s not going to be the most convenient timing. It could happen at any time. ( 'But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.' ... Matthew 24:36) If you have anything holding you back from giving your all for Yeshua, then let it go TODAY!. Today is the day to fully give your heart to Yeshua HaMashiach. Don’t let the cares of this world spoil your relationship with Him. Let go of this world and give your all to Yeshua and focus on His heavenly kingdom. We need to be a holy people for God, able to stand before Yeshua when He returns.
How can we really know if we are living durning the end times before the second coming of Yeshua HaMashiach? We need to prayerfully study the Bible and God’s word will reveal the truth of the second coming. We need to study the Bible everyday searching for the truth ( 'These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Acts 17:11) To many Christians( I am so glad I broke away from the Christian way of thinking) are not studying the Word of God for themselves and are just accepting the Pastor’s word as truth. I encourage you to go out and compare the Pastors word with Scripture and then God will reveal the Bible truth to you not only about the second coming of Yeshua but also about other things. It will amaze you, astound you and I pray that you will be shown the truth.
Shalom!
In high school us girls had two separate incidents with the fire drills. On the third day of school, one of the girls from Mexico pulled the fire alarm because she didn’t know what it was...this resulted in panic and us girls fleeing from the dorm( but remember to put a pillow outside your door! :p ) and the fire department being called.
The second incident was during finals in January when a girl on second floor left a container in the microwave for thirty minutes...resulting in smoke billowing out of the microwave and the fire alarms going off( Now to put a funny twist in this...The girl from Mexico and the girl that left her container in the microwave were roommates...ok I’m probably the only who is getting a giggle out of that!) Again us girls flee the dorm ( some in pjs, some with facial masks on, me in bare feet, Very inconvenient timing! )
When I was in Bible school us girls also had a problem with the fire alarms. One morning between 5:30 and 6:30AM the fire alarm went off in the girls dorm. Nobody panicked, routine fire drill, or so we thought. We get out to the parking lot and we are all standing there in our pjs...wondering where all the boys were. Our fire drills were usually co-ed, but not a light was on in their dorm. We then get ushered into the main building, and our dorm dad tells us that it was not a planned fire drill and they could not get the alarm shut off. Bleh! Funny thing is it was only going off in the girls dorm( and usually they go off in all three buildings if one goes off)
As a joke my ohhh sooo lovely sister turns to our instructor ( whose suite was in the girls dorm) and says “This is how we wake up every morning!”
The next day at four in the morning, the same thing happens....Sigh, Thanks Sis! :p
Needless to say us girls were grumpy and tired for a couple days!
The reason I told you all that is because we never knew when our fire alarms were going to go off. We always had to be prepared. ( Shoes by the bed, blanket or coat ready to grab and throw on as you ran out...).
Thats how it is with Yeshua’s return. We don’t know when Yeshua is coming back but we must be prepared for when we hear the sound of the trumpet upon his return. It’s not going to be the most convenient timing. It could happen at any time. ( 'But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.' ... Matthew 24:36) If you have anything holding you back from giving your all for Yeshua, then let it go TODAY!. Today is the day to fully give your heart to Yeshua HaMashiach. Don’t let the cares of this world spoil your relationship with Him. Let go of this world and give your all to Yeshua and focus on His heavenly kingdom. We need to be a holy people for God, able to stand before Yeshua when He returns.
How can we really know if we are living durning the end times before the second coming of Yeshua HaMashiach? We need to prayerfully study the Bible and God’s word will reveal the truth of the second coming. We need to study the Bible everyday searching for the truth ( 'These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Acts 17:11) To many Christians( I am so glad I broke away from the Christian way of thinking) are not studying the Word of God for themselves and are just accepting the Pastor’s word as truth. I encourage you to go out and compare the Pastors word with Scripture and then God will reveal the Bible truth to you not only about the second coming of Yeshua but also about other things. It will amaze you, astound you and I pray that you will be shown the truth.
Shalom!
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