isn't it amazing...

My dad is probably my biggest role model, in all aspects of his life. Tonight we were talking over dinner (Chinese! I've missed it these past two weeks) and as he told me stories about what he has been up to since I've moved back to school, he continually stressed God's wonderful timing in his life. "Isn't it amazing how God works!" was probably the most repeated phrase of the night. He told me about the different companies he is working for (consulting), while continuing his job hunt, and how it just so happened that as soon as my brother went back to school, my dad became increasingly busier. The significance of this is that my dad quit his job a few months ago, and his first day off was my brother's first day out of school. My dad got to spend the entire summer home with my brother, driving him to various events, mentoring him, and enjoying the time together. I suppose he was God's gift to my brother this summer, which he was happy to be. And now that my brother doesn't need him as much, suddenly things have picked up drastically for my dad.
He also told me that he got really really sick a couple weeks ago, with an extremely high fever and convulsions. He was actually at a friends' house and had to leave early. Just a few days earlier, however, my parents had big parties two days in a row, of about 50 people and 25 people. "Isn't it amazing how God works" he said, "that I was at someone else's house when I got sick, because it is much easier to leave someone's house than try and send 50 people home!" Also, the night he was sick, my brother was home alone with him, (he was scared to death, he just cried by my dad's bed til my mom came home), and they called my aunt who is a doctor and she quickly prescribed an antibiotic she thought may help, but she couldn't accurately diagnose anything without doing any actual tests (she lives 4 hours away). Anyways, it was 8:30 and the pharmacy closes at 9, so my dad again used the phrase to indicate how perfect it was that he could get antibiotics that night. The next day when my dad went to his family doctor, the doctor told him he was really lucky that my aunt prescribed that specific drug, because the virus he had was only sensitive to two types, and the one he had taken happened to be one of them! Not once did my dad complain about being sick - he only had praise for all the "good" things that happened!
There were many other stories of how wonderful God was working in his life, but in fact, some might easily see these things as tragedies rather than blessings. And while the stories he told me are so neat, it isn't the content of the stories that inspire me, but the attitude of my dad when he tells them. I could listen forever.
I can't help but praise...I am so blessed.
Isn't it amazing how God works, that after two absolutely emotionally and physically exhausting weeks my dad would happen to be in my area (three hours from his home) and take me out for dinner. What a surprise. Such a lucky girl.

a free slave

So today at work the Kaizen Group and I got our Daily Dale email (which hasn't been sent to us lately for some reason), and there was one quote that we just couldn't figure out.
"Responsibility is the price of freedom." Elbert Hubbard
Since the Daily Dale topic right now is Responsibility, I read this to mean, simply, if you want freedom, you must be responsible. However, one of my fellow co-ops thought it meant that to have freedom you must give up responsibility. We spent a good amount of time discussing our thoughts on this. I'm not sure what exactly Hubbard meant it to mean, and there's lots of articles which use similar quotes and ideas, which I believe lean towards the first interpretation, but I think you can make a valid argument for either.
One of the first questions asked during our discussion, however, was "Does freedom have a price?" I couldn't help but think about Paul's words in Romans 6:
"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
This says that the mountains of sin I have committed, and the many more to come, they can be washed into the sea; when I become a slave to righteousness, they no longer cast a shawdow over me. All I have to do is become a slave to righteousness!
Unfortunately, righteousness is defined as free from guilt or sin (webster.com), and no one is sinless! (Ro. 3:23) But, praise be to God! By his grace he sent his Son to be the Sacrificial Lamb for the world's sins. Whoever clothes themselves with Christ will be sinless in God's sight! To a human mind, this is unbelieveable, illogical. But that is the magnitude of God's love.
So does freedom have a price? Yes, I think so. It costs more than we could ever pay. But Christ has paid the price for us, and now we are freely justified.

welcome to the city

Things have been busy around here. Canada Day weekend was great, I took two days off work, so I ended up with a 5 day weekend. It made for a nice relaxing time at home in Muskoka, which unfortunately had to end with me getting up early for a two hour drive to work Wednesday morning. But that's better than driving Tuesday night I think. It's a good thing I like my job, I'm not sure what state I might be in if I didn't! I spent Wednesday night watching my little cousin, Thursday night went for dinner and saw a movie with friends. Friday was spent with the same people at the mall and a movie. The next morning we went for Standard First Aid and CPR training (driving was crazy - lots of U-turns). Surprisingly, it was fairly interesting, but probably just because the instructor was good and I'm used to Stats lectures. Afterwards we went to the mall (more U-turns) and took the subway to Queen's Park where the African Music Festival was going on. It was nice to just relax in the shade and listen. We met up with another friend later on, and walked around Younge Street, which was closed for some sort of entertainment. I'm not really sure what it all was, but there was a guy dancing/juggling to Indian music, some guys making sand scupltures (so cool), huge giraffes bopping around, and a clown in a bed with a guy throwing sprinkles on him. Weird. I'm definitely not used to being in the city and it just fascinates me. Hong Kong, Paris, New York, and even Toronto - there's people everywhere, huge buildings, impatient drivers, lots of noise, and so many advertisements! I think I could just stand on a corner and stare for hours. What a different world.
U-turns seemed to be the theme of the day though, I can't even remember how many times we had to turn around. Isn't it awesome that in our own life journey, just like on the streets of Toronto, we can always turn around? It sure isn't easy, but neither is a U-turn on a busy street! When we finally recognize we've gone too far or turned the wrong way, when we take that step and decide we need to get back on track, God is waiting for us. Actually, He's more than just waiting for us - He's watching for us. That's pretty exciting if you ask me!
We also went to the 'World's Biggest Bookstore' and looked around. There are some pretty interesting books in the Religion/Spirituality/Christianity section. It's wild how many books are out there about the Bible (and other weird things, like 'The Gospel According to the Simpsons'). Sometimes I think as Christians we get caught up in Bible literature, rather than the Bible - the living Word of God. Fads come through like 'The Prayer of Jabez' or 'The Purpose Driven Life', for example, and people think that these books have changed their life.I don't have anything against these books. As the Church it is crucial that we work together, share our knowledge, experiences and wisdom, and it is awesome that we have books as a medium for that. In fact, I just finished reading 'The Case for Christ' by Lee Strobel, and it has some really great stuff. But I think we need to remember that God's Word is the only authority, and we should be digging ten times deeper into it than other books.
So as of today I was officially certified as first aid trained, that's pretty neat, hopefully I'll never have to use it...and if I do have to, hopefully I'll remember it!

fuzzy logic

Sometimes I have dreams where I can't see properly. Everything is fuzzy - a mess of unclear objects. I squint until my eyes hurt, but it doesn't actually help.
I was thinking about these dreams, and how frustrating it is (as frustrated as you can be when you're sleeping). It reminds me of how I feel when my life seems to be in a jumble, and I just don't know where I'm going. Up, down, right, left - circles bringing me back to the same place I started. I'd do anything for a pair of glasses - a clear view into the future - to the places I should be headed. In my dreams, I never find those glasses. But, in the waking hours, Christ has provided me with spiritual glasses. His Holy Spirit to counsel us in our struggles, and the Word of God, sharper than any double-edged sword, to teach and guide us to salvation.
With these tools I am provided with a "lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Ps. 119:105) While God doesn't show me my whole life story, I am provided with just enough light to continue on my journey; in Him I am never left stranded in darkness or stumbling in a blur.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." - Prov. 3:5,6

is there any hope?

"These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore,
'they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'" Rev. 7:14-17

If this is truly embedded in my heart, I can't help but be joyful; because of the hope that I have, I rejoice in knowing I'll be with my Savior one day. How sweet.

"When He shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne." My Hope is Built on Nothing Less, Edward Mote

the beginning

day one: finding joy.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess. 5:16-18
Can it be done? This is the journey God is taking me on this summer, and, no doubt, the rest of my life.

"Clap your hands all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy." Ps. 47:1