Christmas Greetings from the Sunny WA!

Hello Friends! Merry Christmas!

I wish you all well during this holiday season. I know the holidays can bring mixed emotions, or bring up different memories and feelings. But my hope is that you may all find some joy and encouragement from loved ones, near and far. Know that you are loved and cherished!

Things are busy here as I'm finishing up the lecture phase at YWAM Perth. My school team has been busy learning more about the outreach locations we are soon leaving for. Christmas events have been piling up, and all of us are scrambling to finish the book reports and last minute travel details we need to accomplish before the end of the month! Last weekend our base hosted a free community event in the park called, "Carols By Candlelight".  It was a blessing to be a part of the choir singing carols with the community, and to see all of the people there enjoying time together and being blessed by the music and refreshments. There were over 400 people that came out to the park for the event, and all of them were able to hear about Jesus and the message of hope he brings.

The sun is getting hotter (as I can attest to from a series of unfortunate sunburns.. all really my fault as I did not put on sunscreen!...  Lesson learned!) I'm reminded lately of how blessed I am to have such incredible family and friends in my life that have made all the difference. Especially as the holidays are here, I am reminded of how much of a blessing it has been to grow up with the support and friendship from all of you. For that I say, "thank you!" You are in my thoughts now, especially!

As for Christmas in the sun, it has been quite funny to me to see different people walking around the city, in the sun, in the heat, wearing mix-matched attires of Christmas sweaters, shorts, santa hats, and flip-flops! There are festive decorations among the palm trees, and Christmas music playing in the stores as they have bathing suits and sunscreen on sale. It will be a Christmas of firsts: 1st Christmas away from family, 1st Christmas on the sunny side of the world, and 1st Christmas celebrating with a BBQ on the beach! I am excited for a new experience, although I admit to missing that cold white stuff that falls from the sky back home by the foot. And although I miss being close to family and friends that I love back home, I am thankful for the new family I have gained here in Perth. I've learned to really appreciate the heart of this season, regardless of what the cultural norm is for how it is celebrated. Christmas is about family. It's about giving. It's about peace. And it's about sharing love with one another, just as we have been shown the most incredible love by our "heavenly" Father.

Grace and Peace to you all as you are celebrating this season in your own favourite traditions! My hope is that you will be blessed with time together with your families and loved ones. May you be blessed with a new or renewed understanding of real love, real hope, and real joy.

Love from, 
Melody



 - Here are the teams from my program that will be heading out the week after Christmas for missions!

 - These photos were from our "commissioning night", where we gathered together as a whole school with the other DTS teams who are leaving soon for their missions trips. We had a time of presenting and sharing about the past 3 months of lectures, as well as about what we will be doing on our outreach coming up. The base leaders prayed over us as a school to send us off officially with their blessing.

-We will all be going first to Kolkata, India for 6 weeks, then each team will head to a different location to serve for 5 weeks.

The "Great Commission":
"Go into all the world and share the Good News!" (From Mark 16:15, and Matthew 28:19-20 in the Bible)



Christmas Tea and "It's a Wonderful Life" with the school:

Indonesia Team:

 Northern India Team:

 Nepal Team:

"There Is Some Good In This World... And It's Worth Fighting For."

Frodo: I can't do this, Sam.

Sam: I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?

Sam: That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for.

Yes.. I recently watched the Lord of The Rings.. The Two Towers, to be exact. On our saturday last week we had a school-wide showing of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy after a long week of classes. I find it funny that my mind keeps playing back to this scene from the movie. But I think it rings true, in so many ways. (Heh heh.. "rings" true...)

"There is some good in this world.. and it's worth fighting for."

We are in week 9 already of the lecture phase of this DTS ("discipleship training school"). The whole school is gearing up to leave for their different mission locations. We have classes up until the week of Christmas, then will be flying out from Perth in our teams around the 27th or 28th of December.

My school, "Frontline", has a vision to support the "hard to reach" places. We are split up into 3 different teams, all of us spending time in Kolkata, India for 6 weeks, then splitting off to go to 3 different locations for 5 weeks. One team is going to Northern India, one to the "Spice Islands" in Indonesia, and my team, who is going to Nepal.

In Kolkata, we will get the opportunity to work with YWAM's ministry called, "Megacities". The YWAM Megacities team has been working in Kolkata alongside the local churches to make a long-term investment in the city.  I'm really excited to get to partner with what people are already doing in the city of Kolkata. Here is some more information about Megacities if you are interested in what I will be apart of for the first 6 weeks of my mission:
http://www.ywamperth.org.au/missions/megacities/


After serving in Kolkata I will be on "Team Nepal" for the second half of my missions trip. In Nepal, my team of 8 will be trekking into different Nepali villages to share the message of Jesus, parter with local churches, volunteer with different community projects, and do some basic health care and training. This will be more of the "frontline" part of my trip. I am looking forward to the opportunities we will have to bless the people of Nepal, especially those in hard to reach villages that may not have much access to outside help. Our speaker this week is a missionary from Nepal, who has been working with YWAM for over 20 years. Hearing his story and seeing his passion to serve the Nepali people has been incredibly inspiring.

India will also be an incredible opportunity to encourage and bless people tangibly and spiritually. We will be partnering with the local churches in Kolkata, and will be working in the main city areas, as well as in the slums. We have been spending some of our week each week learning about the history of Kolkata, and praying for different issues that are currently taking place there.



Through my time here in Perth, learning about different areas of need in the world, I feel like I've had a re-kindling of a desire to do something about it. I am reminded more and more of how privileged, and how blessed I am to be living the life I am, to come from the places and family I come from. It could be very easy for me just to go home and forget about this chapter in my life, this "travelling the world" phase. But I think this is just the beginning.

Like Sam wisely says in the Lord Of The Rings film, "There is some good in this world.. and it's worth fighting for." I can't shake how strongly I believe this to be true. I have been so greatly blessed in my life, in innumerable ways, by so many. And I can't shake the desire in my heart to use this life I have to bring some good into the world, however I can! - Because it's worth it. There is enough negativity, there are enough terrible things happening in the world.. why not be some good? Why not bring some hope? People are worth it. People are worth fighting for.

Peace be with you, and thank you for following my adventure, for your support and encouragement. May you and your loved ones be blessed! I encourage you to look for how you can bring some good into the life you are living - to be the good for others - whether in big ways or small. It's worth it!

November Update

Dear friends,

Another month has gone by already! I feel like time is really blowing by.. What a crazy thing - time - sometimes it feels like it just drags on, and others it zooms past with the blink of an eye. I am reminded more of the importance in living each day to the fullest. To learning how to "be" and enjoy the little things, those things that make you smile. It's worth it! Let us learn to plan for our futures, learn from our pasts, but LIVE for today. 

This month started out with an epic camping trip with my team in the Margaret River area in WA, about 5 hours south of Perth. It was such an incredible week of community and learning, and just simply taking in the crazy beauty of the ocean coastline. I will have many memories from that week for a long time, and I hope to never forget the amazing sites we were able to see. The lecture topic that week was, "Lordship", or "Making Jesus Lord of Your Life". I thought is was cool to tie in the beauty and vastness of the nature we were seeing, with the idea of our Creator. Each day we would get up and have breakfast together at our campsite, then head out on a hike from our site to the coastline, then along the ocean until we found a good spot to stop and have lectures. One day we stopped under a rock cave, another day we sat next to a rock pool with the ocean roaring around us. We spent in-between time at the ocean, eating great food together, hiking and exploring, or just siting around the campfire sharing stories. It was a really cool time of learning and bonding and just sharing life together with our team. 

Some more highlights of this month have been getting to be apart of the Christmas choir that is starting to practice, getting to know people on my team better, and just exploring more of Perth City, and learning more of what it looks like to intentionally follow Jesus. 

Jesus really is awesome, you guys! I can't share enough how at peace and how blessed I am to know that I can live a life with Jesus. I am amazed by the truth I am experiencing and learning as I look deeper into who this person is that Christians claim to follow - and I really think that is the key. There is so much "religion" or "religious" stereotypes that come to mind when you think "church", "Christian", or whatever it may be. But I think the key is to actually study and look at the person of Jesus. I have seen the undeniable evidence of truth and change in people that have decided to follow this Jesus, and have decided to give their life to seeking truth and living a life of love for others. I'm convinced it is totally worth it, and totally beautiful. I am amazed at how my life has changed and is changing as I seek to understand more about who Jesus was and how I can try to be like Him. And I am blessed by the breath of life I am absorbing as I do this. My hope is to keep digging deeper into what it means to know this Jesus, what it means to live out the truths I am seeing and understanding, and what it means to really, truly live a life that is whole-hearted and intentional - a life that blesses and serves others above myself, and seeks to know truth and live it out. 

My friends, life is worth living. Life is worth loving. Joy is worth embracing. People are worth loving. And YOU are valuable and worth the life you have. Whatever your circumstance or current situation, I encourage you to look for those things that make you smile. I encourage you to ask hard questions. I encourage you to search out, "what is truth?", and embrace the truth you do find. I encourage you to think positively. I encourage you to step outside the box and dream big. What would you do if you could really do anything? What is at the core of who you are? It's worth searching out, and to keep searching out. Even if your situation is really difficult, the thing we have in common is that we are living. We have a life, and it's worth fighting for. And not just for ourselves, but to bring life to others. There is enough negativity in the world, it's worth being some good in it. So, I encourage you to learn from your past, dream and plan for your future, but learn to LIVE for today, because right now is all we really have. 

DTS Update, Numero Uno..

Hello All! - 

A LOT has happened since I first arrived here at YWAM Perth! It has been a great time of growing and building into relationships, and pressing into questions about God and life, and how we can live out those things we are learning. We've had lots of times of team building and adventuring together as a school (Frontline DTS), and as a base (YWAM Perth on a whole). 

Some of the highlights for me so far have been getting to build into relationships with the people here, going on our day-hike to Bibbulmun Track, exploring the beaches and the city itself, and getting to be in a community of like-minded people who are excited to grow and learn to better impact others. I've also really enjoyed getting to know the staff and leaders here, to hear their heart for people as missionaries. The lectures have been great reminders of the truth of God's word, and challenges to live out that truth and remember it. I've also really appreciated the music we have together as a base, or individually as a school. Over all there is a really cool sense of community and intentional living. 

I really have enjoyed living in the city of Perth as well, not just being involved with YWAM. There is a real sense of community in the city as well as at the base. Every time I go into the city there is something happening in the city square. Everything from street performers, musicians, community concerts, children's events, or street food, something is always happening. I'm excited for the opportunity to keep getting to know this city, and hopefully to know God's heart for this city. I hope to not just stay in my YWAM "bubble", but to get to know people in the community and ask what their stories are, and hopefully encourage them in where they are at in their stories.

For anyone wondering.. a day in the life of a YWAM student looks something like this:

6am - 6:30am: Morning work-out and training with our Frontline school

- This has included various activities such as track running, hill sprints, ultimate frisbee tournaments, planks, carrying each other up hills, planks, core work-outs.. oh, and did I mention planks? lol. It's been intense and super early, but I can honestly say I feel so much better during the day after morning exercise! (crazy, I know..) And I'm thankful for the endurance training it is implementing for when we go trekking on our outreach phase. 

6:30am-8am: Free time/Quiet time/ Breaky

- At the base, it's really encouraged that we take time to be "still and know". It's important that we take time throughout the days, either during free-time or during this morning time, just to take some alone time to meditate on what we've been learning, read, and pray. It's really made a difference for a lot of us to have this encouragement to make intentional habits to have these quiet times. It is really refreshing to have time set aside to reflect and rejuvenate and refresh. 

8am-8:30am: "Family chores"

- Since there are so many people that are involved at the base here (I think close to 200 with all the students, staff, and volunteers..), everyone that lives at the base takes part in different cleaning jobs around the buildings and homes that we utilize. For example, I meet in the morning with the people in my building that I live with, and we each have different tasks that we do daily to help keep things clean. (I'm actually quite thankful.. otherwise the bathroom I share with about 14 other girls would quite quickly become nasty!)

8:30am - 9:30am: Worship or specific class time

- On mondays we come together as a whole base for a time of music and worship. I have especially enjoyed these times. It has been such a blessing to see when we all come together to celebrate and praise God together. It is so cool to be in this type of place, and to be reminded of so many other people that are in a similar period in life is really cool. Also, just hearing a sea of voices singing together is really amazing. There is something so awesome and powerful in music, and when people come together through music, especially for the cause of our awesome God. 

- Other days we spend just with music together as a school, or we will take time to talk about and pray about specific issues or places. Some of these topics have been praying for missionaries in other countries, or learning about different countries that we may be involved in during our outreach phase. 

10:15am-12:30pm: Lectures

- Each week we have a different lecture topic and speaker. So far our topics have been: "Hearing God's Voice", "The Nature and Character of God", "Repentance and Forgiveness", and this week, "Worship and Intercession". 

- Each week we've heard from different missionaries around the world that are connected to YWAM Perth specifically. We get to hear their life story and learn biblical teaching behind each topic. Each week has some kind of practical application and assignments related to the topic, where we are encouraged to see how what we have learned can apply to our own lives and what we think about what has been talked about. I really like that the lectures have been interactive and based in the word of God. We are also very encouraged to search out answers to our questions ourselves by going back to the bible and talking about it together after class. There are definitely elements of teaching that are more geared towards evangelism (missionaries, you know ;) ) But I really like that there is an emphasis on encouraging us to really figure out what we think and believe about things individually, and to live out what we learn intentionally and practically. 

12:30pm: Lunch

- Self explanatory.. The base provides meals for us daily, including weekends. It has definitely been strange for me not being behind the scenes like I normally would be in the kitchen, but it has been a blessing just to receive. Another cool thing about the base is that a lot of the food they serve has been donated, so it may sometimes be strange things or mis-matched, but it is cool to see how they are being supported by the community. The other night we had SHARK for dinner! That was fun. :)

1:30pm-3:30pm: Work duties

- We each get split up into teams for a couple hours to help with some of the work needed to be done to keep the base running. That includes things like dishes, kitchen prep, maintenance, out-door care, and my job: media and promo. I have a unique job which is to help promote our school, mainly through means of the Frontline social media sites. I started up an Instagram page for the school and have been updating their Facebook and twitter accounts, as well as writing articles for the YWAM Perth website, and currently I am working on some video-updates as well. This has been a cool way to help show not only my supporters, but other people interested in the school what we have been up to, and what it is like to be apart of YWAM Perth, specifically on the Frontline DTS. 

After 3:30 we have free time, and dinner is served around 5:30pm each night. Some nights we have events planned with either our small groups or as a whole base. On thursday nights we have a community service that the city is invited to, which is pretty cool. It makes for a long day, but it is neat to be able to meet people from the community and hear their stories. 

Well, this has been a LONG update so far - thanks for reading! I am excited to see what the next weeks will bring. Next week we are going on a week-long camping trip outside of Perth. I am looking forward to that change of scenery and to be able to just spend time together as a school, without other distractions. 

Some things you could pray for or remember would be:

- Energy and rest for the staff and students as we get into our routines

- Encouragement for myself and others as we are learning more about God's heart for our lives and for others

- That myself and the other people here short-term would have an understanding of God's heart for the city of Perth, and that we could have and make opportunities to make a difference in the city here. 

- Further encouragement for rest and peace of mind as many of us are working through different heart-issues as we are here together. Last week's topic, "Repentance and Forgiveness", brought up a lot of situations and questions. There has been a lot of awesome response from that week, but a continual level of clarity and wisdom in how to keep working through those issues for myself and others. 

- And finally, that we would continue to be challenged in how we are living our lives and how we want to live our lives. That there would even be clarity in steps for the future or understanding of God's direction for each of us personally. 

Peace be with you! And love to you! I miss you and wish you well, and look forward to when I can see all of you again. Thank you for being apart of my life and caring about where I am. I would love to hear about what you are up to and where you are going! Fill me in!

Here are some pictures of my time so far in Perth, and a link to the article I wrote that is on the YWAM Perth website: 

http://www.ywamperth.org.au/stories/counterfeit-nutella-bibbulmun-track/

http://www.ywamperth.org.au/stories/counterfeit-nutella-bibbulmun-track/

Home is Where the Heart Is

Oct. 5

7am

Perth, Australia

Home is a funny concept.

 We spend so much time trying to create this place called, "home", trying to find it, or save it, or to keep it together. However, I've come to the conclusion that home is not a place. That cheesy line we know is so true, "home is where the heart is."

36 hours of constant travel and you'd think a person would be wiped and cranky!  (Haha.. well maybe that is the truth, but I'm am just blind to it.) Last night I was tired, but everything already has been quite beautiful. After going through my last (painstakingly long..) line up and customs and security and the Perth airport, I was greeted by two of my school leaders. We hopped into their old bus and headed to the YWAM base, about 20 minutes away. It was so great to finally start putting faces to names. After getting to my apartment I was finally able to unload, shower, and put on clothing that didn't smell like airplane. (P.s… a shower, even a cold one, after a 36 hour travel experience, is a glorious thing.)

A girl from Germany noticed the obvious look of jet lag on my face and offered me an energy drink. We started talking and realized we had both just arrived that day, and weren't quite sure what to expect from this YWAM adventure. Afterwards we all gathered at the school cafeteria to eat supper together with everyone at the school and get to know one another. (It was strange to just join in and eat with everyone, instead of being the cook behind the scenes. That will take some getting used to.)

After supper I met up with some of the other girls from my program at their house, just to say hello and put more faces to names. Instead of dorm rooms, YWAM rents houses near by the base for the students to live in. There is a girl's house and a guy's house for my DTS, but I am in an "overflow" house, which is actually closer to the base. I'm thankful that I get to stay in the house that I am in because it is a mixture of other students from different programs, and some of the staff. That way I will have the chance to get to know other people at the school as well, and not always be with the select few from my program. And I think I will also be able to be a bit more independent as well. 

I fell asleep last night soon after 8pm, Aussie time. Then this morning I woke up to warm drizzling rain outside - quiet - and a finally rested sleep. (Praise the Lord for everyone else being asleep! It was really refreshing to have that alone time.) I decided to get ready and went for a walk around the neighbourhood around the base. It was so nice to just be outside, and to simply just, well, "be". 

I'm so thankful for this beautiful place, these people, and this opportunity to reflect and grow in new ways. "God, may you bless this crazy adventure, and the other people crazy enough to be here!" I'm thankful for the home feeling I have already, and am thankful for the many homes I have encountered in life. 

To my family and my B.C. homebodies: I miss you, and I love you, and I am thinking of you. 

Peace be with you, 

Melody Kostamo, 

Perth, Australia 

I'm Leavin' On a Jet Plane

"I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again.." 

This tune has been stuck in my head for over a month now.. and today it hit me.. "Yes, I really am leaving!"

Less than 3 weeks now until my flight to Australia, and the next chapter. I feel excited, nervous, overwhelmed, at peace, curious.. you name it. Ultimately, I am so thankful for the opportunity to go and spend the next part of my life on a new adventure.

Life is funny, isn't it? Or as a good friend of mine puts it, "life is a pickle!" One minute you think it will go in a certain direction, or you have plans for something to happen, and in a blink it can change, twist and turn. Or maybe it goes the way you hoped, but it doesn't feel like you envisioned. Life is funny like that. But who am I to tell you this? We've all experienced our own roller coasters, our own happy endings, our own sorrows. But that's the beauty of it - we're not alone in this. Sometimes I think we forget to stop and think about that very fact; "we're all in this together." (Another tune for you there.) That's the beauty of this funny pickle called, "life".

.. But then I have to wonder, is it a crunchy pickle? Is it juicy? Is it sour? Sweet? Dill?.. Maybe I'll just enjoy it. :)

Adventure is Itchy

Adventure is itchy. 

One moment it's just an itch, a scratch maybe.. and then you are itching and scratching your way all over the place. Is it good? Perhaps.. but only if your curiosity is in the pursuit of a positive outcome. 

This past season has been such a blessing. I feel like it has been a state of growth and transition from a former self, into the self I want to be. I used to dread many, if not most mornings. Now, I am excited to see the sun. (Ok, ok.. I'm still not a morning person..) But I am intentionally trying to learn how to live life fully and honestly, and with joy. Something I had heard preached so often, but never learned how to embrace. Or perhaps I lost it somewhere along the way. This has been one of the hardest, yet one of the most freeing lessons I've undergone. And I am so thankful. Each day is definitely a gift (as cheesy as that phrase is.) It's a gift I hope to never throw away. 

Along with life there are itches. Different things irritate, surface, build up, or tug at our curiosity. But it's up to us to decide what we will scratch. I used to pick at the things that bothered me, and only those things did I spend my life caring about. Don't hear me wrong, there was much to be thankful for and much to enjoy through that time as well, but the itching and scratching just gave birth to pain and raw wounds at the core. That's no way to live.  

I finally got fed up with being raw and sore. 

And you know what? All I needed to do was just let go. All I needed to do was finally say, "here, God! I can't do this anymore!", and finally mean it. 

It is so INCREDIBLE how your life starts to change as soon as you let go and start to look for joy in life. So simple a concept, yet one of the most difficult to embrace. I can't thank God enough for the people and the opportunities that have come into my life after I finally said, "enough". Granted, I can look back now and still see the good strung through my life before. But now - it is so evident! I feel so blessed for the people that have encouraged me and walked with me in these past two years. Thank you. You have been incredible. I have done so many more things in this past year than I could even imagine! And I am "itchy" for more! 

I feel like I have always been an adventure seeker at heart, though this has definitely heightened in the past couple of years. I think the difference now may be that I just care less about what others might think of me, and care more about the amazing gift life is, and how I can learn to enjoy it to the fullest. There have still been trials and hard lessons, but I feel more empowered to push through. But not only push through, push through with peace and light, rather than bitterness and anguish. I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel - it's just waiting for us to run through the tracks. 

My goal as I prepare and go to Australia this fall with YWAM is to pursue this itch of adventure and life. I want to take this time apart from where I've come from and seek out more intentionally who I want to be - and more importantly, who I feel called to be and how I feel called to live. I figure, we only have one life, so why not seek your heart for who you are, and live it. Why not be the good in the world and do your best to impact and care for others. That's my hope. I want to broaden my worldview and be intentional about grounding my faith in God, in life, in truth. I know there will be many more struggles ahead, but I am confident that life has that light at the end of each tunnel. And I am itchy as heck to run to it! 

In the mean time, I am thankful for where I am now. I'm so thankful for the people in my life, and I hope to not lose sight of the gift this has been. I hope to make an effort to enjoy each day as it comes, and hopefully be a blessing to others in how I live. (Please, call me out when I lose sight of this!) For I know those days happen! But my sight is set, and I will endeavour to stay focussed, stay itching, and stay living and running to that light. 

What are you itchy for? 

Thoughts Tonight

July 9th - 2014

RRC - Standing on Top of the Zip Tower

"I hope to never forget this place. This view. The way the sun sets upon the mountains, and the water glistens, and laughter dances in and out of the wind."

Here is an audio version of what I wrote below:

Thoughts Tonight:

We are called to wait on the Lord. Not, "Lord, wait on me."

Why do we ask God to, "come, Lord"? - Why are we not going where the Spirit is?

It is not our right as christians to demand God and His presence, to call him to us. Call on His glorious name, yes! In trouble, in laughter, in light and dark. But to expect to have a life of waiting for Him to come to you is a useless life. We are to Go. Why do we call on the name of God to come to us? - He is, and was, and always will be. We must go follow Him, go where He is - we must seek His word, seek His truth, seek His calling on our lives. Seek His glory and beauty in our lives, in this world, in our relationships, in our manner of living and breathing. He is, and we are not. We are to seek His glorious name and live full and abundantly in His love and grace. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Why wouldn't we want to seek His face and live? Why do we stay conformed and comforted in our little chairs beneath the cover of security, instead of running and leaping for joy after the wings of our God? 

There is so much unseen beauty awaiting - even the smallest glimpse will warm the depths of your soul. Let go. Let God. Awaken your eyes to the little things, to the big things. Allow love to fill your bones and eat your fears and frustrations. Allow peace to transcend through your understanding of what is, and what isn't. Seek the truth, above all else, and never stop looking for the rainbow after the storm. It is there, and ready to be painted brightly across your sky. 

You are what holds you back from that golden release of pain and heartache, to let go and feel a breeze wash over your life and open your eyes to see the good life can offer. To see the good God has for you. To see the good you can unfold, the good you can experience, the good you can become. There is so much suffering in this world, why not add to the flip side; why not be the good in this world? Why let our lives add to the heaviness? Why not reach to the clouds and wrap your fingertips around a life of purpose and freedom? It's there - waiting. Are you willing? Are you willing to go? Or are you going to keep waiting for it to come to you? 

A New Journey

Dear Friends, 
I am joyed to tell you that I have been accepted to go to Perth, Australia this fall to take part in YWAM's Frontline Discipleship Training School! I have been researching and praying about this for more than a year, and feel very driven to go. I will be away for at least 6 months - 3 months of Bible school and out trips in Australia, 3 months of backpacking overseas and spreading the Good News. My Visa application has been accepted, and most everything else is already under way. A huge thank-you to friends and family that I have been able to discuss this with and for your prayers and input. I look forward to this new season of life, and what it will bring. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. I am excited to share this journey with you! 

24 "May the Lord bless you
and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you His peace."
Numbers 6:24-26


Here is the Frontline page on the YWAM Perth website:

http://www.ywamperth.org.au/training/frontline-dts/

Thoughts About "Eternal Life"..

Thoughts about "Eternal Life"..

January 11, 2014 at 12:35am

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Here are some thoughts I've had about life that I wanted to share. I was inspired to write down thoughts about what I believe on the idea of "eternal life" after reading an excerpt from a book that I borrowed from a friend.


Excerpt from book, "Victory Over the Darkness"
Dr. Niel T. Anderson.

Chapter: The Whole Gospel

Pg 44 - 45


"Many Christians are living under half a gospel. They have heard that Jesus is the Messiah who came to die for their sins, and if they pray to receive Christ, they will go to heaven when they die and their sins will be forgiven. Two things are wrong with that statement. First, it is only half the gospel. If you came across a dead man and  you had the power to save him, what would you do? Give him life? If that is all you did, then he would only die again. To save the dead person, you would have to do two things. First, you would have to cure the disease that caused him to die.
The Bible says, 'The wages of sin is death' (Romans 6:23). So Jesus went to the cross and died for our sins. Is curing the disease that caused us to die the whole gospel? No! Finnish the verse: 'but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord' (6:23). Thank God for Good Friday, but what Christians celebrate every spring is the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. For some unknown reason, we have left the Resurrection out of the gospel presentation. Consequently, we end up with forgiven sinners instead of redeemed saints.
A second problem with the previous gospel presentation is this: it gives people the impression that eternal life is something they get when they die. That is not true. 'And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life' (1 John 5:11,12). If we don't have spiritual (eternal) life before we die physically, we can anticipate hell."


I enjoyed this excerpt because it iterates the idea often missed in Christian circles, that the concept of "eternal life" is available before us, not strictly after us. We are here and now; Jesus died and rose that we might have life, and life to the full. "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6).  God is alive and everlasting, and He desires for us to have life with him. He has given us the gift of grace, peace, hope, joy, and all abundantly and in our lifetime. We aren't supposed to wait for the end, or for the right timing, we are to live within this beautiful gift; to truly live. This, my friends, is true life. This my friends, is our gift; that we are made free in Christ to live with pure joy, pure peace, to live fully. We don't have to wait until we've come to the end, we are given the gift of life to live it now, for now is all we truly have. The past has gone, the future is uncertain. But our God holds us in his hands, the battles are won. We are but to embrace his beautiful gift of salvation and fully live, alive and unafraid, free to enjoy what Christ has to offer. So, let go of the worries or guilt that hold you back from life. Sure, there will be pain, struggles, heartache. Of that we are also certain. But we have the opportunity to be free from the bond that these create. Life is bigger than our individual circumstances. God is bigger. Those times may shape who we become, but they can't dictate who we choose to be.
"Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength, this is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it; love your neighbour as yourself" (Matthew 22: 37-39).  Life isn't about trying to find a way to heaven, or be good enough, or accomplish enough. All of that is meaningless. The most important things are to love God and love people; to seek the truth, and live it wholeheartedly. In this, everything else will flow. So, go. Go live. Embrace the gift of life. You were given life, so live.

(Taken on a road trip, near Peachland.)

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