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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