The waiting game (pic of 3 of my klassens)

I'm not sure why it is called a game. It isn't much fun at all. Anyways, just briefly glancing over some of your blogs it seems we make a small team: the waiters. I think our theme verse is Isaiah 40:31 and our theme song is , "Hurry up and wait". We are warming up and ready to play... But I guess there has been a delay.

Ala Aimee Odegard and her wonderfulosity, I am going to make a list of the the things that I am waiting for right now:
I am waiting for tuesday to be over, or at least the work part
I am waiting for thanksgiving, so I can see my family
I am waiting for Welcome back weekend so I can see my friends
I am waiting for mail
I am waiting for my job to become less frustrating
I am waiting for motivation to start doing something
I am waiting for David to ask me to marry him
I am waiting for my office to warm up
I am waiting for the junior youth's parents to hand in their surveys
I am waiting for my new contacts to come in so I can see again
I am waiting for a pay check
I am waiting for a time I can do laundry
I am waiting for Kari to phone me back
I am waiting for an opportunity to apologize
I am waiting for a fresh word from God
I am waiting for inspiration
I am waiting for clarity
I am waiting for Christmas!
I am waiting for my silent retreat trip to Abbotsford in November
I am waiting for Walshy to come live with me
I am waiting for the leaves to fall
I am waiting for the Eschaton.


...I don't want to be stuck waiting and not living in the here and now. I know that by waiting for the LORD some of these things will come to be, and some never will. Help me God to know what is worth waiting for.

I am a ROLLERCOASTER!!

Woohoo! Well, it is true. Everyday as Elli is an adventure. I would still appreciate if you listened to Jesus on my behalf but I am not near as weary as I was yesterday. Due largely to my awesome wonderful mother. Last night we talked until midnight sitting on the kitchen countertop about God and churches and faith. It just makes me so grateful. Even if I have trouble getting up in the morning (who doesn't?) and my job gets increasingly more complicated, Jesus finds me. Not because I am good at what I'm doing, or because I believe the right thing. Jesus finds me because He loves me. Woohoo. That is fricken awesome.

I dread the sound of his black shoes clicking on the cold stone floor in the church foyer. I sink down in my chair as I hear those steps going up the stairs to my office. I pretend to be engaged in some material as he awkwardly steps in. To congratulate me on bringing vegetables to youth, or asking me to see if his office looks nice enough to be on television.
But this isn't about him. I am weary. I am weary of religion. I am weary of people who think that one of these days Law will love them. I am weary of my own doubts and small boxes. I am dissapointed in my spinelessness and weakness of character. I am so weary for all people who are longing for change and can't see it anywhere. I am weary for those who cover their burnt dinners with, "life is a piece of cake!" I want to be hugged. I want to go for a quiet hike with David into a high valley of green. I want to be surrounded by a lack of expectation. I want to lay in green pastures with my shepherd. I want Jesus. Oh, I am weary.
I don't like pickleloaf. I don't like being defensive. I will take the rest of this day to listen to "pass me not" on repeat. If you could, and if you would, please listen on my behalf and share with me what Jesus tells you. Thank you.

MIND SWITCHEROO

Today I woke up and was in a terrible, self-defeating mood. Despite saying St. Patricks prayer every morning, "I arise today with a mighty strength..." I came to work and was still in this miserable mind frame where everything is slightly negative. Then a song popped into my mind: This is the day that the LORD has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it! And suddenly I realized I was dissing God in a major way. That is a kick in the pants. I have so much to be thankful for, and even if I can't think of anything the truth remains that God made this day and He wants it to happen and there WILL be things to rejoice in. I am so thankful for God and his patience with me. I am so thankful for friends and kids that encourage me and love on me. I am thankful for fall leaves!!! I am also thankful for Walshy, who has such an encouraging post today. So what are you thankful for today? What are you rejoicing about?

BLAST OFF! into the alien world of youth work

So I just started a job as the Director of Youth and Family ministry at a church in Lethbridge. I say "a" church because although I attended this one when I lived here, I knew next to nothing about it when I accepted the position. I maybe should have looked into that.

A week in and already there have been so many cross-communication errors and phone calls from concerned parents (what in the world?) that, had this not been a job plopped into my lap by God, I would be screaming "FIIIIIREEE! ME!!!!" running from the building. So I am forced to trust and have faith that God's will WILL be done, and that exactly what He wants me to do here will happen. And how?

A dear lovely wonderful woman who is rich with wisdom insight and a love of God and Christ's teachings (Anita) gave me a verse from Malachi 6:8 that reads, "He has shown you O man what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." This year for me, is all about walking humbly with God, being guided by God, and listening to Him step by baby puncy step. Another woman, who is unsurpassed in beauty creativity and honesty (Lynne) decided to do devotions with me one morning from a province away and we talked all about: Guidance! Thank you Lynne. Also, I was looking back at some emails and I had a cut and dry one from the most intelligent and righteous man boy I know, Josiah Klassen saying simply, "Well, God will guide you..." It makes me so thankful for such a GOOD God that would set me up so wonderfully and (because I'm so blind) give me so many verses to hold on to.

I am struggling right now with some of the rules set up for me: not allowed to use the NIV, not allowed to teach certain things, or use certain authors and maintain a clearly "Lutheran" youth group and sunday school. I am not against Lutheranism by any means, but this is difficult for me , especially coming from a Church that I fell head over heels madly in love with in Abbotsford (Fresh Wind) which is not Lutheran. My mother explains denominations as cousins: you have the weird ones that are always dancing and laughing and being slain in the spirit, you have the quiet cousins that don't say much etc... and I really like that illustration because it remains that we are all part of the same family: our family in Christ.

So what can you do? Email me, pray for me,write me a real letter, share a verse with me...I NEED to hear from you!!

I have 2 Corinthians 5:7 "For we walk by faith, not by sight" hanging up in my "office". It reminds me that no matter what my physical human senses say; Jesus is looking at things a lot differently. Oh, that I will cling to that!

Assistance! Assistance!

please someone help me do this. I'm alone. And scared.

How do I add friends and other blogs?

Yep. I am out of date.

I give in!!

Okay okay okay so I know I have always been adamantly against blogs, but here I am. I sit in an office for long periods of time and I miss a whole ton of people.....But I'm still writing regular post mail! Just give me a little grace will you? :)