We Are Home!!!!

We made it home late Saturday evening. It was sure nice to see our son again!!!!! Well, what can I say. . .what an awesome week we had in Toronto. It was so nice to get away and connect with different people. We were truly refreshed, though it was tough going back to work today. I didn't miss all the negativity and swearing!!!!

So what's next for our family? My wife and I were challenged to do a short term missions trip. It so happens that there is one coming this fall which we know the Lord wants us to be a part of. I threw the idea of being gone for a couple of weeks to my boss and he said, "That should work." Alright, step number one is done!!! Now our focus is turned to the financial side of it all. God will provide the way for us, some how or another, He will supply the way. My wife and I both feel God wants us to do this, to get our feet wet in the mission field. Pray for us as we trust God in this situation.

Last but not least, it is official. . .I have received Ministry Credentials!!!! One more hurdle overcome. . .

Blessings

Last Day. . .

Well tomorrow is our last day in Toronto. We will be flying out in the afternoon (pray for my wife who really doesn't like to fly.) It has been a good week. . .even though we've been left slightly drained. God is definitely working in the lives of the people here and I pray for His richest blessings to be bestowed upon them all. It has all become so real this week. . .learning about the calling God has on our lives. To see how others around us share the same passion as we do is overwhelming, yet we rejoice in knowing that we will all make an impact wherever we are. God is so good and it is so awesome to be doing His work.

Tomorrow will be a day to rejoice yet it will be a day of temporary sadness. Going our separate ways as families, back to our homes and our lives. We have made some awesome friends over the last week, the type of friends who share our passion. These are good and solid friendships. We praise God that through technology we can keep in touch with those we care so much about.

So. . .where do we go from here? Well for us it's all about God's timing. He knows us and He knows when we will be ready for the field. It will take time. . .it will definitely take patience. . .but we are ready for what lies ahead. And for those of you who we met this week, we love you and pray that God will bless your families in ways you could have never imagined.

I'm Back. . .This Time For Good!!!!

This week has been an awesome week here at "Transitions" in Toronto. It's awesome to touch base with those who have the same passion to serve the lost overseas as we do. My wife and I are so fortunate to have met a group of absolutely awesome people. Even though there is quite a distance between where our families currently live, our prayer is that we will be able to stay in touch with them, so that we can continue to support there ministries through prayer.

God has blessed our children, and the new relationships which they have developed over the past week. Our children all share one thing in common:

They are all going to end up overseas in the next year or two!!!!! In different locations, but they will all be there. This has given the children an opportunity to connect with other children who are moving overseas. I truly believe in my heart that their ministry will be just as powerful as ours. . .needless to say how much this excites me!!!!

I must apologize for being so slack in updating our site. I am committing to getting back to updating this site weekly if not even daily. God Bless and we continue to thank you for your prayers.

The End Of May. . .

It seems like when it warms up, the days and weeks go by faster!!! Winter seems to drag. . .yet summer quickly passes us by. Oh well, gotta make sure we enjoy the nice weather. I just wanted to thank you all for your prayers over the last while. I recently started with Hytek Pigs for the second time around. After the dealership I was at announced they were closing, I was offered this position. Was it my first choice? Definitely not, but the Lord has led me into this position for a reason and I will serve Him through it. At least this is where my knowledge is so it made the transition a lot easier. God has positioned me here for a reason and as we continue to prepare for the field, we ask that you would not cease praying for us. We will continue to keep you updated with our journey.

It's Been A While. . .

It's been a while since I last posted anything on our site. . .so here it goes. The last few weeks have simply been a roller coaster ride of emotions. It all started with my opportunity to preach in our church which went very well. The next day I went into work and found out that the dealership I'm at is closing its doors. I went from being on a high to hitting a low in just under 24 hours!!!! Thankfully God is good and He has supplied me with something else. I won't get into details right now but its something I've done in the past, only this time I have a different outlook on life. As for the calling God has on our lives, we are patiently working towards our goal to serve in a foreign nation. This is where our hearts are. . .and we praise God as He continues to prepare us for our future. God is so good yet we so often seem to forget how wonderful He is. . .take time this week to seek Him, to really hear His voice. . .

The Goodness Of God. . .

God is so good and we thank Him for revealing to us where He wants us to serve. We have prayed and patiently waited to hear His voice, and as usual, He replied!!!! Once again we have learn't something. . .we need to be listening for His voice. . .if we all just listened for God's voice we would truly see His goodness. All to often we give up. . .all too often we push Him aside. . .all to often we don't have the patience to hear from God. My challenge to you. . . seek Him and listen for His voice. God has revelation for all of us. . .we just need to listen!!!

Please be in prayer for me this Sunday. . .I've been given the opportunity to preach in our church. . .pray that it will be effective and that those who are there will be receptive. . .

Canada. . .A Blessed Nation

Some days I have a lot of time to think . . .which can both be beneficial and un beneficial!!! What I want to write about today is beneficial. We live in a blessed nation. . .we live in freedom. We can walk where we want, dress how we want, eat what we want, work where we want, and most important we are free to worship when and where we want. Are we in danger when we go to church? Are we in great danger when we spread the word? We have this freedom yet we still quiver at the thought of showing Christ or sharing Christ outside of a church building. . .outside of our comfort zone. I think of the disciples and how they moved out of their comfort zones to follow Jesus and spread the gospel. I'm sure there were many times they wished they could just stay back or avoid any situation where the love of God was spread, but they didn't. They remained faithful to Jesus and continued to follow His footsteps. God is still moving and we need to continue to follow. . .whether it be in a nation like Canada or a nation where Christianity is looked down on. I believe God wants every nation to be a blessed nation. . .and I believe that this will happen as men and women of faith follow the footsteps laid out before them by the Father. Never take for granted the nation we live in. . .but at the same time, be in prayer for the nations that need Him.

Thank You. . .

We just wanted to thank those of you who were praying for us yesterday as we were in the city planning for our future!!!! We had a wonderful and informative afternoon. . .which left us with a lot to think about and a lot to look forward to. Even though satan tried to keep us away (our van broke down), the Lord provided a different way for us to get to where we needed to be. God continues to speak to us, He continues to lead us. We are honored to have this opportunity to serve Him in this way. What really gets me excited is knowing that God is with us here. . .and God will be with us there. Though everything around us will change. . .our Heavenly Father will remain the same.

Spring Has Sprung. . .

With the change of weather from winter to spring, it brings into perspective new life. All around us the trees are beginning to bud and the grass is beginning to come back to life. This reminds me of something so amazing. . .the healing touch of the Lord. This morning in church we will be showing a short DVD of our nephew Noah and all that he has been through. Too many believers think that we are supposed to be battling with sickness and disease. Too many believers think its God's will for them. In a country like ours where we truly experience the four seasons, we know that everything is ALWAYS restored and that everything ALWAYS comes back to life. This is how its been for Noah. . .his seasons change but he ALWAYS comes back with new life!!!! This really frustrates the devil, who continues to try and steal this life. The devil has forgotten one thing, Noah is protected under the shadow of the Almighty. . .

Time Flies. . .

WOW does time ever fly. . .I last posted an update on March 9. Things are progressing slowly towards the day we leave this country for another. My wife is currently filling out another application and we continue to talk back and forth via email with the person who is journeying with us. As for now, I am enjoying the job that the Lord has blessed me with. I have taken in a lot of information which has caused me to slack off on posting daily blogs. God is so good and I give Him praise for all He has given us. I am so thankful that the God we serve in Canada is the same God that we will serve when we are over seas. I am so thankful that God our protector will be our protector in a foreign country. As for now we will continue to be patient and wait for the day to come. . .I promise I will try a keep my blog up to date!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back To Reality. . .

This week I came back to reality. . .I started working again!!! Yeah, once again I'm a working man. After a long week of training it's been nice to have a couple of days off. As for the missions front, things are moving at a snails pace but we knew this was going to happen. We are just so thankful that the Lord has blessed me with a good job while we wait to here more news about our future in the mission field. In time all will be sorted out and we will move forward!!! My goal for this week is to post more entries on my blog. . .thank you for your continued prayers and support.

The God Of Organization. . .

Last week I talked about how a job opportunity fell through for me, as a friend of mine got the position. Naturally I was discouraged yet I moved on, knowing that I need to work while we are still here. Since day one when I went for the interview, the Lord has told me, "It's yours." Even when the job fell through He continued to tell me, "It's yours." I knew something was mine but I really wasn't ready for what was about to happen next. God is a God of organization, and He had to get things organized so that He could bless both my friend and I. In doing this, the Lord provided my friend with a better opportunity elsewhere in the community. He took the job leaving me with the job the Lord had been telling me was mine!!!! Through all of this, we both learned more about patience, faithfulness, and brotherly love. We need to remember that God wants the best for us, though sometimes it takes time, God wants the best for us. So you can pray for me as I start my job on March 3. Also pray for my friend who starts his job on March 10. It is so comforting to know that we have God's peace in our lives as we ultimately strive to serve Him in the mission field.

Life Is Fun. . .

I chose this title simply because. . . life is fun!!!! Everyday is a new day which means everyday we get to see God work in another awesome and amazing way. As we continue to make plans for our eventual move to the mission field, God continues to provide us with His peace, a peace not obtainable anywhere but through Him. Knowing that He is already working in the lives of those who we will come in contact with has been so comforting. To be honest with you, we don't know when we are going. One thing we do know is that when the Lord is done preparing the way, He will lead us into the lives of these people. We have walked around the desert for years, lost and never knowing God's will for our lives. I believe we will be stepping into a promised land; a land full of men and women who are hungering to hear about hope and peace. A land where other gods rule and reign. . .a land unreached. Why do I call this the "Promised Land?" I see a lot of promise in the people of this land and know in my heart that the gospel has the chance to spread like wild fire. God is so good and His Spirit continues to move and we are excited to begin our new life amongst the lost souls of this world.

Rollin' Out Of The Station. . .

We had a meeting this evening with a friend (a new friend) who will be walking along with us as we journey towards our destination. Things are beginning to move. . .we are rollin' out of the station, heading down the track towards our ultimate goal. God continues to affirm us, He continues to give us His peace.

Disrupting The Call. . .

The god of this world. . .what is he out to do? Kill, steal, and destroy. . .trying to make life miserable for the believer. Lately I've found that he is trying to disrupt the call on our lives to serve, to fulfill the great commission. When you think about it, he is disrupting the call of every Christian in this world. We are all called to fulfill the great commission, whether here at home or overseas. If we were all doing what the Lord has asked of us to do, people would be turning to the Lord at a rapid rate. We've become to passive, allowing satan to disrupt the call on our lives. Where has He called you to serve? At work. . .school. . .next door. . .down the street. . .or in a distant land. I challenge you today to ask the Lord where He wants you to serve. He may surprise you so don't be alarmed!!! Chances are it won't be in your comfort zone, but in His. Lay it all down at His feet and ask, "Where do you want me to serve?"

Our God The Healer. . .

On Friday we took our youngest daughter to an ear, nose, and throat specialist in Winnipeg. She has been battling ear infections for a couple of years, though they seem to have cleared up over the last week or so. We have been praying and believing for her healing for quite some time and we saw the result of this when the doctor told us that there were no problems and everything seems to have cleared up. What an answer to prayer. . .
On a dissappointing note, I didn't get the job I was waiting to here about. It bothered me for a couple of days but the Lord reminded me that He is my provider. . .and I need to trust in Him. He's got something better in store for me!!!! Pray for us as we try and figure out what our next step should be. . .pray that we stay patient with my job search and as we prepare to go overseas. God is not a God of let downs; He is a God of more than enough.

Moving On. . .

Please pray for us over the next two weeks as we meet with different people concerning our missions applications and so on. Involved in this is an interview with the district sometime this month or in early March. You can also pray for me as I await to hear about a job I was interviewed for last week. As for now we move on towards moving out of this country and into a country of need. Thank you for your prayers as we prepare for our future in the field.

I Love The Lord. . .

I love the Lord for all He has done for me, and all that He is going to do for me. Tonight I saw a familiar face. . .someone I haven't seen for about eleven years. My wife and I ran into our youth pastor and his wife from when we were in high school. This made my day. . .this made my weekend!!!! In a short time I was able to share my testimoney and our calling with them. It was so cool and I just want to wish them the best as they minister to the lost and build up the believers around them. How great is our God!!!!

Shepherd

You are my shepherd

What more could I need

Now that the Lord of creation

Is carefully Fathering me

God of all comfort, covenant grace

All of my fears are removed

As I gaze at the love in Your face

You are the Lord of my life

Lovingly covering me

Your gracious favor is all that I ever will need

You are my shepherd

You are my shepherd

Son of the highest

You shepherd my soul

And I am ever in awe

As I graciously dwell in Your fold

Perfect in wisdom, unveiling the way

Your fortress of righteousness guarding my heart, as I trust and obey

Lord of Heaven, Lord of earth

Leads and shepherds me

God of glory is Fathering me

Lover of my soul

(Written By Craig Smith)

Great White Throne Judgement. . .

"And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades [the grave] gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:11-15

Why have I chosen this verse? As children of God we are to be taking the gospel and spreading it across the world. He has chosen us to get the gospel out to the lost. It is up to us to ensure that souls find eternal life in glory.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16