Clay.

Today I bought some gummie bears to take as treats with me to the DRC,

then I ate them.

It's not easy to be in a house with a pack of bears staring at you all day....

 Buuuut that's not what this blog is about.
Its about something that has been on my mind a little while.

On the flight from Houston to Edmonton I read Romans 1 and 2, 

and I began to think about judgement. 

Not God's judgement on us, 

but of our judgement of one another. 

Something I have come to realize that I struggle with,

something God has been working on me this past year. 

I'm wondering if, through the ages, 

Christians have actually been some of the snobbiest people of society. 

We are ordered to act in humility,

under God's grace.

Grace that is taken, applied to our lives

so that we no longer see ourselves guilty of unforgiven sins. 

Perhaps this is not wrong,

for there is no guilt in life after Christ's work. 

However, it becomes so easy to turn our eyes

on those we deem as unforgiven

and look on them as worthy only of being charged guilty,

and that they should be looked on with either

pity or condemnation. 

But in reality, 

I, we, are all equally worthy of the same charge of guilt,

all equally undeserving of the remission of that guilt. 

Yet, though perhaps in good spirit, 

I desire for others to live 

in purity, 

and so in word or maybe just thought

I pass judgement when they do not meet my idea of right living. 

But I must be a magnet and not a prodding iron. 

I must attract with a humble, right lifestyle,

rather than poke and peel away at others shortcoming. 

The latter will only open wounds,

cause unnecessary pain,

and reinforce the idea that I only care about the way you look next to me,

that is, how you make me look,

rather than who you are in the deepest place of your heart.

So reach out christian and be different. 

When your heart condemns

look quickly inwards rather than continue in that thought. 

Examine yourself.

Trade judgemental feelings for love.

Do not feel that the righteousness of the world

rests on your shoulders.

Rather be concerned with the righteousness resting

in your own heart,

that which you do have control of. 

Then act out in love

and trust in God enough to believe

that He can use your lifestyle to draw others to His heart

without you pressing burning coals on people's lips,

blinders on their eyes

and yokes around their neck.

Trust in God enough to believe 

the no heart is out of His reach,

that He can guide and convict as He sees fit and good to do.

That is His work, 

yours is to display His love each day. 

He is the potter,

you are the clay. 

Countdown...5

Its hard to believe that in only 5 days I will be embarking forward to the DRC in only 5 days. 

God is good and after a huge blessing from more friends and my church back home 

funds are nearly all in! 

This Morning

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, 

what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.

 Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 

 Look at the birds of the air;

 they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, 

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?  

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life"    

- Matthew 6:25-27

As of 3:32pm

South Journey

Just returned from an amazing visit to the US and the great state of Louisiana. 

It was honestly one of the best weeks of my life filled with experiencing new culture, 

beautiful places and great people. 

I definitely look forward to more adventures to Southern lands in the future. 

A snippet of the travels journalled. 

Outside the Cafe Du Monde

Plantation where The Battle of New Orleans took place

Gators in the Bayou

Air boat on the water

Spanish Moss

This one makes me think of a yeti hanging off the tree. 

                                                                                                       (me and the girl)

 

The weekend

Just had a great weekend including some attending of The Black Keys concert in Edmonton. 

Abby and I ventured to the grand Rexall Place in Edmonton to join thousands of other people

and enjoy some fine music. 

But better than this excursion was the early internship gift Abby gave me before the concert. 

I've always kind of wanted a Bible with a tree on it, honestly. 

Hence this Bible was an excellent gift; 

and it also outlines passages 

which talk about the environment and creation in green. 

I like that kind of stuff. 

It will definitely be travelling with me to the DRC. 

I'm becoming more excited about my internship

and the opportunities coming to just build relationship,

to learn, 

and to experience God alongside a whole new group of people. 

I pray that God will continue to develop in me

a heart after His own.

Eyes that see as He sees.

Wisdom to act as He would act. 

Funds are slowly coming in. 

Always praying for more to come.

Sometimes trusting can be a difficult activity,

but perhaps this demonstrates the importance of it.

Faith wouldn't mean quite so much

if you already knew how things would pan out. 

Its about trusting when you cannot see the results. 

Life Goes On

Just returned back from a camping trip in Jasper with great group of people.

Marvelling at the mountains, 

lunch by the river

and a wolf in the morning

were all a part of this trip. 

I definitely find myself connecting with nature and the rugged life,

not minding getting up early besides the extreme chill in the May mountain air. 

Hopefully this will not be the last camping adventure with Vanguard folks. 

Also, upon arriving home

I was happy to see that my visa for the DRCongo had arrived.

The list of to-dos is slowly ticking away,

and the time before I go is quickly rushing by. 

4 years ago God placed this country on my heart,

in 23 days I will be travelling there.

This is real. 

Finances are coming along but still have a little ways to go. 

Please pray for provision of what remains. 

Two Words

The HMS team has been back in Canada about a week now. 

The past few days have been filled with debrief, reflection and worship. 

Last night while we had our final barbeque, and while we worshiped 

I had two thoughts.

Two words. 

Arriving and Breaking

First off, I have realized that

I need a good breaking.

To be exposed

cracked open

made raw and sensitive

to even the most tender touch of God.

To His leading.

To the breaking of hearts.

Where my heart has become calloused

and does not know anymore how to recognize 

the soft touch of hand in need that reaches out

and the finger of God that points me where to love,

that is where I need a good breaking. 

Arriving

I began to ponder, while sitting in circle of students 

that just spent the past year on an incredible journey,

what is arriving? 

Something true for almost all people

in this life,

is that they want to arrive somewhere.

To reach a goal,

a destination, 

a final place.

Somewhere that we can work towards reaching,

something that we can plan on accomplishing. 

But, I think, if you want to arrive,

you need to stop heading somewhere else

outside of the present moment. 

We so easily wander into thoughts of reaching a place different 

and better

than where we are today. 

But to be here,

to be present  and to realize its impact on everything that is to come. 

That is what I think it means to arrive.

To allow yourself to catch up with yourself,

or to pull yourself back from getting too far ahead. 

Be here,

now. Really be here. 

See the the textures of the colors on the wall. 

See the way the light hits the corners of the room

casting shadows and highlights.

Hear the sound of worship,

hear it truly and deeply.

Here the rise and falls and the intonations of voices

being lifted up

and up. 

Arrive here, where you are now. 

Was the beginning of a semester, 

a trip,

 a journey leading to this place? 

Yes, ultimately. 

But only because the present

builds on the present to reach another day. 

Each day of your semester,

your term,

your trip,

your life,

is an arrival. 

 

Your destination is to be where you are now in Christ. 

 

Spring, Visas and the Oncoming Days

Well spring is finally, truly coming to Edmonton.
As classes at Vanguard have finally (not that I wasn't loving them dearly) come to a close
the days have been filled with a little study and a lot more time outside.
 Kite flying and outdoor meals have already commenced and I look forward to more in the future.

                                                               Take to the skies

 

                                                                               (photos courtesy of this girl)

In other, but important news, I received confirmation for my Rwandan VISA via email. I will present this certificate upon entry to the country as I travel through Rwanda and into DRC.
I mailed the VISA package for the DRC on Thursday,
hoping it will process quickly, without hiccups and return quickly.
The surreal phase is just beginning to hit me as school raps up and the trip approaches.
I find myself really wondering what the real life experience of traveling to
and living in the Congo will be.
I expect difficulties, I anticipate God's touch. I imagine it will be tough, I know it will be life changing. 
38 days remaining.