Powell River

Ferry Ride from the Sunshine Coast to Powell River, BC.

One of the really great things about my job working for Alpha is that I get to travel around BC and find out what is happening at the local church level around the province. Today i travel 4 hours north of Vancouver. Two ferry rides later and after some spectacular view - some of the most breathe taking views I have ever seen in my life we arrived at the Westview Baptist church, where they were hosting us for their missions fest. I came up with Jason Ballard and the Campus Fire Crew - Chris Hall and Timmy G as Jason was invited to lead one of the breakout seminars and and evening talk. I had a great day hanging out the these guys -  super fun loving and such a heart for God's Kingdom.

At lunch Jason and I meet with a bunch of people who have been involved in running Alpha in Powell River over the last decade. Not to my surprise I encountered the usual Alphaholics (people who just go on alpha over and over and over again and make alpha the be all and end all of their faith) who usually frequent some of the smaller towns. However, these people had a different vibe. They genuinely got the Alpha vision and from the world Go have been really passionate about sharing the Gospel of Jesus. One of the oldest and softest spoken ladies in the room name Margie, told us how when she first heard of Alpha, she brought the videos and hosted 20 people in her house. She just believe in God using it. Many years and many Alpha courses down the road, she is still actively involved in making God known through Alpha. I really am humble when people want to stick with the vision, and not jsut move on to the next best thing like so many people from my generation. i was reminding again that there is so much to learn from the elderly, who are so gracious and humble in heart, yet love the Lord with a deep passion and conviction. 

At the end of the day I am so thankful for this opportunities to understand and witness the outworking of God's church here on earth. What a privilege it is to do what I do.

God is Able

God is able! Knowing this truth in your heart can really radically change your life, and grant you perspective that you could never have imagined to have. Today I was reading in Bill Hybel's book - Too Busy Not to Pray. In it he spoke about our ability to trust that God answers our prayer id very much proportional to our faith in his omnipotence. If God is truly omnipotent then he is able to do what ever we ask him. This is not so say that God will answer our prayers in the way we might want, but to know in our heart of hearts that he does have the ability to do so. As we press into him and pray according to his will, there is no doubt that in his grace he will answer our requests. What do you need to have faith for today, know that GOD IS ABLE? What do you need to believe knowing that GOD IS ABLE.

Rivendell Retreat

Rivendell Retreat - Bowen Island (BC)

It hard to describe what I have been feeling the past few months. The last year has been an adventure, packed with many moments of grandeur and life giving opportunities. Spanning these moment have been both challenges to learn from and victories to celebrate. This last week I took some much need time out to reflect, think and pray and give thanks to Jesus, who by his grace has brought me to where I am thus far. 

When I first arrived in Vancouver, many people at Regent spoke of the Rivendel Retreat Lodge on Bowen Island. I have always been keen to check it out, and I loved the thought of getting away to prayer and spend sometime away from the city out in creation. So finally last week after I cancelled my trip to London I headed to the Horseshoe bay to catch the midday Ferry.

After a short ferry ride across the bay I began my trek up the hill to the lodge on a beautiful spring day. I meandered up the grey snake like road, I wondered through the quaint little coast town. The sun was shining, the smell of a new season was in the air.
I could literally smell,
taste
and touch the change that hung in the air.

Change

Something that I desired so badly in my heart after months of grey winter skies and trying so hard to steward work and studying - all the doing had finally taken its toll on me. My mind, body and soul was in much need of rejuvenation and new vision.

As the sun beat down,  I cried out to the Lord to show me my path for the next season, to affirm where I was and the purposes that he had for me in Canada. Nearing the end of the climb, I passed through a construction sight and I had a wonderful word from the Lord. At first, I muttered negative thoughts about the mess of the construction sight and how ugly it looked. Even though I knew the end result would be a beautiful house looking of the majestic bay. I realized at that very point that my life in fact felt like a bit of a construction sight. It wasn't all that attractive. I know that from the outside people might sometimes think that I had it together, but the truth is, non of us really have it together and it is by God grace that we forge on, living out what our creator has called us to do. Anyway, back to the picture. So my life a construction sight- God the clearing away to make space for something beautiful to be built. Sometimes the clearing and the foundation making, the pouring of concrete and blandness of these stages is a little disillusioning. sometimes you cant see the plan for what the final building will look like although you get hints or glimpses of it as you go along. Praying through this image I receive renewed revelation and confidence about the journey that I am on. I life long journey. Although I may not know and see the final purposes of my time in Canada. I do feel that it is strategic; a laying of the foundation, the clearing for something beautiful to be built. My life in construction, not more, no less, but in a process of being made better. Not by me but by the master architect and builder. The one who sees and knows the end from the begging. What a joy to know that ultimately my life is in the hands of the one who created me. Praise God.


Isaiah 40:28- 31

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.