Hey guys! I can't believe it has been a year. I miss you all so much! What a great year. I encourage you to look at your yearbooks! :)
I don't know how many of you know, but on Thursday, April 26, Canadian parliament is going to debate the personhood of unborn Canadians. They will be discussing / debating what a human is and abortion. Please pray for this! Pray that they may know that abortion is wrong and that a baby is a human even though it is unborn. Please be praying for what will be discussed.
Here is an attachment for an article that talks more about it :
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/canadian-parliament-to-debate-abortion-april-26
I encourage you to read it. There is more articles about this so look those up too.
Peace and love,
Mike
Monday, April 23, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
One Year Later
Amazing! It has been one year since Kaleo Grad 2011! How we miss you all, and have been so glad for every opportunity to hear from you and about you and to occasionally see some of you! Your progress in your faith is celebrated by us; your struggles are mourned and prayed for. "It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:7, 8 NIV).
Also, it has been one year of transition for us: wrapping up our time with Kaleo; helping Anna through a tough transition; selling and moving out of our 100 year old house; giving up both of our dogs; two weeks in Ucluelet; another two in Kelowna; a month housesitting in Duncan and another in Victoria; a trip across Canada visiting 90 Kaleo students; then 8000 km of travel around New Zealand; and finally a month of volunteering at another camp on the Island.
So, what's next? Friday evening, I was sitting in a kayak on the quiet waters of Cowichan Lake with the sun warming my back, and suddenly I knew what we should do. So yesterday, I accepted the position of the Director of Camp Imadene's Auxano program. This is a discipleship program for young adults of college age, focusing on biblical training and service, running from September to April. The goal for the fall is about 12 students (they had 5 as a trial run this year) and I will work alongside two other leaders (like Kaleo's interns), who are yet to be determined.
Right now we are living in Honeymoon Bay (see? I can be romantic!) in a beautiful waterfront home that belongs to friends. We never get tired of looking out the window.
Love you all! We appreciate your prayers as we get started in a whole new ministry! May our paths cross soon!
Also, it has been one year of transition for us: wrapping up our time with Kaleo; helping Anna through a tough transition; selling and moving out of our 100 year old house; giving up both of our dogs; two weeks in Ucluelet; another two in Kelowna; a month housesitting in Duncan and another in Victoria; a trip across Canada visiting 90 Kaleo students; then 8000 km of travel around New Zealand; and finally a month of volunteering at another camp on the Island.
So, what's next? Friday evening, I was sitting in a kayak on the quiet waters of Cowichan Lake with the sun warming my back, and suddenly I knew what we should do. So yesterday, I accepted the position of the Director of Camp Imadene's Auxano program. This is a discipleship program for young adults of college age, focusing on biblical training and service, running from September to April. The goal for the fall is about 12 students (they had 5 as a trial run this year) and I will work alongside two other leaders (like Kaleo's interns), who are yet to be determined.
Right now we are living in Honeymoon Bay (see? I can be romantic!) in a beautiful waterfront home that belongs to friends. We never get tired of looking out the window.
Love you all! We appreciate your prayers as we get started in a whole new ministry! May our paths cross soon!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Sunday, April 8, 2012
He Is Risen!
I don't have a ton of Scripture for this time, simply I wanted to share in giving praise to God. Thinking about the reality that the One who created us would come and die for us, it's been a good day for reflection. I don't remember if you guys remember Cal's illustration of the nutshell that he carried around in his pocket to remind him of how small we are to God. We live, we die, and we turn to dust, without any lasting significance to earth. And yet he came to earth in the form of a man, and died in our place so that we wouldn't have to, so that we could be reconciled. How can we ever give enough gratitude towards an act like this? How can we ever misplace the love that he has for us?
"For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die - but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:7-8
I hope that today has been a day where the glory was given all to God, and that the rest of our lives continue to do so. Be encouraged and comforted by this love, this is no small act that God chose to give his life for us. And most of all, with your lives give praise; this free gift came at an increadible price.
"For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die - but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:7-8
I hope that today has been a day where the glory was given all to God, and that the rest of our lives continue to do so. Be encouraged and comforted by this love, this is no small act that God chose to give his life for us. And most of all, with your lives give praise; this free gift came at an increadible price.
Friday, April 6, 2012
For God so Loved the World
Hey guys, here's some Scripture to look over while you reflect today. Grace and peace be yours.
"Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. As many were astonished at you—his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
"Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death,although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
"Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 52:13-53:12
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?" Psalm 22:1
"All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” Psalm 22:7-8
"For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me;they have pierced my hands and feet—I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." Psalm 22:16-18
" 'And on that day,' declares the Lord God, 'I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.... I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.' " Amos 8:9-10
"and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink" Psalm 69:21
As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. Matthew 27:32-50
"Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. As many were astonished at you—his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
"Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death,although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
"Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 52:13-53:12
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?" Psalm 22:1
"All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” Psalm 22:7-8
"For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me;they have pierced my hands and feet—I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." Psalm 22:16-18
" 'And on that day,' declares the Lord God, 'I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.... I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.' " Amos 8:9-10
"and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink" Psalm 69:21
As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. Matthew 27:32-50
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