Growing in Grace and Knowledge

Out of the depths, O Lord, I cry to You When I am tempted to despair Though I might fail to trust Your promises You never fail to hear my prayer And if You judged my sin I’d never stand again But I see mercy in Your hands The secret mysteries belong to You We only know what You reveal And all my questions that are unresolved Don’t change the wisdom of Your will In every trial and loss My hope is in the cross Where Your compassions never fail So more than watchmen for the morning I will wait for You, my God When my fears come with no warning In Your Word I’ll put my trust When the harvest time is over and I still see no fruit I will wait, I will wait for You

I just HAD to share this article. It's near and dear to my heart, and honestly, just good advice! 6 Ways You're (Unintentionally) Telling Your Kids Not to Listen It's so easy to expect children to work on our timeline, and adapt to our quick communication methods that we think save time, but in the long run, they make it harder. It's always worth taking a moment, getting down to their level and letting children know that they are valued, and that we want to hear what they say. And while we're on the topic of valuing children, I may as well send you over to this article as well! Children were (and still are!) so important to Jesus and his mission on this earth. We see many times when he walked among us that children were important to him. I love how Mark 10:16 reads, "And he [Jesus] took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them." Just try and love a child without at the very least getting down to their level. Children need...

With all of the thankfulness and gratitude floating around Facebook these days, I figured it was a good idea to focus on things to be thankful for around the Children's Ministry here as well. God has blessed us richly, and it's unfortunate how quickly we can lose sight of that in the light of our temporary and passing struggles, frustrations, or even simple fatigue. I know really have a hard time being thankful when I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open! Support:  I can hardly believe the number of people who have come alongside to pray with me, encourage me, or give me a timely-yet-motivating kick in the backside to get me moving. God has truly blessed this church with strong leadership, and I feel honoured to be working among them. Volunteers:  Everyone said the hardest part about working in Children's Ministry was going to be finding volunteers. I admit, it takes a LOT of willing people to run the programs here at the church, but so far we have been incred...

My 'office' is located in the very back corner of the church, through two classrooms and down a large hallway. I think someone heard how often I speak or sing out loud to myself, and decided that I needed to be put as far away from other humans as possible. It's probably best for all involved! However, the other morning I was making my way back through the church towards my desk, and suddenly came to an abrupt halt. There was a large pile of rocks piled against the door leading towards my office. Too bad I didn't bring my pick axe or back hoe this morning! The rocks were quickly moved aside, and I opened the door, turned on the light and was met with a startling array of bright colours. There were balloons and streamers EVERYWHERE. Hanging from the ceiling. Stuck to my chair. On every cupboard and desk drawer. There was a huge sign to welcome me, and a number of bows stuck all over. And the phone. Oh, my poor phone that I now have no idea which buttons are which ...

It's been a week now, officially. I've been in ministry one week. I'm both exhausted and exhilarated, cautious and eager, unsure of myself and confident enough to believe I can do this through Christ's strength. What a whirlwind week it has been! Starting two jobs on the same day probably wasn't the wisest thing I've ever done, but I've never been someone for half-measures. If I'm going to do it, I'm all in. So I started teaching at my old high school and began at the church on the same day. And I love it! I love the insanity of mentally (and geographically) switching between two jobs each day. I love the amount of people that God has placed in my life to serve, love and minister to in so many different capacities. And I love the joy and peace that comes with knowing that God has laid the path before my feet, and if I remain in Him, he will not lead me astray. The theme verse of this blog is 2 Peter 3:18. "But grow in the grace and know...