A Change is as Good as a Rest

This is for all my friends who have been reminding me of late that it is time for a blog update.  Thanks for reading folks – it’s nice to know I don’t just blog to hear myself think!

This has been a great weekend!  Yesterday, Josh, Edie (who’s visiting for a few days) and I took a drive down to Grand Forks, North Dakota and spent the day shopping in the US.  It was really nice to get away for a few hours and forget about homework and field assignments.  I started my Christmas shopping, treated Josh (who was an angel all day) and we topped the day off with huge ice cream sundaes before heading back home to Winnipeg as the sun began to set.  It’s a rare thing for me to have the time to escape for a few hours these days and so I really cherished the break and enjoyed myself immensly. 

Then today I preached at Heritage Park this morning which went very well and everyone was extremely generous with their encouragement after the service.  Although I can’t take the credit for a good sermon because I really am “just the messenger” of the word God speaks through me nevertheless I continue to be confirmed in my call by the many wonderful people who are speaking into my life and training during my time at CFOT.

After the service, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Perkins thanks to Edie and when we finally arrived home mid-afternoon I was drained from our busy weekend.  So, with both my soul and my stomach well fed, you’d think it would be the perfect time for a leisurely Sunday afternoon nap, right?

Well…that was the plan.  I changed into my comfy sweats, plopped myself down on the sofa and said to Edie “I think it’s time for a rest!”  But no sooner were those words out of my mouth, I looked over towards the dining room and followed up that statement with this one…”I think it’s time for a change in this apartment.”  And so the change began!

BEFORE

 The picture to the left is what my dining room looked like before we began the marathon rearrangement of almost every room in my house.  Together, with Edie’s help, rather than taking that much needed rest, we proceeded to spend the next 6 hours moving furnture, cleaning out closets and generally revamping my entire household!

But I think it’s true what they say…A change is as good as a rest…because now I feel as though my perfect weekend has reached the perfect ending.  I love the new configuration of my living room, dining room, bedroom and walk in closet and I feel like some much needed purging has been accomplished.  So take a look at the after shot of my dining room below and let me know if you think the change is a good one too?

AFTER

As it turns out I’ve really had both a rest and a change this weekend.  I’ve enjoyed a nice rest from the busyness that I can often get caught up in these days.  And I’ve had a nice change to my surroundings which I think will serve to refresh me as I finish out my last 7 1/2 months here in Winnipeg before finding out what God has in store for me come June 2010. 

No doubt there have been a lot of changes in my life in the past year and a half but there’s also been a lot of resting safe in the arms of my Savior.  God is good and despite the busyness I continue to love every single minute of my training and look forward with great anticipation to full-time ministry as the Prayer Warriors approach the final leg of our preparations.

Oh…and I must say a special thank-you to Edie for all your help because I certainly couldn’t have managed all the changes today without you!

Blessings!

Time flies when you’re having fun!

The Beaver Creek Camp staff - Good Times!

Wow!  It’s hard to believe that I’m more than half way through my 22 months at CFOT and before I know it I’ll be commissioned as a Salvation Army officer next June.  It is a journey that began long before I arrived in Winnipeg last August but as I look forward to returning for my second year of training next week I know that God has been shaping me, guiding me and moulding me during every step of the journey.  And I also know that He will continue to lead me and walk beside me as long as I put my trust in Him and follow His plan for my life.

This summer was a real time of growth for me in so many areas of my life and I am so grateful for the experiences that I had during my 8 weeks in Saskatoon.  If I had to pick one thing that I learned during my assignment in Saskatoon it would have to be my belief that every aspect of ministry is about one thing – building relationships.  Of course, I already knew this in theory; after all, Jesus modeled this very notion Himself when he walked the earth more than 2000 years ago however what I already knew in theory – I learned in practice this summer.  Whether it was serving soup at coffee house, making cupcakes with the teenage girls at Bethany Home, fellowshipping with corps members or making friends with the camp staff, I quickly came to realize that Christian ministry is simply about meeting, loving and serving other’s in Christ’s name.  And I couldn’t be more thankful that God is showing me that I’m capable of doing all of this for Him.

Which brings me to another important lesson of my summer assignment and that is….No matter how ill equipped I might think I am for ministry, God is able to teach and train me to do the work that He has called me to.  In my own strength I am nothing but His word reminds me that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).  Again I knew this to true in theory before the summer but it is another thing altogether to discover how very true it is in practice.  The Lord is my rock and I thank Him each and every day that I know the peace and joy that comes from knowing, following and serving Him.

There is a wonderful song that really speaks a lot of what I’ve been feeling since coming to CFOT last year.  It’s called The Potter’s Hand and you may have noticed some of the lyrics in the header on my blog but here’s the full song if you don’t know it.  Really beautiful words!

The Potter’s Hand

Beautiful Lord, Wonderful Saviour

I know for sure, all of my days are held in your hands, crafted into your perfect plan

You gently call me into your presence guiding me by Your Holy Spirit

Teach me dear Lord to live all of my life through your eyes

I’m captured by your holy calling

Set me apart, I know you’re drawing me to yourself

Lead me Lord I pray

 

Take me, mould me, use me, fill me

I give my life to the Potter’s hand

Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me

I give my life to the Potter’s hand

 

You gently call me into your presence guiding me by your Holy Spirit

Teach me dear Lord to live through your eyes

I’m captured by your holy calling

Set me apart, I know you’re drawing me to yourself

Lead me Lord I pray

 

 

Summer Assignment in Saskatoon

Below is a report about my summer assignment in Saskatoon which will appear on the CFOT website in the next few days…figured I’d post it here just in case you don’t catch it there.

Serving in Community

It is hard to believe that the summer is drawing to a close and that my time in Saskatoon is almost over but God has richly blessed me as I have encountered Him in every aspect of the ministry He had planned for me even before I arrived here in the center of Saskatchewan.

One of the areas where God has been most at work, growing and equipping me during this time has been at The Salvation Army’s Saskatoon Community Centre which is located in one of rougher parts of the downtown core.  When I first arrived at training college last September, the area of ministry that challenged me the most was working among the marginalized of our society, most specifically those living on the street and in our shelters either because they are struggling with addictions or simply because they have nowhere else to go.  And so when I learned that a significant part of my eight weeks in Saskatoon was going to be spent in exactly this type of ministry I will admit that I was a bit anxious about it. 

However, the Community Center has turned out to be one of the most rewarding aspects of my ministry this summer and I am very grateful for all that God has taught me here.  My time at the center has included providing meal tickets to those coming in for one of the three meals that are served there each day as well as riding along on the breakfast truck which goes out into the surrounding community three mornings a week to reach those beyond the walls of the center.  I have participated in Friday and Sunday night coffee houses and shared from God’s Word on two Sunday mornings at the adjacent Salvation Army corps, the New Hope Community Church where some of the centers residents attend regularly.

And in every one of the many services that the center provides, I have seen God at work as he uses His people to feed the hungry among us.  At meal time, the center feeds the physical hunger of these people.  During the coffee house ministry many find their hunger for friendship sustained as they sit and chat with the staff and volunteers who are there simply to listen and to lend a helping hand.  And on Sunday mornings through the church fellowship, the spiritual hunger of God’s children is fed as a message from His Word is shared and the gospel of Jesus Christ is declared.

Before this summer, I sometimes wondered if my presence in these types of situations really made any difference but last week when a table full of the regulars at Friday night coffee house quickly cleared a space at their table to make room for me, I realized that God has indeed been using me to give hope to these people each week as I have shared a bowl of soup and some conversation with them.

Above all else, I am grateful for the way in which God has stretched me and changed me during my time in Saskatoon and I have been reminded again that no matter how ill equipped I may feel, God is more than capable of shaping me into the leader that He has called me to be and using me where He has placed me.

The Pledge of Trust

I came across this prayer by Bryan Jeffery Leech in my personal devotion time today and really enjoyed it so I thought I would share it with you.

Father, during this coming week there may be times when I shall not be able to sense Your presence or to be aware of Your nearness.

• When I am lonely and by myself, I trust You to be my companion.
• When I am tempted to sin, I trust You to keep me from it.
• When I am depressed and anxious, I trust You to lift my spirits.
• When I am crushed by responsibility and overwhelmed by the demands of people on my time, I trust You to give me poise and a sense of purpose.
• When I am rushed and running, I trust You to make me still inside.
• When I forget You, I trust that You will never forget me.
• When I forget others, I trust that you will prompt me to think of them.
• When You take something or someone from me that I want to keep; when You remove the props I lean on for comfort in place of You; when You refuse to respond to my questions and to answer my too-selfish prayers, I will trust You even then.

Amen

Hope you are all having a great summer!  Blessing to you my friends.

A word from Beaver Creek Camp

Behold the beauty of God's Creation

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. –Romans 1:20

Tonight as I spent my daily quiet time with God in a cabin set admist the beauty of his creation at The Salvation Army’s Beaver Creek camp in Saskatchewan I was intrigued at the topic of today’s devotional.  Before coming on summer assignment I purchased a new 8-week devotional book which I selected in part because it corresponded to the 8-weeks that I would be spending here in Saskatoon.  But once again I have seen how God works all things together as the devotional material contained in the book which is titled “Trusting in the Names of God” has seemed to mirror my ministry during this time.  For the past two weeks as I have been preparing for and introducing a summer sermon series on the hereos of faith named in Hebrews 11, my peronsal devotions have ironically also been on the topic of trust.  And now this week as I have come to spend a week at camp, surrounded daily by the beauty of God’s creation, the topic of my devotions has shifted to….yes, you guessed it, beholding the beauty of God’s creation.  God really does have a wonderful way of weaving together all of the elements of our lives!

And so tonight, the verse I included above struck me as a very important verse.  But it also causes me to wonder how anyone could ever question the very existence of the God who created the universe?  I would challenge anyone who doubts the realness of God, to spend some time in nature, listening to the birds chirping, watching the prairie dogs skirt along the grass and looking up at the heavens which hold the promise of eternal life for each of us and you will see first hand the eternal power and divine nature of our Holy God.

There is so much more I could say on this topic if I didn’t need to run now to staff devotions but I encourage you to take the time this summer to behold the beauty of creation.  I know I am and it’s worth every moment!

Blessings,

Kristen

A Weekend of Celebration!

Riding the Bus!

I’m happy to say that I have arrived home safe and sound in Winnipeg following a wonderful weekend of fun and celebration! 

All of the CFOT staff and cadets travelled to Toronto this past weekend for Commissioning 2009 where we were surrounded by the presence of God as we celebrated the commissioning and ordination of the Witnesses for Christ 2007-2009 session of cadets.

It was a very busy weekend, filled with many rehersals, meetings, visits with family and friends, great times of fellowship over meals and most importantly the celebration of the Witnesses. 

After arriving at our hotel in Toronto, a crowd of cadets descended on the nearby Swiss Chalet to enjoy the chicken and chalet sauce that so many Salvationists love.  (There’s no Swiss Chalet’s in Winnipeg so the decision of where to eat our first meal in Toronto was a no brainer for most of us!)  The remainder of the evening saw several of us hopping in a borrowed van and heading down the DVP for a driving tour of downtown Toronto before stopping at the local Dairy Queen and heading back to the hotel after a long day for some much needed R&R.

Friday morning afforded us a few hours of free time when I, along with a couple of my fellow cadets ventured to THQ and Trade for a tour of the Territorial Commanders office and some shopping to update our well worn uniform wardrobes.  (You’d be amazed out how quickly those uniform blouses wear thin when you wear them EVERY day!)

On Friday afternoon I attended my first ever Officers Councils where the visiting Austrailian Commissioner Ivan Lang fed our souls as he shared from God’s word and challenged us to live authentic, holy lives for Him.  Then Friday evening was a wonderful celebration of the Salvation Army’s work “Among the Nations” complete with a march in of flags representing all of the 118 countries where the Army is at work in the world.  Very powerful!

Saturday began bright and early with rehersals for that evenings program as we walked through the order of service to ensure that everything was just right for this very important event.  As well, that afternoon I was blessed to be able to spend a few hours with my best bud Debby and her son Christopher at Casa Loma (a popular Toronto tourist attraction).

And then….the big event!  What a joy it was to sit along side the second year cadets as they were finally commissioned for service after 22 long months of training!  Afterwards, Major Rice (our training principal) would thank my session, the Prayer Warriors, for our support of the Witnesses throughout the weekend but in truth it was a true labour of love!  We were thrilled to be able to share these moments with them.  Most of us had to fight back tears as each of them knelt at the holiness table to solidfy there committment to God’s call on their life and then we all grinned like proud parents as we stood to welcome the newly commissioned Lieutenants marching back into the service donning new uniforms complete with the red trim that signified their new positions. 

In my opinion, the evening couldn’t have been more perfect.  I was so honoured to be able to celebrate this special event with the Witnesses who have become like family to me in the past year while at the same time it brought an opportunity for me to begin looking forward to the coming year with the Prayer Warriors as we journey closer to our own Commissioning and Ordination in Newfoundland 12 short months from now in June 2010. 

Finally, the weekend was brought to a very special conclusion as we gathered on Sunday morning at Scarborough Citadel for a wonderful time of worship in the Lord’s house.  Commissioner Lang again spoke a very powerful and moving word from the Scriptures which ended with a lined alter as cadets, newly commissioned Lieutenants and many others publicly displayed our deep desire to respond effectively to Christ’s great commission for all of us to be witnesses for Him.

With the weekend now behind me, I’m already finding myself reflecting back on these very special days.  I had the opportunity to greet and spend time with many friends, old and new in the Lord’s name in the past 5 days and to visit with my family back home even if only for a few hours. 

I was also reminded again during this important weekend of celebration of how great it is to be within God’s plan.  There is no better path to walk then the one that my Creator chose for me.  And with that in mind, I now very proudly display on my uniform shoulders the double bars that signify that Iam no longer a first year cadet but have now entered my second year of  training and am one step closer to the full-time ministry that God has called me to.

Ironically enough, Anne-Marie (my soon departing newly commissioned officer neighbour) has just dropped in to pass on the torch of the count-down book that will find it’s home outside my apartment door next March when the Prayer Warriors begin our final 100 days of training but I’m afraid we dare not blink because those final days will be upon us before we know it!

Congratulations Witnesses for Christ as you ”GO”…in the strength of the Lord!

Learning Life Lessons at CFOT

This morning was our last Sunday at our Winnipeg corps placements before we head off to Toronto for commissioning next weekend and then on to summer assignments the week after.  Since we do not know yet which Winnipeg corps we will be attending in the fall and because many if not all of us will be moved to different placements for our second year of training, this was yet another goodbye in what seems to be a never ending months worth of goodbyes in the CFOT family. 

So far we have bid farewell to our field practicum placements, attended a divisional salute and farewell to the Witnesses for Christ (the second year session) and enjoyed a time of fellowship over lunch as the CFOT family said goodbye to our training principle (Major Sandra Rice) and our directors of academics and spiritual formation (Majors Ray and Cathie Harris) who are retiring from ministry (for the second time!).

But this morning as the Prayer Warriors who have attended Heritage Park Temple for the past year said farewell to our corps family, we were each asked by Major Julie to publically share one thing that God has been teaching us in this past year.  For me the answer was easy…

God has been teaching me that no matter what obstacle’s I may face, no matter what unexpected challenges come my way and no matter how many times I find myself in situations that I am ill-prepared to handle, still God journeys with me on the path that he has called me to walk.  This year God has been teaching me, stretching me, equipping me, challenging me and molding me into the person that he wants me to be.  He called me a long time ago to full-time ministry and in the past year I have learned that there is no better place to be then within His will.

And so as I prepare to change my bars next Sunday, to remove my first year single bars and replace them with the double bars signifying that I am moving into my second year of training, I will take these lessons with me as He continues to shape me into the leader that He alone has designed me to be.

And as the Witnesses for Christ are commissioned and ordained next Saturday night, it will be my prayer for them that they will always remember the lessons that they too have learned during their time at CFOT and that they will always feel the presence of God as He continues the journey with them.

One last note for my family and friends back home.  If you haven’t already heard, this past Thursday Darren was accepted for training in September.  Many of you will know that there has been much tension between Darren and I for the past 6 months as our lives have taken separate paths but we have recently begun the mending process and I am truly thrilled that (Cadet) Darren will be joining the Ambassadors of Holiness session in the fall.  And so I will finish this note by praising God for answering two prayers at once for me in this regard!

God is so good!

I love Crystal

Missing your flair...and your yellow pumps!

This blog entry is dedicated to Crystal Rowe.  I just want Crystal to know how very much I miss her and wish she wasn’t so far away!  Please come back to Winnipeg Crystal, my world just isn’t the same without you!

ROFL

Happy now???

Stuff!

We really did love Regina!

Wow, it’s been like forever since I blogged!  Apologies to my faithful followers but it’s just been a really busy couple of weeks.  Of course that also means that there is so much for me to write about that I’m not sure where to even begin.

Ummmm….how about in Saskatchewan maybe since that seems to be the place for me to be these days.

Last weekend, I travelled with 3 other cadets to be the special guests at the Regina Haven of Hope corps and we had a wonderful time there!  We were very very busy during the 3 short days we were there but were so blessed by the ministry opportunity.  We participated in several events over the weekend, including 3 events with the young people from the corps which was really great because we actually got to know some of the kids during our short visit….and to sing some really fun campfire songs!  Remember ”Father Abraham”?  LOL – so much fun! 

On Saturday night we had a great time of fun and fellowship with the College and Careers group when we hosted a Bible Trivia games night complete with our own version of Who wants to be a millionaire?  or rather Who wants to be a bible scholar? as we called it.  I even made some new friends that hopefully I’ll get to see over the summer when I’m back in SK. 

And then on Sunday we were truly blessed by a wonderful service led by Cadet Jeff Arkell as he spoke from the book of Nehemiah about rebuilding walls and covenants with God.  Jeff had asked me to give my testimony during the service and I was happy to share something of my journey to CFOT and God’s work in my life.  I have to say that I never tire of telling people about all of the wonderful things that God has done and is doing in my life!

We really had a fantastic time in Regina and so many of the congregation told us how blessed they were by our ministry there but I really believe that it was just as much a gift to us as it was to them so I praise God for that!  Of course, now that we’ve actually got to do some real hands on minsitry work we’re all just itching to get to our summer assignments.  I love training college and truly believe that our learning here is critical but God has designed me for ministry and so I just can’t wait to get out there and apply what I’ve learned here.

On that note, it would seem that I’m going to have a lot of opportunity to do just that over the summer.  I have had some discussion with the corps officers in Saskatoon (who I think I’m going to absolutely love!) and it sounds like they have lots of wonderful plans for me during my stay with them.  I’m going to be preaching pretty much all summer as well as working with several different ministry units in the city and even spending a couple of weeks at camp so it should be a really great time of learning and ministering. 

So what else is new in my life?…..

Well…. 3 weeks from today, I’ll officially be a second year cadet!!!! WOW, I can’t believe how quickly my first year has gone.  Commissioning weekend will be bitter sweet in some ways though because it also means that the current second years (the Witnesses for Christ) will be off to their first appointments and lots of new changes will be on the horizon for September.  Although we’re all looking forward to getting to know the new session of cadets and the new CFOT staff that are coming in, we’re definately going to miss the Witnesses.  I’m especially going to miss by buddy Anne-Marie across the hall who is definately the best neighbour I’ve ever had!  In just this week alone we’ve fed each others kids, I’ve thrown my pork chops on her BBQ, we’ve shared the contents of our fridges with each other and chatted it up in the hallway daily!  Where else can you live in one apartment but travel back and forth to another almost as much as you hang out in your own except in the CFOT residence?  You gotta love community living!

Of course, the fact that our trip to Toronto for commissioning is only 3 weeks away also means that my baby (Joshua) is headed home for the summer and not coming back with me until the end of August.  It’s going to be 10 full weeks that we’re apart this summer, which is almost 3 times as long as the longest I’ve ever been away from him.  I’m glad he’s going to be with people he loves and is excited to see but I’m going to miss him like crazy!!!  He makes me laugh when we talk about it because we have this silly competition that goes on between us to see who loves the other one more!  Of course, I don’t think there will ever be a winner on that one though because I think it’s pretty infinite on both sides but it makes us both smile none the less!

Well, that’s enough rambling for tonight.  Please be in prayer for me and all of my fellow cadets as we prepare to head out in ministry in a few weeks time, the Witnesses in their first appointments and the Prayer Warriors to our summer assignments.  Pray that God will be with us and will use us for His glory!

God Bless!

Kris

Thinking Happy Thoughts!

I’m really not sure what this blog is going to be about. I just know that of late I’ve been feeling really joyful in the Lord and wanted to bring some of that joy to my blog.

This morning in SA Worship class I had to lead a song (we’re learning the correct way of doing it) and I chose to do a song from a Gowans and Larsson drama. We don’t sing it often in our Army corps these days but I really love both the tune and the words. It’s a really catchy tune that you can’t help carrying with you long after the song is done but I particularly love the message in the words. The first verse asks the question, “We wonder why Christ came into the world?” to which the rousing chorus responds….

He came to give us life in all its fullness,
He came to make the blind to see,
He came to banish death and doubt and darkness,
He came to set his people free.
He liberating love imparted,
He taught men once again to smile;
He came to bind the broken hearted,
And God and man to reconcile.

For me, these words beg another question…How can you not be joyful when you hear those words? What a gift our Saviour gave us and what a joy it is to know a God who gave His all to set His people free!

Not long ago we spent a week in an intensive Pastoral Care class that left many of us reflecting back on some of the grief and pain that we have sufferred in days gone by. As well, my “My Story” chapel last week forced me to journey to some of the tough times in the past few years of my life but I’m not the least bit sorry that I had either of those experiences because in the end both served to leave me celebrating the beautiful thing that God is making out of my life.

I rejoice that my Saviour walks with me daily and that I can see the footprints in the sand during the times that He has carried me!

God is so good, He’s so good to me!