Highlights!

Life can get pretty exciting around here! Seriously, when I look at it from a slightly obscure view (ok really obscure) I can barely contain myself.

Today's Highlights:

1. Drinking CRANBERRY JUICE.
2. Seeing Daddy
3. Taking a Road Trip (on foot) to the Cancer Agency to say "Hi" to some people I know.
4. GETTING MY FEEDING TUBE OUT.
5. and as we speak... seeing my dinner tray roll into my room. Soup Tonight!

Having the feeding tube removed was like... being embalmed. They pulled this huge long thing out of my nose... oh my word.... eyes watering... it was crazy! My dad thought it was great.

Anyway... off to dinner! Yummy...

Thanks for Praying Specific! The Lord answered the prayer for the feeding tube to be removed. Next up... those PLUMP lips... (wishing so much I had my camera.) So lets all pray for the swelling to go down and see what happens OK?

I'm breaking records with the Lord's help left right and centre. I've been here for a week and I feel I'm ready to go home NOW. I'm supposed to be here for AT LEAST double that. Crazy eh? Did I mention the God I pray to is real?????

Hugs to you all. I love you and I love your comments :) Come and visit if you get a second. Tomorrow will be boring as Joe can't come see my after all (dumb work). Although... you know me... I'm sure I can entertain myself....

Give me some ideas :)

b

Dinner Date

So nice of you all to join me over dinner.

On the Menu?

well... I'm really not sure. It's kind-da yellow. And creamy. And it smells like Vanilla. And it's gross.

But when I'm hungry it's my only option. I'm still eating through a feeding tube. It's really not THAT bad (no effort at all...) but I'm really craving things like apple juice, carrot juice and lemon juice! (apparently all those cravings are for a reason as well - all very beneficial to me for specific reasons)

I just had a long conversation with Joe. It's so nice to talk to him. Seriously, I think he may be the nicest man on earth. How did I end up with him? I'm so thankful. Currently he's up in Comox doing some work. He'd much rather be here hanging out with me, but it's just not possible. He'll be here on Thursday morning, and we'll party it up in the hospital! Oh... the excitement we will have!

Ever watch Veggie Tales? Do you know the song Larry sings, "I Love My Lips"? One of the nurses sang it to me today.

Speaking of lips. THEY. ARE. HUGE. I'd take a photo and show you all but I don't have my camera. Plus they look disgusting and you'd probably loose your lunch. But seriously... they are SOOOO BIG. I look like Stifler's Mom.

On a more serious note:

Tomorrow it looks like I may start "sipping" to see if I can intake my own nutrition. I'm excited! As soon as my graft looks good and attached (it's doing VERY well) and I can eat on my own, I can go home. I'll probably still be quite tired and sore and swollen and such, but home will be nice. Mom is helping out with Ruthie for a while when I get home. This is muchly needed. I really don't think I'd have much success doing it on my own. Mentally... I'm all there. Physically... I've got a long way to go.

I continue to get spiritual encouragement even in the hospital. God is LIVING. I'm so convinced of this! Nurses, visitors and family have been constant sources of spiritual food.

The hugest part of my spiritual soundness in the hospital comes from my favourite musician, Josh Garrels. One particular cd (the free release from his website) I saved for the hospital. Every lyric is fitting. His songs are full of beautiful imagery that take me into the presence of God while I'm lying in my hospital bed. Most importantly, they sing me the sweet song of God's word, feeding my soul to the brim and then some.

Well folks, I can only take this computer for so long without feeling bad. Times up!

I'm going to go watch some more HGTV. (A HUGE luxury for me since we don't have TV - and we're never going to get one). I'm so full of reno ideas my head is exploding. As soon as I'm able - I'm going to finish up our house!

I love you all!

KISSES! (HAHAHAHAHHA HAAA HHAHAHA)

b

Two Seconds to Say "hi"

Hi everyone!

hehe.... I stole a computer from a nurse....

just wanted to say HI.

like my lips? People actually pay money for lips like these :)

Thanks for your comments and prayers.

Please pray that:
1. The swelling will go down (I can only handle holding up lips this large for so long...)
2. I can start eating on my own. (feeding tubes suck)
3. I can go home soon :)

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!

s

Photos from the Hospital

Bethany, Joe, and Ruthie Bear

The pink patch is covering the place where the tracheotomy tube was!!! Thank God it's gone:)

Bethany's mom put a pair of Ruthie's old PJ's and slippers on this bear so for a cuddly reminder of Ruth's love for her parents

Miracles

Hi folks! Vanessa here again for another update.


The Webster dictionary defines a miracle as "something wonderful; a wonder, a marvelous thing, something which seems to go beyond the known laws of nature and is held to be the act of a supernatural being; a supernatural event."

Miracle comes from the Latin word miraculum meaning 'something wonderful', and the Greek word terata which literally means "wonders".

Since Bethany's successful surgery on Tuesday, June 19th there has been plenty of progress in her recovery!

Bethany is so thankful for all of you out there who are praying for her everyday, it is really working! There are people all over North America and around the whole world who are praying for her. Last Fall, I had the opportunity to live in Trinidad for a semester where I met some wonderful people who are very vocal about their faith and their belief in miracles. On the day of Bethany's surgery, I was in contact with some of those girls who started a prayer tree for Bethany in Trinidad and through the Caribbean. My friend Natalee offered the following words to encourage everyone's strength in prayer:

"Continue to be strong and trust in God. He is so marvelous, an awesome God. Just continue to let him guide you..."

Bethany is very interested to know who is praying for her out there around the world and at home, so I encourage you to leave comments for her even if you are shy! She finds this incredible network of people united in thoughts and prayers very encouraging.

Though she is currently not ready to see visitors other than family, Bethany is doing very well. Each day is a journey, and MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING!!!! On Saturday, Bethany discovered that she could breathe comfortably on her own, without the tracheotomy tube! It was removed much earlier than doctors predicted because the swelling in her face has decreased so dramatically. The tracheotomy tube was causing Bethany significant discomfort, and now that it is gone, she is feeling much better. She wanted me to tell you all that this is a real miracle for her.

Several weeks ago, she wrote a blog entry about "praying specific", and this is something that Bethany does regularly, and she encourages you all to try it, too. The next thing that Bethany is praying for is her tissue pathology report. During her surgery, the doctors sent tissue samples to the lab for analysis. Bethany is praying that the report comes back with favourable information about her cells.

I am sure that we can continue to expect more miracles as God hears our prayers for healing and support.

... the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you." And their eyes were opened. (Matthew 9:28-29)

-Vanessa

Good News

Hi everyone, this is Vanessa blogging on behalf of Bethany while she is recovering over the next couple weeks.

So, here goes:

Bethany and Joe had a nice day in Victoria yesterday, despite her oncologist rescheduling her appointment with him for the day after the surgery (helpful...). In any case, she got to see another doctor who gave Bethany the go ahead for surgery today and even though he had to bring her up to speed on some rather gorey details (feeding tubes, IVs, etc), Bethany felt confident about her surgical team and their procedures.

Joe said that Bethany went into her surgery nervous yet light hearted at 7am. The procedure took a little more than 6 hours to complete and the doctors are very happy with how well everything went. Apparently, the radiation had done the work it was intended to accomplish and the tumour had been reduced to a more clearly defined mass. Previously, it had been undifferentiated with random tentacles. Since the radiation had worked so well, the surgeons felt good about the amount of tissue they removed.

Currently, Bethany is still sedated and recovering in the post-op room; Joe will be allowed to see her by 7pm this evening once she's in the Intensive Care Unit. Due to the nature of her surgery and the special care that she will require, Bethany will be in the Burn ICU until she's healed up a little more.

Ruth and Roseanne are doing well, too. My mom and I went to Chemainus to see them today, and we ended up running into them on Willow Street. We ended up taking little Ruthie out for a stroll around Chemainus while Roseanne took an hour to herself and went for a power walk around the seaside. We met up again at the "Utopia Bakery", and continued a nice visit together. Ruthie is in good spirits, and is really enjoying her time with Grandma. The bond that those two share is very beautiful and special.

I will be visiting Bethany and Joe at some point on the next day or so. If you would like to leave comments for her, I will be printing them out and reading them to her on Thursday.

Bethany and Joe would like to thank all the friends, family, church family, and strangers alike who have been supporting them through this journey. God is lighting the path for Bethany's recovery, and I think we can all look forward to many miracles big and small, over the next few weeks.

~Vanessa

no plans = fun plans

I began the day wishing I had had more time to plan something special for Joe for this fathers day.



We started the day at church as per norm, then headed back home to my mom's house to find we locked ourselves out. We killed some time at parks etc, hoping she would come home soon, but as the dinner time rolled around we started to panic a little bit. We decided to take a drive to her *boyfriend's* (man, that sounds weird!) house to see if they were there. They weren't. But...



His kids were there. And they're totally cool.



We hung out... His two kids, Sally and Ian, and Sally's boyfriend, and Joe and Ruth and I. We ate steak and potatoes and corn-on-the-cob and beans and salad and buns...



YUM!



What was even better that the food? A chance to meet some really great people.



So although we had no official plans for the day, I believe God knew we NEEDED a good day, and made one for us. Maybe that's why I locked my keys in my mom's house... ?

Here's a lovely picture taken by my new (super photographer) friend Jenn. Thanks Jenn!

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Joe, you are a FANTASTIC father. I have come to know this especially these last few months. Ruthie adores you, and I can see that I am quickly becoming 2nd on the "funness" scale :) As she grows up (and she sure is!) I trust and know that you will be a wonderful role model for her, and that the relationship you have with her will help mold her into someone we are very proud of. Thank you for being a super daddy in our family!

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We're off to Victoria bright and early tomorrow morning. Tomorrow morning will be Ruthie and I's last breast-feeding snuggle. She calls it "Na-Na". I think I may miss it more than her.

hugs!

b

Relay for LIFE

Friday was AWESOME!


Thanks EVERYONE for your support! I'm so sorry I could stay longer. Yay for those who relayed stayed all night. This gesture was taken to heart - and I left the event feeling so thankful to Jesus for blessing me with such an awesome church family.


Thank you Natty and Daddy for being there with me.

Here's some happy happy photos from the event!

Feeling Better :)

Yesterday a bunch of church elders came to our house to hang out and talk and PRAY. It was totally refreshing. The Lord is good! He used this group of people to lift my spirits and give me hope through his Word.



I am so thankful for my church.



I arrived in Chemainus today. I'll be spending the next few days packing up the little apartment we were so generously given (Thanks Malea for agreeing to help me! Can't wait to see you! and Tommy, my coffee bearing friend... I'm sure you will add some fun into the mix!). I'm going to miss it, but more importantly I am going to miss my neighbours - Ken and Rowena! (What a BLESSING it has been to know you guys. This isn't good-bye... I know we'll see more of each other!)


I'll be back in the Comox Valley on Friday for the Relay for Life. I'll be running (or walking!) at 7pm. I am so blown away that my dear friend Brandie would go to all the effort to set up "Team Bethany". - Brandie, that was a very VERY kind thing of you to do and I totally appreciate it! Looking forward to seeing you on Friday!



I'm getting a hair makeover on Saturday courteous of Vanessa's super cool mommy Mary-Ann at Mary-Ann's hair studio in Crofton. I'll look my best for my 5-star hospital stay :) It will boost my self-image and hopefully I'll concentrate more on how hot my hair looks rather than how un-hot my face looks post surgery.



Wow, do I have cool friends or what?


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Today the LORD... Yes, my GOD who SPEAKS to me in just the way I need him to... gave me an answer to a question.

I've been pretty fragile these past couple weeks. I've struggled with the question "why?". Why would the Lord comfort me for so long... give me huge JOY... give me peace that surpasses understanding... only to take it AWAY? I asked myself, "what have I done to make the Lord take it away?".

In the last couple days I have started to see that the Lord is allowing me to feel fragile to magnify the fact that HE is the one who carries me. As I mentioned in my last post, I get a lot of "praise" from various people. I'm not saying that regular encouraging compliments are wrong or anything, it's just that I feel saddened when CREDIT IS NOT GIVEN WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.

Tonight I spontaneously joined in on a bible study with Row and Ken and their friends. We were reading about Gideon (in the book of Judges - start in Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 vs 2+3 are what I'm specifically talking about). Instead of me trying to preach on a passage (totally not my talent!) pick up a bible and read the story yourself.

I learned:

1. A lot.
2. That the Lord wants credit for the GREAT things that are happening in my life! He'll allow me to be fragile, as a witness to others that he indeed is my Comforter and Strength. Amen!

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Thank you Lord Jesus. How can I repay all your goodness to me?

I will lift up THANKS to you in the PRESENCE OF YOUR PEOPLE.

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Dear Christ-abandoners,

Please stop the public slandering of Christ which I have stumbled upon recently. I say this because I am in love with that very same Christ. And in case you've forgotten, he is in fact, REAL.

I am in tears as I write this.

I am not some dumb brain washed girl. I too, explored life while convincing myself that Christ wasn't for me. I hurt myself, I hurt others, and I hurt my Lord and Savior who loves me more than I could know. Exploring that side of life did not make me wiser. It did not make me cooler. It did not make me happier. It did not make me more whole.

When I told Joe about the pain in my heart surrounding you, he asked,

"If they were suddenly diagnosed with Cancer, would they remember their Savior and turn to him again?"

We have a right to free speech. But people, lets all be mature and converse about our struggles in a way that is respectful and meaningful.

It is my prayer that the Lord will get your attention again and that you will be brought out of this darkness and into LIFE.

And I love you. And I love Jesus. That is why my heart aches for you to be with Jesus again.

I'd like to go on a Diet.

Now I've got your attention!

"What the heck is she doing Dieting during something like this!?"

I'm not talking about food-dieting.

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Psalm 37: 4-6

Trust in the LORD and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the LORD

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,

the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

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Firstly, the bible says:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9

I'm already saved. Grace has saved me. I'm not trying to attain a higher level of salvation or anything. I'm interested in gaining Jesus muscle and loosing Satan fat while I'm here on earth.

DWELLING IN SAFE PATURES:
-a spiritul diet-

I've done this before - back in New Zealand.

It. WAS. DIFFICULT! Just like food dieting - I was making up excuses left right and centre as to why I should be allowed to enjoy a not-so-safe pasture. I'd see myself trying to convince myself that a particular pasture wasn't unsafe at all. My inner dialog was CRAZY. I remember giving myself a 2 month time period, and then all of a sudden realizing that I had discovered something that should be LIFE LONG - not just temporary. I saw such change in my life that the idea of ever going off the diet totally freaked me out.

I did go off the diet eventually. In-fact for a while I went on an "Un-safe Pastures" diet. That was a very bad choice...

I try to "live a live a life worthy of the calling I have received". But honestly, I don't try that hard. When I remember the benefits of actually putting in the effort, I know it's something I want to do again.

I don't want to send another minute in unsafe pastures. It's demeaning, it's depressing, it's shallow... it feeds the bad and starves the good.

My first goals:

- Stop reading blogs that promote bad language, disrespect, and vanity.
- Instead of renting a movie with Joe, actually spend some QUALITY time with him.
- Stop trying to quench my desire for wholeness with material things.

In light of the above list, this is the perfect time to add something like this into the diet:

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Romans 12:2

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Phillipians 4:13

I can do everything through him who gives me strength

Romans 12: 9-11

9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

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Thank you everyone for your prayers and encouragement during my "down" time lately. Surgery is on Tuesday, and I'm getting pretty nervous and stressed about it. Stress affects my mood pretty severely. Please keep praying for healing (in whatever way God wants to do it!), for PEACE (for our whole family) and for Spiritual wholeness.

Today I am doing better. My house is clean (stress eliminator), I've explored TRUTH in the Word of God (stress eliminator!), and we're having a prayer meeting with the church leaders at our house today (prayer = stress eliminator!!!)

Please also keep my blog-friend Heather in your prayers.

I love you all. Keep the comments coming. Usually I'm not a "comment counter" but these days - the more encouraging ones I get the better :)

b

This, too...

I've heard things like the following from a lot of people:

"Wow you're so strong!"
"If I were you I'd be a wreck."
"How do you stay so happy? What are you ON?"
"You obviously have some great coping skills."
"You have the right personality to get through something like this."


I usually respond in saying something about how it's not ME that's keeping ME together, it's Jesus. I hope my recent "well visiting" brings this to light more - both for my own understanding, and for other's understanding.


Personally, if I never had "down" times I'd never fully know how much Jesus can lift my soul.


I know now FOR SURE that it's Christ who is carrying me.


I've felt a little out of the loop when it comes to "Kingdom" stuff lately. Things, not so good things, have piled up one after the other and I feel like I've just been smushed underneath it all. Cancer was already a pretty big thing... but to stack other stuff, no matter how small, on top of it has made for a load that's just... too big.


The bible says to give our burdens to Jesus.


Ok. So how do I do that? It's not like I can physically hand them over. I don't know if I've ever wanted so badly to be free of my burdens. This time I don't only carry the burden of sin, but also burdens that are outside of my sinful nature. I can mentally imagine myself heaping the pile onto the back of Jesus, but then I'm still left with the same heavy feeling.


There are lots of quick answers I could be given right now. I am so thankful that my friends and family are walking with the Lord and know that the following answers are the only ones that matter:

A. Listen to God. (aka - bible)
B. Talk to Him. (aka - praying)
C. Ask others to the talk to Him - on my behalf
D. Hold fast to his PROMISES.


I'm telling myself, and everyone else in my life this:


"This too, shall pass"


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Today:


Thanks Mom for showing how much you love me, by re-arranging your entire life so you can help.
Thanks Daddy for showing how much you love me, by being concerned for my spiritual health above all else.
Thanks Stacey for being a great friend; Jesus makes cool things happen :)
Thanks Vanessa for being a kindred spirit; you lift my spirit.
Thanks Pastor Peter, Roberta, and Brandie for a shoulder to cry on this morning. Thank you for you encouragement and prayers.


Thank you Ruthie, for your sweet hugs and kisses. Thank you for your unconditional love and for being my best little friend day in and day out.


Thank you Joe for knowing me more than anyone else on this planet and loving me for who I am. This is Jesus' love for me through you.


Thank you Lord Jesus. Just because.

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b

LOVE

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1st Corinthians 13: 4-7

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We'll never know each other fully. We're two changing people.

We'll never get it right all the time.

We'll never fully appreciate each other - no matter how hard we try.

We'll never see every single quality in each other, there are too many.

We are both over-flowing with qualities.

We'll never feel the fullness of love from each other, until we accept the fullness of love from Christ.

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Dear person I've been entrusted to:

Dear person I've been entrusted with:

Let's redefine our definition of LOVE.

It's a little dark down here... HELLO?

That's me in a well...
really deep
really dark
kind-da smelly
muddy

I'm holding the bucket...
rope is piled at my feet.

I can see that blue sky up there... clouds floating by in the breeze.

How the heck did I get HERE?

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Please pray...
I want OUT...

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b

Full Life.

I've lived a VERY FULL LIFE these past couple days. I'm not talking of just positive things... just THINGS that FILL up a life. My goodness - I've been so charged up these last few days; Emotionally, Spiritually, and Physically! I'm exhausted. I finally broke down last night after we came home to find out our cat had peed in our bedroom and the whole house reeked of cat urine. It's not really the cats fault - it got locked in the room. I learn new things about this cat all the time - last night I learned that it likes to hide in random places, and that I should never assume as to it's where-abouts!

Our little get-a-way was a blast. Dispite of a SERIES of mishaps...

From missing our ferry, to bomb threats at departure bay, to mastitis, to cat pee...

Lots of things went right too! (Here's me trying to be super positive -Like I usually am! - whilst feeling rather un-positive!)

Whistler was awesome. Even if it was just for a day. We stayed at the Delta (courtesy of the "Friends and Family Rate" through Meghan! - Thanks so much!). We slept in (because the bomb threat caused us to arrive in the wee hours of the morning) and after hunting down a breast pump (in a resort town - not easy!) and visiting the doctor (she looked about 25 and I couldn't help but think - she's got a cool life!) we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then headed to the hill for some riding!

I've identified that I have "performance anxiety". HA! Funny... coming from someone who's usually described as "bubbly" and "outgoing". After much encouragement from Joe...

I HAD A BLAST! I really love biking! I don't get so much of a thrill from the "down hill" part - as much as I get from the "technical" part. I rode Joe's downhill bike for a bit - but then just wanted my little hardtail back because I felt I could control it more. I even rode some built ramps and such - totally out of my comfort zone!

We got a little muddy... :)

After our adrenaline adventure we walked around the village visiting galleries. Much of them were similar to the one I used to work at. It was nice to see some art by familiar artists. I was a little disappointed however that their work hadn't evolved much since I last saw it 2 years ago. My favourite gallery was the Adele Campbell gallery - mostly because it was staffed by a friendly, yet professional, gal who was happy to chat with us. I tried to hunt down some work by my favourite artist Jesse Reno (as he's part of an annual show up in Whistler every year) but ran out of time. The gal at the Adele Campbell gallery had seen his work though - so it was cool to hear her opinion!

It was AMAZING to have alone time with Joe! It felt so out of the ordinary! I have so much fun with this man...

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On a way more personal note...

Please continue to pray for me. I feel my plate is FULL - and I'm just longing for the security that comes from being in the arms of Jesus. I felt a huge spiritual battle around me last night... it was really terrifying. Thankfully I know who wins that battle.

Tuesday Thoughts on HEALING

Last Sunday night I was told - "You are Healed"

As exciting as that is - I have mixed thoughts about my "healing experience". I want to post this because I want my friends and family to know what is going on in my heart.

I know that Jesus was at work at this healing service. I saw a lady healed from Emphysema. Seriously! It was amazing. She went from sitting in a wheel chair with a oxygen tank - to dancing around and shouting out praise to Jesus at the top of her lungs. I had such a huge grin on my face seeing Jesus work this way.

After being told I had been healed, I continued to pray earnestly to Jesus for some direction.


I trust Jesus alone. I trust that he is with me, and that he is speaking truth to my heart. I do not believe everything when it comes from the words of man. I do believe everything that comes from the Word of God.

"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? he should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgive. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:13-16


It's tempting for me to make this a VERY long blog entry, to pour out all of my emotions and opinions to you all. But this time, this is not the right place. The right place is within a conversation.


Joe and I are off on a little spontaneous adventure! Ruthie is with Grandma for the next two nights. This will be the first time in TWO YEARS that Joe and I are together for a full 24hrs - just the two of us. (I'm counting the time when Ruth was in my tummy!)


Thank you everyone for your prayers. Those prayers are powerful and effective. Please continue to pray for me and my family. Please keep praying that I will hear the Lord's direction clearly when it comes to the surgery scheduled for the 19th of June. Please pray that Jesus will hold us tight together as a family unit. - and just for fun pray that Joe and I have an amazing two days together!

Also - please check out the new blog link I posted. Especially Heather is my new blog friend - we have a few things in common. Please pray for her too!

I love you all!
b

Sunday Thoughts on CHURCH

CHURCH.



What comes to mind? I think of:



felt boards, industrial grade carpet, hymn books

pot-lucks

nice people, door greeters



I have gone to church my whole life. I've had some different experiences ranging from the super traditional (Anglican, Catholic...) to the strange and "out there" (charismatic movement churches). My "home" churches have always been Fellowship Baptist... I guess it's just a happy medium for me. If a church preaches the word of God and stands on a foundation of Jesus Christ, I'm usually game.



What's so important about Church anyway? I've responded in three different ways to this question so far in my life.



Response #1 - uh... i duno. It's just something I do.



Response #2 - It's not important, I don't need a church to know God



Response #3 - It's very important to me. I don't know where I'd be without it.



I responded the first way when life was comfortable. I went to church because I was a Christian and that's what Christian's do.



I responded the second way when I was trying to know God on my own terms. I responded this way when I was pregnant with Ruth and didn't want to face people who were disappointed in me. I responded this way when our family was falling apart and our church family didn't know how to help us. I responded this way when I thought that I was missing out on life when following Christianity and decided to live apart from it for a while.



I responded the third way today.



There are three main churches that we feel connected to during this time. The first one is Banff Park Church in Banff Alberta. Joe and I met at this church. We still have friends who go there. Pastor Norm calls us from time to time to find out how things are going. This means so much to me. They are also PRAYING for us, which obviously is having a huge effect on us. It's been a blessing to feel loved by them, and to connect with them again. This church sees people come and go from all over the world. I am so amazed and thankful that they would remember the two of us, even though we were like all the others, and only stayed for a little while.



The second church we feel connected to is Cobble Hill Baptist Church. This tiny little "church on the hill" has been in the very same spot since my grandfather was a young man. My grandfather taught Sunday school there, my mom went to Sunday school there, my mom taught Sunday school there, my parents were married there, and we went to church there as a family. We have a bit of history in those walls! Today my grandfather and uncle and aunt still go there. There are also a lot of people there who babysat me when I was an infant, taught me Sunday school, and mentored me as a youth. One woman was given my name when our church did a "pray for our youth" thing. I was 16 then, and today she is still praying for me. During my stay in Chemainus I felt so thankful that I was able to spend each Sunday reconnecting with all the wonderful people at this little church.



On our drive home from church today Joe and I talked about how good it feels to have a "home church" as a family. Courtenay Fellowship Baptist is home. We haven't gone there for very long, less than two years. But when we're there, all is right. We enjoy the preaching and teaching, we enjoy the music, we enjoy the fellowship with such a diverse and exciting group of people. We feel so unbelievably loved by all these people, and they hardly know us!



Going to church does not make me a Christian. CHRIST makes me a Christian. Church connects me to people who are like-hearted. Church connects me with people whom God uses to profoundly impact my life for the good. Church connect me with people whom God may allow me to profoundly impact for the good. Church is a place where we can come together and learn from the truth of the living Word. Church is a place where we can pray about everything and anything, and joyfully express to our Lord just how much we love him. Church is a place where we can REJOICE together as we see the amazing results of all of these things!



All that.... is IMPORTANT TO ME.



The sermon today was about Saul. Saul was a guy who, after Jesus was here, went around killing Christians because he didn't think that Jesus Christ was GOD and that anyone who claimed to follow Christ was actually doing wrong against the one true God. He was very religious and took his beliefs seriously. He wanted to know God, and worked very hard to understand him as best as he could. Because he was seeking truth so much, God stopped him in his tracks, and told him the truth; Jesus Christ is God. God did this is such a dramatic way that afterwards Saul, later re-named Paul, went on to be the most influential teacher in Christianity after Jesus Christ.



"You will seek me, and find me, when you seek with all your heart." Jerimiah 29:13



It doesn't matter what you've done, who you've been, where you are or who are you! If you are seeking to know "God" with all your heart, you will find him. He finds those who seek him with all their hearts.



It's one awesome way to live. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Picture This!

a) I could keep going on and on about how great the Comox Valley is... but I'll just post these instead.



b) I could keep going on and on about how cute Ruthie is... but I'll just post these instead.


c) I could keep going on and on about how much FUN my life partner is... but I'll just post these instead.


I would like to state for the record that "Smitty's" in Comox is the tackiest place I've ever been to, or even heard of. See for yourself! It's our favourite place to eat as a family!

Our new park! just a jogging trail away...
living here, I don't mind paying my property tax.

A big grin for Stewart:

(Probably because Stewart had to wear one of Ruthie's bright pink swim diapers!)

Looking at and talking about ALL the tacky Spring themed decor:

"Iss a lil' Quack!" "Bunny (make sniffing sounds!)" "Wasat"?

A new disc golf course in Comox! Yay!

Good thing Joe has a good throw!

We haven't played since we lived in Canmore, so we did a lot of this:

More photos here