Agape love – unconditional love that is always giving and impossible to take or be a taker. It devotes total commitment to seek your highest best no matter how anyone may respond. This form of love is totally selfless and does not change whether the love given is returned or not. This is the original and only true form of love.
I was blessed to be able to go to Victoria this past weekend to be a part of the BC Teen Challenge outreach at Glad Tidings Church in Victoria. We had a team of people that were from all 5 BC Teen Challenge locations: Chilliwack, Okanagan, Abbotsford, Vancouver Island and Head office. We started the outreach by showing Jacqui Strothoff’s story. I have attached the video below and I highly reccomend that you watch it. I guarentee that you’ll be moved to tears.
Then the BC Teen Challenge choir sang two songs. Here is a video of the first song that they sang. Absolutely amazing!!! Sean Sabourin led the choir and Mark St.Louis played the guitar.
Sean pointed out that the men and woman in the choir represent over 200 years of addiction, and look at them now! These men and woman are beautiful, talented and called of God and the enemy tried to use addiction to take them out. If you or someone that you know are trapped in addiction; please go to our website for more information: www.bcteenchallenge.com. If you have been moved by the videos and would like to sponsor a student please go to: http://www.bcteenchallenge.com/sponsor.html.
Posted in Family, Friends, Jesus
Tagged addiction, BC Teen Challenge, Choir, Glad Tidings, Jesus, Victoria
Today we had church at Cultus Lake. It was great! The rain managed to stop for the morning; which was a blessing! It was a little chilly, but luckily I remembered to bring a blanket!
It was great having worship with the backdrop of the lake in front of us!
Lots of people.
There were about 10 or 15 people who got baptized in the lake today. It’s always so encouraging to hear people’s testimonies. It must have been freezing for them! I had a great picnic lunch after with the Trask family and some of the other church family. What a great way to do church!
I’m reading a book called “The Poor Will be Glad” by Peter Greer and Phil Smith. The basis of the book is using that microfinance and employment-based solutions to eradicate poverty. In Canada we don’t even know what it means to live in Poverty. Even the poorest of the poor in Canada are living a much much higher standard of living than some of the more well off people in developing countries. Last year my income put me below the Canadian poverty line, but I still managed to have a insulated, heated house to live in, clean water to drink, healthy food to eat, a car to drive and access to many luxuries such as TV, internet, movies etc. Here are some statistics about what it really means to live in poverty:
How can we know these statistics and not do anything about it? We can’t. Jesus left us with the Great Commission and the Greatest Commandment. He demonstrated the perfect harmony of the two through his life and ministry. He proclaimed the good news and made disciples and He loved others by healing their sicknesses, feeding them and setting them free.
We all can’t help but know that the Olympics are going on right now; especially if you live in Vancouver. Do you think that people who live in developing countries know? Or care? If India wins a gold medal will that help the Dalits? I don’t want to disrespect the athletes because I sure am not out there winning a gold medal for Canada, but seriously what’s it all for? How much did Vancouver pump into the city getting it ready to shine for the rest of the world and for what? For the entertainment of us sitting on our couches at home. It just makes me nutty that some of these athletes will make huge sums of money on endorsements because they are “heros” to their country. What about the real heros? It all seems so backwards. But we do live in a backwards world. We can bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth by doing something that matters…and I mean REALLY matters! God gave us all gifts, talents and abilities that we can use for His glory, so use them!
Photos by weheartit
What a great week and weekend it has been. This past weekend I was at the women’s encounter at CLA. The whole reason I decided to go to the encounter was so that I could meet some new ladies and enjoy some fellowship. It thought that I was going to “encounter” some lovely christian ladies, I had no idea that God wanted to “encounter” me. I just love how God manages to maneuver me exactly where He wants me and then he gives me a little gentle nudge and whispers in my ear. He sure spoke to me about quite a few things this weekend and it was wonderful! I left the weekend feeling refreshed and looking forward to spending more time with God (I also met some lovely ladies there). He is definitely calling me into a deeper relationship with Him. I’ve been so excited to get up earlier in the morning and spend time in His presence.
UTurn started tonight at CLA. UTurn is 5 month course that helps people deal with old hurts, all kinds of habits and situations that seem impossible, while developing a deeper relationship with Jesus and healthy disciplines for life. I’m a facilitator but I will also be taking the course at the same time. Our first session was awesome! We mostly went over the basic guidelines for the course and got to know our group members. I’m looking forward to what God will do in my life during this course and in the lives of all the people taking it. I started taking this course 2 years ago, but quit part way through to go to Teen Challenge. Here I am two years later, a totally different person, facilitating the course. God is so good! Next week our session is “Crying Out to God” it’s going to be a good one!
Posted in Jesus, Uncategorized
Tagged Christian Life Assembly, encounter, God, Teen Challenge, UTurn
People are often unreasonable, irrational and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyways.
If you are successful you will win some unfaithful friends and genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Be your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
I love how God can use difficult or challenging circumstances to refine us and make us more like Jesus. A couple of months ago I went through a bit of a rough patch. I can honestly say that I’m thankful for that situation because God used it to reveal some things about myself to me. God showed me that I had become religious and legalistic. I had become so focused on the things that I was against (drinking, drugs, lying etc.) that I lost sight of WHO I was for…….JESUS!! I realized that I had been judging people and looking down on them. I also had been judging myself by impossibly high standards and I was beating myself up for not being more “spiritual”. I’m now in the process of detoxing from my religious attitudes. God has been revealing His love to me and He’s been sweeping me off my feet all over again! I’ve realized that being a follower of Jesus is about loving God and loving others. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind and to love your neighbour as yourself. Jesus came to set us free from the bondage of the law. 1John 4:8 says that “God is love” and therefore walking in love is walking in God. We can bring more of the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth by loving others the way Jesus did. This is easier said than done, but I just have to remember that Love wins!
I can’t believe that 2010 is right around the corner (4 1/2 hours to be exact). Wasn’t it just the year 2000 a couple of years ago? The last year (and the last decade for that matter) have flown by. Tonight I’ll be spending New Year’s Eve at my church; Christian Life Assembly. I never would have guessed that I would be spending New Year’s Eve at a church! And I couldn’t be happier about it. This time last year I was a student at Teen Challenge; 4 months away from graduation. Lately I have been reflecting a lot about how amazing my year at Teen Challenge was. It was such a wonderful, challenging, transforming time in my life. I’m amazed at how far God has brought me and I’m looking forward to continuing this adventure called life with Him. I’m never made a New Year’s resolution before, but this year my resolution is to live more like Jesus and love more like Jesus. Have a safe and happy New Year’s everyone!
Adventures in Darcie's Head 