"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine!" ~ Matthew 5:14-15 (The Message)
remember
There is a song called "Remember" that has been on our playlist in the car for awhile. I am sure as I have been driving around, I've heard it many times. But it recently caught my attention - as it calls us to remember what Jesus has done for us all. I want my heart to be 'moved to remember' - to never forget or take for granted the price Jesus paid - for me, for all...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the body that was torn for us
This is the blood that was spilt
Points to the pain you endured for us
Points to the shame, the blame, the guilt
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, come
Move our hearts to remember
This is the Lamb who was slain for us
So we the church may enter in
So bitter sweet when we think of You
The One who bore our curse, our sin
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, come
Move our hearts to remember, to remember
~Laura Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the body that was torn for us
This is the blood that was spilt
Points to the pain you endured for us
Points to the shame, the blame, the guilt
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, come
Move our hearts to remember
This is the Lamb who was slain for us
So we the church may enter in
So bitter sweet when we think of You
The One who bore our curse, our sin
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, come
Move our hearts to remember, to remember
~Laura Story
A prayer for the mission of the Church
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace. So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you, for the honour of your Name. Amen.
~ from the Book of Common Prayer
a little update
It's now September and I think I am finally ready for summer! :) Why am I always a few months behind? Anyways, it has been a fun and busy summer - we spent 2 weeks visiting my family in Manitoba and celebrated my parents 50th wedding anniversary. It was a real blessing to be with all the family, and a special gift to share in celebrating 50 years of love and committment.
In August we moved into our first home and we love it! We have lots of space, a yard, and a great family neighbourhood. We are still organizing and doing some projects, but it is starting to feel more and more like home. We are very blessed indeed!
Now we enjoying the beautiful days of September and settling back into a regular routine of life and work. I am grateful for this beautiful place in which we live and for my wonderful family and community to share the journey with!
In August we moved into our first home and we love it! We have lots of space, a yard, and a great family neighbourhood. We are still organizing and doing some projects, but it is starting to feel more and more like home. We are very blessed indeed!
Now we enjoying the beautiful days of September and settling back into a regular routine of life and work. I am grateful for this beautiful place in which we live and for my wonderful family and community to share the journey with!
my mom
So it is mother's day tomorrow and in all the busyness of getting ready for church on Sunday and also thinking about how this is my first mother's day - I completely forgot to send my mom a card - so it will be late, once again:(. I had asked Katerina a few days ago what she was going to get me for mother's day and she stopped and looked at me, giggled, and then shook her head! I think that means I won't be getting much :) But maybe that's just the way it is for moms sometimes...
My mom is one of the most selfless people I know - I don't actually think I have ever known her to serve herself first. Whether it is around the dinner table, or out shopping, or making plans for the day - my mom always puts other people before herself, especially her kids and grand kids! When I was younger I used to think my mom was crazy for never wanting to buy anything for herself - not even new clothing or just something special as a treat.
Now that I am a mom I can understand my mom a bit more...and I can understand that her selflessness is one of the greatest ways she shows love to her family. And now that I am a mom, I really don't know how my mother ever did it - how did she raise 5 kids, help nurture more than a dozen grand kids and great-grand kids? How did she support her husband as a pastor and farmer, how did she provide such stability to our family when things were tight and challenges came?
Her commitment to loving our family can only be sustained by her commitment to Jesus. One of my favourite memories as a child was stealing a peak at my mom as she did her devotions every morning. As she sat in a quiet corner to read her Bible and pray, I knew that something special was going on. I knew not to disturb my mom, not because she would have gotten upset with me, but because even as a young child I knew that it was a sacred and holy time. I can see now that it was really what gave her the strength and love that she needed to face each day with a smile on her face and peace in her heart.
Now that I'm a mom and I struggle with juggling my work, caring for our daughter, keeping our house a home, supporting and nurturing our family - I think of my mom and realize that if I want to leave a legacy like she has - then I can never neglect that special time with Jesus each day. Even when there are 50 other things I could be doing, if I am not nurturing that loving relationship with Jesus I will have nothing left to give.
So my mom continues to teach me many things and gives me high goals to strive for, but she more importantly lives a life that testifies to the love and peace that is found only in Jesus. Thank you mom, I love you...
My mom is one of the most selfless people I know - I don't actually think I have ever known her to serve herself first. Whether it is around the dinner table, or out shopping, or making plans for the day - my mom always puts other people before herself, especially her kids and grand kids! When I was younger I used to think my mom was crazy for never wanting to buy anything for herself - not even new clothing or just something special as a treat.
Now that I am a mom I can understand my mom a bit more...and I can understand that her selflessness is one of the greatest ways she shows love to her family. And now that I am a mom, I really don't know how my mother ever did it - how did she raise 5 kids, help nurture more than a dozen grand kids and great-grand kids? How did she support her husband as a pastor and farmer, how did she provide such stability to our family when things were tight and challenges came?
Her commitment to loving our family can only be sustained by her commitment to Jesus. One of my favourite memories as a child was stealing a peak at my mom as she did her devotions every morning. As she sat in a quiet corner to read her Bible and pray, I knew that something special was going on. I knew not to disturb my mom, not because she would have gotten upset with me, but because even as a young child I knew that it was a sacred and holy time. I can see now that it was really what gave her the strength and love that she needed to face each day with a smile on her face and peace in her heart.
Now that I'm a mom and I struggle with juggling my work, caring for our daughter, keeping our house a home, supporting and nurturing our family - I think of my mom and realize that if I want to leave a legacy like she has - then I can never neglect that special time with Jesus each day. Even when there are 50 other things I could be doing, if I am not nurturing that loving relationship with Jesus I will have nothing left to give.
So my mom continues to teach me many things and gives me high goals to strive for, but she more importantly lives a life that testifies to the love and peace that is found only in Jesus. Thank you mom, I love you...
Curious girl
Just an update of our curious little George(ette) :) She loves buttons and electronics, so the camera is especially enticing. She is now 10 months old, not quite yet crawling but getting closer to greater mobility! She sure is lots of fun--amazing how games like peek-a-boo never really grow old...
Gazing on the Trinity Icon
During Lent our church is reading through a book called 'The Kingdom and The Cross' by James Bryan Smith. Each chapter has what the author calls a 'soul training' activity, in which we are challenged to go deeper in our understanding of who God is and what Christ's work on the cross has accomplished.
This week the soul training exercise is to look at the Trinity icon, which is a famous 13th century icon of the Trinity by Russian iconographer Rublev. The colours and imagery in the icon all have significance, which is interesting to reflect upon. In the Trinity there is unity - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live in submission and sacrifice to each other. All three members of the Trinity are huddled together, like three people working closely on a project. The project is the reconciliation of the world.
It is also interesting that everything is pointing to the centre of the table, where the chalice sits. The chalice represents the 'cup' that Jesus chose to endure - his suffering and self-sacrifice. It also represents the chalice used in the Eucharist. When we gather to take Communion, we remember the sacrifice of Jesus.
As complex as the idea of the Trinity might be, this icon helps me to see that the Trinity is a community of love, submission, and sacrifice. My own selfishness and pride so often get in the way of being loving, submissive, and sacrificial. This week my desire is to think and act upon the example of the Trinity--to be more loving, sacrificing, and to live and work in unity with those around me.
all things new
This prayer was an encouragement to me this morning, a reminder that Jesus is daily renewing us and transforming us...
Almighty God, in Christ you make all things new: transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your heavenly glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty God, in Christ you make all things new: transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your heavenly glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Kat in action
These videos are mostly for the enjoyment of family members who don't get to see Katerina too often...but hope you all enjoy them!
what do you love about Jesus?
I recently read the book 'Organic God' by Margaret Feinberg and appreciated her thoughtful insights about who God is and how we relate to him. She looked at how we can get rid of the unhealthy pollutants and additives of the world and purify our relationship with God.
She shared a story about a friend of hers who once asked her the question, 'What do you love about Jesus?' She said, 'His words took my breath away. I had never heard somthing so simple but soul penetrating. Some say that love has no agenda, but...I have come to believe that love is the agenda.'
It is indeed a simple, yet thought provoking question...what do you love about Jesus? I love that Jesus is full of suprises. He doesn't do things like we expect him to. This week at our Wednesday morning communion service we were reading the Gospel of Matthew where in chapter 8 Jesus cleansed a leper and healed the centurion's servant. In both of these acts of Jesus' ministry, he didn't do what was expected. To even come near a leper was unthinkable, and yet Jesus reached out and touched him, and he was healed.
The centurion was a Gentile, not one of the 'in crowd' so to speak. Yet he had great faith and knew that by the authority of Jesus' word, his servant could be healed. And he was, at the very moment that Jesus spoke. Jesus 'should' have been keeping himself clean and ministering to the right people, but he didn't do what we expected him to do.
In our limited, human thinking we are always surprised by what Jesus does. And often we're not very happy about it, but Jesus simply says - 'I have come to do the Father's will.' That's what I love about Jesus...that in his great love for the world, he acts and ministers in the will of God, even when it doesn't make sense to us. His love goes beyond my understanding, yet I know that his love is what has forgiven me, saved me, and stays with me each day as I seek to follow him.
What do you love about Jesus?
She shared a story about a friend of hers who once asked her the question, 'What do you love about Jesus?' She said, 'His words took my breath away. I had never heard somthing so simple but soul penetrating. Some say that love has no agenda, but...I have come to believe that love is the agenda.'
It is indeed a simple, yet thought provoking question...what do you love about Jesus? I love that Jesus is full of suprises. He doesn't do things like we expect him to. This week at our Wednesday morning communion service we were reading the Gospel of Matthew where in chapter 8 Jesus cleansed a leper and healed the centurion's servant. In both of these acts of Jesus' ministry, he didn't do what was expected. To even come near a leper was unthinkable, and yet Jesus reached out and touched him, and he was healed.
The centurion was a Gentile, not one of the 'in crowd' so to speak. Yet he had great faith and knew that by the authority of Jesus' word, his servant could be healed. And he was, at the very moment that Jesus spoke. Jesus 'should' have been keeping himself clean and ministering to the right people, but he didn't do what we expected him to do.
In our limited, human thinking we are always surprised by what Jesus does. And often we're not very happy about it, but Jesus simply says - 'I have come to do the Father's will.' That's what I love about Jesus...that in his great love for the world, he acts and ministers in the will of God, even when it doesn't make sense to us. His love goes beyond my understanding, yet I know that his love is what has forgiven me, saved me, and stays with me each day as I seek to follow him.
What do you love about Jesus?
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