Little Miss Boo

I have two nieces ages 7 and 2 and I happen to love taking pictures of their sweet faces ALL THE TIME. I wanted to share some of Avery as she had been playing around with a ball at her big sister's soccer practice.

Cute Baby Really Wants Puppy Kisses

This is a video of my niece Avery who was determined one day to get kisses from her dog Lucy.

Fun TImes in April

Making Cake Balls

Dean Sabine Fixing our door so we wouldn't be stuck in the apartment

Spiritual Life Dept Bowling night

What is The Atonement?

So tonight as I sit in my room while the white stuff comes flying down....yes the "mega snow-storm"...i decided to do part of next week's reading for my Systematic Theology class. Now these are not class readings I get excited about whatsoever as they are really long and some things are just way too over explained. So as I sat down to read, I had the same "let's just get this over with" mindset, so that I could read and go to bed. The chapter was on The Atonement and looked at some of the different views of the Atonement and then talked more in depth about the Wesleyan view of the Atonement (the book is An Introduction to Wesleyan Theology). One of the ways in which it described the Atonement, really struck me....which is weird considering nothing ever jumps out at me in these textbooks.

"The Atonement means that as the offended party, the Father has taken our sin and guilt into His own heart by becoming our Reconciler in Christ, just as a spouse who has been sinned against and deeply hurt by a faithless companion assumes the shane and hurt of the other's sin by saying, 'I love you and forgive you; and I am willing to help you find yourself again. Let's be reconciled'" (An Introduction to Wesleyan Theology pg. 67)

The last part is what really struck me. "...and I am willing to help you find yourself again." That is basically what God was saying to me last week, so it is a big deal when what is going on with me spiritually shows up in books I really don't want to spend the time reading.

A Christmas Poem to Make you Think

Tonight I received this email from my sister, and I thought some of you might like this and find it interesting. Makes you think about the challenge we face as we begin the advent season. This Christmas we need to be bold in declaring our faith as we celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

Twas the month before Christmas

When all through our land,

Not a Christian was praying

Nor taking a stand.

See the PC Police had taken away

The reason for Christmas - no one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing

About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.

It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say

December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.

Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit

Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!

CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-Pod

Something was changing, something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa

In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.

As Targets were hanging their trees upside down

At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears

You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.

Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty

Are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen

On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !

At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter

To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.

And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith

Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace

The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded

The reason for the season, stopped before it started.

So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'

Sipping your Tim Hortons, listen to me.

Choose your words carefully, choose what you say

Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,

not Happy Holiday!

Please, all Christians join together and

wish everyone you meet

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christ is The Reason' for the Christ-mas Season!

I'm Going to ZAMBIA!!!!!!!!!!

I just wanted to quickly share that I'm going to Jembo, Zambia for my BBC Internship next June for 5 months! God is going to do amazing things! I'll be updating more on here as well as on my Facebook group "My Journey to Jembo, Zambia (AFRICA)."

Hosea 2:14-23 : "The Lord’s Love for Unfaithful Israel" (For BBCers and anyone else who may be encouraged by this)

Tonight as I began to open my Bible, I found myself being led to read the first 2 chapters of the Book of Hosea and the following passage stood out for the sole reason is that tonight, during the second Spiritual Advancement Week service, I saw this lived out in numerous people both myself, and pretty much the entire student body of BBC. God's presence was evident tonight, right from the beginning and when I left 2.5 hours later. No the service didn't go THAT long, but I remained for prayer with some dear friends in which we certainly found healing with some things. God is SO MUCH BIGGER than any lie that satan tries to throw our way

Back to the passage. It jumped out at me, and immediately I felt that I need to share this with you. I hope that you are encouraged/ touched by these words of God.

The Lord’s Love for Unfaithful Israel (NLT)

14 “But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there.

15 I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble[b] into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt.

16 When that day comes,” says the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’ instead of ‘my master.’[c]

17 O Israel, I will wipe the many names of Baal from your lips, and you will never mention them again.

18 On that day I will make a covenant with all the wild animals and the birds of the sky and the animals that scurry along the ground so they will not harm you. I will remove all weapons of war from the land, all swords and bows, so you can live unafraid in peace and safety.

19 I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion.

20 I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the Lord.

21 “In that day, I will answer,” says the Lord. “I will answer the sky as it pleads for clouds. And the sky will answer the earth with rain.

22 Then the earth will answer the thirsty cries of the grain, the grapevines, and the olive trees. And they in turn will answer, ‘Jezreel’—‘God plants!’

23 At that time I will plant a crop of Israelites and raise them for myself. I will show love to those I called ‘Not loved.’[d] And to those I called ‘Not my people,’[e] I will say, ‘Now you are my people.’ And they will reply, ‘You are our God!’”