Our family is in a season of waiting lately. It's a hard thing to do sometimes, wait.
We are waiting for...
Our baby to come (Due date was yesterday)
Jill's foal to come (Due on the 16th)
Abbey's piglets to come (Due June 10th)
For our water pastures to turn back into grass pastures
For camp to come!
Racing to see who can have their baby last! (Jill and Amanda)
Its easy for feelings of anxiouness to come with all of these items. All of the items are outside our control, yet I like to be in control!!! Dont you??! So the other day the kids wanted to listen to a sermon with Amanda while I was hosting a group at Gimli Bible Camp. Amanda gave the kids some options and they chose one about the Timing of Jesus (Tim Keller). Amanda talked through a bit of it with me when I came home, and its encouraging!
Jade and Charlie rafting down our ditches
Mark 5:21-43 is the story about Jairus daughter. Jarius comes to Jesus and asks him to come heal his daughter. She's very sick! Jairus wasn't a nobody, but a leader of the local synagogue. He comes and throws himself at Jesus feet, knowing that Jesus can heal her! Jesus agrees and starts the journey. On the way a woman who had been suffering for many years touches Jesus, beleiving he can heal her! Jesus does not let this go unnoticed, and instead of her just getting physical healing, he calls out and affirms her faith!
Strombolli our new puppy loves the water!
So lets put this story into our modern context.... You run over to your neighbours, who is a well known ER doctor and tell him your daughter is terribly sick and looks to be dying! He agrees to come right away, and come he does! But on the way an older lady, whose had really bad knee pain for years and years is walking down the street. Instead of passing by her on the way to the 'emergency' he stops and takes time (lots of it) to take a look at her problem.....
In today's world we would call that malpractice, and would be followed by a huge public outcry, lawsuits, etc, etc!! A young life in critical care always gets higher triage then an elderly non-urgent health issue. Yet in this biblical account, this is exactly what Jesus does, why?!
Jade turned 8 on May 5th!
Well, we do not know exactly why, but we can sure be encouraged by some of the outcomes!
Messengers come and tell Jarius that his daughter is dead, and not to bother the teacher. Yet Jesus tells him to not to be afraid, have faith! Jesus comes and holds the little girls hands and says, “Talitha koum,” which Keller says means so much more then how our english translates it. The best way he has heard it is..... (Picture a father picking up his little only little daughter from a deep sleep) "Honey, get up!" Except Jesus does not awake her from sleep, but pulls her hand, and awakens her straight from death. This is our Jesus, defeating death!
When we serve a God that powerful, that full of love, why do we always demand things on our timing? Our God is willing, he is able, he has a plan, lets become more intune with his timings, and less on our own plannings! He Is Able.
"Beloved, Get Up!" Jesus say's to you today.
Prayer Requests
We are very short on staff this year, big needs is a kitchen co-ordinator, lifeguard, and lots of cabin leaders
We're excited to meet our baby, we'd love to make it to the hospital on time!
We are hoping to do lots of farm ministry at our place for the campers this summer, so for the Lord to show us the best idea's and plans to be effective in that!
For Tj that I can become really productive in all I set my hands and heart on in this Season, For Amanda that she can have the energy and strength to have a healthy delivery and quick recovery (She wants to get back on the horses!!), For Jade's paiteince with her brothers and for her love of Jesus to keep growing, for Charlie to learn to control his big emotions and be excited to serve the Lord with his generosity, for Fletcher that he will grow to be a feisty but caring Christian!
We would love to set up an outdoor riding arena this year
We're praying that we can find someone to partner with us in supplying hay for our horses for winter time
Wisdom in making the most of the not the greatest land for pastures/hay!
I'm leading our Youth LDP this year, and i'm excited about the opportunity! Pray God will get all the youth in their he wants! Its often a really interesting mix. We get youth coming from solid christian homes who want to stretched / missional experience and then we get our 'rough + tough' youth who've grown up here as campers and have come to find Jesus! God's so good!
PS: I have my 'retirement' plans all set out! As i've been hosting groups at GBC the last couple of weekends, i've found that i really enjoy being tucked away in the dishpit doing all the dishes! I'm looking forward to serving a ministry when i'm old; in maintainence, dishes, whatever it may be!
Blessings my freinds and Family.
GET UP!
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