January

Already, this year has been most interesting. I have been forced to make choices based on what I feel is most important to me. Decisions, I feel, that are crucial to the development of future aspects of my character, integrity, devotion, etc. The last 2.5 weeks have been a dramatic 'high' and 'low'. It's been great what God has done, but the method in which it's happened has been incredibly hard to participate in. And it's not over yet.

Holy Spirit has been taking us through the New Testament lately, teaching us on the fruit of the Spirit manifested in hardship, trial, suffering, etc. Where has this teaching been? To the 1st World church, Acts 14:22 is as close to a 4-letter word as you can get. Yet there are many such passages in the writings of the New Testament. I have seen the fruit of such trial, and the result is beautiful. Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-4, 1Peter 1:6-7, etc etc etc all spell it out quite convincingly. Jesus did not come to bring us out of the world, but so that we would overcome the world.

Other than all that, on tuesday I started an 8 week/session Pastoral Care course in Welland at the hospital there. Rev Bob Bond is leading it and if the 1st class was any indication of how this course will be, than it's gonna be pretty awesome. The course will help develop ministerial skills in the area of hospital/nursing home ministry. And it only costs $40! Sweet!

And everyone pray for a speedy recovery for Jenny. She's still far from being 100%. We both need to be working and saving up money for Africa this summer.