Thanksgiving Take 2?!

MOOSE JAW HALLOWEEN FOOD DRIVE. 38,000 tons of food were collected for the Moose Jaw Food Bank!

Man, you'd think with only two classes I'd have plenty of time to keep up with my blog, but I guess not. I can't believe that last time I wrote was thanksgiving...I titled this post Thanksgiving Take 2, because this weekend is American Thanksgiving and I ate a delicious turkey dinner last night (The bonuses to having friends south of the border).

Well there is definatly much to be thankful for as I reflect on what to share with you in this update. School is going well. I love my Classics of Christian Spirituality class. The other week I got to spend the entire week just doing research for my paper on St. Francis of Assisi. This man was such a remarkable man of God that I just ate up all that I could read on him (I even asked for his biography "Reluctant Saint" by Donald Spoto for Christmas... I know I'm turning into such a nerd). Honestly, studying this man's life has, I believe (and I truly hope), changed my life. Francis (yep we're on first name bases) led a life of such humility and self sacrifice that it has really challenged me in how I view my role as a Christian and our role as the church. Francis led a life that was in full surrender to Christ's call to die to self and take up ones cross to follow Him. Christ did not mean to physically die but to metaphorically speaking die to our desire and put others ahead of ourself and spend ourselves on behalf of furthering GOd's work in the world. Francis immitated Christ's example of poverty and humility of spirit as demonstrated in philippians 2 when Paul writes: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.." Francis gave up all of his possessions and status (and he was a rich and successful man) in order to serve the sick, poor and outcasts in society. I don't want to write out my entire paper, because it was like 8 page long, but I have been really challenged by Francis's life to strive to live a life that truly does put those who are less foruntate in our soceity ahead of myself. I want to share with you a quote that really challenged me.

"The true mark of holiness is the character of a life that gives to others, that extends beyond the narrow frontier of itself, its own comfort and concerns - a life that furthers the humanizing process...this is the core: living cloesly to God- a habit of being that is seen concretely in loving service, a hunger for peace and justice and an active longing for concord among nations, groups and individuals."

This is my hearts greatest desire to strive for a life of holiness that reflects these things. My heart literally pounds to live out this kind of life in the city of Moose Jaw. I believe GOd is calling me to reside in Moose Jaw once I graduate from Briercrest in April and work with Joe's Place in doing just this, spending myself in order to extend God's justice and love revolutionize our youths lives.

We've started a new video series with the youth on Tuesday Nights called "The Justice Mission". THey're short videos that have youth who went to Africa for a few weeks talking about injustice and oppression. This has been amazing to watch our youth work through what is injustice and what is God doing about it and how are we part of the answer. It has been so exciting watching our youth, who are pretty self centred, begin to catch the reality that there are people out there who have life a lot harder then they do and they can do something about it. Last week a bunch of the girls I talked to were brainstorming ideas of how we could raise money in order to support an organization that works towards freeing children slaves and putting their opressors in jail. one of our girls came to me last night and told me about a vision/dream she had about a city wide movement that would raise $30,000 which is equivalent of freeing 60 slaves. Pray for us as we seek God in His timing and will for this kind of ministry.

On Wednesday, December 5 we have a dozen youth signed up to go to the inner city of Regina and help out at a soup kitchen there. It is so amazing to watch God begin to change our kids hearts from being self centred to being ones that beat for the things that break God's heart and beginning to learn Christ like humility and service. Their minds are truly being transformed (Rom 12:2).

Well there's so much more I want to write about but I'll put it in another post so its not overwhelming to read.

Some funny things that have happened to me this fall that may make you smirk are

1. the other day we had 55km winds and I was blown into a parked car and the post office because I couldn't walk straight

2. on my way to moose jaw one day I hit a tumble weed and it stuck to my fender all the way to Moose Jaw

3 another day to moose jaw 7 tumble weed blew across highway 1 all at the same time. i thought i was being attacked by tumble weed...they're actually everywhere. before I moved here I thought they were just stage props in bad westerns. nope, they actually do exist.