If you’re anything like me (which one of me is enough!), then your week can often start off by the tone set emotionally, physically and spiritually from within you. If you don’t believe me, then take a moment to ponder the events of your past week. Let’s say the weekend was sunny, warm and you got to hang out with friends/family…maybe had a nice bar‐b‐q…went for a run…played some golf…went on a hike. Your relationships seemed to go without incident, and you went to church, heard a good message, sang songs that really connected with you…and you even remember the kind words your employer gave you the previous week about a job/task done well, or your kids seemed particularly appreciative and respectful of your parenting. Your spouse pays extra attention, and perhaps surprises you with some extra love and kindness…what a great weekend.  Monday rolls around, it’s still sunny and you’re ready to get on with a “good” start to the week, and you find that little voice within saying; “Praise God…what a great life I’m blessed with!”

You have heard me talk about what I have been learning through Freedom Session in a few devotionals. A couple of weeks ago we were given two tools that I want to recommend to you. It is my hope that you will use these tools to gain your own freedom and, if you have children, to help them gain theirs.

The author of Freedom Session says that the word “can’t” means one of two things, either you won’t or you don’t know how. Let me say it again. Saying “can’t” means either that you won’t or you don’t know how. This certainly applies to making amends for what we have done.

Their child runs into Centre Court where a hoard of bright neon green shirts awaits them. The volunteers filling those shirts range in ages, ethnicities and life experiences that can truly only be found in the Body of Christ. The child (and often their siblings) is matched up with a volunteer or two for the evening and they make their way to a coloring book, or a puzzle or some other low energy pastimes.

Have you ever been convinced of something only to find out that what you thought to be true was really a misconception, a deception, a lie?

Please laugh with me as I tell you how I was lately deceived. Remember a few weeks ago I mentioned that I’m jogging now and hoping to get up to 45 minutes without a walking break. Well, my treadmill broke one day. I had already jogged for 25 minutes, so I quickly grabbed a hat and watch and started down the road – praying the whole time, of course, that no one would see me. After only 1 minute I was panting like …

Its spring as I write this. And if you live in a farming community like I do, you will be smelling, shall we say, a nostril-cleaning, bone-jarring aroma. This aroma is attached to, and finds its source in, a substance as old as and as natural as the earth. There are many names given to this substance … let’s call it “waste”.

The reason why we always smell it in the springtime is because it is a necessary element in producing bountiful crops such as hay crops or raspberry crops or carrot crops.

Here’s the thing though. We don’t like smelling it. We don’t like watching as its spread on the fields. And we certainly don’t like thinking about where it comes from. Yet we depend on it for our own nutrition. How ironic – the very substance that we consider waste is actually for our benefit.

This year’s Women’s Ministries Theme – She Loves – certainly captured our imagination. We learned about and internalized the love of Jesus, the One and Only. We sought God for ways to give that love away:
• The weekly Prayer groups gave love through intercession. 
• The Swap loved through sharing what we have.
• The Home Tours gave love through the Abbotsford Food Bank.
• The Christmas Party gave love through Best for Babies.
• The Beth Moore Simulcast gave love to women in our community and in Guatemala.

Exodus 15:2 THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH and my song; he has given me VICTORY. This is my God, and I will praise him—my father’s God, and I will exalt him!

Psalm 21:1How the king rejoices in YOUR STRENGTH, O LORD! He shouts with joy because you give him VICTORY.

Psalm 118:14 THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH and my song; he has given me VICTORY.

Isaiah 12:2 See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. THE LORD GOD IS MY STRENGTH and my song; he has given me VICTORY.”

Jesus, be the centre, be my source, be my light, Jesus.
Jesus, be the centre, be my hope, be my song, Jesus.
Jesus, be my vision, be my path, be my guide, Jesus.
Be the fire in my heart, be the wind in these sails, be the reason that I live, Jesus, Jesus.

Like me, you probably have sung this song a hundred times. You might even find your mind wandering to your to-do list, just because it is so familiar.

That is what worry is like. When we worry, it’s as if a curtain of fog is right in front of our face. All we see is the issue at hand and nothing else, making it impossible to move forward.

You might have gotten the following advice as too how to handle worry:

hey so me and my freaking awesome roommate, Valeria (aka. V-dawg, V-digs, V-swizzle, V-slice), were supposed to blog on Wednesday, but we thought we were set for Thursday. but by the team Thursday came around, we had 0 time to blog….there was a lot of packing and other things to do.

so some of you are probably asking why I’m blogging if our trip is over? well…I just felt like it. I thought I’d do some sort of summary or something about the trip. if nobody reads this, that’s fine. I just like to write things.

Through the years I’ve been given quite a few Starbucks gift cards. I’m not a coffee drinker so I’ve been collecting them. Recently I started a mentoring relationship with another woman who loves coffee so we meet at … Starbucks.

Nowhere on the card, does it tell you how much it is worth. Even using it doesn’t really let you know either.

“Alégrense los que buscan tu protección; canten siempre de alegría porque tú los proteges.  Los que te aman, se alegran por causa tuya”

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.  Spread your protection over them that those who love your name rejoice in you”.

Today my roomies, Kourtney and Chantelle, and I had the fulfilling task of working construction in the morning.  Global Shore is building a new school to accommodate more grades and we have the privilege of helping them reach their finish deadline of January 2011.  The location of the new school is on the top of a hill (read: mountain) with an incredible view of the surrounding hills and mountains and almost no shade.

Hey Northview, it’s Nicky Wilson…how are you? Are you doing alright without me? I’m having a pretty crazy experience down here…thanks for asking. It’s been a huge challenge for me I honestly didn’t think it would be this hard. I got really really really sick on Tuesday and had explosive fiery liquid coming out of every hole in my body (bad image). After that I couldn’t really eat for 4 days, just the smell of food was making me sick, I felt so bad because I thought my host mom thought it was her cooking. I’m feeling much better now, its ruined Mexican food for me but whatever, anything for Jesus:D.

Denika- Okay, dad FIRST of all, WAIT for pictures!!! we’ll be back in a week and its sort of a hassle to upload lots and lots. And we do have lots and lots SECOND!! Nicky and Kourtney are feeling ALOT better, thank God. But now both Brandie, Amelia and Nick are not doing so hot. Pray, please pray. At devotionals this morning all of the kids gathered around us and prayed for our health, it was truely amazing. All the kids at the school have such a heart for God, in their worshiping and in prayer. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we are humbled by the love that these kids have. The woman that Isabella are staying with is named Maryanna, and her grandson Freddie. They are both very nice and super accepting, communication is a little hard, but were doing okay. I haven’t done construction yet, that next week, but im pretty excited, the school that they are building is going to AMAZING!!! Our team is really getting a lot closer, and I am soooooooooo grateful for that. I love our team, and i have also fallen in love with Tizate. okay on to Isabella. And I miss you all a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!

So first up – Cody.

One word: AWMAGAWSH. This place is insane. So first day – no clue what we were getting ourselves into but our new momma speaks AWESOME english .. the only one so thank you God for blessing us with that. The team has bonded super fast .. can i get a hallelujah AMEN .. gracis… But the weather is amazing … surprisingly i have not burnt yet .. but others on the other and .. are .. CALIENTE! .. hot .. wait that made little sense.  – for you photo crazed rents of ours - you will WAIT! MWHAHAHAHA we have taken some SICK photos but me and daniel here are going to keep you lingering a little bit longer .. mwahaha – we love you? TE AMOO. oh. we have learned more useless things in espanoley. Don’t ask. and as a serious sidenote ..

Nic first, First off the city is AMAZING, it is beutful here and i am having so much fun!!!  Our family is very nice but they don’t speak any english so that makes things kinda complicated, but still a very nice family and they are great cooks, The foood is DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!  We went to antigua yesterday, it is the city about a half hour from here and it is very nice.  It is surrounded by jungle and vlocanos and they were soo cool there is three of them and one was smoking, it was cool.  We had VBS today and the kids are soo cool. They all wanted sword balloons and then we ran out and i felt real bad, but they were cool any way they like to play all the games with you and hug you and take pictures of you.  Any way running out of time so having a awesome time.  Hi mom!