"A cheerful heart is good medicine..."  Proverbs 17:22a
Saturday afternoon was chilly for a late March day.  I turned the gas stove on in the dining room and had the coffee pot ready for our family when they arrived.  I wanted our home to be warm and inviting.  I knew our time of planning Dad's memorial would be difficult and emotional so at least I could make the atmosphere as pleasant as possible.
Dinah and Lance brought in heavy canvas shopping bags and plunked them down on the floor beside my desk.  Then Lance carried in some cans of Coca Cola and set them out on the deck to keep cool. We sat down at the large oak table and chatted.
Then Scott and Jen arrived with salad and dessert for supper.  I set the cream pies on the deck and the salad fixings on the kitchen counter.
Paula and her girls arrived last, after the girls' dance lessons were done for the day.  They plopped themselves on the stools at the counter and I gave them water and snacks.  They looked exhausted! Paula brought in the fruit tray and cheesecake.  We would eat well tonight!
Before supper was ready, Dinah brought out the photo albums they had in the canvas bags.  The black and white pictures of Dad and Dinah as children gave us cause to smile and wonder.  We pointed out the family resemblances, the funny styles of hair and clothing and how young they looked!
Some of the pictures were downright hilarious!  In their early days of marriage in the 1980's, they spent time with friends at the Tartan Curling Club, often staying way past closing time.  The bathing suit contest Dad had participated in along with old friends we hadn't seen in a while, made us point and roar with laughter!  Dinah smiled and giggled, too, remembering the fun and craziness of those days.
We all reminisced at the Christmas and birthday gatherings depicted in the albums.  We told stories on each other and Jen especially enjoyed the ones on Scott!  The grandkids mostly looked, asked questions and gave us odd glances - these were memories before their time!
It felt so good to laugh.  And remember.
After we had eaten our fill of the ham supper plus dessert and coffee, the dishes were cleared and food put away.  I brought out my "notes" to give us a starting point for organizing the memorial service and other details.  The time we dreaded was now at hand.
Before we began though, Scott and Jen had news to announce:  a baby due November 15, 2014.  Amid exclamations and congratulations, the family could celebrate new life even as we planned for the loss of Dad and Grandpa.  Later I would marvel at how this news set the tone of hopefulness in the light of our sadness.  Only God could orchestrate that kind of miracle.
All of us worked through the details and took turns offering to take on the tasks.  Flowers, eulogy, display table, music, lunch, interment, family potluck supper to follow...amid a few tears, we got through.

Afterwards, there was a collective sigh of relief.
We all look forward to the celebration of life, but struggle to grieve the loss we feel.
I'm so glad for the gift of both tears and laughter!
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven... a time to weep and a time to laugh..." (Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 4)

This coming week may be a tough one for me.
I've been asked to help my step-mom, Dinah, go through Dad's things.  Even though I've known this task would need to be done, I was waiting until Dinah was ready before mentioning or offering to be involved.
Dad had a zillion t-shirts.  We all gave him Roughrider gear, goofy Father's Day shirts and most recently, Duck Dynasty paraphernalia!  He also had acquired ball caps from all sorts of businesses, companies and sports teams.  Usually the wife takes up most of a closet (or more than one closet) for her wardrobe.  But not in this case. Dad was worse than a girl!
He also had clothes from various stages of his life.  Mostly jeans and t-shirts.  But for the evenings at the Curling Club, he would wear dress pants and a nicer shirt or sweater.
He had three suits.
His clothes came in various sizes.  He would gain weight in the winter with eating too much rink canteen food!  Then in summer, he'd be walking miles back and forth in the club doing odd jobs and managing the rental groups. He would lose weight. When he and Dinah retired almost six years ago, Dinah tried all kinds of new recipes and all of Dad's old favourites, so he needed a new size or two to fit around his growing belly!
In the last year, Dad had thinned down some.  He wasn't as hungry; neither was he as active.  I guess in retrospect, we should have known his health was declining but that's not important now.
On the weekend, the family will have supper together and plan the memorial service for Dad.  This is another thing we knew we had lots of time to plan and organize but now that time has come.  With tears, laughter and hopefully some healing, we will find a way to express our love and memories.  We want to honour Dad, who loved to have fun and enjoyed people.  He was a sports nut, a card player and loved old tractors.
I know I'll make it through this week, and the next...and the ones to follow.  Saying good-bye will be hard but Dad knew I loved him and I got lots of chances to tell him that in the months he spent in the hospital.  Those months were a gift.  And now these days, weeks, months will also be gifts because God gives them to us to live and to enjoy.
That's what I plan to do.

I was on a bit of a Bible road-trip today.  No plan, just opened my concordance (index) at the back of my Bible to the word "Spirit".  It's like jumping in a car and just beginning to drive wherever the roads take you.  Normally I would not approach a vacation this way; I would plan, book ahead, set goals for destinations and pack accordingly.  But every now and then it is freeing to just throw a bag in the car and head out on the open road!
The first stop on my journey was in Genesis, chapter 1 verse 2 - "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."  Oh, yeah, the Holy Spirit was there at creation, before creation.  He is eternal, everlasting, immortal, invisible!  I enjoyed that scenic pullout where I could think on God's presence hovering.  Like staring at the Grand Canyon at night, with no lights, no moon, and imagining the vast nothingness but knowing the Spirit of God was there.  Wow!
Next I turned the corner to Psalm 139, verse 7 - "Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Where can I flee from Your presence?"    No matter how far I go or how far I wander from the road map, God is there.  I can think I am unseen by anyone, like a little child learning to play hide and seek.  They cover their eyes, or hide but their toes are sticking out from behind the curtains, and they think they cannot be detected!  The Lord is everywhere, omnipresent.  This is both disturbing and comforting, depending on whether I want Him near or whether I want to be left alone.  Today, I found comfort and wonder in the Spirit's presence.
I took a freeway past many references in the concordance to the book of Joel, chapter 2.  Here in verses 28 & 29, it was like pulling in at another rest stop that had viewing binoculars.  The promises were for a future day."And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people,...Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days." Yet, because I am alive in 2014, over 2,000 years after Jesus Christ's birth, death and resurrection, this promise is in the past.  These binoculars are mysterious and unfathomable!  They revealed a future event and now look back to Pentecost...and the Spirit of God is still being poured out on God's servants.
As I tore myself away from this passage of Scripture, I asked "why"?  Why is the Holy Spirit hovering, everywhere all at once and now being poured out very specifically on His people?
I took a detour from the main highway to a path  that didn't mention this key word.  It took me some searching, some digging, some cutting away of brush to find the spot I was looking for - II Timothy 2:20 & 21 "In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purpose and some for ignoble.  If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument [or vessel] for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work."  God pours out His very Self in us, the people He has chosen through faith in Jesus Christ, to be made holy.  He has specific work for us to do and we are able to be used by Him for noble purposes.  We need His Spirit, His HOLY Spirit, to make us holy.  To make us useful.  To prepare us for any good work.  It began to make sense.
I stayed on that side path, praying and letting God speak to me.  Praying for myself and confessing my uncleanness.  Praying for my family and my teammates.
I felt overwhelmed and didn't know if I could continue on the journey.  Then a verse in Zechariah 4:6 appeared on the map and steered me back to the way I needed to go.  My burdens were made light by God's promise - "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the Lord Almighty.  And I knew it was His forgiveness and His ability to protect my loved ones that would keep us all in His loving care.
Renewed by this detour, I got back onto the main road that led me to Matthew 3:16 - "As soon as Jesus was baptized He went up out of the water.  At that moment heaven was opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him."  I felt this was like the pinnacle of my journey, the highpoint from where I could see behind me and in front of me.  The centre of the universe, the focus of history, culminates in Christ.  And when He came to earth, was baptized and about to embark on His public ministry, God the Father sent His Spirit in the form of a dove to come upon His Son, Jesus.  The three Persons of the Trinity are identified and yet interwoven in the harmonious beauty and mystery of this account in Scripture.
Clearly the time to come down from the mountain top was approaching and I reluctantly wound my way to John 4:23 & 24 - "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."  To worship God is our highest calling.  He is a Spirit; we cannot expect our worship to be only physical, temporal, bound by place and time.  We must seek Him with spiritual hunger and in the way He requires.  Any other worship is false and insincere.
Then suddenly, this adventure was over.  I found myself back home.  Actually in the kitchen, needing to tend to the practical task of making supper.  But like all good trips, I had collected some precious keepsakes to treasure in my heart about the Spirit.
And my Bible is ready for the next unexpected road-trip...

Ever feel like you're in over your head?
Showing up the first Sunday morning at the Native ministry I had contacted, I was full of youthful exuberance. Armed with my fresh diploma in "Pastoral/Missions", I was ready for reaching the lost with the Gospel message of Jesus.  I had Bible verses memorized, I had experience in door to door and seniors' home visitation.  What more did I need to be a missionary?
Truly, God was kind to me.  I was received so graciously by the pastor and his wife.  There were about ten or fifteen people attending the worship service that morning.  I met a few adults and learned to greet by gentle handshake.  I saw several children running around but they had no time for a new white girl.  So began my introduction to urban cross-cultural ministry...
The second Sunday, I was nearly knocked over by two little girls about six years old.  They hugged me around my legs and I had to grab a wooden chair to steady myself!  I found out their names and I was suddenly their best friend. One girl was blonde and fair-skinned.  Her best friend had dark eyes, dark hair and brown skin.  They insisted on sitting beside me during the service.
I had come from bells ringing to signal the change of class or meal times.
I had attended church where Sunday School started at 10 am and rarely did the preacher go past noon.  This church was probably as opposite as I had ever experienced...the service started when most people had arrived.  Lots of enthusiastic singing and leisurely sharing and prayer plus preaching that took us past 12:30!  There was no Sunday School that Sunday.
Before long, I was in over my head!
I soon learned life lessons about earning trust, understanding the culture, learning the history of mission outreach to First Nations people, codependency,poverty, Attention Deficit and Fetal Alcohol Disorders, spiritual warfare...
Fast-forward to 1994, when my husband and I began our first Sunday in the Albert Scott Community Centre.  Armed with some experience in the inner city, running a youth ministry and attending the "Rising Above" conference, we launched a ministry that was to be a cross between an A.A. meeting and camp-style interactive worship!  God's favour was on us as we took the vision He laid on our hearts and stepped forward by faith.  Within a few weeks, our numbers were about ten to twelve, with a few children and we began to see the needs of our new flock become more clear.
Yup, I was in over my head!
Soon, I saw that this new ministry was not about me reaching the lost.  It was more about God reaching me in my lostness to bring healing.
As we faced our pasts, our pains, Jesus was healing us and those we were ministering to were watching us on our journeys. It was about living our lives transparently and inviting others who were hurting to begin their own healing journeys.  The more I had learned, the less I knew.
"My grace is sufficient for you...for my power is made perfect in your weakness..." the Apostle Paul
Being in over my head hasn't been a bad thing.
I think God let me dive in so that He could teach me my weaknesses.
Then He could get the glory for the ministry.

PERSEVERANCE.
I am no stellar athlete but our family enjoys sports.
We own several movies like 'Remember the Titans', 'Miracle' and one of our favourites, 'Cool Runnings'.
One characteristic of a successful team and ultimately a successful athlete is the quality of perseverance.  A theme of many of these movies is the underdogs overcoming their personal weaknesses and fears to battle against the champions.  They may not be the team with the most training or talent but they had the tenacity to push through the physical pain, the mental blocks and the emotional desire to quit.
I can relate to the Scriptural analogy of a Christian to an athlete.
 New Living Translation
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

1Corinthians 9:24-27  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we van imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Both of these passages of Scripture emphasize the necessity of endurance and the discipline of the mind and body. There is a goal to reach: running and completing the race.  So what does this all mean to the Christian walk of faith?

No one enjoys the pain of training and practice. Who likes the burning lungs, sore muscles and sprints until you puke?  It is much more fun to actually play the game or compete in the race, right?  The thing about our Christian life is it isn't about a competition against anyone else.  We are not just training and practicing for a future competition.  The race is on right now!  Every day is the training and practice while we're living life.

My children have thrown hundreds, thousands of curling rocks in preparation for competitions.  They have taken training, played various levels of recreational and competitive games and even spent time stretching, working out and other seemingly unrelated activities to improve their game.  Why?

Their goal was to win.  They wanted to play the game to win.

In life, our goal is to win the prize.  That is, to glorify God and spend eternity with Him.  I don't want to simply exist and waste my time on earth.  I want to persevere through spiritual attack, human ridicule and life difficulties to hear my Father welcome me with those longed-for words:

Matthew 25:21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.

It will be so worth all our prayers, sweat and tears to finish the race and receive the prize!
Am I willing to battle through the everyday opposition to being a Christian?  Am I giving up when there seems to be no support and no hope?  
In the first Scripture taken from Hebrews 12, we are instructed to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who had to persevere  and set the example for us.  It can be done, friends!  Jesus finished His race and is waiting for you and me at the finish line!
Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/search/#ixzz2vwvoT

Day 14

Every day began to feel the same and today didn’t feel like Sunday without going to church.  I think we were both beginning to prepare for our homegoing.  We had a leisurely coffee in our room, went to breakfast later and meandered our way by the ponds to feed the fish.  Our last full day would be a beach day.  Walter had a novel to finish –his fourth- and I was working on my fourth, as well.  Away we went, ready to do nothing but stare at our books, the boats, parasail, swimmers and the insides of our eyelids!  In twenty-four hours, we would be on a plane flying north.  Hard to believe two weeks could go by so fast!

We kept looking out for our buddy, Louisjean, and I thought I saw him talking to someone near the pool, but he never did come by our spot under the thatched shelter.  Too bad, we hoped to say good-bye and even pray with him.  He had been a real encouragement to us and seemed to value his fellowship time with us almost every day since last Sunday when we got to know him.  Oh, well, Facebook will be there for us to link with our Haitian brother.

Our last evening’s dinner plans were for the “La Perla” restaurant near the beach, which specialized in seafood.  Already our thoughts were on packing: how to fit the souvenirs into our luggage and how to squish the laundry in an orderly fashion.  It is way more fun packing to go on vacation than at the end of it!  I needed to find bags to contain our sandy footwear within our luggage…enough of that!  Let’s just stay in the moment on our last dinner in paradise.

So we dressed up again for dinner and were pleased with the seaside view and candlelit environment.  We were greeted with deep-fried fish on a skewer and drinks again as we were seated.  I had salad to start with the garlic shrimp and rice for the main course.  Walter decided on shrimp cocktail as his appetizer and the calamari for the entrée.  We were not disappointed again with the presentation and the taste of the food.  Dessert was French pastries for Walter and crème brule with fresh fruit for me.  Coffee finished off our meal.  The open restaurant was a bit cooler being on the beach, so I was glad I chose a three quarter length sleeved blouse to wear.  As we were about to leave, we realized the wind picked up and it began to rain.  We didn’t stroll our way back to our room but it was only a few drops and we were under cover!

As we looked over the past two weeks, our thoughts and comments were overwhelmingly thankful and blessed!  I had never dreamed of coming to a place like the Dominican Republic.  Many times in the past twenty-five years, we had traveled, mostly for ministry.  We had taken camping vacations and visited family and had the privilege of co-owning a cabin to enjoy family holidays.  We have celebrated our anniversaries with special overnight or weekend getaways but this one had to be the most lavish and extravagant we had ever experienced! 

On this our final evening, we were truly thankful to God for keeping us these twenty-five years, for lavishing on us His supply to enjoy such a special vacation and celebration of His faithfulness.  We will dare to dream of more amazing adventures together and know God gives us more than we can ask or imagine when we delight in Him.

“God is before all things and in Him all things hold together.”  Colossians 1:17

Day 13

The reality that it was our last couple days at Blau Natura Park resort, we plotted our course…by this time we were so relaxed and downright lazy, that meant planning two goals instead of one for the day!  I wanted to find a set of wooden dominoes hand-made in the Dominican – we saw them at the resort gift shop but we thought one more trip to the market would be fun.  After breakfast, we wandered up the wooden path, through a shady lane and out the security gate to San Juan.  The sun was very hot on our shoulders.  As we neared the market, a new face greeted us to invite us into his shop.  We were mostly interested in connecting with Mario and acquiring the domino set.  The honour code is such that if you ask for a particular person, they find him and bow to the customer’s wish. 

Someone ran to find Mario-he shared his work hours between two shops.  We browsed around and found what we were looking for-but we weren’t here just to purchase but to reconnect with Mario and say our good-byes.

“My friend!”  Mario extended his hand to shake in greeting. He smiled warmly and we made small talk.  We told him we’d be leaving on Monday so wanted to see him before we left.  Then we began the dance of haggling over the souvenir I wanted.  “How many you want?  Better deal with more.”  He wasn’t open to much give and take so we ended up spending more per set than at the resort gift shop.  Oh, well!  It’s all about relationship. 

When we concluded our deal, he escorted us out the side door, but introduced us to “Tony” who was also an evangelical believer and they invited us to sit in the shade on lawn chairs to visit.  Tony had a Spanish Bible in his lap.  We chatted with him a while and his English was very good.  At first he shared cliché things about Christianity.  But after some time he opened up more about his past and his testimony in coming to Christ after a motorcycle accident without a helmet.  We had noticed some scars on the left side of his face.  Then he shared that his wife, Luce, had not received Jesus yet and they had three teenaged sons.  (He also had a daughter in university from before this marriage.) 

While sitting there, Mario brought 3 or 4 other men who shook our hands.  Apparently these also were believers so we met quite a few through Mario.  One guy pulled up an over-turned plastic five-gallon pail, “Where you from?”  I said, “Canada.”  I noticed his baseball cap had a maple leaf emblem on it!  So we conversed briefly.   His comment to me was, “You guys are different than other tourists.  You talk to us!”  Walter and Tony were quite engaged in their conversation, so the other guys came and left.  But it was a neat gathering; reminded us of visiting at a wake on a reserve in Canada with comfortable, easy going conversation and the importance of spending time and building relationship. 

Before we left for the resort, Walter had the privilege of praying with Tony.  He seemed to appreciate that gesture and we shook hands.  Mario saw us leaving and came to give us good-bye hugs.  We also assured him we’d continue to pray for him and his children in light of his marriage break-up.  We left our new brothers at the “Dominican Walmart”.

The sun beat down even hotter on our return walk so we longed for the coolness of the air conditioning.  But the housekeeper was just beginning our room so we stopped in the lounge for cold drinks.  We sat enjoying the ducks and flamingos . Then a group of guys sat at the wicker chairs next to us.  They were having fun and making hilarious and witty comments.   The bantering had us almost laughing out loud! 

As we stood to leave-I thought twenty minutes of eavesdropping may be a bit rude on our part-Walter let them know we had enjoyed their bantering and wondered if they were all doctors.   They were from various fields of the medical profession on a medical mission to the Dominican from the Chicago area.  Their mission was just over and they were at the resort to debrief before heading back to the U.S.  They included us in some experiences but mostly just needed some laugh therapy! We left them grinning and giggling to ourselves.

And back to the beach for our last sailing appointment.  We got out easily enough but the waves were quite choppy.  Walter had burned the fronts of his feet and shins the day before, so was wearing socks in his sandals to cover the burns.  I’m sure we looked like the tourists that we were: but we were thoroughly living in the moment, sailing on the ocean and counting our blessings.

As we brought in the sailboat and returned our lifejackets, we hoped for a chance to connect with the Barnabas at the booth.  He was a Pentecostal brother and he and Walter made a connection, as well.  Things were busy at the rental booth, so we didn’t chat long.  Then we went to read again on the beach.  Before we’d been there long, Louisjean headed our way.  Half an hour went by in a blink!  He not only knew his Bible but was knowledgeable about the history and politics of the island.  I had Walter and Louisjean pose together for a picture and promised to send it to him through Facebook.  Then he had to get back to business.

One more connection happened that afternoon with the two young couples we had met.  It was nice to hear their activities and compare notes on the resort.  We were all going back to Winnipeg on the same flight Monday. 

Dinner was as the “Media Luna”, the steakhouse a la carte restaurant.  The entrance was draped in red and white cloth, with a palm frond arbor woven in an archway.  Candles were glowing, set in brown bags along the sidewalk.  Would the bags burn?  It looked likely!

The hosts greeted us with beverages and beef ka-bob.  We were led to a private table overlooking the pond.  The waiters were all charming and attentive.  We ordered our steaks medium rare with Walter choosing onion soup while I had potato skins.  Everything was romantic and classy…until the Russian family we had seen at the pool and the buffet had some difficulty with their little girl.  She was an only child, cute but completely spoiled.  Part way through our meal, this girl began whining.  We couldn’t understand what they were saying, but the parents were definitely losing the battle.  At one point, the five year old’s lungs hit a decibel that made the hairs on our necks stand up!  Finally, the parents left, with screaming child in tow.  We breathed a sigh of relief.  Settling back into our chairs to finish our delicious steaks, we had just begun to relax when we heard the scream from behind us again.  I craned around to see the blonde girl, on the floor beside their table, crying and calling for her mommy!  Her parents were outside on the sidewalk calling her name.  They got pretty firm and stern and finally took her away.  Wow!  We finished our desserts (I had banana fritters with ice cream and chocolate drizzle, Walter enjoyed strawberry cheesecake) in blissful peace.

The ocean beckoned to us and we strolled along the shore in the moonlight.  Virtually no one was out as it was dark and security guards patrolled the beach. I pulled my shawl over my shoulders, shivering in the night breeze but we relished the experience of one of our last walks on the beach.

I love Ladies' Retreats!
For over 15 years I have been going out to Cedar Springs Retreat Center, Washington U.S.A. and each time I meet with God.
The first year I was so distracted by my nervousness of flying.  But once I got to the beautiful mountain setting surrounded by gigantic cedar trees, I relaxed and soaked in the atmosphere.  In subsequent years, I took hikes with some ladies, or chose to take prayer walks alone.  I would write poetry as I stared at the pond, or take slips of paper in my pocket with memory verses to meditate on as I wandered the paths.
Some years I connected with certain friends and made intentional efforts to share and listen.  Other years, I came exhausted and focused on quiet times and naps!
This year was an intimate group of about 20 women.  We had fun with the theme of "Memory Lane", hearing testimonies from women who had joined our mission (NAIM) in different decades, starting with the 1960's.  We modeled fashions from our decades and laughed!  We learned sixties dances, did aneighties workout routine with Jane Fonda, and had movie nights to watch some classics.
The overarching theme of God's faithfulness over the years was woven throughout as we sang worship choruses, hymns and camp songs that have been meaningful to us.
In previous years, I have been part of planning the retreat and found myself to feel not as refreshed when I was in charge of music or MC responsibilities.  But it is a privilege to serve the Lord and His dedicated servants.  And those who served us this year are to be commended for blessing us who were able to sit back and relax!
One special benefit of being part of this retreat time is the ministry of the guest speaker.  In some years I've had individual time with the speaker to help process some of ministry challenges and personal issues.  Being a smaller group this year, I was able to spend a generous amount of time processing my Dad's passing with Robin, a trained counselor and minister to missionaries and pastor's wives, in particular.  I felt that God orchestrated that for me.  How precious to know God's love and care for me in such a personal way!
I consider Ladies' Retreat a success if I have laughed, cried and eaten way too much-Retreat 2014 was definitely a success!

PSALM 122:1
"I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'"
Back in 1980-81, I was going to highschool (grade 9) at Campbell Collegiate in Regina.  It was a year of change and transition for me.  My mom was attending university full-time to complete her Bachelor of Education degree and we had moved to the city for the school year.  I had to transition from a rural school, being one of the older students in junior high, to being a lowly "freshman" in a huge urban highschool!  To top it off, I had been diagnosed with scholiosis, a curvature of the spine.  The treatment was to wear a full back brace made of metal and plastic that went from my chin down to my hips.  I felt like a freak in a foreign land and wondered how I would survive that year!
Several weekends that fall, winter and into spring, my sister and I would visit our Grandma and aunts in small town Saskatchewan (Parry).  If we left right after school, we could be at Grandma's for supper and then I could go to youth group.  I'd never been part of a church or youth group before and had some adjusting to do to behave appropriately!  I had a bit of a mouth on me and occasionally while playing sports or games, I'd let an "adjective" fly that did not suit the company!  But I felt very accepted there and what else was there to do when my best friend in Parry was going to youth?
Come Sunday morning, I'd tag along with Sheri and her family to Sunday School at 10 am and then worship service at 11 am.  I'd rush to Grandma's for lunch and then our family attended church at 1:15 pm at the other church in town.  On those weekends, I'd have my share of religion!
But soon, I began asking questions of the youth leader, Cliff, and took more than a casual interest in the Bible studies on Friday nights.  Why were there different churches?  How did a person know if the Bible was true?  What about heaven and hell?  During this year when my life was in a very transitional and tender place, I was introduced to faith and a Person, Jesus Christ.
That Christmas, I received a full Bible of my own (I had a Gideon's New Testament but was missing that whole first half!).  If I missed youth group on a Friday, Cliff would send me the Bible study lesson.  My eyes and heart were curious and open to more than just fun on a Friday night.  And somehow God got my attention.
Spring turned into summer.  Mom had convocated from the U. of R. and was applying for teaching positions in or near Regina.  But the school she accepted a position for primary teacher was two hours away from the city, away from my new friends and even further from the church and youth group connection I had formed.  I was angry and frustrated with yet another change in my life!
One July afternoon, I remember lying on the waterbed in my Dad's basement, pondering my life and the new things I'd been learning.  I could not really control the circumstances in my life:  my parents were divorced and Mom was a single parent needing to support her two daughters.  We had to move.  But this Jesus: I could choose if I wanted to follow Him!  He would never leave me.  He promised to forgive my sins and prepare a place for me in heaven.  Maybe I could find a church and hopefully another youth group!
So, lying on that waterbed, I decided to accept what John 14:6 said as Cliff had helped me to understand.  "Jesus said,'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me.'"  No fireworks.  Just a decision.
A few days later, Cliff was going to be in the city and wondered if he could bring me a copy of the last Bible study.  So when I saw him, he asked how my week had been and how I was doing.  He was aware of my family circumstances and that I'd be moving.  So I calmly and casually answered, "Well, I prayed that prayer.  I accepted Jesus."
Then there were fireworks!  Cliff grinned and about jumped out of his skin!  His excitement caught me off guard as I thought my decision was logical and made sense.  But his joy at my new-found faith made me realize it was more than a mental choice-this was a life-changing and emotional decision!  If I had known the spiritual investment Cliff had made in my life and all the church folks that were praying for me, then I would have have understood his happy-dance reaction!  The following week, Cliff brought me a little devotional book and gave me a crash-course in daily Bible reading and prayer.  That was my lifeline in the next month or two of moving and registering in a new highschool in small town Saskatchewan once again.
So, I went from attending 3 hours of church on a Sunday and a couple hours of youth group on Friday nights, to a new community where there was no youth ministry and only an hour service on Sunday mornings.  It took a few months before I found another youth group where I was able to learn and grow under the wisdom of caring youth leaders.
So when I read Psalm 122 verse 1, I still feel that familiar stirring in my heart.  I love to go to church!  For me, it means more than sitting through boring songs or long sermons.  The family of God and the teaching of His Word made such a difference in my life at a time I needed the strength of a Saviour.  The church represents to me a place of belonging and love and truth when my life could have taken a drastic turn for the worst!  When someone says, "Let's go to church"  I'm going!