December sunsets are rich.  Today's was a splendid array of pink, purple and gold.  Northern Saskatchewan winters provide the harsh cold and grey skies that make the colours such a gift, a surprise to the senses.
Driving along the highway after dropping Caylea off in Saskatoon, I slowed my thoughts, breathing deeply.  The busy day filled with the activity of chapel, office tasks and a FaceTime interview left me feeling harried.  So much so that I forgot my purse and cell phone when we jumped into the car.  We made it to Saskatoon with just enough time to pick up McDonald's and fuel before arriving at the Rider Express depot.  The bus pulled out and I drove back to Prince Albert. 
Alone.  No radio.  Slowing life down.
And that's when I noticed the beautiful western horizon.  Shades of purple and magenta blended into the navy blue night sky. 
I set the cruise control and enjoyed the quiet. 
Lord, I am Your servant.  I am listening...
Nothing extraordinary.  Simply the peace of God's presence and giving Him thanks.
I wouldn't trade the busy.  God has purpose in it all.
But how sweet is the fellowship on a December evening!

The covered dish casseroles smelled wonderful as we entered the church hall.  Voices, laughter, tinkling Christmas music all wafted to add to the festive feeling I had.  With our dishes placed on the long serving table, we made our way to a table and joined some folks already seated. Our first holiday event of 2018!
A rousing game of "Name that Christmas Tune" and a team scramble of biblical prophecies and fulfillment of the Messiah proved to bring the competitive natures out in this group of NCEM missionaries!  When the formal part of the evening was over, we lingered with a few and played board games.  It was a lot of fun!  Spending time together without the responsibilities of ministry made me appreciate these faithful folks all the more.
A few days later, I was sitting at a round table with nine other ladies, basking in the candles and dimmed Christmas lights that created a relaxing ambiance.  My sister, her daughter, my daughter and I dashed over to the archway and bench and took pictures together.  Although our step-mom, Dinah was to come with us, she was in the hospital.  So we sent the pictures to her and let her know we missed her!  The theme of the evening was "Choosing Joy" and I know it could have been so meaningful for Dinah, who has been struggling for several months with kidney-related issues, in and out of hospital.  The speakers, two women who happen to be cousins, shared their experiences: one with cancer and the other, loss of a spouse at aged 30.  Their testimonies were of needing to make joy a choice in order to cope and to overcome the difficulties in their journeys.  Jesus is the true source of lasting joy and the evening brought that truth out in a meaningful way.
Two days following this lovely evening, Walter and I entered a downtown Regina restaurant for yet another holiday party.  Our team from Healing Hearts Ministries in Regina and area, gathered for a meal, cheesy Christmas jokes and the ever-popular gift exchange game!  With over twenty of us together, it was a fun and joyful time, even though each carries some burdens and recent personal losses.  I am thankful we are not alone, but can support one another.
Most mornings I try to spend time by the stove and Christmas tree, letting my heart soak in the spirit of the season.  More than that, the Spirit of the season, who is the Lord! 
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17
Let us take the opportunities to enjoy the Spirit of the Lord and reflect on the wonders of Jesus Christ, come as a baby, as Saviour, Lamb, Redeemer, King!

Walter had his ultrasound Friday in Regina.  We are waiting for results.
He has a stress test booked for mid-January and then a follow up appointment will be made with a cardiologist. 
All his other pain and blood issues have stabilized and settled.
THANK YOU all for praying and for checking in with Walter and myself to see how it's going!

This weekend we are in Prince Albert, celebrating with the Headquarters staff at the annual Christmas party.  Got my ham in the oven in our little suite; a pot of red cabbage and bacon is cooling on the deck.  Gonna be a fun time!

Got our Christmas Prayer Letter in the mail last week...and now some handwritten cards to family and friends are my next project.  The season of Advent is upon us and I want to be setting my heart and mind on "The Reason" who is Jesus my Lord!

Have a great weekend!

I will give thanks to the Lord for He has heard my cry for mercy. 
I will give praise to God, the only One who has the power to do what looks impossible!
He is my Rock, my Shield, my Deliverer. 
He is the Healer of our bodies, minds and souls!
I will trust in Him.  I will declare He is the only Wise God. 
My hope is in Him alone!
I am so glad He has called me to be His child.
He is my loving Father,
who is seated in heavenly places,
and invites me to sit with Him there.
How sweet to rest in His Presence.

Ice fog.
Hoar frost.
Winter frosting on pretzel branches.
November sun rising low.
Festive lights.
Garlands and wreaths of green.
Christmas is coming...
Advent.
Come, Lord Jesus.

Sitting in the curtained area in Emergency, I fought tears and a rising frustration.  Were we not hearing from the Lord?  Our schedule was full and I could almost see the light at the end of the tunnel...and now Walter was having some pain that was severe enough to draw him to the hospital early in the morning!
The ECG  showed no heart episode.  Blood work showed his INR was low and needed attention (Walter is on therapeutic warfarin and must keep this INR in the 2.3-2.7 and it was 1.4).  The doctor suggested a few things; the nurse suggested some other possibilities.  We also had some ideas that may have affected the INR numbers and diet changes that may have caused the pain.
We still had two days of leadership meetings, with people flying or driving from all over western Canada to meet with the four of us on the NCEM Executive Team.  I called Walter's assistant director, Jason, to let him know we were at the E.R.  Could he and Bob take the meetings for the morning?  We would keep them informed of Walter's condition.
Some interesting outcomes developed from the events of that morning.
With the ECG results, the doctor asked if Walter had experienced some type of heart incident in the past?  We were both surprised that the results showed some kind of incident or episode and took this information seriously.  He also suggested eating healthy and increasing regular exercise.  And a follow up with a cardiologist.
The discovery of the INR levels was also providential as Walter's risk of having clots form, especially with all the sitting he would be doing this week, would increase.  Walter was able to make the necessary adjustments to his medications.
Jason told us that he was praying desperately when he knew he would be taking charge of the meetings.  As he prayed and drove to the office near Prince Albert, the "3 E's" Walter has been presenting came to Jason's mind.  He would use the "Equip, Empower and Encourage" principles to guide the interviews and hopefully be a starting point to build up the leaders of the mission. 
God was in control, even though Walter and I felt quite the opposite!
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Here I sit, at home in Regina, feeling calmer. I am still wondering:  how could we have avoided this health crisis and still have kept our commitments in ministry?  Is this normal old age creeping up on us?  Is this a strong message from the Lord to slow down and take that rest we were hoping for a bit sooner?
Walter stayed home this morning.  He doesn't miss church, especially at Healing Hearts in Regina, if he can at all be there.  So I know he isn't well.  I hope he can get in to his doctor fairly quickly and begin the process of following up on these health concerns. 
The Lord has a way of keeping us on track, even when we don't always know we are off the track!
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside quiet waters.  He restores my soul.  He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake."  Psalm 23

Another busy stretch...
The past couple of weeks have included some rest, my birthday celebration (Red Lobster with my family) and Hallowe'en!  On November 1 we drove to Prince Albert to prepare for November 2, the NCEM Executive meeting.
Some God-moments have strongly impacted me over these days.
During our Executive meeting, we were to meet and interview a couple who are interested in ministry.  Our scheduled interview was for 1 p.m. and they had texted us their estimated time of arrival earlier in the morning.  But at about 11:30 a.m., I received another text saying the family had just experienced a rollover and were awaiting paramedics and the police! 
Thankfully, they had only minor injuries, but their vehicle was totaled.  So they were taken to a nearby hospital and examined.  A family member drove out to pick them up and take them back home.
In light of the accident, they wondered if they should pray and pursue some other options.  Was God slowing down the process with NCEM?  Or was this an obstacle instigated by the enemy?
We agreed that waiting for God's clear direction was the best move for now.  We trust that God has been involved to guide in what is best for this family and for NCEM.
For the past week, Walter and I were instructing the new candidates in their orientation and training to serve with NCEM.  Each morning, Walter taught on the History and Philosophy of the mission, the Inner Workings and various aspects of the mission, Spiritual Warfare and Dependency Issues.  Each afternoon, Walter and I shared the principles of fundraising as Faith Missionaries. Our sessions focused on the Bible's teachings on "a workman worthy of his hire" (I Timothy 5:17 & 18).  As we gave practical tips on connecting with churches and learning to write good prayer letters, we then gave them projects to work on that would help them build support teams.
The God-moment happened Friday morning.  Another gentleman was scheduled to teach, so Walter and our coworker, Jason, went out deer-hunting.  Walter had asked me the night before, "Do you think I should go out hunting?  Would you want any deer meat?"  I was affirmative on both counts!  The meat would be a blessing as our family enjoys making and eating deer sausage.  But almost more importantly, I knew Walter needed some fun, some "guy-time".  By 10:30 a.m., Walter and Jason were in the truck and heading to town to pick up some coffee.  They drove out of town a ways, down some gravel roads that Jason knew went by some prime deer spots.  Sure enough, they saw a nice looking doe feeding quietly.  They drove around to get a better view and saw a buck nearby, as well.  As they stopped and Walter got out of the truck, he loaded one bullet in the chamber.  He aimed, leaning against the door of the truck, sighting the deer in the scope.  Walter said he wasn't sure which was bigger, the doe or the buck, but decided to shoot the buck.  Before they could get spooked, he aimed and took the shot.
Jason saw the female flinch and thought Walter had shot high over the doe.  But Walter said, "The buck is gone."  They jumped back in the truck and drove over to where the deer had been feeding and sure enough, the buck lay dead in the snow.  What a blessing, a gift from God!
By lunch time, the deer was skinned and quartered and ready to transport back to Regina.  Their cups of coffee were still warm!
A third God-moment has been the Scripture that Dave, the man teaching on Friday morning, read to the classroom of candidates.  The passage in I Kings about Elijah the prophet was a text Dave was using but I don't honestly remember the point he was trying to make!  What I saw was a sentence I've never noticed before.  Walter has often preached on this passage about Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal, having a huge victory as God sent fire from heaven to consume the offering.  The Baal worshipers could not evoke any response from their god!  But immediately afterward, Elijah came down from Mount Carmel and when King Ahab's wicked wife, Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah, he escaped to the wilderness!  After a tremendous display of the Lord's power and authority, Elijah was completely spent.  He felt - and believed - he was completely alone in his worship of the one true God.  "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers." (I Kings 19:4b). As Elijah expressed his depressed thoughts and feelings, he lay down to sleep. 
God sent an angel to minister to him.  The angel woke him and encouraged him to eat the food and drink the water provided.  Then Elijah slept again, obviously exhausted.  A second time, the angel roused the prophet and told him to "arise and eat..." (v. 7).  And then the verse that spoke to me: "And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights..." (v. 8).
I have felt like we have been on a two-month marathon of travel, meetings, teaching and now more meetings!  But I was so touched by the way God Himself ministers to His servants when they cannot go on.  And how the rest and renewal of body and spirit could carry Elijah for another forty days!
I pray and trust that God will give us supernatural rejuvenation for our next two weeks. 
Until next time...