When My Faith Became Real

Though I can distinctly remember sitting on the couch in the living room praying with my Dad and asking Jesus to come into my heart when I was four, I cannot confirm that my faith was genuine then.

I grew up attending Hillsdale Baptist Church and I was taught biblical truth. I understood through my elementary school years that I needed to do my best to "live like a Christian" and share my faith with those around me but I was not very motivated. Little me had yet to discover what a relationship with God and faith was really about. 

My first real challenge began in grade 4. I recited a speech about palomino horses in front of my class and I felt pretty good about it. Perhaps too good, because I was not prepared for what was coming in the next four years. Grade 5 speeches came around and the teacher wrote a list of names on the board in the order for speech presentations. When my name was called, I got up in front of the class and froze. Then tears began rolling down my cheeks and I couldn't speak. The teacher suggested that I sit down and try to calm myself so I could try again later. Long story short, I ended up having to do my speech for only the teacher because I could not present it to the class. 

To this day I cannot explain why I was not able to speak in front of my classmates. It was not that I did not desire to, nor was it because I was afraid. But nonetheless I still froze and cried for the next two years of speeches. Then came grade 8.

That was the year I decided that I was not going to cry no matter what. I was going to say my speech in front of the class. Confidence seemed to prevail until I stood up to speak and then history repeated itself. I was angry. Angry because I was embarrassed and because I did not know what to do. Then I got the best advice of my life. 

One girl, who was not a Christian, asked me if I had prayed before doing my speech. I hadn't. How humbling that God would use this girl to remind me to ask Him for help.

So I prayed. Then I said my speech with a new confidence in front of the class. That was the moment that my faith became real. 

Now here is why: 

1. My ultimate purpose is to glorify God.

2. I realized then that I cannot do life successfully on my own. 

3. By acknowledging my need for God through prayer, glory was His when I said my speech.

From that day on I knew that I could no longer claim any talents or good things I have done as my own, but it has been because of God that I am able. My body is kept alive because of Him as I recognize that I cannot control my heartbeat.

I am made more aware every day how important it is that my faith in God never stops growing.

After all, He speaks loudly through His Word...

"The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies - in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." 

- 1 Peter 4:7-11

Road Trip

I make it a point to visit Ruth at least once a year. You can read about one of my trips here. This year I was extra excited to head out on this trip, probably mostly due to the fact that I need a break. A break from Regina, from school, from work, from people (I love you all dearly but I'm sure you need a break from me, too ;) ), and most of all from my busy schedule. 

I had my music playing loudly as I drove, as per usual. From country to pop to rap and acoustics, I listened to it all. As I was driving past Indian Head I had to tap my brakes, cancelling my cruise control, to allow someone to pass a semi before I could do the same. But something unexpected happened this time. My foot barely caught on the lanyard attached to my keys and the car shut off, keys still in the ignition and turned to the "on" position. At first I was not sure what to do. For all I knew my car had just died on me. I flicked on my hazards and rolled to a stop on the side of the highway. I quickly put the car in "park," turned the keys back and pulled them out, removed the lanyard from my keys, and started the car again. Momentary set-back :). Praise the Lord that's all the mishap that I encountered on my way to Steinbach. 

The rest of the trip I found the Lord tugging on my heart. Asking me what's going on? Where is my time being spent? Why don't I pray more? My soul in turn experienced a deep longing for my Saviour. The reality is that I need help. I know that I do not desire to do what God wants on my own. But I know that I need Him, and that I was created for His glory and that He desires for me to fulfill my created purpose to bring Him glory. So I worshipped God while I drove, and by the time I got to Steinbach, I felt renewed and revived and filled with joy, ready to persevere in faith.

I need to do road trips more often :). 

Sanctification Prayer by Dave and Janna McPhee

Sometimes it feels like such a long journey on this road of righteousness.
It doesn't help when I spend my time exploring the many winding paths of foolishness.
At times I wonder how I'm gonna make it when the progress seems so slow.
Seems I've arrived when it comes to testing Your patience, but in pleasing You I've got so far to go.

Be the tamer of my tongue, and the ruler of my ways,
The benefactor of my gifts, and receiver of my praise.
Be the wellspring of my love, and the mender of my mind,
The investor of my wealth, and redeemer of my time.
With all of who I am, oh Christ, be glorified.

While in this body I can't escape the conflict, the daily wars against my mind.
My spirit's willing but my flesh is weak and wicked, the most crooked path it never fails to find.
Oh wretched man that I know I am. Who will deliver me?
I thank my God through my Lord, Jesus Christ, who chose to walk the road that led to Calvary, that He might be.

The tamer of my tongue, and the ruler of my ways,
The benefactor of my gifts, and receiver of my praise.
Be the wellspring of my love, and the mender of my mind,
The investor of my wealth, and redeemer of my time.
With all of who I am, oh Christ, be glorified.

As I reflect on where I've come from and how You've brought me to this place,
My weary heart gains a whole new perspective as my trials only magnify Your grace.
So I'll continue to work out my salvation knowing You're at work in me.
And I rejoice in this revelation: that the work You have begun You will be faithful to complete.

Be the tamer of my tongue, and the ruler of my ways,
The benefactor of my gifts, and receiver of my praise.
Be the wellspring of my love, and the mender of my mind,
The investor of my wealth, and redeemer of my time.
With all of who I am, oh Christ, the very sweetness and the fragrance of my life, be glorified.


I heard this song playing on my iPhone today as I was making lunch for my family and my soul resonated with it so much that I had to post it. The couple who wrote this song were one of my prof's at Bible college and his lovely wife. I have to say that he remains to be my favourite prof of all my post-secondary schooling thus far because of the huge encouragement he was to me for the two years I knew him. Thank you Dave and Janna for being faithful servants of Jesus, and for influencing others to do the same through your example!

Prayer For A Friend by Casting Crowns

Lord, I lift my friend to You, I've done all that I know to do
I lift my friend to You
Complicated circumstances have clouded his view
Lord, I life my friend up to You

I fear that I won't have the words that he needs to hear
I pray for Your wisdom, oh God, and a heart that's sincere
Lord, I lift my friend up to You

Lord, I lift my friend to You
My best friend in the world, I know he means much more to You
I want so much to help him, but this is something he has to do
And Lord, I lift my friend up to You

'Cause there's a way that seems so right to him
But You know where that leads
He's becoming a puppet of the world, too blind to see the strings
Lord, I lift my friend up to You
My friend up to You

Lord, I lift my friend to You, I've done all that I know to do
I lift my friend to You


Sometimes I don't know how to pray for the people in my life that I care deeply about. This song reminds me that, when I am in those times, I simply have to entrust those people into the hands of the One who knows them perfectly and can make a difference in their lives.

Lord, I lift my friends up to You.

Carrot Soup

So I was in the kitchen today looking for something to eat, as I often do multiple times during the day, especially on Sundays when I am hungry and bored ;), and I found some older-looking carrots. They weren't fresh carrots because the ends looked a little bit soft and droopy, kind of like the way our skin gets when we age...Anyways, I decided to make carrot soup in order to make good use of these droopy vegetables before they expired completely.

I looked for a recipe and this is what I found:

epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/carrot-soup-with-ginger-and-lemon-4083

Now fast-forward a bit. The soup was absolutely delicious! The same consistency as butternut squash soup but with a tangier taste. I will absolutely be making it again in the future.

Backing up to before I started making the soup...and about a year before that :).

My parents wanted new kitchen knives, and so did I, so we went to Canadian Tire and picked up the Henkels Aviara set which was on sale for $299.99 regular $899.99. Seemed like a great deal so we went for it.

Now back to the present day, January 10, 2016.

I was almost finished chopping the onion for the soup, using the sharpest Henkels Aviara chef knife...you may already have guessed where this story is going...and the last part of the onion was a little tricky to slice. Let's just say my thumb got in the way.

The knife took a 1cm x 1cm x 2mm chunk of skin off my left thumb. It wouldn't stop bleeding for quite some time, despite my constant pressure with a kleenex but I was eventually able to make it stop and let it air out. Now my thumb just has a pink wound on the tip that dips in a bit.

The moral of the story is that the Henkels Aviara knife set is a really good one! The knives are really sharp! But I was advised by one of my co-workers that this story is not the best one to tell when trying to sell knives :P.