My God is So Big

So strong, and so mighty. There's nothing my God can not do! I enjoy that song.

So, this past week was Holiness Advancement Week at Bethany Bible College and I had the pleasure of being allowed to participate in the services in the worship choir. It was a blessing to be a part of that, being a part of the leading team. This week was an awakening for my heart as well in another way. The guest preacher for the week shared on the passage in John 15, the vine and the brances, and elaborated on the parts of the vine that had to be thrown into the fire. I didn't want to admit at first that there were dead brances on my part of the vine, or that I had unnecessary branches which were taking up too much light and not producing any fruit! I had grown comfortable with my dead and fruitless branches, I liked them the way they were and I didn't want them to be removed. Now, God won't do anything in our hearts unless we give him permission, he gave us the ability to choose wanting us to choose him. So, I finally admitted my dead and fruitless branches needed to be cleaned up and as God started to clean up the mess I began to see more and more dead and fruitless brances! It is surprising to me just how much crap I hold on to!! And all for the sake of comfort and familiarity!! It will be a process of cleaning up the mess I've become so comfortable in. I'm not looking forward to the process of removing each unnecessary branch, but I am excited about the freedom that will come in the process.

Well, tonight is another Bethany Hockey night!! Roach is #39, and I have to insert a quick note: last week Roach dove in front of a shot on goal!!! IT WAS AMAZING!!! He timed it perfectly, and I was so proud! I still am as a matter of fact! They tied last week, and I hope to have news of a win after tonight!!! GO #39 GO!!!!!

All Our Stuff Is Finally Here

So, after a couple of weeks, we went back to Jason's parents house to arrange our finances, and to get the rest of our stuff. It doesn't seem like that much, but when your car is small that makes the load seem bigger. By the end of today everything should be in order again and our place is more of a home. I am excited about moving to our next place only because I know it will be the last time we move for quite a while. (wouldn't that be hilirious if God made us move again every year or so for the next few years? well, I'm not really laughing, but wouldn't it be funny?)

We are doing well up in Canada, but yesterday a large amount of snow was dumped on us, much like the rest of the northeastern states and Atlantic provinces. I haven't seen the final damage done, but everyone I've talked to is not happy about having to trek through the snow to classes. I'll find out for myself later this evening. The snow looks beautiful out our window though!

The Day After A Hockey Game

I've noticed this with all sports/athletes: the ending of the game affects the following day. Last week for example, here at Bethany Bible College, the hockey team lost and there seemed to be a sad air on campus. However, last night, the team tied 4-4 and each felt as though they had done well as a team, and so I expect a certain air of celebration. Now, BBC isn't super intense about their athletics program, so the students aren't nearly as emotional as, say, the students, the general population of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and the athletes of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa; GO, BAMA GO!!! I spent six months down there, and if the college lost a game on a Saturday night the whole city was down and out. I found the most amusing part to be that it also affected a Sunday morning service at the church I interned at!! If they won the service would be packed out, if they lost we would have about half the church filled!!! Now, I love sports, but that's a bit extreme.

I'm glad Jesus loves us anyway!

Another Day

The first week of classes has come and gone, and now the first weekend is here. Jason's brother has come to visit for the day, his weekend off. I'm having a girls day at our place, because Jason is invited to a guys day. So, it'll be interesting. I am looking forward to the girls coming over, but at the same time it will be challenging for me because I'm not normally as social as I'm going to be today. I'll be exhausted when the end of this day comes. But, I'm learning to get out of this introverted bubble I've lived in for years. I'm willing to be changed by God, but I do know that it won't always be fun. Anyway, I need to get going because my guests will start arriving soon! Have a fun day!

Life as a Wife, At a College

So, I understand it’s only been the first day of classes, but it’s completely different being a wife at Bethany Bible College rather than a student. My four years as a student were filled with class hours, homework, and piano/voice practice times, rehearsals for various musical teams, eating, sleeping, and the occasional social outing. (However, most of my social times were spent while traveling for the various ministry teams that I was a part of) I’m having such a hard time adjusting to the reality of my only responsibility for the next four months as being Jason’s wife! I love him, and I love being a wife, but it’s such a downshift from the speeds I was moving at for my college years, and even our time in Michigan!! I never quite realized just how much I was going all of the time, working 40 + hours each week, and trying to keep a clean house at the same time (the latter being quite difficult, and too often only doing a mediocre job). I think the OCD part of me is still itching because our apartment is still in the works. For some reason I want it all done when we had arrived, and this unrealistic expectation keeps kicking me in the shins. However, I have to choose to ignore that little pest, and admit I’m human, and can only accomplish so much in a few days. The apartment is more or less in order now. I still have to put away our clothes. It should be just about finished tomorrow, and I think I’ll rest easy then. Anyway, I’m off to watch my husband kickbutt in hockey!! GO BLAZERS, GO!!!!!

Moving Day

So, today is the day we finally get to move into our apartment!! YAY!!!!!!!!! I need to finish the laundry, the last of the free washing and drying we'll have for a few months. We still have boxes to unpack, which will be most of today and tomorrow's project. It will be good to finally get back into more of a routine. I love schedules!!

The Beginning of My Journey

So, we find out today that we can’t get a loan, for whatever reason. There is another place to check, and that won’t be known until Thursday afternoon, at the earliest. So, I guess the next step in this is to accept the fact that we will have to wait for God to bring the money to us. I have to admit that I’m disappointed, upset, and a bit stressed about this. I know that God is capable of providing the money we’ll need when we need it, so why do we have to go through it again? Maybe it’s for my sake. I saw Jason go through it, waiting for God to provide the money for his semesters, so I believe it can happen. I just don’t want to have to wait for it myself. Maybe I have a double standard; it’s fine to see another believer’s faith grow while waiting for God to provide, but it’s not cool to have to go through it myself.

The last six/seven months have been a great opportunity for the Roach to go on a journey, to discover who his God really was and what that meant to him. Maybe these next few months will be my opportunity to go on this journey, find out who my God is, and what that means to me. It’s been great to see the Roach go through the transformation, but maybe it’s time for me to stop watching. Maybe I need to participate in this discovery. What that means for me over these coming months, I don’t know. It could mean many things, and I have to admit that I’m a bit scared at what I’ll find when I look inside my heart. I’ve seen so much selfishness already!

We’ll see where this journey leads me.

The New Year Has Come

The holiday season has come and gone again. Nothing much has been accomplished except sleeping, eating, watching tv, and playing some games. I attempted to read a book and that has been put aside numerous times to play a game, or do something with someone. I don't feel like anything important has happened, but I've been able to relax and recover from working long days in MI. Something I look forward to in the coming months, while Jason is finishing his studies, is just being his wife. I look forward to keeping our apartment clean, making him meals, washing our clothes, and just loving him that way.