time to start collecting stones and earth?...

I love the way the New Living Translation words Exodus 20:24...

"Build altars in the places where I remind you who I am and I will come and bless you there."

The Israelites were reminded so many times about who God was while they were wandering in the desert. I sometimes picture altars set up all over along the path of their journey in all the different places where God reminded them of something else. Then I start to wonder if I should be building my own altars.

Now I've never been in the habit of building altars or even thinking about altars all that much but when I read this verse I started to ponder and study altars. I love the meaning behind an alter, it's a public display. I can't think of any examples in the Bible where an altar was built where no one could see it, please inform me if I've missed that passage! Even today altars are always built in conspicuous places where others can take note of them. Think of the testimony that could have been when the Israelites were trying to get to the promised land! You know there's many examples in the Bible where people would build an altar because God taught them something [Genesis 12:7; Genesis 33:18-20] I like to think that other people would see those later and they would know that God showed somebody something in that place.

So how can I build altars in the places where God reminds me who He is? How can I let others who will come to that place after me see that God did something there?

And there it was...

Yesterday as I was sitting in my car uptown waiting for the mail truck to get in I saw a tiny, brown bird taking a bath in a dirty mudpuddle.

For some reason it struck me as beautiful.

Covered in alpaca wool

Today I got to help do alpaca shearing. it was pretty exciting. Before today the only time I've ever interacted with an alpaca was by just looking at them...from a safe distance...with a tall fence between us. Today I was upclose and personal!

First we had to get the alpaca onto the tipping table (which is exactly what it sounds like: a table that tips) I stood behind the table and tipped it over, grabbing the alpacas hips as we eased them onto the table. Ease might not be the best word. There was a lot of flailing and kicking. We basically slammed those alpacas on that table and while I practically layed on top of them 3 other people were tying down their legs and head. I thought about how I would be very disturbed if this is how things went right before I went under for surgery in a hospital...

Then 2 people went to work with large scissors and shears, cutting away all the wool from the alpaca. During this time I pressed against the alpacas back and stroked her neck, letting her know that everything was going to be ok! I'm a nice person like that. When the side started to get sheared my job was to grab all the wool coming off, hug it to me and not let any drop on the floor.

My first attempt was an epic fail.

But I got better! Once one side was done we had to flip over the alpaca and do the other side. Did you know that alpacas have really sharp toe nails...those things could slice you right open!

You know how poodles who are pampered look? Well that's what alpacas look like when all their wool has been taken off, really tall poodles. When we finished 2 alpacas I looked down at myself to discover I was now more hairy then the alpacas themselves!

Small Town

I live in a small town, it's an interesting life! Everyone knows everyone elses buisness, many of the men gather for coffee at the same time everyday, you get your mail even when it has no box number on it (or the wrong box number), children bike around town with no parent supervision and no one worries...it's interesting.

It can also be ridiculous.

I recently learned of a bylaw that is present in my town. You have to tie up your wind chimes after 9pm, if you don't you could get fined. That's a real bylaw where I live!

Someone better tell my dad before he gets arrested!

there was a time...

...when I was a child. I know I was. I just can't remember very much of those years...I should work on that maybe.

I've been studying again...

I'm tired. I've been pretty busy latley, which I'm not complaining about at all. Just stating a fact. So right now I am tired. Please forgive me if I write strange (well stranger then usual maybe) things or make funny spelling/grammar mistakes. I promise I'm not a complete moron, just tired.
I've been learning a lot of awesome things latley. It all started at our annual winter youth retreat, which by the way was spectacular! There were 57ish of us all together all stuffed into 3 cabins for the weekend! We played a lot of fun games, ate a lot of good food and learned a lot about God. That was my favourite part. I'm not even sure what it was about the weekend but I just decided that I was going to stop coasting in my learning new things about God and actually do it. When I finished at Millar I finished in a very exhausted way. I was just plain tired of studying and learning. So I kind of just stopped, in a way. I would still learn things but only on a basic level most of the time, I just didn't want to dig deeper. I was intellectually lazy. Not all the time, in every matter mind you, but most of the time. So anyway I decided to get over that and start diving in deep to learn the things of God again. It's been delightful! (Side note: I thought of the word 'delightful' just yesterday and realized that I never use that word but it's so wonderful!)
So anyway, one of the things that I've been learning, studying and putting into practice is praising God outloud. For specific things that He's done in my everyday life. It was scary at first. I mean it's easy to praise the Lord for something He did for me when I'm at my small group Bible study or when I'm hanging out with Silver Birch lifers. But it's a whole different story when it's around my coworkers or my family or my unsaved friends. I didn't even realize how differently I might word things when around different people. But in the Bible we read of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem just days before He was crucified. It says that the crowds (which by the way were His disciples, not the crowds of Jerusalem) were shouting praises to Jesus, praising Him for the things they had seen Him do. So all these followers of Jesus are walking alongside Him as He rides into the city on a donkey and their yelling out things like, "Praise you Jesus for healing that blind man!" or "Oh Jesus, you are so wonderful! You fed 5000 men with only a small amount of food! " or "Jesus you are so great! You raised Lazerus from the dead, I saw it with my own eyes! he was dead but you brought him to life again! " So their saying all these things loudly and the thing is, this is dangerous for them. The people of Jerusalem are not happy to see Jesus coming, just days later Jesus has been crucified, tension fills the air and the disciples could get killed for being associated with Jesus. But right then, in that moment with Jesus rideing on a donkey colt they don't care! They just want to shout out the good things He has done!
What an example for me to follow. I can't really remember the last time I yelled for anyone to hear about something I saw God do that was wonderful and miraculous.

sketchy buisness? naaah, just youth ministry.

Picture this if you will...

A dark church, and when I say dark I mean pitch black. The kind of pitch black where no matter how long you are in the dark your eyes never adjust. You simply can't see. In this pitch black church are 10 teenagers and 3 youth leaders. Sardines is the game, not being the last one to find the hiding spot is the aim! In order to have any idea of where you are heading you need to feel with your hands, or your head, whichever you prefer to smack a wall or chair with. Suddenly in the corner of the sanctuary you sense people there, trying to stay quiet and undiscovered. So you crawl under the piano to hide with them. It's dark, it's squishy and it's quite warm from all the body heat! After more and more people climb under the piano you start to think, "Is anyone even still looking" but just in case someone is you all remain silent and cuddled together under the piano. Finally someone realizes that indeed everyone is under the piano. 13 people in all. Everyone laughs at how long they all stayed crammed together in such a small space as they untangle themselves from the pile and prepare to play another round.

I would say games in the dark for youth group was a success!