Youth Alert

Wow! It's been a month since I've blogged and Kristy has really ballooned! I haven't visited Kristy for probably three weeks and what a difference. Anyways.... The last month has been very busy for me; work has supplied me with a steady supply of O/T, and on the days that I'm not working I haven't had any difficulty finding ways to fill the time.

Probably the most exciting time of the past month was taking some of the older youth from the youth group to a conference called Youth Alert. It is held in Sexsmith, AB, which is about a 2 1/2 hr drive from FSJ. The weekend extended from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon when we made our way back. There were approx. 500 youth from around Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories. It is held at PRBI (Peace River Bible Institute) and the students at PRBI use it as an opportunity to gain the experience of hosting a youth convention and learning discipleship skills. There were lots of fun activities for the youth including sports such as volleyball, basketball, and hockey. My girls got second in volleyball, and the boys got third.

The speaker for the weekend was Sam Rowland, he spoke about "getting real" with God. I was very impressed with his speaking. He was relevant with the youth and connected with them on a real level. The biggest blessing for me came when one of my young ladies went up to re-affirm her relationship with Christ at the last 'rally' or speaking session. I'm finding myself to have more and more of a passion for these young people. I truly love them and desire for them to walk forward in Christ and like Paul says, to move and have their being in Him.

In other exciting news....I'm on my way to Florida on March 19. I'm meeting up with Warren, Kerry and the girls in Orlando. We're going to stay down there for about 10 fun-filled days before I return to the cold north. Hopefully spring will have arrived when I get back. This last 10 days has been awful weather here in FSJ. Snow and wind and more snow and wind. Last weekend I went skiing at Powder King...truly lots of powder. It made skiing difficult and challenging but it was a blast. You didn't have to worry about falling after hitting some big jumps 'cause your landing in 2+ feet of powder snow and there's probably at least 10+ feet of snow before you'd ever hit bottom. It was so bad that I lost my ski after crashing once and was digging around in the snow for about 4 - 5 min before I found it totally buried a couple of feet under the surface. I was thinking that I'd have to pay for the lost rental.

Well...I have to go upstairs and try to put Hayley to bed....i'm over visiting Kristy and Hayley keeps wandering downstairs. I'll keep you updated.

How I Love my 2-4.

There's a certain time during each of my work tours (a tour being the current set of days and nights that I'm working) that I absolutely love and that is my two four or 24 or 2-4. It's the 24 hour break in between my last day shift and my first night shift. You see, today being Tuesday the 17th of January I worked from 6:00 am - 6:00 pm and tomorrow I don't work until 6 pm and work until 6 am Thursday morning.
The reason I so enjoy my 24 hour break is because it is the only day that I can sleep as long as I like without guilt or reservation. In fact the longer I can force myself to sleep the better, and I'm usually so tired by the time my 24 hour break comes because of the early 5 am wake ups for my day shifts (usually complimented by the fact that I am a night owl and am not in bed before 11pm often later if I'm playing hockey) that I can easily sleep for 12 - 15 hours. And I can tell you truthfully that when I wake up tomorrow morning I'll be smiling 'cause I'm simply going to close my eyes and go back to sleep.

Blistery Weather!

Just wanted to let everyone know that we're enjoying some quality winter up here in Fort St. John on January 10/07. The last couple weeks have been on average a balmy -5 Celcius and then last night the north wind picked up to 60+ km/hr and the snow started coming down and the temperature plummeted to -25 celcius with a wind-chill of -40 or -45. I was happily at work in a semi-warm environment although I had to do some shoveling at 6 am in order to get my car out of my parking spot. I hope that everyone who reads this is having a slightly better weather-wise day and we'll talk to you soon.

Summer Pictures

There was lots of excitement on branding day!

I had time to hand out with my nieces!
Warren stole the show with the biggest walleye.
It was nice having all the men in the family together again
A view from the top!
Here my cousin Wendy and I are climbing Battleship Mtn.

Christmas!!

Looks like we had a light dusting of snow last night!

Looks like the presents are going to be hard to come by!

Waiting patiently on Christmas Morning

Back into the land of bloggers!

Hey.... i'm back. And I'll be back again in another six months (well...for you picky ones... maybe a year or more!)

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for being so very forward with me and letting me know that you were still checking out my long-lost blog. And letting me know in no uncertain terms that I wasn't being a very forthcoming blogger and was in peril of being scrubbed from the list of blog-sites visited.

It has been such a long-time since I've updated my blog and let people know what's going on in my little corner of the world. Where does one start? I will keep this little update short here and well I'm not promising miracles, I will try to update this more often. To start with I'll go over my work situation (for those of you who care where I'm working and what I'm doing)
I just got hired full-time by Canfor. (Canadian Forest Products Ltd.) I am currently working in a pulp mill up here in Taylor, BC. That is just 15 minutes away from Fort St. John. I was originally simply running a "clamp" truck, basically a forklift with a diffent front-end attachment, in the warehouse and loading rail-cars with pulp. Since then I've trained up a couple of more positions. I can also work in the laboratory where we conduct top-secret tests on the pulp, or be in charge of the finishing line (that's back in the warehouse, maintaining the current running operations of the automated machines). It is an excellent job, the benefits being the pay, medical benefits, and my work schedule. (I work a five-on five-off shift) The negative is that half of my shifts are night shifts from 6pm - 6am which hampers a lot of weekends and get-together time with friends.

For recreation I'm playing some hockey. This year I'm actually playing forward compared to normally being in net. It's been a big stress reliever and I'm even getting some career numbers. For those of you who are keeping track of my points (which will be nobody but you can start) I had a six-point effort the other night (5 goals and an assist) in a 6-5 victory. Other than hockeyt, I'm going to try to get out skiing or snowboarding a couple of times this year.

Socially...i'm inept.

Mentally...ha! Well let's talk socially. I've been a loner lately...work (still at Canfor) before I was hired full-time was unpredictable as I was on a call-in basis and hired as a casual employee. But being hired full-time I now know my schedule for the whole year and I can decide if I want over-time or not. I will have more time now to say that yes I am available to do something this weekend so my social activity should pick up.
Actually today (being Dec. 24) I called up my cousin Wendy and with some other friends went and met at Timmy's for lunch....and that actually reminds me...we walked into Tim Hortons here in FSJ and I was first up to the counter and said pleasantly, "Hi, can I have a sandwich and a donut please." and the reply came, "Phhh!. I don't think so, we're closing early today!" Oh!! I thought, closing early at 4pm so they can't make a sandwich all day eh? After I asked the lady what I could have and she said a drink, I ordered a hot-chocolate. I was disappointed though. But that didn't ruin the day and after timmy's we went for a skate on an oval track. So it was a good social day for me.

Well, that'll be enough for tonight, it is Christmas eve and all. Mom and dad are practicing some songs for a christmas eve service right as we speak, or as I write. Dad is singing in a men's quartet and mom's playing the piano. I think that I just may go and watch the little production. Which reminds me (and I'm sorry for going on so long here) that we took the youth group carolling on Friday. For those of you who don't know, I help lead a youth group out in a rural area called Cecil Lake. I must say that Friday nights with those kids is the highlight of my whole week and last week carolling was no exception. We had a blast singing the christmas songs and they had a blast singing songs like "She thinks my tractors sexy" and a wide variety of other country songs.

Well, to all of you who will read this blog in the next little while I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I pray that God blesses you in the coming year, that he continues to make his face shine upon you, and that your joy may be in Him and be complete.

Terry

Hmmmm...

I realize that it's almost been two months since my last blog update...for that I apologize.
Life has been steadily passing me by in the last little while. It's been a routine of going to work, playing golf, hanging out with Kimberley and other family members, and once and only once yet, getting on the ice to play some hockey. Work has been steady but enjoyable. I now go to the gym 3 times a week in the AM before work when it's possible (that's if I'm not working the 7am shift). I go with a guy from work, it's free, and fun. I'm no longer the new person at work...we've gone through about 4 or 5 new people. I'm now an experienced worker in the Northern Metalic list of people ( kinda scary) They start to think that I should be able to do everything properly. I went to Camp Sagitawa with Kimberly this last weekend. It was wonderful fun. I had that trailer room sorta thing to myself and the only window in it was facing west so on Sunday AM (I got up properly on Sat.) I missed both breakfast bells and wandered out at 10:30. (I figured it was around 8:30) I got my sleep though.

Other exciting news...I shot my best round of golf (playing 9 holes) which was a 41. And I shot my best round of 18 shooting an 88 (45 on the front and 43 on the back) I got some dandy new books off of Amazon thanks to Jeff S. (oh and a nice CD) I reading through the Narnia series by C.S Lewis (thanks to Kim on my B-day) I'm almost done the fifth book...The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. My little niece Lauryn turned five a couple of days ago (Happy Birthday) she'll be going to school this year. And there's plenty of other stuff, just can't think of it right now. Hopefully I will be much more up-to-date on my next blog, which will hopefully be not to far away.

Oh...one other very exciting and nerve wracking and heart pounding thing happened recently. I was at Kim's company golf tournament and on the practice green of this particular golf club that radio station was having a putting contest. One putt to win a return trip from FSJ to Vancouver via Hawk Air for two. Well...I let some people putt before me to get a read on the green...hoping they didn't sink that putt (only one winner) then it was me. I stepped up to the ball and gave it a solid putting stroke. It went down the exact line i wanted it to....(the putt was about 30 feet or so) It curved gently in towards the hole and then.....dun dun da!! well...not it didn't go in, but do you know the expression that it lipped out. Yeah...that's what happened to me. it did this little wiggle as it started to drop into the side of the hole and then just lipped out around the back side...ohhh!!!! well...maybe this week...I don't think anybody sunk it.

Till later.

Enduring Hope

I just received two e-mails from very close friends. Both are seeking after the will of God in their lives. Both are striving to please God with the way they are living. Both are a bit apprehensive about new doors that have opened up for them. I'm compelled to write and encourage both of them.
Perfect love drives away fear. Why is that? What is it about love that compells us past our fears? What is it about love that is more powerful than fear? I don't pretend to know too much, but when I think about love and fear I see some contrasts. Fear seeks to isolate us. Love needs to be extended to others. Fear immobilizes, while love urges us into action. Fear leads to depression and heartache, while love, although it possibly may hurt, leads to joy and happiness.
My father read out of one of the Gospels this morning. It was the parable about the sheep and the goats. The sheep came before the throne of God and He told them that they had fed Him and clothed Him and visited Him while in prison. They asked, 'When?'. He answered that whenever they had done it to the least of these, my brothers, you have done it unto me. He eventually welcomed them into His Kingdom. The goats on the other hand, He said, did not clothe Him or feed Him or visit Him in prison. They were sent to an eternal punishment. The point of the story was that those who showed love and compassion were considered part of the Kingdom, while those who did not show love or compassions were not.
Both of you, my friends, have opportunities opened up to you to show love and compassion to others. Although the doors are different, the outcome remains the same. Sharing the love of Christ to a hurting and needy world. Let not fear isolate, immobilize or discourage you. Instead walk in a spirit of love, which conquers your fears. Be motivated, mobilized, and joyful with the opportunity you have been given. Remember the reward of faithful actions. A welcoming into the Kingdom of Heaven.
We have been called to an enduring hope. This is not something to be taken lightly. We live in a world that is covered in darkness as dark as the deepest night, and we have the truth that will light it up into day. We have a living hope that is real and relevant. We live not for the now, but for the now-after. Not for the world here, but the world to come. We have hope of being accepted as righteous in the Most Holy's eyes, if we but put down our personal wants and greeds and take hold of the truth that has been shown to us through Jesus Christ. We must fight fear with our love for Christ. Fear is the tool of the enemy, while love is the weapon of Christ. Let's examine our hearts to see how much we love our redeemer.
Be ye transformed by the renewing of the mind so that you may be able to tell what is the good, perfect and acceptable will of God. We need to think eternal guys. This life is but a short moment and the pleasures of this world, although some are meant to be enjoyed, are not to be sought after before we seek after Christ.
Just remember that God is in control of the events that are happening in your life. All things work together for those who love Him. His word shall be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. I am so overjoyed with what God is working in your lives. I pray that he continually pours wisdom and revelation into your lives. I pray that his truths shall become pillars in your minds and souls. I pray that his leading shall be clear and his purpose made firm in your hearts. I pray that his goodness will shine upon you like a beacon of light that all around may see that you are a child of a living God.
We have been called unto something glorious and great. Let us not pass up the goodness of God because we are holding on to tightly to ourselves. Let us put off the old man and don on the new. Let us lay down our pride and be exalted by Him. Let us grasp at the things that are eternal in hope that when we see our maker we will hear him say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and enjoy my peace.'
Enduring but a moment of pain and suffering for the hope we have been given through our Lord and Saviour's sacrifice will be worth the eternal peace and love we will experience as our eternal reward. We have an enduring hope, let us not lose grasp of it. God bless you both!! I love you guys and I know that God is working something great in you.