Blessings and MORE Blessings?!

The last few weeks have been up and down...some days I felt really sick and tired, ok most days I felt really sick and tired. I was (unknowingly) becoming more and more discouraged with the actions and attitudes of those around me without stopping to take a look at myself. The Lord brought conviction through reading His Word, some circumstances, and a few choice words by a few people to get my attention. I praise the Lord for working in my heart and life!
To start it off, the weekend before we left for our vacation, I got to get out of the house with Erica Roche, who was living with us at the time. We were going to stock up on some groceries for her for the coming week we planned to go on vacation. This little grocery trip was kind of a big deal because I felt almost good enough to leave the house for something besides church or to take Lucy to Mum's house. Yay! Well, we did our shopping and it came time to pay. I really wanted an opportunity to witness and I like starting conversations with cashiers. This cashier was a young man with a thick French accent. I haven't had a conversation in French for 2-3 years so I tested his English. When I asked him if he liked working at the grocery store, he answered, "yes, do you?" I had a decision to make...attempt to communicate the Gospel in French, or not witness.

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."~Mark 16:14 

 So I told him that I only know a little French and that I wanted to ask him a question. He laughed when I said, "Could you tell me...how to get to...Heaven?" This surprised him and I soon found out he had been brought up Muslim. He said Jesus wasn't God, but just a prophet. When I asked him how he knew that...silence. So I asked him if someone had taught him that, maybe at school or his parents. He said that Jesus isn't mentioned in the Old Testament. I looked at him surprisingly. He then said that Jesus is just a man because his mother's name was Mary. I asked if he had read the whole Old Testament. He kinda chuckled and said no. I shook my head knowingly and said, ya. I then referred him back to the fact that he should read the book of John if he really wanted to know how his sins could be forgiven. I had already told him in the beginning part of the conversation about how I asked Jesus to forgive my sins when I was five and how I knew for sure no matter what I did or when I die, that I'm going straight to Heaven to be with Jesus. As we were leaving, he said he wanted me to read the book of John to him and explain it. I told him I'd be back soon to set up a time to meet...and I would bring along my husband. Scott is fluent in French and knows a lot more of the Biblical terms than I do, for sure! I actually forgot what the word "forgive" is in French, so I just said that Jesus made my sins disappear. We've been praying for Mohamed and have tried to see him again at the store, but he wasn't working. 

Then we left for our vacation and I got really, really sick. I couldn't even get up off the couch by Wednesday night. We had planned to go to Cape Breton on Wednesday morning to visit our friends, Chris and Shelly. We ended up returning to Moncton for my aunt's funeral, which was sad. My brother Shawn came though and it was nice to see him and have him home. A huge blessing is that God is working in my brother's life! That's all I can say about that, but I am beyond ecstatic!!

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"~Philippians 1:6 

Then we had the Young Adults from our church over for games and fellowship the day after the funeral. It was a great time of encouraged and good fun! Some other disappointing things happened after that, mostly wrong decisions and attitudes of people who should know better. Again, this was starting to get to me. The fact that I had to miss church for almost two weeks was also beginning to wear on me...first it was on Wednesday in PEI when I was couch ridden, then our poor little Lucy got her first bad cold, and it was Sunday morning! My Mum did come over and help me, since I was feeling nauseous that morning. We actually had a lot of fun. I spent a couple times calling Telecare to make sure the symptoms were normal and that I was doing everything I could to help the little dear. She is getting better, though her nose is still running. I tried to listen to a sermon online that Sunday but the whole first half was all about the church people and I ended up just shutting it off because Lucy kept needing me. So by Sunday night, I was completely bed ridden and my wonderful husband got up a few times through the night with Lucy which made him exhausted.
On Monday night though, Scott took me out on an impromptu date and Erica babysat. We had a really great time alone, being able to share more of our thoughts about what the Lord might have for our future, while we shared some fajitas at McGinnis Landing, yummy! Then we headed to Starbucks so he could buy me a caramel frap. Also very yummy! This cashier seemed like she was a very angry young lady...kind of intimidating. While we waited for our drinks, Scott said he wanted to witness to her and I asked if I could. So I prayed the whole time while I waited in line, 'cause I was even more scared than normal. I handed her a bridge tract and told her I really wanted to give it to her because it tells her how she can know she's going to Heaven when she dies. She stared straight into my eyes with her fiery eyes, with a blank yet intense look. I chuckled and asked if she'd ever thought about that. She said not really, that she wasn't very religious. I replied that I'm not religious either, but I certainly do believe the Bible. I pointed to the tract and said there were verses from the Bible in there and that she really can know. She seemed surprised, then she smiled!! And said thank you. I smiled and thanked her for taking it. I could have said more and, as always, wished that I could have given my testimony, but when there is only enough time to say a few words...the Lord promises that His Word will never return void and will accomplish His purposes. We pray that she will read the verses in that tract.

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it"~Isaiah 55:11 

So then I was encouraged again...another opportunity to witness, time spent alone with my thoughtful and caring husband, and I didn't throw up the yummy fajitas! Scott and I are excited to find out what the Lord has for our future, but we seem to be continually reminded that we need to be whole-heartedly serving the Lord in the here and now. Be faithful where you're at. So we're trying to really re-focus and get busy.

Well, then we had some low numbers at different church things and I decided to tell my husband that it was discouraging me. Normally if I do see the negative of something ministry related, I don't tell my husband. My job is to build him up, support him, and to be an encouragement. This time, I told him though and we had a good chat and he reminded me of Scripture and we encouraged one another by sharing our true thoughts and feelings. 

The thing that confuses me about myself at the moment is the up and down emotionally stuff. Normally, I am a positive thinking kind of girl...normally, I'm happy as a clam with whatever and then have a good cry every few months if needed...not to say that hard and sad things don't happen, but the Lord is my strength and I generally don't let it get me down. That's my perspective on myself anyway. :) Well lately, I'm up and down and it's rough! Maybe this is another one of the life experiences God wants me to have so I can relate and try to help someone else going through this down the road? Just like this being so sick for weeks? And maybe my pregnancy hormones are acting up more than last time?

Anyway, onto one of the most exciting things that has happened in the last few weeks. One of the little boys in my Sunday School class recently had surgery, then it got infected and he had to spend more time in the hospital. This whole time, we prayed God would use this to make him see his need to be saved from his sins. So the past 2-3 weeks, he's been saying he wants to get saved, he's just too shy to ask. So I tell him to come to me anytime and I'll show him from the Bible how he can know. And the plan of salvation is made clear every week by myself, or sometimes I get the kids to tell me...usually it's the little girl who I had the privilege of leading to the Lord last spring. This Sunday, I got the most important message I have ever received. It was delivered by previously mentioned little girl who said, "I'm not allowed to read this, it's for you." The note said, 
"how do you get saved kiristl. Colby" So I went to find him, hiding in the corner with his hood up. I said, "I got your note". He looked at me very concerned, "But I have to go home now?!" I told him that if he can wait, we can talk about it when he comes for evening service. I told his mom that I had a date with her son, he grinned. I showed her the note and she said she'd bring him early. We arrived early for church as usual, and so did they! Scott took care of feeding Lucy, well got it ready and Mrs. Fosmark took over. :) I found Colby hiding under a pew...after a quick discussion, he followed me into a side room where I left the door open and began asking him questions...why he wanted to get saved, if he wanted to wait til next week, what will happen if he doesn't get saved now, how many times does a person need to get saved, how does a person get saved, has he ever prayed before and what for, etc. He had many questions for me like: if I do ask Jesus to come into my heart, will He make it red or white, why does the bridge tract have a black circle on the first page but no green God side, why is it dogs don't go to Heaven, do our bones turn to dust too, why do babies go to Heaven, how old is a person before they understand and have to go to Hell, how can I know for sure that I'm saved, etc. What a responsibility, privilege, and experience! Praise the Lord that He gives wisdom...that reminds me of a verse I read today.

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."~James 1:5-6

So Colby prayed and asked Jesus to forgive his sins and to make his heart white and clean. Afterward, he said he knew he was saved because he did what Romans 9:9 said and God promises to save if you do that. He also was very clear on the fact that God never lies and God never breaks his promises, and that once you're saved, you can never lose your salvation. He has peace with God! He left that room a different little boy...no longer shy, hiding in corners or behind his hood. He almost yelled to anyone who would listen that he had gotten saved!! Praise the Lord! Then he asked him mom later that night at the grocery store,  
"Why am I so happy, Mommy?" She told him it's because Jesus lives in his heart now. I'm excited to see him again tonight at church.

In other news, Lucy is rolling all over the place. Tartan, our cat, lures her from the living room, to the dining room, to the kitchen. The kitchen is where I always retrieve her. I'm thankful she's not truly crawling or walking yet...my hands are full enough as it is! Haha. 

Currently, I am trying to keep my focus on the Lord and not on circumstances or how sickly I feel. I think I'm starting to feel better! The Lord has blessed us and continues to provide for our every need, and even want..including a long,  
flat frying thing you can put on the counter!! My good friends, the Boeses, always made their pancakes on this kind of contraption and a lady from our church, Mona, has given us one! I don't know how she knew we didn't have one or that I wanted one. The Lord is so good! I've been getting pretty frustrated lately because I can't seem to find the right temperature on this stove to make good pancakes.

Praise the Lord for His bountiful blessings!!