Collegiate Conversation

This is a conversation my roommate Tori and I had with our friend April literally, 2 minutes ago.

april says "guys, don't you ever wish that you could go to a school where they teach really useful, everyday skills?"

me and tori say "sure ape- like what?"

april says "I dont know, like....wilderness survival...or bead work!"

i say "wait april- bead work? really?!"

april says "ya- or like pottery, i would LOVE to make pots. Do you know how great it would be to do a class on vitamins? I would LOVE to know how many calories are in like...say.. a carrot."

tori  says "i learned about transfats the other day. your body can't break it down"

April "ya, like gum it just sits there and no one knows what to do with it. see brock(her brother) and i today were talking about like what we are going to do if this recession makes people go nuts and people try to destroy the world, and like people will just flood into canada. its 3000 dollars to buy a food kit and we're going to move to northern BC and i'm going to fish and plant a garden and Brock will probably just sleep and eat, and he said 'as long as mom comes, we're fine' and i said "mom's not going to want to live in the wilderness'... i don't know if we'll survive the winter though, we'll have a party before we go and get hardcore winter wear. i don't even like to camp normally! i'm not a big camper. i like the cottage but really...i don't even care, we don't even need running water, but i'd really like a bed, a roof and not bugs."

I swear we're smart people. I swear we're actually all university students learning valuable things. But sometimes you just need to have moments i guess right!?

Micah 6:1-8

In church on sunday we started going through the minor prophets. We learned about the famous verse in Micah "what does the Lord require of you...."

First of all- this church is SWEET. Its in a classroom at a college in town and the seats are so comfy and its small (maybe 50ish people) and it feels like every week is a family reunion. We sing beautiful hymns and songs i've never heard and have coffee breaks were we 'go connect'.  I'm talking like i've been going forever but really last week was my 3rd sunday :) 

So Dave gives us background of the passage and whats happening. Its a court scene with God as the prosecutor, Israel as the defense and creation as the jury. The charge is that Israel has grown tired of God and wants to go their own way so  Israel is asking "God, what does it take to make you happy?"

God says "hey people....what have i done to you? how have I burdened YOU? I took you from Egypt, took care of you in the 40 years you were wandering about, sent good men and women to lead you, saved you from people who wanted to destroy you!"

And Israel responds sarcastically , adding to the laws "What do you want God? What do i need to give to come before you? Do you want me to give you burnt offerings? Will thousands of rams please you? Want some 10 thousand rivers of oil? ....(and the kicker...) How about i kill my firstborn for my transgressions?" 

To this God gets a little ticked and says "ok- thats enough- you KNOW what i require of you but here, let me tell you yet again. 3 things guys- act JUSTLY, LOVE mercy and put aside your pride and walk humbly with me." Thats it.

Those 3 things can't be separate though. They are one and to walk humbly with God, we must be doing the other 2 as well.

Mercy without justice is chaos. Justice apart from mercy is cruel. And pride of oneself above God is destructive. We need to be justice DOERS not peace talkers. Acting justly doesn't only apply to situations AFTER the injustice has taken place. We must be actively seeking to help people to spare them from acts of justice- acting justly before any injustice even takes place. 

There were 8 levels of charity according to Jewish law back in the day. (level 8 being worst, 1 being best)

8- giving to the poor unwillingly

7- giving to the poor gladly

6- giving to the poor after being asked to

5- giving to the poor before being asked to 

4- giving to to someone you don't know but the recipient knows you gave it to them

3- giving to someone you know, but the recipient doesn't know you.

2- giving to someone you don't know and the recipient doesn't know you either

1- strengthening someone by giving a loan, making a partnership, finding them a job etc, so that you help raise them out of the poverty they are in and no longer will be in need. 

Interesting stuff. I came home from church and did what i normally do...check the blogs, and i read Katie's blog about Sumini's sister Zuula and i just sat at my desk and cried. At the end of the post she asks her readers one question "are you doing what makes your heart sing? are we living generously and expansively?"

She closes with this verse that sums it up nicely. "Dear dear corinthians, I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn't fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way. I'm speaking as plainly as i can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!" - 2 Cor 6:11-13 (the message)

To live openly and expansively, for Christ, requires us to care for those around us. The ones that are visible and the ones we have to look a little deeper to see. We need to act justly, to love mercy and walk humbly with our God. 

Nana Cameron- You can get to your dear Katies blog by clicking HERE. love you!

It takes 2 to go to war but only 1 to fall in love.

Copeland- You are my sunshine. Chillest album ever. So good. Leigh- I THINK (but i'm not too sure) that you'd like it. 

I don't have a whole lot to say but my sister is apparently desperate for a new post.

- i HATE basil. it was my roommates birthday tonight and SHE made US supper. Nice right? My internal reaction of "EEEEEWWWW!!!"..... not so nice. 

- sometimes i really really want to litter but i think of my best friend bethany and how disappointed she'd be so i don't. 

- i just paused my music (copeland) and heard on the tv... "tours of Toronto's dirtiest bathrooms". thats gross. 

- yesturday there was a really weird freak 20 minute blizzard and i saw this boxer playing with his 2 owners and it made me SO happy to see the dog so happy. and then i thought how WEIRD it was that i felt that way. and then i got excited because as soon as i get married i'm definietly getting a dog and naming it Scout!

- if i had won the giant 52 million lottery this weekend i would do the following.

- give erin and scott whatever they wanted so they could get to uganda ASAP

- get my parents a really nice bungalow so they dont have to walk up and down stairs when they get old

- i'd get highlights for the heck of it! YAY!!!!

- i'd buy a horse and bring it to uganda with me with a beautiful english saddle and 

a western one too for trekking the hills. 

- i'd build a cute clinic and treat sick people in Uganda

- i'd give a ton to Katie because shes out of this world awesome and has the biggest heart possible

- i'd take care of all immediate family and my nana and buppa and nana and grampy 

but i guarantee they'd want me to use it for africa because thats just how cool and awesome and loving they all are!!!

- then i'd get my financial advisor, curtis, to invest it so that i'd make so much off the interest that i would be able to tithe and give away like 99.9% every year and live off of the bare minimum. 

- my friend curtis bet me 250 dollars that i couldn't not eat mcdonalds for 365 days. today is day 53 and i can't wait till 11:59:59 of dec 31, 2009 when i can put my hand out and accept 250 big ones. 

- today was dollar days at No Frills and my most expensive purchase was 4 sweet potatoes. 

- i'm ridiculously exited for the bachelor next week. seriously. i've been waiting 7 weeks now for Deanna to come back and finally she does next week. 

- i randomly messaged a youth from the bridge to go for coffee and she called and said she'd been going through the toughest few weeks ever and really needed to chat. THEN at No Frills i saw a sweet friend and we're going out for coffee this week cause I really need it. I love how God works like that!!!

Family Day in P-Town!

Here are my friends. They are awesome wonderful hilarious people. Left to right is....

Sam, Bea, April, Me, Michael, Brock and Mike!
Preston is added and April is minused in this one. 

If you haven't already.....

you NEED to see Slumdog Millionaire. 

PTL!!!!!

guess what!!!

after 4 days of stressing and worrying about where i'm going to find 250 extra bucks laying around to get a new student card and bus pass.....a good Samaritan left it outside my door!!!

now the only question left in my head is who was this person who left it at my door and if they dont know me...how do they know where i live???

either way, its a def answer to prayer and i'm PUMPED!

All Points Bulletin

I lost my keys that are attached to my student card that open my house and my room.

My student card has my bus pass integrated into it and leave it to me to lose it. To replace it would cost 70 dollars for the student card portion (that i need to write 2 exams, one monday and one wednesday) and the word on the street is that the bus portion is 200 dollars give or take.

I'm losing my mind. So far i've filled out lost item reports at the university security office, the local police station and called every single place i've been to or even in the vicinity of in since friday evening.

I'm praying suuuuuuuuuuper hard! I NEED to find these!

Webale Mukwano's!