A Fixed kinda night

Being back home has allowed me to spend time with my wonderful co-workers again, even though I am not yet working. On one very hot (and humid) Winnipeg night, the 5 of us got together to hang out and enjoy each other's company once again in Mark's backyard. I am extremely lucky to work alongside these awesome people. There is no place like Fixed!

 

 

Mark!

Jill and Jessica - this was actually my first time meeting Jessica, as I had hired her back in January via email. She's a perfect fit for our clinic.

 No party is complete without games.

We are indeed a special bunch!

I wouldn't trade this crew for the world!

T- 4 days

The countdown is on. In 4 short days, I will be having long awaited surgery on my wrist. I'm not looking forward to the surgery part, but I am looking forward to the possibility of being pain-free in my wrist so that I can get back to work and doing what I love. The surgery is scheduled for noon on Thursday, July 28th. It was originally supposed to be at 8am, but I got pushed back a few hours (not a big deal, but I am praying that I don't get pushed back more).

I am on day 4 of no meds for my headaches. Due to the fact that my medication causes my blood to thin, I am not allowed to take anything for a week prior to my surgery. So, I am attempting to lay low and praying like crazy that my head pain does not become out of control. So far I am doing ok. After a run in yesterday afternoon at a wedding with a ceramic lamp shade, I am in more pain today, but I am still functional and surviving. 

The plan after surgery is that I will take 4 weeks, as long as everything goes well, to recover and then I will be back at work for September 1st and hopefully playing volleyball again by October. 

I would appreciate prayers for the next few days as I continue to be medication free and then of course for the surgery on Thursday. 

Enjoyment

With temperatures averaging low to mid thirties this week, this is where Bailey and I found ourselves this afternoon. 

Balancing the enjoyment of the heat and the comforts of air conditioning.

Re-Entry and Life

I've now been back home for almost 3 weeks and I must say, being home is nothing like I expected - not better, not worse, just different. On TREK debrief, leadership told us that we would experience some feelings of hibernation and I thought, yeah, I can see myself doing that, but I have surprised myself with my hibernating attitude. I suppose I have just needed the time and space to myself. I have been attempting to keep my schedule fairly empty - only 1 or 2 major things per day, otherwise I find myself feeling a little anxious. So, I continue to take things slow and that has been good.


I learned a lot being in Portugal, particularly in the area of obedience. Since being home, this lesson of being obedient to who God has called me to be and where he has called me to be continues to be one that I am learning. This year away has transformed my life and my way of thinking in some pretty profound ways and I want to continue to live out those changes here at home. I'm currently in the process of figuring out a new life for myself in some respects, which can be both very exciting and yet daunting. As I encounter challenges in my re-entry process, I am clinging to one of my favorite verses in Hebrews 4:16:

"Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

Regardless of my desire to pull the hibernation card, I have enjoyed being back home. I have been enjoying coffee dates and catching up with friends and family. Starbucks and I have once again become re-acquainted and it has been a beautiful thing! Dominika and I have re-joined the gym again, which has been surprisingly awesome. I forgot how good working out feels. My butt is literally being kicked back into gear and I like it. On the home front, I have made myself busy this last week painting my bedroom, refinishing old furniture and unpacking boxes. There are a few finishing touches that I need to do in my room, but it's been both relaxing and exhilarating transforming this room of mine. I'm already looking for my next projects. Stay tuned for pictures :) 

Wedding Bells

The wedding bells were a ringing yesterday as we celebrated Derek and Courtney's wedding. The morning started off rainy and wet, but by the time we had to leave for the church in the early afternoon, the clouds had cleared and the sun was brightly shining. It ended up being a beautiful day - a tad humid, but nonetheless, beautiful.


The celebrations started Friday afternoon as Dominika, mom and I spent the afternoon at the spa getting our nails done. Total bliss! Tiber River is awesome. Following that we had the rehearsal at the church and then dinner at the awesome Buccacinos.

The wedding party practicing their dance for the reception

There was really no need for Dominika and I to be at the church rehearsal - we were only along for the ride. So, we parked ourselves at the back of the church with a bag of cherry blasters and fuzzy peaches and watched the rehearsal unfold and gave our humble opinion on certain things. Good times.

Wedding day started early with hair appointments and getting dressed. Seeing as the groom and his men took over my parent's house, I vacated and joined Dominika at her place to finish getting ready. A much better choice! By 12:15pm, we were at the church and anxiously awaiting for the ceremony to begin. 

A very relaxed groom

The groom and his sisters.

The ceremony was short and sweet, but also incredibly beautiful. Courtney was simply stunning. As she made her way down the aisle, I believe she took Derek's breath away as he quickly became a little teary eyed. Yup, she was beautiful.

Introducing for the first time...Derek and Courtney Friesen

Lesley, Dominika and myself

Family pictures at King's Park. The weather really could not have been more cooperative.

Father and son

The Grandmas

Siblings

Me and the newest "sistah from anotha mistah"

Me and my sistah!

After a McDonalds snack, some relaxing at home and a little dress mishap (Dominika's, not mine), we headed off to the Hilton to finish off the celebrating. The place was beautifully decorated and the food was delicious. The dancing was pretty great too!

My cousin Dillon and his girlfriend Lesley

Dominika and our cousin Lucas

First dance.

Love.

A wedding party special: the Boot Scootin Boogie line dance

 I crawled into bed in the early morning after a very long but wonderful day. Congratulations Derek and Courtney! I love you both a lot!

Goin' to the chapel...

I got a text this morning at 8am BC time. It was my brother requesting a skype date today. We had a very exciting skype date because he announced that last night, he proposed to Courtney. They are getting married!!!!

I'm so excited for them. I'm kinda sad I have to miss out on this year of showers and planning, but maybe I'll be able to skype in on a few of them.

Derek & Courtney,
I wish you nothing but joy as you plan and prepare for your life together. May God richly bless you.
I love you both very much.

Congratulations Derek & Courtney!!

A New Year

Yesterday was my birthday. I am day one of a new year and this is usually the time where I reflect on the year that has passed and dream about where I want the year ahead to go. The year that has passed has been a good one in many ways. I started my own business with my fellow comrads. I have welcomed 2 'nieces' - India and Shae into the world and I am so blessed that I get to have these little ladies in my life. I have begun this crazy Trek journey. I have grown with God. I have officially welcomed my sistah from anotha mista - Dominika into my family (she has been a part of it forever it seems, but it was made official in June). These were some of the highlights.
There were some lowlites as well. I said goodbye to Graham, Kristy and Norah back in June as they made their move to BC. I hurt my arm in April, which continues to be troublesome to this very day - although taking a break from work has been a good thing. I said goodbye to people I love very much to be on this Trek jouney for 10 months. I have had challenges and struggles that have also prevented me from experiencing more Jesus in my life. Those are just a few things off the top of my head.

So, the year ahead. I have so many hopes for what I want to see happen in my life and in the life of people I love this year. I desire for this to be a life-changing year in so many ways and it has already started off that way. God is changing me - transforming me step by step and so I want to be committed to these changes and to the transformation process. One thing I want to put into practice is making sure that I am starting my day off with God. I want Him to be the first person I have conversation with in the morning. I want to grow so much deeper and live incarnationally. I desire to be a better disciple, friend, sister and daughter. I don't want to remain stagnant, but always feeling challenged to better myself in the eyes of Jesus.
I am going to see and experience life in a very new way this year. I am going to build relationships with people in a new country and I am extremely curious to see how God will move through those interactions and through me. I want to see miracles happen and experience a joy that I have never felt before as I serve Jesus and the people of Portugal.
I want to return home to Winnipeg, completely changed in some ways. A large part of me and my personality will stay the same, but I want different motives for how I act and live. I want to be authentic - truly authentic and that's a hard thing to be vulnerable. I want my values and relationships to reflect that of Christ.

I know I am going to fail at a number of these things, but I want to dream big. I am choosing to be committed to a process this year that is transformational in so many respects. I'm thankful that God's mercies are new each morning and that each day I can start over from the day before. I have a banner for my life and that is the following:

"For in Him I live and move and have my being."

~ Acts 17:28

This is going to be the mission statement for my life this year and I want to be held accountable to it. So, here we go. It's a new year, a new start in some ways and I am excited and slightly anxious to see how God works and moves in and around me.

Stay Tuned...

Come and Follow Me

Once a week, we gather together to study the book of Mark together with Steve Klassen. He's a pretty incredible guy - lots to learn from this man and actually wrote a devotional/study guide through the Gospel of Mark. Not only that, he can also recite most of Mark by memory. I think that's pretty impressive.

The book of Mark is a pretty neat book. There are so many neat themes that run through it, but a big one is being a disciple of Christ and we see this theme start to take shape right from the first chapter.

"Jesus called out to them, "Come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men".

~ Mark 1: 17

There are 3 huge parts to this very short verse that have meant a lot to me.
The first part is "Come and follow me", which is an invitation by Jesus that invites us into relationship with him. We don't have to do anything for Jesus to want to be in relationship with us. He just loves us that much!
The second part is "and I will make you". This is a promise by Jesus that he can change us and transform us. This transformation does not happen by my own doing, but by God's. Thank goodness and what a relief! Jesus wants to take us on and transform us into his likeness. I have been learning this particular lesson a lot this week. It's taken me 6 years to allow transformation to take place, but I have finally surrendered myself and my right to do the transforming. God is working me over big time. He is breaking me and stripping away parts of me that are not from Him so that my personal holiness is more in tune with God's. It's a painful process, but I am thankful that I serve a God who does not give up on me and who is more than ok dealing with my worst parts to transform them into something more holy.
The third part is "fishers of men". This has to do with crossing barriers. Jesus could cross barriers like no one else could and he invites us to do the same. Jesus crossed relational, cultural, social and gender barriers. He was never afraid to speak the truth. Sometimes we are called to do things or say things that go against our cultures, but are necessary to advance God's work - both in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Again, this is not always a comfortable thing, but God never promised that being a disciple of Christ was going to be easy.

The words "Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men" are simple words, but they carry significant implications that I want to make a part of my story. I want my life to be that of striving to be more Christ-like through relationship with Jesus knowing that as I seek the likeness and heart of Christ that I will be transformed, enabling me to cross all sorts of barriers. I want to strive for more personal holiness. May God be gracious and merciful to me.