The Truth Project Studies

WOW! WOW! WOW! We just finished our first week of The Truth Project study. It was hard to stop and not keep going with all the videos. :-)

We have about 70 people registered in 4 separate classes from now until the end of April. Each of them will be so blessed. God is going to use this project big time in our community and in our churches. It's so exciting to see the various churches that are represented by the people taking these studies. I know that God is already preparing the hearts of some of these people to take this study back to their homes, their communities and their churches to spread His Truths.

This morning, the verse that I started with today was this: "Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight." Psalm 43:3-4 NIV This is the bottom line truth - reality from God's perspective. Do I have this perspective - do you have this perspective? Do we see truth as reality from God's perspective? With all that the world bombards us with today, the enemies lies that keep us captive, what do we see? We are filled with lies everyday in our culture. Oh God, transform us with your truth. The lies keep us captive but the truth - your truth God, is what will set us free. I know how desperately I want to live in freedom and the only place to find that freedom is in God and in His Word, the Holy Bible, which is the source of our truth, the source of God's truth.


I know the enemy has been is fighting real hard for this project not to come to our church and community. The day that we brought it to our church was on a Sunday; we woke up hardly being able to move - our bodies had never been that stiff both at the same time before - both Roger and I were so incredibly sore. Then the dog had peed in his kennel - dogs never pee in their kennel - so we had clean up this kennel and bath the dog before we could leave for church which therefore caused us to be late. We had a potluck lunch that day for the kickoff and the dishwasher wouldn't work - the drain hadn't closed so it had emptied out the whole hot water heater in the church so we couldn't even wash the dishes right away. When we got home late that night, our van runner had been taken off - the demons must have had crowbars for that runner and the mud flap to come off cause there's no way that it would just come off on it's own. Then Roger's trying to fix it and he couldn't fix it alone so I had to climb out of my pj's and go help him in the garage at 11 pm at night. That's when I found out that our furnace wasn't working so we had to call a furnace guy at 11:30 pm at night. We didn't get to bed until 1 am in the morning. Do you think the enemy was throwing all sorts of things at us to get us discouraged and want to give up?? I think so.


So, then we come to the first week of the actual study. Well, I tell ya, something happened every day. :-) I just had to keep smiling because it didn't matter what was thrown at me, I was so looking forward to this study, I wasn't gonna let nothing keep me down - especially the devil. So, Sunday we start the study in the evening, but I can hardly move all day - my back and my legs had never been that sore before - I knew it was an attack. Wouldn't you know that after we started the study and prayed all together as a group, the pain eased up significantly. I had a terrible time finding babysitters for the Friday study with young moms - it was unbelievable. On Wednesday morning, when I was on my way to the study with our church staff, I had stopped to pick up capaccino's for them. I had asked a kind man to open my van door for me and as he was walking back to the store from my van, a truck that was driving onto the parking lot hit him. He wasn't hurt but they were both shaken up. The morning of another study, I was waiting at the church for 20 minutes before the doors got opened up and the TV didn't work so we had to use another one, causing me to become quite frantic that morning as well. Another morning of a study, my daughter forgot her homework and I had to bring it to school - causing me to be late for that study and my dog had been relentless in his troublemaking that first hour to get out of the house. :-) Many people that I had registered, had trouble getting onto the website and were getting quite frustrated. Those are just to name a few of the hindrances and attacks for the first week of the studies. Just the 1st week!!!!! But for those 70 people that had gone through the study this 1st week, they were blessed and they were filled with a hunger and a thirst and a desire for more of God's truth. Thank you God!! The enemy will fight hard, but God has already won! Amen!!


So, one of the biggest questions, that came out of this first study was this: DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS REALLY REAL???? Do you?? Do I? If I really believed that what I believe is really real then I would shake the world around me, would I not?? God help me to shake the world around me with your truths.

If you have gone through the Truth Project or are going through it, please leave comments as to how it has worked on your heart, what God has shown you through it. Feel free to check out their website www.thetruthproject.org and view the trailers. You can view the short one below.

A Flash from the Past

The following is an article written by Jennifer Jacoby-Smith for the Living Light News
www.livinglightnews.org

Photography dream comes into focus for former student

by Jennifer Jacoby-Smith

Many can recall an inspirational teacher from childhood. But few can say they in turn have inspired their teacher.
Six years ago Lisa Braun, her husband Roger and their three children returned to her hometown of Warman, Saskatchewan. While there, Braun picked up a calendar of prairie landscapes and noticed that several of the photographs were credited to Wayne Shiels.
Could this be her favourite teacher from grade six? she wondered. When she discovered Shiels still taught, she went to visit him and shared her own aspirations for photography, a long-time
hobby she was hoping to develop into more.
Shiels was impressed with her work and suggested she enter some of her photographs in a contest. “He really encouraged me,” says Braun. “He got my dream started.”
She received recognition for three of the five photos she entered, and since then her work has appeared in travel brochures and on local websites.
In 2006 Braun was asked by a local printing house to submit photos for a Saskatchewan calendar. This year, two calendars were designed with Braun’s photos, one featuring Scripture verses, a significant element for her.
Since becoming a Christian, Braun’s focus — in life and in photography — has changed. She sees her talent as a tool that God uses to bless others.
“In photography, people often ask me where I learned how to take photos and if I took classes and my answer is always, ‘God gave me a gift and I’m trying to nurture it.’ ” Her personal motto is “Capturing God’s beauty through photography.”
“God is everywhere in nature and I experience Him every time I’m out taking a photograph,” she shares.
Although Braun was raised in a Christian family, she rebelled and left home at age 15. “I made a lot of bad choices,” she admits.
Just before her senior year in high school she attended a Bible camp in northern Saskatchewan, and there she met God in a new way and committed her life to Jesus Christ. “I came to know who God really was. I found out that He was a God of joy. He wanted you to ... enjoy life.”
In her eye for a scenic prairie shot and in the everyday activities of life, Braun doesn’t believe events happen without purpose. “I don’t see anything as coincidence,” she explains. “It’s all God-incidence to me. Nothing is by chance or luck. He knows exactly what’s going to happen each second, each minute, and it’s all under His control.”
When her calendars were a few photos short, Braun’s elementary teacher came to mind and she decided to approach him. What she didn’t realize was how her request would impact Shiels, who had recently accepted Christ as his Saviour. Shiels had always believed in a Divine Creator. However, after enduring serious health problems and depression, he experienced what he calls “a darkness.” He recognized his need for the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and in 2006 he invited Jesus into his heart. “It is by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus that I am here,” he says.
“God gives us many gifts we are to use to glorify His name,” explains Shiels. “Lisa has shown me how photography can do this.”
Braun feels equally blessed. “A teacher who had inspired me, now years later tells me how much I have inspired him,” Braun says. “It blows me away!”
And just as teachers are encouraged when students realize their dreams, so years later Shiels marvels at how his former student’s photos continue to inspire him, and many others as well.
“It’s always been my dream but I never knew how to get started and I didn’t really believe enough in myself that I could do it,” Braun shares. “Well, now I know that I can ... but only with God’s help, never on my own.”
Shiels agrees. “It is rewarding to see Lisa’s passion and confidence grow,” he remarks. “She uses her God-given gift of photography to show God’s creation in ways that clearly speak to people.”



So that's the article. WOW! It continually amazes me how God works and moves around me and in me and through me to accomplish His Plan in and around my life. The following pictures were other fun photos that Wayne's daughter took for me and Wayne - they were fun to do. Great memories and keepsakes. I thank God for my teacher Mr. Wayne Shiels. :-) And for what He has done in Wayne's life and through his life and the impact he has had on so many students and adults. Thank you Wayne, my friend in Christ, I love you. May God bless you richly.

Article in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix for Saturday Dec. 29/07

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Article in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix for Saturday Dec. 29/07

Each day of calendar an inspiration

Darlene Polachic, The StarPhoenix

Published: Saturday, December 29, 2007

If someone had told Lisa Braun when she was 15 that she would one day be back living in her hometown of Warman producing inspirational calendars, she would have laughed in scorn.

"My life was pretty messed up back then and I couldn't get away from Warman fast enough. I said I would never come back. But, never say never. God has a sense of humour."

Six years ago, Braun and her husband Roger and their children moved back to Warman, where Braun cares for her family and passionately pursues her gift for photography.

"It's not something I had training for," she says. "I know it is a gift from God. It isn't that I go out looking for pictures, or that I wait for hours for something to happen. God just seems to put me in the right place at the right time."

One example of that is an amazing photograph of a resting, snow-covered deer. "Roger and I were driving to the lake, when suddenly Roger stopped and said, 'Get out your camera.' I hadn't even noticed it, but there was a deer in the ditch with its back all covered with snow. It lay there the whole time I snapped away."

"Another time, we were going to Emma Lake for our anniversary. It was a beautiful fall day, and we were listening to praise and worship music as we drove, feeling like we were travelling with the angels. I said, 'It would be so cool, God, to see a bear right now.' We turned a corner and there was a black bear in the ditch eating berries."

Braun has loved photography since she was a child, but it was only when her youngest daughter started kindergarten that she began working at it seriously. A photographer friend who was booked to shoot a wedding and couldn't, asked if Lisa was interested in doing it. She's been doing wedding photography ever since.

"I don't have a studio," she says. "God's creation is my studio and interestingly enough, I have never yet had a wedding session rained out."

Lisa began taking photographs to Page One Printing in Saskatoon to have them made into cards which she offered for sale on the Thickwood Hills Studio Trail, a self-drive tour of artisan locations. "Page One asked if they could use some of my pictures for a Saskatchewan calendar they were producing. They ended up using six in the 2007 calendar which they sold to businesses for $2 a piece. The business could put their name and advertising information on the bottom and hand out the calendars to customers.

"I asked if I could sell the calendars, too. In three days, I sold 3,000 to about 14 businesses. I said, 'God, can it be this easy?'"

That gave Braun the idea to produce calendars of her own. She had Page One make 10,000 copies of a 2008 calendar containing 12 of her own prairie-themed photographs. In no time, she had sold every one. She decided to do a second calendar for 2008, this one an inspirational calendar with Bible verses superimposed on the photographs.

"This," she says, "is my heart. My heart is for God who gave me the gift. I love to capture what God created and bless others with it. I love putting scripture to photos."

It all happens very naturally. "When I'm taking a picture, certain words from a verse will pop into my mind. I'll already know when I'm setting up the photo exactly what verse I will use and where it will go. It is definitely God-inspired."

One such photo is of a red barn taken on a very frosty day. "I gave the duplicate prints to the son of the woman who used to live on the farm when I was a child. He picked one, and said, 'Mom would love to have a verse on it from your Bible.' I wondered if there was a verse in the Bible that mentions frost, so I looked in the concordance. Sure enough, Job 37:10 says: 'By the breath of God, frost is given.' Reading that gave me chills. I could just visualize God breathing on the earth, covering everything with hoar frost. I can never see frost again the same way."

Braun's calendars have become a popular item for fundraising. Churches, clubs, and schools buy them for $2 each (minimum of 100), imprint their own logo on the bottom, and sell them for whatever markup they want. Generally, Braun says, the calendars sell for $10 a piece.

"Osler Mission Chapel is building a new church and bought 500 to sell. Saskatoon Christian School also sells my calendars as a fundraiser."

Braun's 2008 calendars are available from her website: www.photographybylisabraun.blogspot.com or by email: lisaspics@sasktel.net.

Polachic is a freelance writer.

"WOW! I'm not used to this. This lady had given me a call, stating that she had seen my Inspirational calendar and thought it would make a good story. So, she came over and interviewed me. :-) It was fun! She was a wonderful lady and I enjoyed sharing with her. But there was a couple of things in this article that I felt I needed to clarify:

I never ever would have dreamed that someday my photographs would have been in a calendar, let alone my own calendar with my own photographs. I don't know if I would've 'laughed in scorn' as was written in the article but I definitely wouldn't have believed it at that point. I'm just continually amazed at what God has done in my life and around me. God is so good!

Even though I left home at age 15, I did remain in school in Warman until I graduated in 1987. My High School years were much better than my Junior High years although overall my school years weren't the worst. I had lots of friends and great teachers. I had a difficult upbringing but I didn't have any major issues with the town itself.

The Inspirational Calendar was the very first calendar I ever wanted to create because that was my passion. I love putting scripture to photos. About 15,000 calendars had been printed and OVER 10,000 calendars have been sold to date. Three different calendars were printed: Inspirational 2008, Prairie Scenes 2008 - both of these are filled with my photographs - and then a 2008 SK Scenes calendar which is Page One Printing's version with a variety of SK photographers including myself. So with all 3 of these calendars, about 15,000 or more had been printed originally. There are still more available to be sold. Scott's Parable Christian Store in Saskatoon has also been selling the Inspirational Calendar as well and will still have them available in the New Year.

Thanks for reading and God bless you all!
Lisa"

How does one deal with pain??

Yesterday I came on the scene of an accident near my kids school. It had just barely happened. A mother was holding her son's body in the ditch, another body was laying face down in the snow close by, others were still in the crushed van and a white moving type van was farther on in the ditch. It was horrifying. I was shaking and could hardly drive. I was on my way to the school to pick up my own son, who was at a basketball game, which these players were coming to play.

O God, how does one deal with the pain? Did these kids know you? Did the young man who was dead on impact know you? How will his mother deal with this? How will the town of these kids deal with this? How about the member of the team that were waiting for these teammates to come join them for the game? How does one overcome this, the hurt, the pain, the loss, the questions of why, the guilt, the feelings of why not me - why him, why did I cross the highway???? My heart is so torn for the mom. I could hardly breathe as I drove by with my own son sitting in the seat beside me as I watched her cradle her dead son. How fair is that? Why her and not me? I had been running a few minutes late and if I hadn't, I would have seen it happen - I would have been there.

This morning during my devotions I read Psalm 38:4, 6, 7b, 8,15-17, 21, 22
"My guilt overwhelms me--it is a burden too heavy to bear...I am bent over and racked with pain. My days are filled with grief....my health is broken. I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart....For I am waiting for you, O Lord. You must answer me, O Lord my God. I prayed, "Don't let my enemies gloat over me or rejoice at my downfall." I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain...Do not abandon me, Lord. Do not stand at a distance, my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior."
How totally appropriate. Even as I'm typing this, the song playing in the background goes, "You are faithful to me Lord, you are faithful to me Lord..." In spite of the pain and not being able to understand why things happen like this all around us, God continues to be faithful. He is there with His strong right hand, upholding us and comforting us. He wants to hold this woman, he cannot bear to see her go through this alone. This mom's pain is going to be unbearable! The thoughts that must be running through her mind. I can't get her off my mind. I went into a fitful sleep thinking about her and the boys, dreamed of her and woke up thinking about her. My heart is sooooo heavy for her, grieving for her, praying for her, wanting to hug her. The pain that I feel is too great - how much more is hers??? I don't even know who she is and I feel such a loss for her.

My soul cries within me, O God!!! My heart is anguished! How it hurts with such pain at the loss of the son. Father, how your heart hurt when you lost your son Jesus on that cross and you had to turn your back on him so that he could carry the weight of our sins into the depths of hell so that we could be freed and live forever. My chest is tight, tears coarse down my cheeks and my breathing is rapid. I cannot imagine! O the pain of those players waiting at the school when they heard the news that their teammates would not be joining them. O the horrified screams of the vehicle behind them as they drove by the van before them crumpled and their bodies thrown into the ditch. O God, how much can one endure? Who are we without you?? We need you so bad. I do not understand why things happen this way. But do I need to understand or do I just need to trust in you God, in spite of the difficulties around me.

I always find it so amazing how God entertwines people's lives. My friend Nora had called me last night about something that I needed to call my friend Anne about today. Had Nora not called yesterday, I wouldn't have called Anne today. Anne had been called last night by another friend, Linda and was asked to pray for me and for those involved in the accident. It really hit home for Anne. You see, a few years ago when she was 16, she was involved in a single vehicle rollover and she was the driver. The van was full of young girls, including her best friend and her sister. They were all celebrating one of the girls' birthday that day. The best friend and the sister both died that night. Anne knows what this mother last night is going through - what she will remember the rest of her life. Anne has not been able to go through that dark journey without the Lord on her side. There's no way that she was able to make it out of the pit of guilt, despair and unforgiveness if it hadn't been for God's help.

You know, God knew exactly who I needed to talk to today and He had it all perfectly orchestrated. That's what I love about God. He knows exactly who you need in your life, at just the right time and who will say what you need to hear at that time. God is so good! In spite of the hurt and pain that each day can bring, God is faithful and He is good and He is always there to walk us through difficult times. Oh how can we not but journey together with Him rather than trying to go through life on our own. God never meant for any of us to travel alone in our life - He is always sending people through our lives to travel with us, to help carry the load. He wants nothing more than for us to give our pain and our sorrow to Him to bear and to lean on Him for His strength. Without Him we are nothing - without Him we can do nothing. In spite of the pain, in spite of the burdens of our sins, in spite of the many times we mess up, in spite of the hardships that happen around us, God is there, wanting to walk us through, wanting to give it all to Him to bear. Give it to Him today, won't you? In spite of the darkness of pain and sadness looming around us, waiting to engulf us in it's never ending claws, God is there, wanting to shed His glorious, heavenly light into our lives, waiting for us to throw our arms up in weakness abandonment to draw strength from Him and to give it all to Him to bear. As we cry out, "O God, how much more, I can't bear the pain!" He gives us His Hand, He reaches down through the heavens and carries us under His wings. That is the best place to be, in His arms of comfort and forgiveness. Go to Him, dear one, go to Him today.

Friday Morning "Believing God" Bible Study - Fall 2007

Okay, yes I went a little camera happy with this group. :-) I had already viewed the video 2 times so I was more free to run around and take photos. :-) I love the many shots that I was able to capture of our wonderful time together. The photos of the caregivers and the kids are priceless - are they not?? I missed the ladies that couldn't join us this morning - 13 women were missing of the ones that had originally signed up for this study. There were 28 ladies that had registered and bought books.

I sure enjoyed the sharing by a few of the ladies in church on Sunday morning. I know hearts were touched, and seeds were planted and gave a hunger for God's Word and a fellowship like we shared. Thank you to you ladies who shared.

I've posted the writeups from the paragraphs that you wrote up and shared with us in the comment section below. Please be sure to click on it and read them for yourselves. It's such a blessing to see how God has spoken to each one of you.

I thank God for you! I love you all! I live for these studies - they are a HUGE part of my life. God has brought so many women through my life over the past 15 years through Bible studies and I thank Him for each and every one - they have all taught me something. I can't wait for that great big reunion in heaven someday we're we'll all be together for eternity. :-) Amen?? Praise God!

Thursday Evening "Believing God" Bible Study - Fall 2007

This group was a smaller group but God did mighty things in the hearts of these women as well. This was one of the 3 homes that we met in - we rotated between 3 homes cause it was so nice and close to the church. It made it nice and intimate. I know that God has transformed the heart of these women and He's going to continue to work on their hearts - revealing His truths to them and guiding them through their journey in life with Him. God bless each one of them. I love them all dearly too. A couple ladies are missing in this photo - there were 7 of us altogether. Hey, how about that? God's perfect number - #7. :-) I love looking for those little things that point us to Him and remind us that He has a perfect plan for us and nothing is co-incidence or chance - everything is God-incidence - every moment divinely appointed by Him to teach us to grow and have purpose.

Be sure to read how God has worked on their hearts through the study in the comments section of this post.

Thursday Morning "Believing God" Bible Study - Fall 2007

What a wonderful group of ladies we had from around the community - we'll never forget the friendships we've made and the bond that we shared walking and growing through this study together. Here we're getting ready for the study - visiting and getting coffee and a snack to take upstairs. It's forever changed and transformed our hearts and minds.

Having done our timelines, going through our past and showing where 'Rocks of Remembrances' God has shown us. God showed us great and mighty things. I'm so proud of these ladies for taking the time and the effort to complete this very rewarding project! :-)

Holding up our shields of faith after saying our Five Statement Pledge of Faith:

GOD IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS!

GOD CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS HE CAN DO!

I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM!

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST!

GOD'S WORD IS ALIVE AND ACTIVE IN ME!

I'M BELIEVING GOD!

Be sure to read their comments on how this study has impacted their life and what God showed them through it all.

These photos below were taken Nov. 29/07 at our brunch that we had to close things off. Thank you God for great friendships made, godly bonds with other Christian women who love the Lord. Thank you for these times together to laugh and share God's wonderful creatures - women!! We all have so many stories to tell of God's goodness in our lives, don't we??

Thoughts on "Believing God"

Where do I begin to share what the “Believing God” study did for me? Like one of the other women shared, there’s so much to say. After being involved with Women’s Bible studies for over 15 years, there has not been a study that has stretched my faith and given me new insight as this study has. God has completely humbled me in more ways than one. I am so humbled that He has allowed me to have this journey with so many other beautiful women and has allowed me to be used in this way to reach the hearts of women in such a powerful way – such a mighty way through this incredible study – to Him be all the glory. So many times I was brought to a place on my knees that God has never taken me before. Many things that have been engrained in my life, in my mind, have surfaced as such confusion at different points in my life. God has taken those and has given me new insight into the things that I’ve been taught from young up. It hasn’t all been bad. In days gone by, when I’ve looked at my past, my upbringing, I’ve often seen the bad – that is what has come to mind first and I’d have to search in my heart for the good. I’ve prayed for so long that I would be able to look at my past and God would show me the good things first, before the negative that would always seem to come to mind first. God changed that for me. The journey that He took me on to release so many hurts and mixed up concepts from my upbringing – God has done a wonderful thing and has shed light on the difficult challenges from back then. Praise God! Only God can take the bad and turn it into good that He can use to bring Him glory if we let Him.
When I was working through my timeline, which was the most difficult for me, God began showing me areas where He put Rocks of Remembrance for me. “Thus far the Lord has helped me” became such a real and transforming concept for me. It was no longer the pain/bad that was coming to mind, it was how God had put people in my life in a particular circumstance to pray for me and encourage me through the dark and difficult times. The dashes on my timeline became circles for Rocks of Remembrance that God had been there. Instead of seeing the confusion and the pain and hurt, I was seeing ROCKS of where God was present and active in my life – from birth on.
God has never promised that there wouldn’t be pain in our lives, He’s never said in His Word that life would be smooth sailing without any conflict. He promises though that He will be there through every step and He would always provide a way out of the pain and the hurt – and He would provide a way out of the temptation challenges as well – we just need to take that step of that open door rather than going through the door that always seems the easiest.
God is so good. He has taken so many things in our history, in the Bible, in the lives of those gone on before us, so many of the difficult challenges and hardships – and used them to help build character in us and in those who were going through challenges with me personally. He has taken them and has brought good out of each one and has transformed our minds and lives to be used for His glory rather than a life of ‘woe is me.’
God is teaching me that it is those circumstances in our lives and in the lives around us that those are the things that have built the character in us to transform us and for us to reflect the light of Jesus more – if we let it. Do the hardship and difficult periods in my life teach me to be better or bitter? Will I let those circumstances mold me into someone who my Lord can use and reach out to others or will I allow those circumstances to turn me into a bitter person that others see as a stumbling block and one who is just a whining and complaining over ‘woe is me’ and ‘oh, but you don’t know what I’ve had to go through or where I’ve come from.’ Those are big questions that I’ve been working on through this study. Will I believe God or simply believe in Him? Believing in Him is too easy but actually Believing God in everything is the greatest challenge.
One question that God has asked of me daily through the course of this study is – do I BELIEVE Him? Do I believe in the absolute truth of His Word and that He will guide me in the best route for me each day or will I rebell and go against Him and turn to the way that I see fit for myself or that the culture around says I am to take. These have been questions that I have been pondering for a very long time now.
Oh that I would allow God to teach me His ways and His Word – that I might have life and be set free. That I would allow my mind and my heart to be molded by the One who molded me in my mother’s womb. He sees the whole plan – He has seen my life plan since before I was born. I would be so foolish not to Believe Him! I don’t want to be foolish – I want to be wise. But I want to be wise with His wisdom, not the worlds or my own. O that my heart would remain open to His teachings and His leadings for the rest of my days. God, that my eyes would be opened to your truths and that I would be set free from this corrupted world’s way of thinking. That I would be continually willing to be transformed by the renewing of my mind through your Word and not be conformed to this worlds way of living. I want to be a different bird, Father. I want to fly a different flight than one who is continually confused by this worlds ways. I yearn to be wise beyond what my human mind can comprehend because I want my mind to be continually filled with your thoughts and your ways, O God. Take my hand and lead me every step of the way. I don’t care if others think I am weak and dependant. It is when I am weak that You Father are strong. I want my life to be completely dependant on You and Your Word – to guide me, to direct me, to give me wisdom and strength and courage and discernment. O Father that I would not be led astray by anything else around me but that I would be able to keep my heart, mind and soul focussed on You and my eternal destiny in You. No Lord, not that I want to be so heavenly minded that I am no earthly good, but that my mindset would be so trained on Your ways and thoughts that I would be fully equiped to reach out to those around me and to be an example for you that I would shed light upon the loved ones around me and on the challenging circumstances around my life each day. Father that I would be the salt, a flavor that would entice those that follow behind me. That I would walk beside those that are hurting and be their friend. That I would never put myself above and beyond anything that you do not want me to be. That my heart would be so in tune to yours that there would never be any more doubt or confusion about daily circumstances. God with all my heart I want to Believe that You are who You say You are – fully believe that You can do what You say you can do – to know that I am who You say I am and not listen to any of the lies around me – that I would continually know that I can do ALL things through Christ – and that through each day, I know with all my heart that Your Word is Alive and Active in me. O what freeing things those are Lord. I don’t want to be enslaved to the things of this world, but to live in the freedom that you have so freely given. Father I love you, I praise You, I adore You. Use me Lord, in any way that You see fit. I am Your servant.

The Truth Project

Roger and I had attended The Truth Project conference this past weekend in Edmonton, AB at Northe Point Community Church. It was absolutely fantastic! There were over 800 people in attendance - it was sold out. The conference ran Friday night and Saturday all day. We came away so blessed and on fire and very excited to get back home to share it with our church, our community and others around us. It transformed our minds and opened our eyes to the lies that have been fed into our brain for a long time. We thank God for this mighty tool that He's going to use to bring truth to the lost souls in our world. There's so many things that I have struggled with in my heart for so long and this conference brought so much light into those confusing matters of my heart. The issue all along was "What Am I to Believe?? God or the world? Why do I believe what I believe? And how do I know that what I believe is really real and is really what I am to believe?" Those were deep, deep questions. WOW! It was a very full, impacting, thought-provoking 2 days. God was doing a might work in the hearts of everyone there.

The sunrise on Saturday morning was spectacular. With the three crosses standing outside on the church grounds, it was such a truthful reminder that Jesus is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." He is the only way to God, to salvation, to eternal life. Thank you God for providing such a solid way for us to life eternally with you. It isn't anything to question or be confused about. God's message of salvation is so simple and easy but our doubts, and the lies that are fed to us confuse us so much.

WHAT IS TRUTH? was the ultimate question this weekend. What is truth? We have gone so far away from that, we hardly know what absolute truth is anymore. In a Barna Study that this project had done, those statistics showed that only a whopping 9% of Born Again Believers believe in absolute truth! That shocked us greatly! That is so scary!! What is happening to God's people?? Our world has so de-conformed our minds that we don't even know what is absolutely true and what is absolutely false anymore?? Where has the truth gone?? The world/our culture around us has filled us with so many lies, that our minds have conformed to that. The Scriptures tell us that "the truth shall set us free" and that "we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds." So, Focus on the Family have put out an incredible project called The Truth Project http://www.thetruthproject.org - you can check out their website and view their trailers. The also have a blog - http://www.truthprojectblog.com and the speaker, Del Tacket, also has a blog http://www.deltackett.com It's definitely worth it to check those out.

Our last session on Saturday, the speaker, Del Tacket, shared the story of the Good Samaritan from the Bible. Then he asked "Who is our/your neighbor?" Who is our neighbor? It is the lost, the lonely, the outcast, the sick, the poor, the difficult, the dying, the unacceptable... and what are we to do in reaching those lost souls for Christ? Lots of food for thought as we left filled, refreshed and ready to do great work for God. :-) Who is my neighbor Lord? Who do you want me/us to reach out to, to bring hope to, to show the love of God to? Roger & I had lots to talk about as we began our drive home.

So, we're about an hour and a half from Edmonton and we pass a hitchhiker on the side of the road, it's completely dark so he really scared us by standing there on the side of the road with his thumb out. We go whizzing past, but look at each other discussing what that would mean to us and what are we to do. He took us so by surprise out there in the dark. Well, neither of us felt right just driving past him there but we were totally uncomfortable about picking him up too. Thus comes the great dilema. Are we to be a Good Samaritan or not? Who is our neighbor? Well, we've driven a long way already and have not picked him up. It doesn't make us feel good. So, silently I tell the Lord that if we see him again, we'd pick him up, not telling Roger what I had just told the Lord. I mean, come one, really, I thought, what are the chances of that, of passing him again? Maybe that was my little test for God. I don't know.

So, we stop at Lloyd for supper at 8 pm and got back on the road at 9 pm. Sure enough, just outside of Lloyd, there's the same hitchhiker. Okay Lord, here's the big test. Will we pick him up or not? We drive by and discussed again what are we to do? I quietly told Roger what I had told the Lord and his response was, "You did, hey?" :-) We kept driving in silence and Roger finally says, "Kinda feels bad when you don't do something that you said you'd do, hey?" I said, "Yep." So, we continue on, it's raining/snowing out, visibility wasn't the greatest, it's windy, cold and foggy. It was about 20 km later that Roger silently turned the van around and we backtracked back to Lloyd. There was the hitchhiker, waiting on the side of the road. He was a native man wanting to go to Saskatoon to see two of his sons that lived in the area. The older son, he told us, was a working man but lived to get money for the next high. He continually did drugs - his wife had tried to fix him but to no avail and now they both got high together on a continual basis. They have 3 young teenage kids who've too many times their parents being high on drugs or drunk. "Alvin's" other son is also a young teenage and lives with his grandma and is angry that "Alvin" doesn't live with them. "Alvin" tells us that he drank for 25 years and no longer wants that lifestyle. He'd been dry for 4-8 months and even after a friend offered to pay him $100.00 to sit and drink with him, he did not have a drink and chose to run away. "Alvin" had just been in Edmonton to attend a funeral of a young man who shot himself, committed suicide. "Alvin" shared about his family with us - a number of his family members had already passed on, including his parents - some from cancer others from suicide. He has kids across AB and SK - and many of them are on drugs or alcohol or both. He was wanting to spend Christmas with his daughter on a reserve in Northern SK. As we listened to praise and worship music, "Alvin" was thankful for the warmth and the shelter from the wind, the rest - his legs and feet were weary from all the walking he'd done. He was thankful for the food and water we gave him, the visiting and the chance to listen to some Jesus music. :-) He shared how he'd been praying on the side of the road that God would send someone to pick him up for a ride. He had left Edmonton at 12:30 pm and it was now almost 10 pm. "Alvin" told us that he was workin on doin what his mama had been doing when he was young - talkin to Jesus and readin his Bible. He didn't want the booze anymore, he just wanted Jesus.

It brought tears to our eyes. God humbled us, made us really think about things we had learned at the conference. Who is my neighbor?? "ALvin" was my neighbor and God sent him to us for a test of our faith. God showed us many things through "Alvin" and we will be eternally grateful for that experience, we will never forget it.

Oh God, that we would be in tune with your Spirit and allow You to guide our days and each of our steps. That our eyes would be opened to the hurting around us and that we would be quick to reach out to those who you put in our path. Be with "Alvin" and his family Lord, that they would all come to a deep relationship with You God. Deliver them Father from the strong holds of the lies that the alcohol and drug demons have consumed their souls with. Deliver them Lord! Help "Alvin" to be strong and to have courage and to continue to desperately pursue talkin to Jesus and readin his Bible. Thank You God for "Alvin." Give his family and his people all a hunger and a thirst for Your Truth, Your Love, Your fulfillment, Your Power. Nothing else in this world will ever, ever fill us as much as You will Lord. Oh that we would all seek the High of the Most High God, who is the best High and the safest High. Thank you God! Amen.


***Please note: all the photographs in this section taken by Tony Ruffo from Edmonton, AB (avruffo@shaw.ca) who God put in my path to meet with and talk photography :-) and who was kind enough to email these photos so that I could share them with you all. Can you believe it...I had not brought my camera along on that trip. :-) But God is good - he sent me Tony. Thank you Tony.

Heavens Proclaiming the Glory of God

Psalm 19:1-4 "The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or a word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world."

Being one who loves to take pictures, this verse speaks directly to my soul. I love taking photos of the skies and clouds. They are such a magnificant spectacle of the Glory of God!! Saskatchewan is definitely the 'Land of the Living Skies' WHY? Because the heavens declare the glory of God!! God made the world and everything in it and I love it when He paints sunsets and sunrises for me to enjoy and admire in awe of Him.....and of course for me to capture His beauty. :-) He loves blessing His people with His mighty wonders and I love it when He blesses me with beauty like this.

Praise His Mighty Name!

A Servant's Prayer

This morning I was at Ladies Time Out and a lady by the name of Helen (Miller) Klassen was singing for us. She's written some beautiful songs but this one in particular really spoke to my heart. It is called the Servant's Prayer. She wrote it to a missionary couple who works somewhere in the world where they can't be contacted. Very powerful words.

Servant's Prayer

Lord I desire a heart that is true

Free from my selfish motives and pride.

A heart that will humbly and freely serve You,

Draw daily strength as in You I abide.

Make me a servant that's faithful to You.

One who sees others the way that You do.

Your sevant, I want to let you work through me.

Help me be a servant faithful to Thee.

And if this old world should lure me away

Give me a passion to turn back to You.

Remind me dear Lord of the price that You paid.

Just how much You love me, You've already proved.

Make me a servant that's faithful to You.

One who sees others the way that You do.

Your servant, I want to let you work through me.

Help me be a servant faithful to Thee.

In all that I do each day that I live.

I pray through whatever You ask of me.

The love that You give will touch those I serve.

Lord I desire to glorify Thee.

Make me a servant that's faithful to You.

One who sees others the way that You do.

Your servant, I want to let you work through me.

Help me be a servant faithful to Thee.

Listening to that song, I realized that the song wasn't just for missionaries across the world or those that served in places where no one could contact them. It was a song for each one of us here to who are serving the Lord. As Helen sang that song, it was like she was singing from my heart as well. Those words have been my personal prayer many a time - Lord make me a servant that's faithful to You, I want to let You work through me, I want to glorify You Lord in the things that I do and say and I want to humbly and freely serve you without any selfish motives and pride. I daily need to draw strength from You God - I desire a heart that is true and I can only obtain that through You. When I get caught up in all the false hopes this world has to offer, Lord that I would quickly turn back to you and be reminded how much You love me and what You did for me. Thank You God for blessing me with this song today.

A New Movie called Golden Compass starring Nicole Kidman

There's a new movie coming out in December 2007 called Golden Compass and it stars Nicole Kidman. It's made by an athiest who hates the Chronicles of Narnia and has written a series of books and has made a movie completely the opposite - in the end of the movie, the children kill God. They then feel that they will have freedom and can then live as the freely please without any rules. It is coming out geared for kids and teens. Be aware of this movie and what these people are trying to do to to blind our kids and teach them athieism.

J.R. Hall from the Berean Watchman made these comments on it: (quoted with permission)

This movie greatly concerns me.

The very concept of animal familiars, called Daemons (pronounced demon), wreaks of evil. The fact that they are sugar coating some sinister literature is only going to encourage people to read the books, because they loved the movies. Although targeted at perhaps the Catholic Church, the very message of these books is clearly anti-God at the core.

I found this online.

In the first book, the clergy are portrayed as being kidnappers of children, who want to enslave their spirits to serve the Authority, which is God. The whole series is about rebelling against the Church and ultimately killing the Authority, in order to achieve true freedom. There's a subtle message of atheism being glorified and religion being diminished in the book. Philip Pullman is aiming the series at children because he wants to mess up their relationship with God and lead them into the lonely wilderness of atheism and chaos.

This is not a safe, harmless children's story.

I recall this verse:

Luk 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

My concerns with this are just as grave, but slightly different then Harry Potter. Where the Harry Potter books are subtle in the presentation of the occult, this movie is far more direct and obvious. (see the other thread on Harry Potter -- http://www.tribforces.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=23173&view=findpost&p=240567 )

This movie the Golden Compass is very disturbing. The message needs to be sent out to the churches to let them no that this movie should not be promoted by, nor visited by anyone.

The fact that it is written by an atheist and is Anti-God is one thing. The other stuff within the story is far more dangerous than just an opinion on the existance of God.

A few minutes on the movies' website and you will find:

* Familiar Spirits (Daemons)
* Witches
* Wizardry
* Fortune Telling - Divination: The Golden Compass itself is called an Alethiometer, and it in itself is akin to a Ouji board, where you turn some dials, form a question in your mind, click a button, and it will review the answer. Now this doesn't really work online... but the imagery and the concept are definitely occult.

Why does this concern me?

Deu 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination (witchcraft), or an observer of times (fortune teller/horoscopes), or an enchanter, or a witch,

Deu 18:11 Or a charmer(spellcaster), or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer (talks to the dead).

Deu 18:12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

Notice that these things are an Abomination to the Lord. The word abomination is from the Hebrew: תּועבה - tô‛êbah tô‛êbah (to-ay-baw', to-ay-baw') Meaning: properly something disgusting (morally), that is, (as noun) an abhorrence; especially idolatry or (concretely) an idol: - abominable (custom, thing), abomination.

So my question to Christians everywhere who think that this stuff is safe for their kids:

What part of Abomination don't you understand?

In Christ,
J.R.Hall

J.R. Hall, Executive Director
Berean Watchmen Ministries
p.o Box 38007, Preston Crossing
Saskatoon, SK, Canada, S7N 1H2
http://www.bereanwatchmen.com


I myself find it so interesting that if someone is so against God and says He doesn't exist, then why would they make a movie focused on getting God out of the picture and killing Him in the end? Why do they feel that He needs to be killed if they insist that He doesn't exist? Interesting. Deep down, they know He exists. God help us and give us wisdom. Forgive and rescue those who are so blinded by the enemy.

You can check out another link below to read about the movie and what it is going to try to do.

http://snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp

Are we in the End Times??

Our Bible study group is now reading a book by Joel Rosenberg called "Epicenter" and we are also watching the DVD together. WOW! Does it ever put our world into focus. We are nearing the End Times and this book and DVD take us on a journey showing us how the past/present events in our world and in the Middle East are all coming to a climax. I highly encourage everyone to read this book and to read the Bible. We are not to live in fear but we are to be aware of what is happening in our world today. I have not been very good at that - I don't necessarily enjoy watching the news because it is just too depressing. But, I enjoy checking on the websites below on current events and how everything is playing out for the End Times. Check them out for yourself.

http://www.joelrosenberg.com/

http://www.joelrosenberg.blogspot.com/

http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/

1 Timothy 3:1-5 "You should also know this Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that."

Does that sound like our world, like our culture to you? It's kinda scary, actually, when you really think about it. I see stuff like that everyday. Yes, definitely, we are living in the end times and the Day of the Lord is approaching very rapidly like never before.