Friday, December 30, 2011

It was a white Christmas












You're always guaranteed a white Christmas in Thunder Bay!
It never gets old.


Sunday, December 25, 2011

Christmas


Isaiah 9:6

6 For to us a child is born,
   to us a son is given,
   and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
 

          Merry Christmas 2011 everyone! When you look back on this past year I pray that you see God in every thing that has happened. If you belong to Him it's all been for your ultimate good. Now for 2012... I hope you resolve to live fully for the one who bought you with His Son. The one who's birth we celebrate today. He was born so He could die, and that we may live. That is a truth worth celebrating..So Merry Christmas and God bless you! 2012 here we come.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Merry Christmas Charlie Brown


Christmas season is now in full swing. I had such a sweet time in Honduras but now its time to buckle down and get ready for all the festivities! While I was down there my sister played the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special for her grade 4 class. They loved it!

I thought I'd share a clip from the Charlie Brown Christmas special. Its such a classic.
Here Linus explains what Christmas is all about:

Sunday, November 27, 2011

A Honduran-American Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving in Honduras was wonderful. Good friends, good fellowship and gooood food! So much to be thankful for.
Psalm 100:3-4
Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him,; bless his name!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011


Yesterday was my first full day here in Honduras. It was so cool to see my sister teaching and to meet all the kids in her class. Apparently they were very misbehaved  but I thought they were pretty good! They all seemed extremely smart and creative...and hilarious! Laur's got her hands full but it's evident she's the girl for the job.
After school we had a quick nap then headed down the mountain with a few of Lauren's friends to play BINGO! Random right? Apparently her friend Richard used to volunteer for the special olympics and this was a fundraiser for it.

The Hotel it was held at was beautiful and right across the street was a mall with stores like 'zara'
and 'old navy'. A stark contrast from many of the neighbourhoods we had passed on the way there.

Monday, November 21, 2011


It never ceases to amaze me how fast we can travel to places that seem so far away. Currently I'm in Honduras, sitting on my sister's bed. Blogging. It took me a bit longer than usual to get here though because I spent a night in Washington, D.C ...the more stops and lay-overs..the cheaper the flight.
However, in the end I don't think I ended up saving much money.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Beautiful feet

Evangelism is something that has never come easy to me. When I received a church e-mail about an upcoming evangelism session, I knew that it would be good to go. However the thought of it made me nervous. This verse shared in the email encouraged me: Isaiah 52:7 was written in the email:"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Some girls cringe and shake their heads as November arrives and many lads shave their facial hair to make way for a mustache. I, on the other hand, love Movember. Isn't it so funny to see your friends, fathers, brothers etc look so incredibly different (or like they're from a time before 1990)? Suddenly guys who looked their age have a baby face. And guys who had a baby face ...suddenly look scraggly as they attempt to support a good cause. What is this good cause? Raising awareness towards Men's health. Specifically prostate cancer and other cancer's that affect the male gender. Here's a link to my cousin's movember site: http://us.movember.com/mospace/1865354/ Also if you want to know what this Movember business is all about here's another link: http://us.movember.com/about/

Thursday, September 15, 2011

In my last post I tried to emphasize the importance of finding a solid church. Well my pastor recently blogged about some gospel loving, preaching churches in the immediate Toronto area that are worth checking out. Our church is just in its beginning stages as it was just planted in January 2011. Its been interesting being a part of a church as it grows and I've learned a lot about how important each member of the church body is. You really feel that in a small church. You also feel the support and prayer of the surrounding churches in the GTA who have partnered with us. Anyways this link will get you to Julian's blog. He does a good overview of some great churches in the Toronto area... http://julianfreeman.ca/church/great-church-toronto/

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Back to school, back to school...

September 1st again! Sweet summer has once again come and gone and now everyone’s switching gears to go back to school or work. Around our apartment I’m the only one who isn’t going back to school but for some reason I still feel like I am. September always reminds me of how much there is to learn AND it feels like a fresh start…even more so than the new year usually. For many students this is a time of leaving home and experiencing a new type of independence. If you’re going to school, especially in a place like Toronto, you’re probably experiencing an onslaught of new ideas, cultures and philosophies. The temptation to try stuff and experiment is overwhelming! I just want to encourage Christians here for a moment. Find a church. Simple as that. You will have a bazillion of excuses why you can’t be part of the local church at this time but having a body of believers speaking truth to you consistently is what will help you navigate through the ideas that will be thrown at you. It’s when you step away from the church and start trying to “think for yourself” that you‘ll start to feel distanced from God. Don’t over-estimate your own godliness or spiritual strength at this time…we all tend to be weaker than we think and Satan is stronger than we think.
Proverbs 18 :1 “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgement.”
John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
It’s God's goodness and grace to us that we have the church. We’re not alone in a world that contradicts the gospel so seek out fellowship! Encourage others and be encouraged. Sorry if I just stated the obvious in this post..but life is surprising and sometimes we have to go back to the basics.

Saturday, August 6, 2011


So, as it usually goes with our family, change came fast and sudden for my sister and she is now in Honduras. This move came as a complete surprise and answer to prayer - I'm so happy for her! Just when she thought she'd have to give up her dream of teaching children and start peddling the streets, God gave her an amazing job. Plus she gets to learn Spanish. PLUS I get to go visit her.

- Psalm 25 -

Friday, June 10, 2011

look at the birds baby!



My wee sister Lauren is hosting a baby shower. In order to give everyone a good time and to give the mama-to-be a meaningful gift they're going to create this bird mobile. Each person creates their own bird whilst sipping punch and voila! Bird Mobile. Sweet idea eh? I thought so.



http://www.spoolsewing.com/blog/2008/05/16/bird-mobile/

Monday, June 6, 2011

How He Loves

How He Loves : A Song Story from john mark mcmillan on Vimeo.



He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am the tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful you are,
And how great your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way...

Well I thought about You the day Steven died,
And You met me between my breaking.
I know that I still love You, God, despite the agony
...They want to tell me You're cruel,
But if Stephen could sing, he'd say it's not true, cause...

He loves us.


john mark mcmillan

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Summer


I feel like I can safely say this now. Summer is here. I get excited everytime..usually about the same things that characterize this season (Outdoor concerts, barbecues, patio chillin, cottage chillin and chillin by the lake or any body of water for that matter!) and about some new things. It's going to be a great time this summer of 2011.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

I just love surfing. It's a sport that people can do in competition or for the pure joy of it. Why else would so many surfers get up at 5 am to get the best waves before heading to work or school? There's just something about that salty rush of adrenaline. It's beautiful to watch too:

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Gospel Coalition

I just got back from a week of being fed spiritually, and I'm full. I need some time to digest.

The Gospel Coalition was in Chicago this year and its over-all theme was preaching Christ from the Old Testament. For me, this conference offered a break from the old schedule and gave me a chance to evaluate how I'm serving Christ and the church where I'm placed in Toronto. To listen to a diverse group of speakers with unique ministries was great. It was interesting to hear Timothy Keller speak about the need for churches in urban centres and how the majority of the world's population is now in cities. Cities have become huge mission fields.

Then my head had to make the connection between learning heavy theology by D.A Carson, Al Mohler etc.. and how that transfers into urban ministry..or any ministry for that matter! They addressed that in a panel discussion. Thank goodness. Dr.Mohler spoke about the need for seminary training to give pastors both bones or structure for their ministries and also (maybe most importantly) the practical experience within a church. Seminaries that can help head knowledge become heart knowledge have got it right.

I admire a professor like Dr. Carson who has such a desire to examine the Word as God meant for us to know it. Why else should there be a conference like the Gospel Coalition? I know that Carson's intent was not to fill us with empty theology...such a thing does not exist. The study of our awesome, gracious Father should excite us. To see how God played out history in order to display Christ is crazy! Crazy beautiful. It should equip us with a passion for spreading the love of Christ.
So this is what I'm digesting...I need to pray...pray for a connection between what I've learned and how I speak, work, live.


http://thegospelcoalition.org/resources/a/The-Truth-Rediscovering-Humble-Orthodoxy

..you will find me..



My friend posted this video on her blog recently.
"When your soul's weary, when you find doubt, when you can't hear, lay your troubles down... In your dark moments, when your heart's weak, bring yourself low, you will find me" My Lord is faithful... He is true... He wrote the rain, He wrote the sun in...

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Guess what Alicia

My friend Alicia appreciates my random stories from the emergency dept. Soooo she came up with a brilliant plan. A book! A book called, "Guess what Alicia..." and in said book I will compile short stories from the ER. They will all begin with the phrase "Guess what Alicia". I'm blogging about this so that when it gets published all my dedicated followers will have been anticipating its launch and will then rush out to purchase it, making me a millionaire! I told you this plan was brilliant! (*evil laugh)

First story.

April 6th, 2011

Guess what Alicia,
last night at work I had a lovely Asian lady as a patient. While I was checking her blood pressure she suddenly turned to me and asked if I was Chinese. bahahahahahah!
I responded, "this may shock you, but no."
(I'm blonde haired, blued eyed and as white Canadian as they come)
Her family laughed pretty hard. She was sweet. No one in their right mind would ask me if I was of Asian decent..I just hope that when I'm 96 and confused I'll ask funny questions like that.

Monday, March 21, 2011

quality time

















Last time I posted I was gearing up for my 1/2 marathon..well I ran..and did alright. I'm happy with running it in just over 2hrs- next time I'll aim for under 2.
After my sore, beaten body recovered my sister Lauren came for a visit. She is both my best friend and sister... I hate living so far from her so when she comes I try to show her the best time possible hoping she'll eventually move to Toronto.
She flew back to Thunder Bay yesterday. Although there was no talk of her moving she said she had an awesome time.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

run Forest run

Tomorrow I'm running my first 1/2 marathon ever. 21.1km or 13miles... I just went and picked up my kit that includes my race number and a tote full of freebies. The realization that I'm so not prepared hit me especially hard seeing a room full of fit runners. So I faked confidence and pretended I was as excited about the race as everyone else seemed to be. Little do they know I ran like max 3 times in the past 2 weeks, was sick and perforated my ear drum. Hopefully being partially deaf won't hinder my performance! Maybe they won't recognize me straggling at the back of the pack tomorrow..
I may post about the whole experience depending on how I do. Right now I'm just trying to get pumped up for the whole thing.

This guy's my hero. Don't be fooled by his goofy running style! Eric Liddell won gold back in the day for Scotland. Afterwards he went on to be a missionary in China.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

When was the last time you were absolutely astounded, dumbfounded, mesmerized by God?
I think if we were in a constant state of amazement and fear of God we wouldn't be able to move. Shouldn't be able to move. In comparison to a being who is so holy, everything we did or said would shrink us further. Then again, God did not create us as static beings.

The prophet Isaiah was completely ruined at a glance of God. I relate to Isaiah when he cries, "I am a man of unclean lips." (except for the man part)Jesus himself said that its not what goes into a man's mouth that defiles them, its what comes out of it. Isaiah saw his corruption when he saw the holiness of God.
This holy God is also full of grace. This truth is the reason we can move and continue speaking. Like the hot coals which touched Isaiah's lips, Christ's pain took the full punishment for us. True repentance is painful. We must be completely stripped of all the corruption and crap so God can use us to our full potential. That's hope.

In "The Holiness Of God" by R.C Sproul he writes, "Isaiah was shattered into as many pieces as any fallen egg. But God put him together again. God was able to take a shattered man and send him into the ministry. He took a sinful man and made him a prophet. He took a man with a dirty mouth and made him God's spokesman."
That amazes me.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

On Prayer

“The gospel, God’s free gift of grace in Jesus, only works when we realize that we don’t have it all together. The same is true for prayer. The very thing we are allergic to – our helplessness – is what makes prayer work. It works because we are helpless. We can’t do life on our own. Prayer mirrors the gospel. In the gospel, the Father takes us as we are because of Jesus and gives us the gift of salvation. In prayer, the Father receives us because of Jesus and gives us the gift of His help. We look at the inadequacy of our praying and give up, thinking something is wrong with us. God looks at the adequacy of His Son and delights in our sloppy, meandering prayers.” - Paul Miller, A Praying Life

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Quote of the day.

‎"To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love" - A.W.Tozer

I also enjoyed reading this blog post and wanted to share:

http://paracletos.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/132/
Felt like it ties in with the second last post I did. Plus he writes a whole lot better.

Happy February 1st,2011!

Friday, January 28, 2011



Tried out Roosters today. The coffee shop came recommended to me by a very reliable coffee shop-lover friend. I wasn't disappointed! The staff were friendly, good location by the river and it had cozy vintage decor with modern accents. oH! The coffee and baked goods were yummy too. It's always a good sign when the place is packed- something Jill and I had to remind ourselves of when we couldn't find a seat. :)