2000 - this is the year I turned 42. This was also the year that God began to entrust HIS vision to me - for Women Refreshed at the Well. (for more info, go to www.womenrefreshed.com and read the earliest posts). Joshua graduated from MBCI this year!! The class of 2000. Leah also graduated and was becoming more and more a part of our family.
2001 - my 43th year. I knew God was calling me out of the daycare of which I was the Founder and Exec. Director. He made the time very clear, and I resigned and worked my last day on Dec. 31st, 2001. My friend told me to "fasten my seatbelt cause you are in for a ride" and I did, and have not looked back. It was the right time to leave early childhood education - a 25 year chapter that was closed and not re-read. Sugar-N-Spice Kiddie Haven Inc - daycare - continues to operate. Josh began fire college in Brandon.
2002 - turning 44 - what would this year hold? My church (McIvor MB) called me into ministry. Me ... what a surprise - what a call. It began with an interim position while they searched for someone with seminary. My son graduated from Fire College in June.
2003 - what? now I am 45!! This was the year for celebration. I was still working at McIvor and God made it very clear I needed to apply, so I did. Ashley graduated from MBCI. Josh and Leah got married. This was all in the same week!! It was a wonderful month of celebration. Josh and Leah bought their first house - a very old fixer upper! Ashley went to CMU's OUTTATOWN in fall. I applied for the permanent pastoral position - in obedience to what God was saying to me. The retreat vision continued to perk on the back element! We got remarried this year - in a backyard Hawaiian themed party. About 150 came!! It was our 25th. Our kids put on a great party for us.
2004 - I am now 46. We went on our first mission trip to the Dominican Republic. We got to meet our little sponsored child through World Vision. What a meeting!! I was "ruined for the ordinary" by God during this trip! In May, I was asked to accept a position to ministry as the permanent Pastor of Church Ministry. (ask me sometime about how God gave me the exact number that the vote would be!!)
I will admit that I think God knew I needed that exact number. He gave it to me almost a year before the vote took place, but I had told my family about it. I think I needed that because if truth be told, some of my relatives thought I was doing the wrong thing by accepting a position in leadership, being a woman. I am NOT a rah, rah - go women go - when it comes to women in leadership. HOWEVER I COULD NOT ARGUE WITH GOD. There is way more to this story - but I would love to tell you sometime. This is the year that Ashley came home from OUTTATOWN and then had her jaw surgery. She taught me so much about being courageous during the 6 weeks she was wired completely shut!
2005 - turning 47 - I loved working in pastoral ministry. Absolutely loved it. Alvin and I took the kids to Florida - which is my favorite place. First time Leah was on a family trip with us!! It was great fun. Disney and all. We bought a house on Mulvey so that Ashley and her friends could live in it while she was going to CMU for Music Therapy. In June I ended up in the hospital - and was out of commission for a couple weeks!!
2006 - now I am 48. We went on our second mission trip to the D.R. This time our kids joined us, and my mother's heart was overflowing!! What a wonderful experience. We also got to visit Berlin one more time! Our mission trip was in January and in March I ended back up in emergency with the same thing as 2005. I actually had a near death experience during this time, which I do not take lightly ... God obviously was not done with me yet! I had a complete hysterectomy in May. As I was getting better, my father-in-law was dying. I loved Dad K. He passed away July 1st - entered into his heavenly home as the fireworks were going off in the background! Josh and Leah lived with us in Anola from June to the end of Sept while they built their barn/loft.
2007 - turning 49 - Alvin fell off the second floor while building Josh and Leah's house. He had rotator cuff surgery in November - and we were so thankful for a sister-in-law who could pull some strings and get him into the best surgeon around. It was during the end of this year, that I felt like God was changing things up in my heart - and "gently removing" me perhaps, from ministry. Time would tell.
2008 - turning 50! This was the year for celebration! Alvin and I both turned 50. We did a trip along with a few others, to Thailand to serve alongside of our friends Dave and Louise Sinclair-Peters and Team2000. It was so amazing to be there!! In March we took our kids to Cuba - and it was such an amazing and beautiful time. Michael came with us, and had our permission to propose to Ashley. A wedding was set for September. Our kids threw us a big party to celebrate everything. It was also our 30th anniversary in September. After our anniversary - we celebrated Ashley and Michael's wedding! A great day. One of the greatest joys of that year was we were becoming grandparents for the very first time - and we knew he would be a grandson. However, our hearts were shattered, when Jay was born silently. It is still so painful to think back almost 5 years to that day. How we went from great joy and excitement to the deepest of sorrows. It was a year where I walked the "dark night of the soul" often. However during this deepest sorrow, God spoke to me, and also to Josh and Leah about the ministry - and we knew we needed to get going on it. God is Sovereign - this became my mantra. This Christmas was the hardest one we have ever gone through. We spent the day as our little family.
2009 - I turned 51 in the midst of still trying to "feel" again after Jay's silent birth. We bought land on Henderson Hwy and began to meet with our architect to design the ministry house. I took an unpaid 3 months off. (unfortunately I was hoping for my sabbatical, but it wasn't to be). This year is a painful year to recall, on top of last 6 months of the past year). The time spent in my pastoral ministry was coming to a close, as God made it very clear my time was done. I resigned in June, and worked till Sept. We had a prayer event at the new land - and began to clean and purge stuff in our Anola house, so we could put it up for sale in spring. This fall I went to sit under the tutorage of Dr. Larry Crabb, with NewWay ministries - at School of Spiritual Direction class no. 33 WOW. After I resigned, I spent days walking in our back 40. The most exciting thing was hearing that Leah and Josh were expecting in. Of course our hearts were mixed with excitement and also fear. We welcomed December little Everett John on Dec. 18th - and our Christmas was one of great joy.
2010 - the year I turned 52 was a year of change. We sold our house. Moved into transitional living in the top of the kid's barn. Mom K. got sick, and I spent day after day after day with her - and watched as she got closer to heaven with each day. She passed away in October, just two weeks after coming home from the hospital. I did her service and then we left with our kids and grandson Everett - for Los Cabos, Mexico. It was such a wonderful time away, after a very stressful time. We built our barn, and began the house in October. I started working for Canadian Blood Services as a Donor Services Rep.
This is also the year that we knew we needed to find a new church - one of the hardest decisions we ever made.
2011 - we continued to build. I turned 53. We moved into Mom's condo, as we had not sold it yet. God sold it for us (honestly, ask me ... only God!!) and then we moved into our loft to live while we worked on the house. I loved working at CBS. I made friends whom I love to this day! We found out that Leah and Josh were expecting again. It was a full year of working, and family, and more working!! We started a new care group in our new church and felt such peace at Eastview. We thank God for that.
2012 - 54 years old this year!! We began the year celebrating our grandson Roger's birth! And then we found out in March that Ashley and Michael were expecting too!! Both kids would be born in the same year - just different ends of it. We went away as a family - and it was such a wonderful time!! We went to my favourite place - and rented a 7 room house, complete with pool and hot tub! It was such a great time!! Florida - I think I could live there!! Ash and Michael had their little girl in November and I was able to be in the room with them until Dr called an emergency c-section. This year is the year we formally joined Eastview. We have been so blessed by our friends there, and our new care group. We also thank God for the friends we love and have in our life - so many - and we do not take those relationships for granted. Alvin and I moved into our house !!
2013 ... Joy's saga continues!! I thank God for all he has in store for me. I cling to Jeremiah 29: 11-13
For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord .....
This year began with sorrow, as I was at the bedside of my friend Audrey - who went to be with Jesus in January, and within three weeks, when my niece Keri also went to be with Jesus.
I realize there is such a fine line between joy and sorrow. I also know that God has it all in his hands.
I know God is faithful - no matter what. I also know that our life here - is truly "but a vapour" so we need to be ready.
I don't take life for granted. We do not know what the day holds - no matter how hard we think we have it planned. However we do know who holds the day!! I gave my life to Jesus Christ as a youngster - and I thank Him for growing my faith. I love the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart - and want to be a vessel through which He pours out onto people. I am not religious. I am a woman madly in love with her Lord - and her Saviour. It is about relationship. I am not perfect (ask my family) BUT I know that I am forgiven, covered by grace and washed clean through the blood of Jesus! I also know that Jesus speaks, and I thank Him for the ways He is changing me!! I hope that through my life - others will smell the fragrance of Jesus!! I want to be a woman that can influence the world for Jesus!! I want to be a woman who leaves a legacy of faith for my kids and grandkids. I want to live all out - embracing each day for all it is. My life - It is all about him. ALL ABOUT HIM!! Great is your faithfulness O God my Saviour!! Thank you Jesus.
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