The Weekend is Here!

"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep water."

- 2 Samuel 22:17

"Within the providence of God, we are allowed to succeed not for selfish reasons but for unselfish purposes. There is no lasting self-esteem produced by personal success unless you are dedicated to helping those around you. The only joy of success is knowing that you've increased your power and capacity to help others," says Dr. Robert Schuller, pastor of the huge Crystal Cathedral in California.

I thought that it was encouraging and a great reminder that no matter how old you are, what religion you are, or how 'successful' you are in society's eyes you can still make a difference. Use your sucesses to bless others, and the world will begin to change as we know it! Have you ever seen that commercial where one person does a random act of kindness for another person, and then a very long chain of acts of kindness are passed from one person to another, to another, etc? I love that commercial, and it's so true; never underestimate the difference that smiles, 'hello's and holding doors open for people can make.

Anyways, for a quick update on how my week has been...

My work week went well - I was kept busy at the office and enjoyed having something that took my mind off school. As for school, that went well too. My classes are so interesting! God is teaching me a lot here, especially through philosophical/theological debates (well, 'discussions' that have touchy subjects). I was just telling Kyle, though, that I can really look back on the past few years and see just how much I've matured and how my thinking has progressed to what my opinions are of things now. It's quite wonderful!

The weather here is nice - comparable to a brisk Ontario spring day. I still hear a lot of, 'Oh man, it's so cooooold out here!' and I think You ain't seen nothin' yet! Hopefully you're all reading this and not numb from head-to-toe up in Canada. Hopefully it warms up for all of us this weekend, eh?

Well, I love you all, and hope you're each having a great day. Stop and take a deep breath, look at the patterns/colours in the sky, smell a flower, pet your dog, give your best friend a hug, tell your loved ones you love 'em...because we never know when our lives will be over, do we?

Snow "Storm"

Today was a very interesting cultural experience that I feel I must share with you (mostly) northern folks. Last night we had a "snow storm", which is our equivalent of about a centimetre of snow that instantaneously melts when it hits pavement. Hmmm. Interesting, I know. Last night there were people having snowball fights (yes, I know, but it actually is possible) and taking pictures, simply having fun in the rare snowfall. I thought it was funny that when I got up this morning the radio announcer relayed the message that all schools in the surrounding counties/area were closed for the day because of the snow. It just goes to show you that we sure are blessed with the abundance of snow in Ontario. :)

Anyways, as I approach the end of a full week of classes, I feel somewhat tired. Maybe it's just that I still need to get back into "the swing of things". My classes are going well so far (well, my business prof is in South America getting his PhD, so we're left with stand-in profs to fill time) and I am being exposed to a lot of new and interesting areas of thought. Psychology is already a very interesting class!!! Last night I went 10-pin bowling with ten girls from my dorm. It was fun, after I got over the fear of getting my fingers stuck in the huge, heavy ball. Hmm...I think I like 5-pin better...

I went to a smaller chapel service today and was really taken aback by the message. It was simple, yet very impactful. Basically, the question for discussion was are we as Christians desensitized to the awe of the Gospel? A good discussion to bring up at the dinner table, I can almost guarantee. You know how if you've seen a commercial on TV sooo many times that when you see it you think, "oh, I remember the first time I saw that, I laughed so hard I cried" and then immediately turn your attention away from it (because you've seen it enough). Is that how we've become with Christ? When we hear about his life story (the fact that he was the Son of God, lived a perfect life, taught, healed, was murdered although he committed no sin, descended into hell for three days until he triumphed over the devil, and then rose) do we think, "man, I've heard this so many times it's kinda getting a little dull" ?

For me, the message challenged me to search into who Jesus really is and was, and how I can constantly be learning from him and about him. Since we will never be able to fully understand all that God is, we can easily spend a lifetime seeking this out. It's just that sometimes it's not as exciting as it once was right? I'll agree with you on that...because just like any other relationship, there are ups and downs (on our end). The difficultly sometimes is sticking with it even through the rough times.

So, I'm going to challenge you, if you have a relationship with Jesus, to stop and think about what Christianity means to you. Does it mean doing everything you can to live sin-free, to the extent that religion takes precedence over relationship? Relationships can get tiring if we don't talk or spend time with the other person. Take a few minutes to reflect on the entirety of Christ, the fact that it isn't just one aspect of Him that makes up Christianity. It wasn't just his teachings, or his death, or solely his resurrection. It was everything about Him.

Stand in awe today of our wonderful Lord and Saviour! He is everything we will ever need! Is there anything greater than someone else giving their life for you so you can be forgiven?

School Has Begun...

So, today is the second day of classes here at Lee University, and I am tired! I know...it seems unimaginable that someone who just had a full month away from school would be tired on her second day back, but it happens. Anyways, my classes seem interesting so far. They are as follows:

Psychology

New Testament Survey

Global Perspectives

Healthy & Effective Lifestyles

Computer-Based Systems

Intro to Business

Photography

I'm excited about learning a lot this semester, especially in my photography class and my Bible class. And, I have a new job as well, which is a change from last semester. I will be working at the CAPS office here on campus (CAPS stands for "Centre for Adult and Professional Studies") as a secretary. It'll be 10 hours per week, which isn't too bad. I'm in the process of trying to cut unnecessary things out of my life so I can enjoy more intimate time with God and really understanding who He's made me to be.

Well, I don't know what else to say, other than that it's insanely WARM here compared to what I had to endure being home in Ontario over Christmas Break! I enjoyed the snow, don't get me wrong, but deep down I'm a tropical climate kind of girl. Hehe. Annnyways, I hope you all have a great day and that you will see an aspect of God today that maybe you've never noticed before.

One last thing... I know I send out my address to everyone, but if you've lost it (or your dog conveniently had a rabies-attack and viciously tore the address out of your hands...leaving only a wet, destroyed piece of paper) just send me a quick email and I'll pass it along to you. cait.kooistra@gmail.com . Ciao!!