Unveiling of Truth

Usually I put a picture with my posts, but no picture quite fits with what I want to say today. The Lord has been revealing himself to me at a deeper level than I have ever experienced and the things he is showing me have been changing me, sometimes instantly. Over the past several weeks, I have been letting go of my "self" little by little and a few weeks ago I surrendered completely and experienced a freedom from bondage like never before. It wasn't really a specific moment in time where God completely changed me on the spot, but he has been stirring in me and drawing me to himself throughout this time.
Most of you reading this are probably aware that I had a close friend pass away a couple of weeks ago. There is so much to say about the dependancy on God( if you choose) that comes about in a moment of crisis. I went to Moncton NB for the week after his death to be with close friends and when I returned from Moncton, I was a different person. Death is something that you don't really think about until someone close to you dies. Yeah, everyone knows that " life could be gone in an instant" and " life is so short" and all of those things that sometimes slip so easily off our tongue, but to really think deeply about heaven...and hell....the question of intimacy pervades my mind. What does it really mean to be a "Christian"? Is our ticket to heaven a prayer? Is it disciplining ourselves to the point of selflessness? Or is it what many people are afraid of...could it be that the only way to heaven is a relationship of spirit filled intimacy with the Lord?
These and many other questions have been stirring in my mind and from that last question God began calling me to seek him for an answer. Once I was willing to hear that answer and receive that kind of truth, He said an absolute YES! Intimacy is the key. When we read the commonly read scripture that says " if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord.....and believe in your heart..." I think many people, when reading this, focus on the confession part and pass over where it talks about believing. This is the thing I've learned about beliefs. If you believe a lie, you act according to it. Someone who is anorexic believes the lie that they are not good enough and so they act on that and stay trapped. Someone who has been abused may believe the lie that it was their fault and they will live their life trying to compensate and justify for it, thus staying trapped. So, if we believe a lie we act on that belief. The same is true when it comes to truth. If we really believe that the God of the universe is who He says He is and we stand on the promises of His Word, we will be compelled to live a life of intimacy with Him.
What about the scripture that talks about judgement day when we will be standing before the throne of God and to many who have healed and cast out demons the Lord will say " Depart from me I never knew you"? If it wasn't for this scripture I may be more inclined to believe in eternal security. But how many "Christians" hear this scripture and question their salvation? Can you really be a Christian without being intimate with God? The harsh answer I've come to is...NO! This breaks my heart for the hundreds of so called "Christians" I know that are good people and in many ways live by God's word....but they do not know Him intimately. Having death affect me so closely and so deeply has taken a clamp off my tongue and I can no longer keep the truth in. God has given me a boldness to speak the truth, as He spoke it to me, to his children....my friends, my family, and many others who are so loved. Life really can be done and gone in an instant to anyone, at any age, at any time. When the question of intimacy is brought up, don't brush it off. It is a matter of life and death...eternally.
I know I have babbled a lot, but share your thoughts on anything I've said. It can be a heavy subject and sometimes broad, but I hope we can all agree that the bottom line is intimacy with our Lord. Tell me what you think...

A Song for Matt

Why did it have to end so soon, why did you go away?
Although I know it may take some time, I know I'll see you someday.
And I'll always remember, those times that we shared
So if you're listening from up above, this is my prayer.

You brought so much joy to this world of mine
Whenever I needed, you came
A friend like you is so hard to find
Without you it won't be the same
And though many will try, no one can ever compare
So if you're listening from up above, this is my prayer:

May the mountains rise to meet you
May the skies open wide
Know that in my heart, my friend, You will always be alive

There are so many things that I want you to know,So many words to say
And when He finally calls me home I'll walk with you through those gates
So please remember me, oh I promise I'll see you up there
I hope you're listening from up above, this is my prayer

May the mountains rise to meet you
May the skies open wide
Know that in my heart, my friend, You will always be alive

May the angels fly to greet you
You can see it all from up there
I know you're listening from up above
Cause this is, and will always be my prayer
My prayer
My prayer

~ On July 10th 2006 a tragic accident took the life of a dearly loved servant of God. Matt lived more passionately in his 19 years of life on this earth than many do in the span of 80. Through his life and his death, I have been challenged to pursue a deeper intimacy with my Savior and a new boldness in sharing my faith. Matt will be missed greatly, but he is in a far better place than this world. I know we'll meet again.

A few recent pictures...

Here are a few pictures of prom and graduation that I said I would put up:


<-----Me with mamma and papa bear before prom.


<-----------The "Dave and Laura pose" with our faces smushed together.












<------One of my best friends, Kylan, and myself after graduation. It's weird seeing pictures of myself in a cap and gown! I don't feel old enough to graduate. Time flies.



I know I just blogged yesterday but I feel like I have a few things to say and a few loose ends to tie up. Way back in one of my first blogs I talked about someone I knew that was in labor and I was ddebating whether it was going to be a boy or a girl. It's been several weeks now, but it is a boy and his name is Wyatt Jeffery Smith and he is ADORABLE!
Other news: Candace( Dave's sister) is engaged! Some of you may know Andy, but some of you I know don't. Well I heard from Candace that it was a very special proposal because she wasn't at all expecting it. She thought they were getting engaged around Christmas, but it turns out that Andy wanted to surprise her. The ring is very pretty and Candace is very excited ;) Congrats!
Other news: Two of mine and Dave's best friends Michael and Rebeckah Perry are leaving Bethany Bible College and moving back to Presque Isle. I think I am just as excited about them coming here as they are. The only part that I don't like about all this is that I am going to be leaving for Indiana at the end of the summer, so I won't really be here, but they'll always be here when I come home for breaks and stuff like that. Woo! That's all the exciting news for now....I'll blog again soon :)
Until next time...

4th of July Life Update!

<-----This is me with two of my best buds, Rachel and Kylan. For spring break we went to St. Augustine, Florida and had a blast. This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip :)

Every time I say "time is flying" it seems to go even faster. Senior year, for me, was all it's cracked up to be. Pretty much every day at school was a good time despite it being school. Every weekend, my group of friends does something that involves a lot of eating, laughing, adrenaline, and very little sleep.

Even though I'm usually very tired, the weekdays have been fun too. I don't know how many of you watch LOST, but I must confess, I am addicted. Not my typical type of show, but it is SO gripping. I won't get into it, but I highly recommend it. My friends and I watch a lot of it.

<------This picture was taken the night before prom. My group of friends went out to the sporting club for some fine dining. It was a lot of fun and we watched a beautiful sunset on the water.

My parents(for those of you who may know them) are increasingly busy and excited about the ministry of our church. Both of my parents do quite a bit of counselling, mostly family, pre-marital, and marriage counselling and they love it. God has certainly blessed them both with the gifts to do that kind of work. Also, they are helping lead a group on a short term missions trip to Guatemala in two weeks. They are VERY excited about that. My dad and I have both been to Guatemala at different times and had an amazing time, but this is my mom's first missions trip ever. They are going to be working closely with a church in Guatemala city doing some marriage seminar stuff with the people there. They are so hungry there for that kind of ministry.

This summer I am babysitting in the mornings. Well actually, I am driving kids around to summer programs. I don't mind driving so it's s good job for me. And I like that it is just in the mornings so I can do other things in the afternoon.

It is seeming to work out for me to go to Indiana Wesleyan University in the fall. I was accepted quite a while ago, but my only concern has been the financial aspect of it. I have really felt a peace all along about going there, but it is 23,000 dollars a year. So I just started praying that God would be who He is and make his way clear to me. After many phone calls to IWU's financial aid office, they discovered last week that I was eligible for money that neither of us were really aware of. It turns out that I can get $10,000 in grant money. Needless to say, it's much more likely that IWU will work out for me in the fall. Praise the Lord! I plan on studying psychology. I am not sure what direction I'll go with it when i am done, but counselling has always been close to my heart. So, we'll see.

Anyways, I have to grab some lunch, shower, and get ready for 4th of July!!! Many of you know that I am not American(and do not wish to be....hehe...I love Canada), but who doesn't get excited about fireworks, friends, and lots of good food?

I tried to add more pictures to this post but it wouldn't work for some reason. I'll post a prom picture and a graduation picture soon. Until next time.....