It's been awhile...

One of the first things the Bare Naked Ladies said to the crowd. ...They hadn't been to Lethbridge since long before I lived here. Their concert was quite cool. They were really funny and had excellent stage presence. They also had a well picked set list. The only songs I didn't hear that i wanted to were 'tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel' and i wouldn't have minded to hear 'be my Yoko Ono' also... No pictures are available as i did not risk trying to smuggle my camera into the show. The security guards seemed more concerned with weapons so i might have gotten away with it. I did see someone with (I think) the same camera I own and I also saw someone with a SLR camera lens and all I'm not totally sure how they managed to smuggle that one in...
The only thing I didn't like about the concert was the fact that it was almost all for lack of a better word stock performance...they had done it several times and would be doing it more times. Same jokes and set and dances etc. on stage. although they were funny i didn't enjoy that aspect of the show...They did have several times were unique to Lethbridge jokes about 'LETHbridge over troubled water' and 'stairway to Lethbridge' so that made it very funny. I'm sure every one who went to the concert looked at our flag to see if what the BNL people said. (a cross between the American flag and Sudoku) see the link to the flag here and here.
The title for this post is also appropriate because I haven't posted in a week. Usually I'm more consistent than this. I apologize and penalize my self 1 point.
This past week has been busy. Today has been my first 'day of rest' since before i went to Bethany. I have spent the day sleeping and watching 24. I haven't left the house all day but i did look out side and see snow every where and determined there was no need. Tomorrow I'm going to get somethings done ...pick up my pay stubs buy a subway sand which or two, check my work schedules that kind of thing also i will probably finish day four....
the story of this week in only a few paragraphs...this particular post will be long i apologize and feel for those of you who have limited attention-hey look trees...
I was exhausted when i came home from Bethany and went to bed fairly quickly after returning. I worked the next day (Mon. a week ago today) and was prepared to take Tuesday to rest. During my shift however i took a call from a coworker asking me to take his shift the next day. I agreed. Wednesday I was on the schedule at both my jobs and Thursday I was working the closing shift at L.D. I went climbing as usual on Thursday morning and then closed up the store. At some point on Tuesday i apparently was asked if i could come in 11-4 on Friday apparently i said yes. I had the day booked off so i could go to BNL. The 11-4 shift would not interfere thankfully. I have no memory of being asked or saying yes. I do forget lots of things but usually not something that important...................................................................
what was I talking about?.......................... O yes forgetting things...
Saturday i did not work but i prepared my sermon for preaching Sunday (yesterday) and that isn't as restful as i would like it to be. I had been putting it off/working on it in small doses all week and need to finish. Sunday was a rather exhausting day. Preaching takes a lot out of me. Plus in order to be their on time i left my house at just after six. I had been awake wishing i could sleep since three. The two services I preached at were good. My sermons went well. More on that later.
Driving home i was almost asleep at the wheel and collapsed in my bed for an hour immediately after arriving home. After that I went climbing again and then to an evening service where i listened to my friend Alex preach from James. He talked mostly about spiritual maturity and being refined by fire which isn't the most painless of processes. When Gold is purified it has to be heated about to a temperature much hotter than I would ever want to experience.
lessons from God have been on a theme as of late and it was somewhat of a climax on Sunday night. God has been refining me and continuing the good work He started in me. Through several circumstances and sermons etc. I've been learning I need to be careful not to love the world or the things in it. Its easy to do when I'm surrounded by expensive things and do nothing but make money. Money is not wrong but the love of it is not just evil but the root of all evil. It has been confirmed to me that I am were I am supposed to be- making money to get out of debt but i could easily fall into the trap of pursuing the things of this world. I need to put my trust in God because when trails come He and He alone will remain faithful. I should be pursuing Jesus and He will provide...one song impacted me when I was at Bethany The lyrics of the chorus were 'take this world but give me Jesus.' I hope to continue to be in a place where I continually rely on Jesus. When times are bad and when times are good. Which they are. I have been told that I'm happier and whenever I am asked how I'm doing i respond with 'Good, really good'. I have been emailing a friend of mine and mentioned how my life is going and how its different from life in the bubble. She told me about a conversation she had that centered around how sometimes Christians don't act like Christians because there is no need when there in the bubble and are surrounded by other Christians. I know that I did this...sometimes its possible to think one doesn't need to rely on Christ or have a relationship because they are at Bible school or Bible camp. I need to have a relationship with Christ if I am to make it through these days even though times are good. I think that is why God brought me out of the bubble so i can have another shot at being a witness and living a christian life not surrounded by other Christians. (Not that I'm doing it alone or anything I'm involved in a Bible study and go to church) but now I'm in a place where people don't have a relationship with God (in the same way that Christians do). I'm praying that God will continually remind me to rely on him and that i will throughout the good times and the bad...I don't want to pursue the the things of this world I want Jesus...'take this world but give me Jesus'
I'm sorry that this post was so long in coming and so long to read at the same time...I hope my thoughts make sense any ways back to my day of rest...