Day 5....

So, as many of you are aware, Shane and I are part of a House of Prayer here in Winnipeg called Sanctuary House of Prayer. We're going to have our first anniversary within the next week and half!

We have been in the process of looking for a permanent location. A local church has been extremely gracious and has allowed us to use their building on Sunday afternoon and evenings for the past year. We'd love to have our own place and be able to expand our hours across the week...with the hopes that over time God would establish a House of Prayer that would be 24/7. A building is the first step in that direction!

So, we have one in the works! If you want to hear more and see a few pictures, head over to our website www.sanctuaryhop.com. Now we're in the process of praying for the funds to come in. We need a specific amount and have a deadline of 45 days. Today is day 5.

If you can help with prayer, jump on board with all of us that are praying over the remaining 40 days. If you have a desire to give a donation towards this building, head over to Sanctuary's website and there are details there. We are trusting that God has lead us this far. What a ride!

Jesus, would you provide the money that is needed for this building! Help us to put our faith in you and not in dollar bills!

Today's the day.....

I've been off work for a day short of 9 weeks and today is my first day going back to work. I'm nervous and a little happy all in one. The nervous side is winning though! I am thinking that somehow I've forgotten everything! Unlikely.

So, please pray for me today if you think of me, and Thursday and Friday too. I'm hoping it goes really well! I've missed babies, moms, coworkers, labor and birth. I hope in my short 4 hours I get a birth today. It's been too long! That would be nice!

Back to the working world outside my living room.....

Thumb gadgets and musical instruments....

I just finished playing 20 minutes of guitar, as ordered by physio today!!!!! That is the most guitar I've played since the middle of February!!! The most in 9 weeks actually!

I've got this fun little thumb gadget that I brought home from physio today to experiment with while playing guitar. See, my thumb is my archenemy lately, as it is a major instigator of my pain on my left hand. And somehow I press on my thumb and bend it awkwardly when I play the guitar. So, we're brainstorming how I can play guitar more without adding to my wrist problem.

This little gadget is kinda like a thimble that covers the top of a thumb. Except that it is this gelly substance that provides some friction to stick to the guitar better. Boy, I'm doing a bad job of explaining this! Anyways, we'll see over a few guitar-playing times if it seems to help!

I'm happy to be on a course to increasing my guitar playing. I'm at 20 minutes as a trial right now.

On the wrist news, I start my back-to-work program this Wednesday! I'm excited to see my coworkers and be in my workplace again, but I'm a little nervous about pain! It would be a lot easier to go back to work if there was a miraculous healing or a significant change in my wrist since February, but unfortunately there hasn't really been. But, on we go!

Becki's Back!!!!

And now we all look smashing!

Becki is my sister's high school friend who has become our family hairdresser, really. She was traveling in New Zealand since October and is finally back! So, she started back at work on Tuesday and between then and today, my mom, my dad, Steph, Shane and I have all gotten haircuts! I think we like our Becki!

We had fun today! Between group haircuts, new colors and a great day with the family celebrating Easter a little late! I remember again and again when we spend the non-winter days out in Mitchell how much I love the country!

Nite!

Ode to my pharmacist....

Our pharmacist is leaving, I am very sad to say,
He was a great guy, and gave us the meds for each new day,

He knew us by name and waved when we passed by,
He walked with us through summer '05 when Shane was relatively high,

Through the changing of meds, the side effects, and trouble,
He groaned with us as the cost became double,

There is something special when someone knows your name,
But now he's gone, oh what a shame!

All the best, Darren!

The power of prayer.....

It is really neat to put on the IHOP webstream which allows me to hear and see the prayer room in Kansas City while I read the news online. I was reading about the tragic shootings at Virgina Tech. As I was reading, the girl that was praying at the mic starting praying specifically for the staff and students at Virgina Tech. That is powerful when someone is praying aloud for the very thing you are reading.

I pray that these horrific events cause the reaction of prayer. It is devastating and awful. It makes me want to pray for our generation all the more. Jesus, save this generation! Encounter them with salvation! Surround those students, families, friends and faculty with your Spirit and your comfort.

New look?

I'm experimenting with a simple, new look. Yvonne made a beautiful layout for me about 3 years ago that I used for a long time. Thanks Yvonne!

Now it was time for a change! So, it is simple, which I like and I'm not very computer-literate, so I just picked one of the templates that blogger has. We'll see how I like it!

Home sweet home! How I love thee!!

Ahhh...sometimes the best part about being away is coming home! I realize I'm more of a homebody than I would have thought. I think I like the idea of traveling more than the actual experience, though it is exciting!

The sister trip Sunday through Tuesday was nice! I only left the hotel once the whole trip, so it was quite relaxing! I got to do what I've been doing the last 7 weeks in the hotel room instead of in my living room. I brought my Bible, journal, some teaching cds and the corresponding notes. So, I studied while Steph was at work!

I always love sister time, especially when it has extra spice with an airplane ride, restaurants, hotels and hot tubs! Lots of fun! Love you Steph! Thanks for bringing me along!

Happy Easter!

This evening Steph and I are leaving on a jet plane for 2 nights in Toronto! I hope it is relaxing, fun and enjoyable! Thank-you to her boss for the opportunity to tag along with Steph to TO! I always enjoy sister time!

Today is a really good day to be thankful! So, Jesus, thanks for:
- salvation, what a gift!
- that God was made human to make our salvation possible!
- that I can have a relationship with the God of the universe! wow!
- that I have a wonderful family and a fabulous husband
- that I have the blessing of two trips now from Steph's work (Puerto Rico last year, Toronto this year!)
- lots of provision and blessing lately
- knowing He's always in control and knows exactly what's going on (thinking about my wrist too)
- that I have a home to live in, food in my fridge, gas in my van and all bills paid each month!
- that we have the honor of living a crazy life of faith and get to spend our time getting to know Him more and praying on behalf of ourselves, others and the city of Winnipeg at large

Thank-You Jesus for all that you've done. Help me to remember each day the things you've done for us! You're a good God that gives good gifts!

Ok.....for the update......

I'm a little encouraged today! We finally have a plan....even though it is a little longer than I anticipated!

I saw the doctor today and we realize that resting my wrist hasn't accomplished a significant change like we had hoped. So, he wants to get my wrist moving again, even with increased pain! He assured me that it is probably going to hurt more! I don't really like the sound of that, as it already hurts at times in every day. But I do like the sound of getting moving again and strengthening these weak forearms and wrists of mine!

So, he told me that he wants me to start doing my dishes again and playing a little guitar again!!!! Yippee!!!! I'm so excited to play a little again! I played one song the other night for the first time in 6 weeks and just sat on the floor crying and realizing more that I really would like to be playing again. God has given me a lot of grace in this time period to watch and encourage others to play without getting the chance to. I'm so glad that there has been grace, as it could have been much harder emotionally! It's not over yet though, and so I pray the grace continues!

Also, I'm really pumped about doing my own dishes! I've felt so bad watching Shane do them alone for the past 3 weeks. I'm generally the washer and he's the dryer. Now he's had to do it alone and that makes me feel bad not to be helping! So, as of tonight, I can do some dishes!

For the plan for the next while, I am to start my strengthening program with physio for the next 2 weeks, without working. Then I will have a meeting with some folks from the hospital to create a back-to-work program. So, it is looking like I will start back at work for 4 hour shifts instead of 12 hour shifts in about 3 weeks. It will probably take about 4 weeks to work up to my regular hours. So, by mid-May I could be back to my usual shifts! Whew! What a process!

But I'm so pleased to have a plan!

Please continue to pray for my wrists/arms as I feel pain a bunch of each day! I still want total and complete healing, without increased pain with movement!

He will complete the good work that He has started in me!

Today I find out more information about my wrist......such as if I'm returning to work or what we're going to do. I see the doc this afternoon.....

The KC trip was great! I didn't blog about it because the other ladies did a fine job of doing that for me! Good, practical information to take home and a really fun bonding time with the girls!

Had a classroom day related to work yesterday. Enjoyed using my brain like that again! The content was a little dry but I enjoyed the learning!

In the process of being off work and awaiting healing for my wrist, I'm learning some things about my heart. Not easy, but good. Maybe I'll talk on that another time.

It's Wednesday which means I have the apartment to myself this morning. So, I must go and make the most of it!