This Week

     Last weeks grocery cart when we returned to Lethbridge included the following:

                   Nose Tissues            Lysine tablets                Plain yogurt                Nyquil
                   Dayquil                    Acidophilus                   Bubble bath                cough drops            



     We are recuperating from our colds and cold sores after a busy WONDERFUL week wearing ourselves out in Tennessee visiting our family and our church families.


     We are so glad to be home. 

   

Yes, Lethbridge is home.  

Lots of ice on those rails below the truck door.

     It takes a vacation away sometimes for us to realize where our boots are now planted.

     We left on November 11th with ice caked on the truck after following the snow plows to the hotel in Calgary.

     We used the 4-wheel drive on the truck as drove, thankful for the decision to get a truck with that capability.  We purchased our snow tires when we returned and we are now ready for what comes - at least that's what we are saying to ourselves now.  We had a wonderful time with family, but are glad to be back at work where God has placed us.


   On that note - prayers for the week ahead:


      Today is Monday and we spent 3:30 to 5:15 with the kids at Amazing Kids after-school program. It was a long two hours - something was in the air, or in the kids, or something.

     Is was one of those days when you truly acknowledge that we are all sinful from birth - and you wonder how you can reach a child who is hurting. What will it take to have them see that Jesus is their only answer and help for them in their confused lives?

     It was also one of those days that you come home from spending time with kids and just pray that God will work in the lives of the parents of these children.

     It was a day that reminds us why we are here - to share the hope of Jesus. Pray for our energy and the wisdom we need as we love on these children and their families.

    Thank you Lord Jesus for loving on us when we were unlovable.

   

An Evening walk in our Tennessee Neighborhood

Howard enjoys walking down Julian Road regularly.
I joined him last night.

I had no idea that we had an old, small cemetery on our road. Check out those dates - the war of 1812. The stories that the land our house is built on could tell.

Howard was sitting on the tracks waiting for train number two when all of a sudden the gates came down,  and there was no train...eerie.

Our finds for the evening include 3 golf balls, one used glow stick, and a dinosaur.

In a month we will share a walk through our Lethbridge neighborhood. More specifically, we will be prayer walking through our neighborhood as we prepare to Show Them Jesus.

Belated Happy Valentines Day!

When you are on the road traveling it is not always easy to update the blog due to creative juices and internet connections. So here is what I had prepared for last week but didn't get it out there.

A year ago Howard and I bought each other a new house (#8) for Valentines Day.  Here are some photos from a year ago.








 We have done a lot to fix it up!

























Here we are this year:

Since we won't be able to top that, we have a couple of other things planned. One is a road trip!!
 See more information about that on our previous post this week.



The other gift we are giving each other is a trip to the movie theater sometime during our travels. We will be trying to find a theater that will be showing the movie

Old Fashioned

You can see the YouTube trailer for this movie at the following link: Old Fashioned  I don't usually pay full price for a movie that doesn't have to be seen on the big screen (the Hobbit etc. are must sees in a theater), but will do so in order to support my beliefs. 

I encourage you all to go support this movie as a response to the other "big event" movie that is from a book that has taken the female population by storm.  It just saddens my heart to hear about how this book and movie is being celebrated everywhere - I have made it a point to boycott the TODAY show because of their weeklong celebration of the book and movie.

Hope you and yours had a great Valentines Day!

Road Trips!!

Last week we started our week with a road trip...

On the first Sunday in February, we headed up to Maryville, Tennessee to worship with our friends at Smoky Mountain Presbyterian church and were blessed to share with them during Sunday School about our testimony and the work that we are being called to do in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada with the Blackfoot people there. 

Thanks for the great food and fellowship!

...and ended our week with a road trip.

Sandy went up to Covenant College on Saturday morning and had a great time praying for missions and sharing our ministry with the girls in the 4th floor of Carter Hall.

It was a blessing to pray for missions all over the world and to see the next generation of christians who are excited about going into all the world and sharing the good news! 

   Thanks for the invitation Brittany!

This week we head out on Friday the 13th for a new Road Trip. 

We will visit friends and relatives in Jacksonville and share at Ortega PCA church on Sunday, February 15th .

We will then spend the week driving leisurely over to Bradenton/Palmetto with stops in Orlando, Lakeland and Brandon. 

Sandy could see the Skyway bridge from her backyard when she was growing up.

We may "have to go" to the beach when we are there!

If you are available during the week of February 16th to 20th and would like a visit - let us know!! 

 Give us a call!!! Send us an Email!! Text us!!  

(423-435-4120 - sandyjvg@gmail.com)

On Sunday February 22nd we will be sharing at Grace PCA in Lake Suzy, Florida.

We will then head back to Tennessee on either Monday or Tuesday of the next week, hopefully with a couple of other stops as we connect with people during our travels.

We ask for prayers for safe travel and open hearts as we ask for prayer and financial support.

My encouraging scripture for you and for us today is from the book of Ezra.  

The remnant of Israel is returning from captivity to Jerusalem.  Ezra's words of Praise:

Praise be to the Lord, the God of our Fathers, 

who has put it into the king's heart

to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way

and who has extended his good favor to me before the king 

and his advisers and all the king's powerful officials. 

Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and 

gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me. Ezra 7:27-28

God was with Ezra during a great time of change and renewal - God will be with me during a great time of change and renewal.

I Praise the Lord, I Take Courage!

Alone in the pool?

It finally happened. 

 We have been members of the YMCA in Athens, TN and Chattanooga, TN for over a year now.  

  Howard walks the treadmill for 450 to 500 calories and then lifts some weights.




I swim and participate in the Activtrax program they offer
 (it's been fun to learn how to use all those intimidating machines).



  Every other day is swim day and when I arrive a little before 7 am, I usually have to wait for the the really committed Masters Swimming class to finish, and then I can have a lane for laps, although lately I have had to share a lane most days. Not a problem.

  Thirty minutes of laps - freestyle one direction, backstroke on the way back.  Fourteen strokes of freestyle - 18 strokes of backstroke.  It can get monotonous, but I have gotten praying while swimming down to a science.  The time flies by now.

  So today as I was about done with my 30 minutes, I happened to stop for a breather and looked around the pool - I had started my morning with sharing a lane with another person, now there was NO ONE in the whole pool except for me.

It was eerie, just me       -        and the life guard.

My own personal life guard for 5 minutes!!

Cool.

Which got me to thinking while I finished up my laps:

Was I really alone - of course not - the life guard was there.

Hey, I always have a personal life guard.   Jesus!  

I am never alone as I swim through the waters of life.

  What a nice thought to start my day and to think on for the rest of the week. And it will probably come to mind every time I swim.

Such are the musings of a morning spent in the pool.

God is with us as we travel - through life and on the road.

We have returned home to Tennessee after our most recent trip to raise prayer and financial partners.  It was a great time to be in Florida - October is always beautiful.

It is also a great time to be in Chattanooga - the end of fall and looking ahead to winter.

We had good times of fellowship with friends and family while in Florida - who do you recognize

We also had our first bit of car trouble - thankful that only a nail in the tire was the problem.  Even though we had to get a new tire instead of just a patch we were reminded of God's care and provision for us.

This support raising trip was a bit of a challenge for us and as we struggle with the work of asking for partners in our mission and at the same time dealing with living life in a fallen world. I was encouraged and challenged today by a good read that I found on Facebook post by a fellow church choir member.

A pastor from a church in Jacksonville challenged the saying

                   God won’t give you more than you can handle

 Howard and I would like to amend what he wrote. We agree with this pastor when he said the passage was about temptation not troubles.

  “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humankind.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

 But we should amend the popular saying to what is really going on in our minds:

                  God won’t give me anymore than I think I can handle. 

 That changes the dynamics a bit and really makes the statement false. Then I moved on to the verse used by the pastor that really brings it home. Paul was speaking to his fellow Christians:

   For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 2 Cor 1:8,9

  The hard things that I don't think I can handle (afflictions) are the things that God is using to draw me closer to Himself (relying on God not myself).  He doesn't tempt us but He does grow us - with His goal for my life in mind, not what I have in mind. 

  So we will continue to move forward in our work of raising support, living life, and becoming more like His Son - Jesus. 

 All with the work of sharing the gospel in mind and the promise of eternal restoration with Him! 

  The Spring that will come after the long Winter.