Pondering the last 30 years!

This is from last year when I went adventuring with God to England.

I should do a collage of pictures to show all of you what a cute child I was, but instead I will offer thoughts of God's grace and mercy on my life. (skip to the end for the really important part, if you don't want to read the whole thing).


Let's start from the very beginning...
0 years May 12th 11pm I am still in my mommy's tummy and it is snowing out. I decide to wait until the 13th, knowing that it will be the perfect mother's day gift (besides the doctor figured mom was faking (having false contractions) and had to warm up the OR since the labor room was already in use.) So at 12:08 a.m. May 13, 1979 I was born into this world. So if it snows tomorrow consider it my 30 year reunion with the storm that brought me, but can't take me out:) Matthew and Tamara rejoiced knowing that I would be the perfect little sister :-p

At age one I did many things such as sleep, eat, pee, and poop yes I was a princess. (I have no idea I was one.) Good times were had by all. When I was 19 months old my second brother Andrew came into this world, but he only stopped to say hello than he went back to Jesus. Sure am looking forward to meeting you Andrew.

When I was two I did some things, let's speculate. I grew up on a farm so I probably ate dirt, Dad would bring home wild bunnies that he found in the field. Did you know that bunnies can scream when they are scared.

Ages 3-5 I continued the trend of being cute. I had these ringlet pigtails that were to die for. My little brother Luke was born. I think when I turned 6 I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I remember it quite distinctly. I was at and AWANA meeting and they asked who wanted to stay. I thought I was going to miss out on snack and games, which was a huge ordeal for me. Actually because of that specific circumstance I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I met Jesus that night. This would send me off on a Journey that I would never forget nor regret.

Ages 6-18 These years were highlighted with struggles such as not being excepted by my peers, who were also my relatives, but also with sweet meetings with Jesus at Glad Tidings Bible Camp(GTBC). GTBC is a dinky little camp with not much to boast for except Jesus, great people, swimming pool and a horse program. They might have more now, but that's what was ther when I was growing up. Glad Tidings is where I would meet with God. I would be convicted that something was missing and that ask him in again. Finally when I was about 12 I quit asking and just believed that he was with me.

Those of you who are ancient like me will remember the song The Champion by Carmen, which is about Jesus victory over Satan. Our camp staff performed this and at the end I ended up having extreme pain in my back. My cousellour asked if she and another staff could pray for me. This was my first encounter with Satan not being pleased with my choosing the kingdom of light. After they prayed the pain was gone. This memory is also very vivid to me. I remember sitting on a wooden chair in the camp kitchen by the phone and them laying hands on me.

Skip ahead, in grade 8 I transfered to Assiniboia from Limerick, best decision ever! In grade 9 I became involved with student council at the encouragement of my principal Robert Demerchant. (If you ever meet anyone by this name and his birthday is May 13 tell him Sherry Palmer says thank you for believing in me.) I started hanging out with the Apostolic church youth group, cause I had made my first friend and her name is Hannah. I know that I had other friends, before this but she was the first person I felt really got me.

At the beginning of my grade 11 year life sucked Hannah moved, a student died, my Grandpa died (I began to find out how messed up people really are), my friend's parents were killed in a car accident and on the day of their funeral I got braces. (The braces stayed with me till the 2nd year at Bethany.) Let us say that this was a low point in my life. For the first time in my life I was really angry at God. In February that year I went to Bethany to Youth Advance this is when I heard with the ears of my heart God tell me that He loved me. I was a mess. This is the year I also started thinking about going to Bethany.

In grade twelve I applied for the nice people awards since I wasn't that strong academically and I got one:)

Okay no more play by play I am starting to bore myself. I went to BBI and learned about having friends, God's grace and in between my 2nd and third year I learned what speaking in tongues was all about. That was interesting to return to BBI the following year not really knowing what it meant and really having no one there who understood what I was learning. I would love to say this is when I began to really dig deep into God's word and find whatever, but it's not. God and I do things a bit differently. I hear him in music and people more than his word, but He has instilled his word in my heart so that I can test what is true and what is not. I met some cool people from a little church called Hope Fellowship, they were Rachel, Grant and Oriol. Rachel and Oriol lived with me in 2002-2003, when Rachel abandoned us for Kevin. Then Roxi moved in and we all moved in with Carrie and Goldie. For the next 4 years we learned what it meant to be family and some of what it meant to communicate. We prayed, laughed and cried many tears in those 4 years.

Now after 7 years of roommates I am living on my own! Very bizarre and exciting. I am much blessed.

Hope Fellowship is where God has planted me for the last 7 years and it amazes me how much like family it is. I definitely have a love/struggle relationship with my church as a whole, but it's great cause that is where I am learning what it means to love unconditionally. Do I succeed at it? Somedays, sometimes not so much.

**** This is what I really wanted to highlight.****

Tomorrow I will be 30. I have a deep desire to marry, but this is not yet my lot in life. Am I bitter? No. Am I apathetic towards marriage? Honestly, somedays. Do I believe in a sovereign lovgin Father, who knows me better than I know myself? DEFINITELY. If I could gove a gift to people on my birthday it would be this. See what you have and rejoice in it, because there is a day coming when you will long for what you had and wished that you had embraced the moments you were given. This is what I have learned in my singleness. Rejoice and be glad about your life, cause really who else will.
p.s. I have really wonderful fantastic friends now, who are literal answers to literal prayers prayed by a girl and her mom when she was 5,6,7,8,9,and 10. Jesus loves you, really.

Blessings up you and those you love. La Heim!

A song that blesses my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bTjDace9nY