Summer 2009

Dear Friends

It has been a while since I’ve written. Partly I’ve been busy and partly I felt I had nothing to say. It’s not that God has not been doing things in my life. There just was nothing big or dynamic but then when God is involved even the ‘small’ things are big and important.

So for those who have been asking – here it is.

As I’ve already stated there have been no significant changes.

Over the last six months it has been more that God has been renewing, refreshing and expanding and dovetailing everything together.

I’ve finished reading through the Old Testament except for Psalms and Proverbs which I will come back to later. Currently I’ve started reading and studying though the New Testament.

The main highlight was from Isaiah. God really began to speak to me about His love. So basic but nothing could be more powerful. Oh I know about Gods unconditional, agape love. I get it. But what God was reminding me that there is more to His love. He loves me not only as God, Father and as Savoir but He also wants to love me as a friend. It was like it was a fresh revelation. He was making His love more personal; He was touching and melting something deep inside of me...

Then from Jeremiah God was showing me some interesting things concerning sin and the consequences of it but then that is a whole other subject that we’ll leave for now. The bottom line is our best response is to be holy as He is holy. To pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth labours onto the harvest and to go and make disciples of all nations.

Earlier in the summer I felt led to start to volunteer with VON P.A.T.E.R.

I could have passed it off and found reasons not to but felt it were important at this time to step out in faith and do it…

After a three - four week application process I started with them late June.

So who is VON P.A.T.E.R. and what do they do?

VON – Victorian Order of Nurses which is Canada's largest, national, not-for-profit, charitable home and community care organization, which oversees P.A.T.E.R. They are best known for their home health care services were nurses go to peoples homes and help them with their various health issues. The VON however is much more than that and P.A.T.E.R. is a part of it.

P.A.T.E.R. – People Assisting Transporting Elderly Residences.

In other words I help drive primarily seniors to doctor appointments, groceries shopping, banking etc. It could be because they no longer drive and / or can not afford expensive taxis, and / or do not have a family member or friend who can help them at that time. This helps seniors maintain a level of independence so they can stay in their own home during this season in their life.

Books read

‘Father to the Fatherless – The Charles Mulli Story’ by Paul H. Boge

I had the pleasure to meet some of the Mulli family this spring.

A lovely family with a great story...

If you have a chance to read this biography and/ or to catch

The Mully Children’s Family tour this fall (Oct. – Dec.) I think you will be glad you did. The tour is in process of being set up.

To book them or for details as they develop check this web site

http://www.mcfcf.ca/NorthAmericanSafariChoirTourFall09/tabid/185/Default.aspx

or to read more about them see http://www.mullychildrensfamily.org/

Book two

‘Who switched off my brain’ by Dr. Caroline Leaf

We all know scriptures like Romans 12: 1 – 2, Philippians 4: 8 - 9 and 1 Thessalonians 5 : 16 – 18. What Dr. Leaf does in ‘Who switched off my brain’ is to deal with our thought life and how it affects us as she explains in laymen terms the physiologic process that actually happens.

Dr. Leaf then ends up with the best most rounded out detox program I’ve seen.

This link will take you a one page summary of the book if you are interested.

https://www.drleaf.net/osc/thoughtlife.php?osCsid=1d021aac9c8a4955393dac118be19253

Detox summary by Dr. Caroline Leaf from ‘Who switched off my brain?’

1. Control your thoughts.
Negative emotions evolve out of fear. Positive emotions evolve out of faith.

2. Your words – positive words backed up with honesty and integrity

3. Express your emotions appropriately

4. Take responsibility

5. dream analysis

6. Forgiveness

7. Love

8. Touch

9. Play and laugh. A good belly laugh can make cortisol drop by 39%, adrenaline by 70%
and increase the ‘feel good hormone’ endorphin by 29% and growth hormones by 87%

10. Exercise – break a sweat

11. Diet

12. Know God

13. Relax

Conference - Be in Health with Henry Wright.

Interestingly I had just finished reading, ‘Who switched off my brain’ and Henry spent a lot of time talking about our thought life and how it affects us.

He also started off talking about Gods Love. You guessed it. It dovetailed with my reading in Isaiah.

Also ended up meeting some friends there and we were able to go for supper together – it was good. A good time...

God has also been renewing my personal worship times.

It would be hard to pick out just one song that has impacted or spoke to me during this time. Here are the top three with web links to play them.

You Are Worthy of My Praise (David Ruis)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlaPNoI2vqo (3.25 min long) or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEcWkt7rxrg

(6:25 min. long with better graphics - sung by Vineyard)

I will worship (I will worship)
With all of my heart (with all of my heart)
I will praise You (I will praise You)
With all of my strength (all my strength)
I will seek You (I will seek You)
All of my days (all of my days)
And I will follow (I will follow)
All of Your ways (all Your ways)

I will give You all my worship
I will give You all my praise
You alone I long to worship
You alone are worthy of my praise

I will bow down (I will bow down)
Hail You as king (hail You as king)
And I will serve You (I will serve You)
Give You everything (give You everything)
I will lift up (I will lift up)
My eyes to Your throne (my eyes to Your throne)
And I will trust You (I will trust You)
I will trust You alone (trust You alone)

I will give You all my worship
I will give You all my praise
You alone I long to worship
You alone are worthy of my praise

Hillsong - Desert Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WYK6TxWX7s (4:32 min long)

Verse 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger in me
My God is a God who provides

Verse 2:
And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

Chorus:
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon forged against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Verse 3:
And this is my prayer in the battle
And triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

Verse 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be empited again
The seed I've recieved I will sow

As the deer panteth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8PSfmsrQ3c&feature=related (2:49 long)

As the deer panteth

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after you
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship you

You alone are my strength, my shield
To you alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship you

I want you more than gold or silver,
only you can satisfy.
You alone are the real joy giver
and the apple of my eye.

You alone are my strength, my shield
To you alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship you

You're my friend and you are my brother
Even though you are a king
I love you more than any other
So much more than anything

You alone are my strength, my shield
To you alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship you

This is the air I breathe by Hillsongs.

While this song did not make the top three it is a good song and I am going to give it honourable mention.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjkBVn_eUec (6:34 min long)

Until next time

B l e s s I n g s B e y o n d Me a s u r e

Scott Smith