Summer Adventures

The summer of 2010 has been a very eventful time for me. I have been busy at McMaster Divinity College working on my Master's of Theology until the beginning of April, 2010--that is when the excitement began. I left the day after school was out, which turned out to be not such a wise plan as I had one more essay to write to complete my last class. I spent two weeks in Texas with friends from Texas and Kentucky meeting with three ladies from England. We spent time learning how each of us uses the gifts that God has given us for his kingdom. I then left to go to North Carolina to visit a counselling centre there, Restoring the Foundations. It was a delightful place to visit, and the staff were so welcoming to us.

Then all 6 of us went on to a Rauch Retreat where we learned more about developing the human spirit so it can lead our soul and our body. By then I was pretty exhausted but it was good to see how such a retreat could be done, which gave me ideas for sometime down the road planning a similar type of retreat here in Ontario, Canada.

Then I came home for a few weeks awaiting the arrival of our first grandson, Riel Thomas Gregory Masuda. He was born on May 10, just 4 days after his mom's 31st birthday. When he was two weeks old we flew out to Winnipeg to hold this precious gem in our arms. Being a grandmother is truly delightful--yet sad because he is so far away.

When Riel was 6 weeks old his mom and dad, Jennie and Jeff came to Ontario for two weeks. One of those weeks was spent in my home--hurray for Air Conditioning!!!! I got lots of time with this little man, his mom and dad and their dog Jovi--which was greatly appreciated.

Shortly after they returned to Winnipeg I flew to Oklahoma City to attend a business meeting regarding 'Social Entreprenuer' put on by Plumbline Ministries. I knew the meeting was going to be good but had no idea how much it would impact my spirit, and to be honest with you I am not sure if I can put into words what the meeting gave me. This much I do know--that I was impacted and changed and moved forward in a very real way.

I returned home from Oklahoma City just long enough to do laundry and repack my suitcase to fly to Grande Prairie, Alberta to teach and minister for a week and a half. It was delightful to meet the people of Grande Prairie and to watch God touch their hearts day after day.

I returned home to attend my very first Brantford Christian Writers Guild meeting--even though I am not from Brantford they allowed me to attend :-) Each week I have been learned great tips on writing. Now I am beginning to put those tips to use.

I was home for three weeks then drove on my own (first time EVER) to Grand Rapids, Michigan. A very dear friend of mine lost her son to liver cancer the week Riel was born. So, I told her I would come in the summer to be with them. It was a bitter sweet time there with my friend, her husband and their extended family.

While there I fell on the pier and hurt my right leg and foot pretty badly. Thankfully no broken bones and no stitches but now four weeks later it is still hurting me and I am unable to bend my right leg to go down the stairs.

Then this past Sunday I flew to Virginia with a friend to visit another friend and to learn more about God's grace. It was a tiring three days there and the flight home was long, but now I am home with three and a half weeks left before school starts back up for me.

This year is my last year at McMaster Divinity College for my Masters of Theology. I will be taking New Testament, with a prof who is very demanding, and I will be taking Hebrew which apparently is also very demanding with hours of homework each evening.

I have chosen to take Hebrew even though I do not need it to get my degree--but I want to learn it.

So there are my summer adventures for all to read.

I have three more weeks left and I am not expecting any more wild adventures--but when you follow God and his Holy Spirit it is hard to know where exactly he will lead you and what he will ask of you. I am his daughter and he is my Heavenly Papa and because of this I know that what ever happens in the future I will be able to bear for he is with me.