Book Review: Your Time Is Now

      I was excited for the opportunity to read a book by Jonathan Evans titled Your Time Is Now. I received it a week or two ago, and have since completed it. Your Time Is Now is a book about really living into God's calling in your life. The author, Jonathan, both reflects on his own life and journey, and dives deeper into the Bible and what it says.

     To start, this book was a quick and easy read for me, and seems very much to be aimed towards pre-teens or young teens. Just my opinion, that isn't something I know for sure. Jonathan makes some great points, and encourages readers to really dig into what God has for them, not letting fear stop them from living the life God has called them to. He challenges readers to say yes, to act, but also to wait when the Lord calls them to wait. Ultimately, he says, live life listening to God. When God says act, act. When God says wait, wait. Whatever God says, your response should be "Yes Lord!"

     At the same time, while I appreciate the conclusions that Jonathan came to, I have some hesitations about how he could to those conclusions. In my (unprofessional, just regular Christian) opinion, the author came to some conclusions about people in the Bible, and about evens and circumstances, that are purely speculative, and he paints them as a truth. To be fair, the one time I'm particularly thinking of he does say it is his opinion, but that is a brief statement followed continuing to explore the meaning of that opinion as though it was fact.

     Ultimately, if you want to read an easy read that makes you think about what God has for your life, go ahead an read this book! I would just encourage you to read it with discernment, which you should be doing with everything anyway. If you give it to a youth to read, make sure to talk to them about it. It is a good starting point for conversations, but I'd hesitate to recommend it with no follow up or discussion. Also keep in mind that the author is a former pro football player, and a current chaplain in the NFL, so he has a lot of sports references and analogies, which work but if you're like me and don't know or care about football, it can get kind of old.

     So there you have it. A book that can be used as a starting point, but one that I'd encourage discussion around!

      *** Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. ***

Lonely

     In June, my life changed again.

     No, nothing too crazy. But still a change, one that is hard. Up until now, my cousin and best friend, Rachel, lived here in Edmonton. It was such a blessing, having her live here for the past 4 years, because it allowed me to visit Raymond and also spend time with her. After we got married and I moved here, Rachel and I lived just 15 minutes away from each other. Growing up, we lived 5 minutes apart, and spent the majority of our time together, so living so close again was such a blessing! In spite of all the Covid restrictions, we were able to hang out at least once a week, since she lived alone and thus was allowed to be considered a part of our household. Every Saturday, Rachel would come over, bringing homemade sourdough English muffins, and we would watch the Great British Baking Show and bake something ourselves. When church was open, we would see each other there on Sundays. It was so good, having my best friend live so close again, but also just to have a good friend in this place where I knew hardly anyone else.

     Well, now, that time is over. In June, Rachel was transferred back to Ontario, and so Raymond and I helped her load up her car, and the three of us drove across the country together. We spent almost two weeks visiting my family, which was great (although we missed our little bug-a-boos, the two cats we adopted back in April!). We flew home at the end of the month, just before Alberta opened up from all Covid restrictions (YAY!)

     I knew it'd suck, having Rachel move away. And it definitely has. I have Raymond, of course, and his family. But I don't know his family very well. Because of the restrictions, we haven't been able to see them much. Not to mention he has six younger brothers -yes, SIX- and his family is loud and very overwhelming for me. Plus there's always some sort of drama, and I always feel slightly on edge, waiting for one of the trigger topics to come up. Now that Alberta has opened up again, we see them much more often, which is nice, but still. They're not people I know well and am comfortable around. I'm introverted. Large, loud groups exhaust me, especially when I don't know them well. So I'm getting there, but it is definitely a process. And of course, I also have Raymond's friends and their wives, but again, with Covid restrictions, it is hard to get together. Not to mention the whole they're-Raymond's-friends-and-I-don't-actually-know-them aspect.

     Our church has been a blessing throughout my time here, as we have joined the youth leadership team and thus gotten to know a few others, including one man who just got married. Him and his now-wife were in our Home Group as well, and so now that restrictions are gone, we are seeing them more, and having them over this week, actually, for a games night. It's nice because they are friends that we made together. They aren't RAYMOND'S friends, with me just kind of getting adopted in, but they're a friendship we can build together. Which has been nice, and helped ease the pain of Rachel being gone.

     But with Rachel suddenly gone, back in Ontario, I have become so, so lonely. I'm unemployed now, so I'm alone all day. Which is fine; again, I'm introverted and so am quite content being alone. But Raymond is not an introvert. He is, in fact, incredibly extroverted. So ever since the restrictions lifted, he's had something going on every single night. First it was pizza night with his family, then his cousin's birthday party. Then it was a hang out with a teen he mentors. The next night, we had his best friend and his wife over. Then Raymond had a games night at a game cafe. Then it was date night, and then a youth evening. Then it was a day spent with another friend couple, and then pizza night with his family again. Then, dinner with his grandparents, and then we had his parents and one brother over for dinner. It's quite literally something every night, apart from Date Night. Which is fine, I would never want to stop Raymond from being social, something that he has really, really missed during Covid. But at the same time, when he is off doing something in the evenings, when I'm not a part of it, I feel the crushing weight of Rachel's absence. I feel the reality of the fact that I moved across the country, to a place where I knew (essentially) no one, and just slotted into Raymond's life. He still has everything he had before, with the bonus of now having me here. But nothing else changed for him. He still has his family, his friends. His job, and his hobbies. For me, though, everything has changed. EVERYTHING. At least before, I had Rachel as a reminder of home, as a comfortable part of new life that was also part of my old life. And now I don't.

     So yeah, when I'm at home and Raymond is at work, it's fine. I'm not bothered by that. I keep myself busy. I don't allow myself to sleep in or nap or watch TV all day. But as soon as it's a time when Raymond should be home, if he is out doing something, I'm overwhelmed with loneliness. I miss Rachel. My best friend.

     Loneliness. It sucks.

     Yet ultimately, I am not alone. I've got Raymond, of course, who loves me and would easily give up his busy social schedule for me, if I asked him to (which I would never, ever ask of him!). But I've also got Jesus. He's there with me. He brought me here, and he's not going to just abandon me. 

     Thank you, Lord, for being in Alberta, too.

     Blessings,

          Katie

Book Review: A Habit Called Faith

      A couple months ago, I received a book entitled A Habit Called Faith by Jen Pollock Michel to read and review. It has taken me much, much longer than it should to read and review this one, but that is definitely not because the book has a lack of quality- it's actually quite insightful. It's just that this book isn't a novel or generic book- it is a 40 day guide through parts of Deuteronomy. You can't just sit down and read this book; you must also read the Bible alongside it. It's a devotional, not meant to be read quickly.

     The author, Jen Pollock Michel, takes you through eight weeks of scripture readings and meditations. In between each week, she highlights one person and their story. It's interesting to read about these people, names I wouldn't ever have heard otherwise, and their lives and journey with Christ. They aren't the "superheroes" of faith that we all know and have heard of, but they are simply regular people who strive to live a life that glorifies God. 

     The daily meditations themselves are quite well written and insightful. Usually stemming from some sort of personal anecdote, the author then goes on to discuss her thoughts and meditations on that day's passage. Every day ends with a reflection/discussion question, ones that I found helpful for me personally, as I am someone who likes to journal and reflect and explore deeper.

     All in all, if you're looking for a devotional, I'd encourage you to give this one a try. I find a good devotional can be hard to come by, so I know I always appreciate a good recommendation!

     *** Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. ***

Our Story Part Nine: It's Not Over

      So that's the story of how Raymond and I met, fell in love, and got married (all within a year and a half!). After the wedding and our honeymoon at a cottage, we spent a week in Ontario saying goodbye and finishing packing. We loaded most of my stuff on a truck, which would arrive in Alberta sometime in the next month, and finally, on Monday September 14, we loaded up my car and said goodbye to my family. And we started our long drive across the country.

    Which was actually a really nice drive! The halfway point between my parent's house and Raymond's house in Alberta was still in Ontario. It took us four days to do the drive, and on September 17 we pulled into our driveway here in Fort Saskatchewan.

     Getting married and moving across the country wasn't necessarily easy. I wasn't as homesick as I thought I would be, but it was still a lot of change. My parents were able to come visit in November, and we flew back to Ontario for a week at Christmastime. It was good.

     It wasn't until I found a job and started working, at a greenhouse here in Alberta, that I really struggled with the homesickness. I miss my old job so very, very much. It's been 2 months and I still do. It's getting better now, but for awhile there, every day I'd got to work and spend most of my day wanting to cry, wishing I was at MY greenhouse, not this one. It didn't help that my mom started working part time at my old greenhouse, and talked about it a lot. She didn't realize how painful it was for me to hear -it still is, and she still doesn't know.

     I miss Ontario. I miss my family, my friends, my church, my job. Yet I can't say I have any regrets, because I love Raymond. I don't regret marrying him, and if given the chance to re-live it, I'd make the same decisions. 

     So our story isn't over. It's really just begun. Raymond will be starting online classes in September, his first step into changing to a career in ministry. I'm going to love him and support him through it all, and we shall see where God leads us next.

     Blessings,

          Katie

Our Story Part Eight: A Very Covid Engagement

      Our engagement STARTED normal. I went dress shopping, picked out my wedding party, and starting looking into photographers and caterers. Since Raymond lived in Alberta, and the wedding would be in Ontario, the bulk of the wedding planning fell on me. I would have to be the one who would meet with people. Raymond thankfully did all he could from Alberta, dealing with our tent rental, through whom we were also renting all the tables and dishes and everything else. Because I knew that come March, I'd be working 6 days a week, I wanted to get all the major things out of the way before then. We set our wedding date for August 29, and off we went.

     By the end of February, I'd booked a caterer, a florist, and photographer. We had the church booked, as well as all the rentals for the reception, which would be held in a tent in my aunt and uncle's backyard. Things seemed to be going well.

     And then March of 2020 hit.

     We all know what THAT entailed.

     I wasn't worried about our wedding when Covid first hit. After all, it was March. The wedding was still half a year away! It would be fine!

     Let me tell you, though, planning a wedding during Covid is a very interesting thing. Constant changes, constant guessing. Never knowing if restrictions would change. It was hard to plan! I was just thankful that I had done most of the major things before Covid hit. We were more in a place of waiting to see, rather than trying to book and plan WHILE waiting, as my cousin Jacob and his fiancee Ericka were.

     In the end, we hit the sweet spot of the pandemic, if you can call any part of it sweet. We got married at the end of the summer, in between the first and second waves. Of the entire pandemic, this was when the restrictions were the more open. Two weeks after our wedding day, Ontario shut back down, and it hasn't really opened up to that extent since. 

     We got married on August 29, 2020. Because of the pandemic, we moved our wedding from the church to being outside, in my aunt and uncle's backyard. We were allowed to have 100 people, which actually was just right for me (we had to cut some people, but everyone who truly mattered to us could come!). We limited our reception to just 70, mostly family members. It was a beautiful day -very windy, but that doesn't matter- and ultimately, all that mattered was that we got married!

     Covid caused us to be flexible and reassess what was important. It wasn't fun, but it didn't matter.

     And on August 29, 2020, I became Raymond's wife.

     Blessings,

          Katie

     

Our Story Part Seven: Will You Marry Me?

      In December, we waited in anticipation for the arrival of Boxing Day. Because December 26 was the day that Raymond would fly to Ontario for our Christmas visit.

     Little did I know that there was so much more to look forward to than just an ordinary visit!

     I picked Raymes up at the airport early early early on Boxing Day. What we did for the rest of the day, I do not remember. Probably hung out with my family. That evening, however, we had plans. We were going to pick up some pizza and go to the church, back to the place we met and first began our friendship. We'd have a "picnic" under the "stars" (aka the twinkle lights that we had put up in the fellowship hall for Serve, which were still there at the time!) and open our Christmas gifts for each other. We did this, taking turns opening gifts until there was just one left. It was for me, and I opened it to find a journal.

     This journal was not unknown to me. Raymond had originally given it to me for my birthday back in September, and he'd written in it. It was to be a journal where we could write things to each other, or reflections to God for the other to read. I'd returned it to him in November, and now I was getting it back.

     "I want to read you something," Raymond said, grabbing the book from my hands before I could open it.

     He started to read, and very quickly was tearing up. I went over and sat on his lap, hugging him as he continued. I distinctly remember thinking "Aw, this is so sweet! He should have saved this for the proposal!"

     It wasn't until he got halfway through page 5 of 6 that I realized that this WAS the proposal.

     He ended with "Katie, will you marry me?" as he shoved me off his lap so that he could shimmy over to his coat and pull out a small black box.

     My response? "Yes. Absolutely yes!"

     And after just 5 1/2 months of dating, we were engaged.

     We hadn't even known each other for a year yet, but I knew. I knew I loved Raymond, and that I wanted to marry him. He was unlike anyone I had ever met, and he loved God with all his heart. Was it fast? Absolutely! It was fast, but we knew. We'd been forced, by the long distance, to have those deeper conversations earlier. We both knew we weren't going to invest in a relationship if it wasn't going to go anywhere.

     Our relationship moved fast, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.

     Blessings,

          Katie

Our Story Part Six: Scared Together

      In July 2019, Raymond flew back to Ontario. Back in like, March, I'd suggested he come to Ontario for one of his weeks of summer vacation, not actually really expecting him to do so. But he agreed and booked his flights, so I also booked the week off and prepared to be tour guide. I did this quite happily, eager to see my good friend again!

     And so early on a Saturday morning, I picked Raymond up at the airport. We went out for breakfast, and I took him home, where he met my brother and parents for the first time. Later that day, we went over to my aunt and uncle's house, to visit with Jacob and so that my cousin Victoria could meet him (she was very insistent that she must!). The next day, my other brothers came home and met him, but we were still just friends so it was actually super awkward (because let's be real, no one believed me when I said we were just friends, yet we weren't officially dating so they couldn't say anything!)

     On Monday, I took Raymond to Toronto. We took the Go Train in, and started at the CN tower. After that, we went to the Hockey Hall of Fame, followed by heading out to Center Island. There, we wandered around, and even took a quick catnap under one of the trees. 

     After we ate dinner, we were walking through one of the fields on Center Island when, for some reason, we stopped and were hugging. As I started to pull away, Raymond said "Katie, you scare me."

     I knew what he meant by that.

     "You scare me, too," I admitted.

     "Want to be scared together?"

     My response was a super romantic "Sure!" And just like that, we stopped being "Just Friends" and started dating.

     Dating is hard, when you live on opposite ends of the country. I lived in Ontario, he in Alberta. Still, we made it work. We messaged even more. We talked on the phone a bit more often then just Sunday nights. And we did our best to visit whenever possible. Raymond was (and still is) blessed with a job that allows for a lot of overtime, which he can use for time off. So he came to visit in August, being there for me when I got my wisdom teeth pulled. I visited him in October, and he came back to Ontario in November for my cousin's wedding. It was just a week each time, but a week approximately every month was more than I could have hoped for!

     In October, we were already talking about marriage. 

     Raymond was my first boyfriend. He was my first kiss. And it was worth the wait, because Raymond loved God and sought after Him. He had his baggage and his past, but he had grown from it. 

     We were both scared, but we were both willing to take that risk with each other.

     Blessings,

          Katie