ignite 'n inspire

To my JF youth, As you age and grow up, you learn that life is hard. People do not tell you, but you need to learn how to manage your time wisely. You need to learn how to enroll yourself in post-secondary courses. You need to learn how to please your boss and maintain peace with your colleagues. When you get married, you need to learn how to pay your bills and compromise with your spouse. The overwhelming responsibilities and expectations may be written in a dusty book that could be found in your local library, but there is often one that we forget. When you grow up, you need to learn how to come to terms with death. You will need to go to funerals, watch wooden caskets lowered into the cold ground and listen to eulogies. That is the reality of the world. Life is filled with peaks of joy, success and happiness, but also scattered with moments of brokenness, sadness and loss. I know you are all learning to comprehend the loss of this young brother. As a counsellor, I just wanted

What is nostalgia? According to the dictionary, nostalgia is the sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal association. Personally, nostalgia is hopping on the journey to re-visit the past. Most importantly, it is the journey of re-discovering what made you-YOU. Working at Coledale Public School this month, it has surely been nostalgic...From the moment I first stepped into the building and put on the "volunteer badge," I smelled the rubber stairways, heard slamming lockers and hear the chatters of young kids. However, beyond the actual movements and sensory stimulation, I was reminded of the blood/sweats/tears that created my elementary school experience. I was brought back to the defining moments that shaped my personality and drive. Here are some of the significant memories that have re-surfaced in my mind:  Where I found my drive. In the science room, I remembered testing my popsicle stick bridge and talk

J.O.Y. This is the one word I would use to describe my Teens Conference experience. As a first time attendee and coach, I was finally able to understand what my Christian friends have always been raving about. Within the excitement, energy and expectancy, I encountered God. Amidst the pressure to facilitate and lead, I learned to display humility. Within the mass of people, I was inspired to press on heavenwards towards Christ Jesus. Here are some of the things God revealed to me: 1. The joy of knowing that the kingdom of God is beyond my local church. As a youth counselor, I am often discouraged and overwhelmed with responsibilities. It feels like a lone battle...however, my time at Urbana and TC has allowed me to see that there are SO many young adults and youths who wholeheartedly love Jesus. All of these Christians are pouring their hearts out to perform/facilitate conversations for Him. Despite all the crap that is happening in our world today, I was reminded that the kingdom

It’s time for my annual Valentine’s Day post. Somehow, I am inspired every year to write a little something, as an encouraged to those who are learning to find love and love themselves. When I think about February 14 th , I can’t help but think about what this special day meant for me years ago. As a Grade 8, Valentine’s Day meant sending candygrams/roses, gushing about the OTPs at our school and wishing to be someone valentine. Somehow, I thought that “being asked to slow dance” meant you were living in a beautiful, ideal utopia. I can’t help but laugh at my naivety and stupidity because love is so much more than “being asked out.” It is so much more than saying yes and updating your facebook relationship status. Over the course of this past year, I have felt heartbroken so many times…not because I have been in a romantic relationship, but because I have sympathized with my friends who chose to leave their boyfriends. The feeling of loneliness and hollowness somehow transcends thro