We've Had Snow!

Guess what?! We had snow yesterday! What's up with that?

So...time for a quick update. Things are going well here in the midst of Phillies fever (World Series, Game 5, Part 2 tonight!). I have been able to get a few things done around the house to keep heating cost down. The past week we had a bit of a reprieve from school work, although that may have been the calm before the storm. I can't believe we have only 3 1/2 weeks left of classes! Yowzers!

Rebecca is feeling better, though very tired. She is learning lots and enjoying all her classes, and even got a higher mark than I in one assignment (emphasis on the ONE! ;-) )

Right now I am taking a break from 2 seven-page papers that are due next week. It looks like I will be spending some time doing some trim work next week, too, for my landlord (at another house).

So...that's about it, I think. Looking forward to the CCEF conference coming up in November. I really hope this will be a time of growth and learning for me (and others, of course). Unfortunately, Rebecca will not be here with me- she will be back home for Dave and Renee's wedding. (God's blessings to the two of you!) I will not be here alone, however; Eric and Joanne DeKorte will be here with me to comfort me in my loneliness (lol).

Until next time...Go Phillies!

Same Old

Hey there!

Well, after an exhausting weekend in Ontario, we are back at the grind. Rebecca is feeling somewhat better, although the nausea is still there. Sure was good to be back home for a bit, but as always, it is difficult to get back into the swing of things here. Of course, this also means I fell further behind in my readings...which means I should update my blog!?!

I guess I will keep this short. We will be coming home again next week Thursday night, but we have a wedding in St. Thomas on Saturday.

Feel free to email us so we know how you are doing. My apologies for the lack of correspondence thus far, but you are all in our thoughts and prayers.

In case you are interested, check out the link to my "writings" blog to read my submissions for my classes.

Hasta luego!

Soooo Long Overdue

My humblest apologies to those who check in regularly- seems I say that a lot on this thing! This time, though, I think I have a pretty good excuse.

Well- my summer was great ... uh ... yeah.

Now that we are almost caught up--

Rebecca and I moved to Philadelphia on the 30th of August. The week before, Rebecca started experiencing severe abdominal pains and we went to the ER. After several visits, tests, doctors visits and ultrasounds, we were told the following: you have a hemorrhagic cyst (causing the pain, most likely) and you are pregnant! WOW!

Well, the pains kept coming, we were both up at all hours of all the nights that followed, up until a few nights ago- well, even that isn't entirely true...but I digress. In the week before our move, Mom Meyer, Aunt Patricia, and Amanda packed our belongings (THANKS SO MUCH!) as I tried to finish some projects around the house in between trips to the doctors. We moved here on a Saturday (with the help of Mom M and Uncle Joe and Aunt Patricia- THANKS SO MUCH!), only to return to Canada Monday for more tests. The doctors were mildly concerned about a possible tubal pregnancy or a phantom pregnancy. Since we found out so early about the pregnancy also (4 weeks because of the cyst), they wanted to monitor Rebecca's HCG and progesterone levels.

So, after returning the next day to Philly, we focused on getting settled in our apartment and beginning studies.

So far, so good. Rebecca's pains seem to have disappeared, only to be replaced with ever-present nausea.

But, we had a pretty good scare the other night. Monday, after class, Rebecca started bleeding. With all the uncertainties we had experienced, it was off to the hospital again. After more tests and an ultrasound from very friendly and reassuring staff, we found out that all is well with both Rebecca and our baby! We even got to see the heart beat (FHR 128/min.)! There is a small hemorrhage inside the gestational sac, but the hospital staff has assured us that this is fairly common, and not much of a concern.

Praise God for His grace! So here I am, after all of that, already behind on readings (but catching up), and often tired and sore from restless sleeps. But I am not complaining. God is good, He is with us, and He is using these trials to keep us on our knees before Him- where we ought to be.

So, now that we are caught up on this end, how are y'all doin'? Please keep in touch (as I will try harder to do), by either emailing (glen.slinger@gmail.com) or phone (1-215-407-8138).

Blessings!

A Quick Note

I AM HOME FOR THE SUMMER!!!

My classes at WTS are finished for this year, although I still have exams to write. Thanks to modern technology, I get to write them online, so I do not have to return to Philly until late August.

With the nice weather, and with so many things to do before the end of May, I am finding it difficult to focus on studying (hence this blog entry!). Please pray for me as I prepare for and write these exams. Please remember Rebecca and I in your prayers also as we make final preparations for the wedding!

God bless!

SPRING IS IN FULL BLOOM IN PHILLY!

Spring is in the air! The daffodils have long been blooming, the tulips are stretching towards the sun, and the azaleas are well on their way to revealing in their own magnificent way the glory of our Creator. Streets are lined with trees blooming in resplendant colours. The apple tree in the side yard is magnificently full of bloom, preaching the certainty of coming of the harvest. Sadly, the stately magnolias are weeping thier own blossoms, glorious though they were for a time.

Still, time marches on.

What a wonder that God blesses us so richly with the new growth of spring, teaching us that after the long and often gloomy winter of our lives there is coming a day when we will live in His glorious presence when all things are finally made new. Take heart, weary souls, the final rest is coming!

Another Month Gone!

Sorry, y'all- I seem to be saying that a lot on this thing, don't I? How easily the weeks slip by. This is procrastination at it's best. But don't worry, I won't forget about the wedding.

It really is unbelievable how time flies. We now have less than 7 weeks to the big day, and there is so much that needs to be done. Just 2 1/2 weks of school before exams- oh, my! And yet, I wish I was home already.

I have enjoyed my stay here this year. I have learned a lot in the past 8 months, one of the most poignant at this point in my life is how easy it is to fill up on knowledge and be no wiser for it. I still fall so far short of the life of obedience that God is calling me to. I say "is calling" purposely, because the call comes to me every day to live for Him and not for myself. This is no easy task. Especially difficult is to give up my self-dependence when it comes to gearing up for and fighting the battles that I find myself in everyday. Unfortunately, most of the time I put myself in the thick of these battles, as I let the "little sins" slip by unchecked.

LORD, help me to live uprightly before you.

I am thankful for th spring weather and the renewal of creation proclaiming God's covenant faithfulness and Fahterly care. This is evidence to me that God is in complete control, and that He is still actively involved in the restoration business! Have you seen it lately?

'Just a thought'

"We study the Bible so we can know better who God is and ultimately what he has done in Christ. Such study, by God's Spirit, is a means by which God forms us into the image of his risen Son, with whom we are coheirs. We must, therefore, be ever vigilant to inspect our own motives, lest we fall into the well-worn rut of thinking that study of the Bible prepares us to lead rather than to serve. It is to learn, after all is said and done, that the most important thing is not we who read the Bible, but he who gave it to us, in all its incarnate fullness." (italics mine)

~Dr. Peter Enns

Inspiration and Incarnation

'Just a thought'

Are you wiling and able to ask deeper-than-casual questions of others?

“As sinners, we tend to recast our own history in self-serving ways. We hide behind the difficulty and pressures of the situation or the failures of others. We look for external explanations, not internal ones. We are more impressed with our righteousness than we are horrified by our sin.

Because of this, we all need people who love us enough to ask, listen, and, having listened, to ask more. This is not being intrusive. This is helping blind people to embrace their need for Christ. It is helping people to see the foolish ways they have lived for their own glory, and the subtle ways they have exchanged worship and service of the Creator for the worship and service of his creation.”

~Paul Tripp

Instruments In The Redeemer's Hands

Prayer Request

Would you please take a moment and pray for Rebecca and I? We are going through some rough times spiritually. Please pray that we will be uplifted by God's love and a real sense of His nearness, and that we will be given hearts that long to love and serve Him and others well. Thanks.

'Just a thought'

"Being the sum and substance of all the positive gifts of God to us in their highest form, heaven is of itself able to evoke in our hearts positive love, such absorbing love as can render us at times forgetful of the earthly strife. In such moments the transcendent beauty of the other shore and the irresistible current of our deepest life lift us above every regard of wind or wave. We know that through weather fair or foul our ship is bound straight for its eternal port."

In regard to Christian service, "every task should be at the same time a means of grace from and an incentive to work for heaven. There has been One greater than Abraham, who lived his life in absolute harmony with this principle, in whom the fullest absorption in this earthly calling could not for a moment disturb the consciousness of being a child of heaven."

~Gerhaardus Vos

Heavenly-Mindedness

Another Brief Update

Well, last week was great with Rebecca here. Praise God she made it home safe, though the highways were snow-covered and generally horrible to drive on. For the first 150-200 miles there was 3 inches of snow causing her to lose traction most of the way, even going onto the shoulder several times, also ending up with a flat tire. However, God was gracious and preserved her from harm, and she had the nail removed from the tire and patched for. While she was here, she also had an awesome time getting her first real taste of life at WTS- she came with me to all my classes and found it really enjoyable. Of course, now there is extra catching up to do...

So I am right in the thick of things, and of course, here comes an unexpected car repair bill- over $500 for new brakes. Ouch! Things are getting a bit worrisome now with finances- the wedding coming up, and all. But we trust where God has us is where He wants us- we must depend on Him for all things, including our daily bread, right? This is sometimes easier said than done.

But I am looking forward to coming home for the March break. More than that, today I was reading an article on heavenly-mindedness based on Hebrews 11 ('Just a thought' above) which reminded me that I need to set my sights on the rest that is promised to me in Christ. There, in the kingdom which cannot be shaken, I will be free from sin and the cares of this earth that often weigh me down, and will live forever before the face of God. Will I meet you there?

Brief Update

Hey y'all,

Just a brief update- life has been busy as usual, or really, not so usual, but busy nonetheless. My folks came down last weekend and I was able to spend some quality time with them. Thanks for coming down! We toured part of the historical downtown area, and stopped for dinner at the Reading Terminal Market. The next night they treated me to dinner at a German restaurant. Ach du liebe!

This weekend will be another busy one. I have been cramming to get my course work done for one of my January classes, but that is boring news. Rebecca is coming to see me!! YIPPEEE!! Of course this means that I ahve to cram in as much work this week as possible, because next week I may just probably might not quite get all the work done that I need to. Time to put self-discipline into pratice on a whole other level.

Sorry for all y'all who like to read my work on my other blog (see link at top). I got a little behind and felt rather ambitious tonight to post, so there are a few new postings there :S

So, now that you know how things are going here, how 'bout dropping me a line and letting me know how things are going in your neck of the woods? (see email address on this page if you don't have it).

I would also like to ask for your prayers throughout this semester particularly as classes are much more practical, and also in conjunction with my internship at Harvest USA. I have such an opportunity to put into play what I have been learning and I am afraid I will simply turn this all into another academic exercise. Please ray that God will continue to change my heart as I work through these means of learning and application. Thanks.

I won't be in town until mid March, the Lord willing. I pray that he will bless and keep you all.

End of Semester . . . Again!

Well, here I am again, at the end of another semester (not in reference to the picture, of course!). WTS has a one month J-term in January where most students take their languages. There are also counseling courses offered for CCEF students and MA-C students like myself. So, I have only one day of classes left for my Counseling in the Local Church and Counseling Children classes- so much info to absorb in one month!

Last weekend I was home to celebrate Rebecca's birthday- #22! We spent the day in Niagara Falls. I got us special passes for different activities which included the Butterfly Conservatory, the Bird Aviary, the Ferris wheel, and the Journey Behind the Falls. We had a great time enjoying these attractions and especially enjoying each other's company. It is so nice to just get away for a day and not have to think about school, work, wedding plans, home renovations, etc.

With the end of the semester just days away, I get to come home again, too! Since I only have one take home exam, I will be home on the 29th and will be home until the Monday of the following week. Hope to catch up with you!

It took a while, but Rebecca was finally daring enough to pick up a butterfly!

Meet Alex!

My Pot of Gold!

'Just a thought'

Does this reflect your church experience?

"The pious fellowship permits no one to be a sinner. So everybody must conceal his sin from himself and from the fellowship. We dare not be sinners. Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin, living lies and hypocrisy. The fact is that we are sinners!"

~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Life Together

'Just a thought'

"Christian brotherhood is not an ideal which we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate."

~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Life Together

Blessed New Year!

Wow, it has been a long time since I have updated this thing. I guess that is what happens when one is out of school for a while and not often on the computer. My humble apologies to those who regularily check for updates and are often disappointed.

So, where was I . . . oh, yeah, exams. They went well, I think. I still have not received any marks, and actually am waiting for many marks from term papers, etc. as well.

The holidays were great, albeit very busy. I worked a few days with BBC (I really missed working with you guys- it was great to be back!), and put in 3 long days at the OPB as well, helping out day in the craziness of the Christmas rush. Through all this, I was also occupied with renovations in the basement of Rebecca's house. We are adding a master bedroom with an en suite for extra living space. Sorry, I don't have any pictures (maybe Rebecca could take a few??!!)

Being home to celebrate Christmas this year was of course special. Rebecca and I shared a quiet dinner together followed by exchanging our presents on Christmas Eve- and yes, she spoiled me! My favourite gift was a Creative Memories Storybook (there's a plug for you, Kelly!) about our dating relationship and our engagement . . . and, of course, I cried.

The following 2 days we had dinners at the Meyer's and my parents' respectively. We had a great time, and I am now dreading going back to the YMCA to shed the extra pounds I put on over those few days. I suppose there are others who share this New Year's resolution ;-) New Year's Eve was spent at the Cottage (Mike Zwiep's) which was a lot of fun. By the way, guess what? Rebecca and I are getting married this year!!!

The holidays came and went faster than I had hoped. I returned to Philly on Wednesday, and began my 2 classes the following day. I am now taking Counseling Children and Counseling in the Local Church. Having Steve and Amy Williamson in my Counseling Children class is very exciting! They were over for dinner last night, and seem to be settling in well here.

In reflecting over the past few weeks, I realize how little time I spent thanking and praising God for the bounty that He showers me with. I have received so much yet deserved none of it. Lord, forgive me for my selfishness and my stubborn determination in trying to get through life on my own. I pray that You will teach me to live in humble dependence upon You throughout this year and the years to come. I thank You for the friends and family that You have placed in my path to pray for me, encourage me, and support me in so many ways. May I be used by You as an instrument in their lives as well, Lord. Prepare me for a present and future of serving You in any place You would see fit for the further establishment of Your kingdom. To God be the glory, great things He has done!