A new Car wasn't enough

So John decided to get a new job as well.

Yup, more big changes are on the way for us Gall's. We just cant seem to sit still very long. We're hoping this time will be a little different. That said you must be wondering what I mean... well, this new job is in Chilliwack, BC. So we're moving once again. John starts at the beginning of March so we will be moving sometime around the end of February.

Aside from the fact that we will once again be FAR from our closest friends and family, we are SO EXCITED about this move. John is really excited about the job and we're ready for a new adventure out on the (almost) coast again.

For all of you who are living out in that general direction, we are soooo excited about having the chance to connect with you again and I can't wait to be involved in Qwanoes in some shape or form once more. If you are going to see Ken Bayley let him know I'll see what I can do about helping out on the ferry this coming summer! :) hee hee

I'm not sure what I'll be doing out there. I don't think I'll jump at any chances to do insurance again as I'd have to take more tests I believe and it wasn't something that I really loved anyways. I'm hoping for a chance to learn some more about photography so if any of you know of anyone who's looking for an assistant photographer that is willing to take someone on to learn then let me know.

Well that's all for now folks! We will keep you posted :)

New Car...

Yup, it's true, the olds died... sort of. So we bought a new car. It's a 2004 Toyota Corolla. It's pretty in black and a five speed :).

Pictures to come...

Pray....

Hey guys,

I just want to put up a quick note to ask for prayer for some friends of ours. We know they're going through some hard times in their marriage and could use a little extra prayer right now. They are both Christians and there have been some definite spiritual attacks of late. Pray for them please!

Thanks...

Response to Halloween Post

Well folks,

I got a few responses by email to my question about Halloween but all were sent to my email in an effort to stay anonymous. So I will keep it that way but I'd like to post some excerpts from each in the hopes that it will spark some discussion. If you don't want anyone to know it was you, comment anonymously. (see Halloween post in October if you missed out on the fun)

Thanks,

We went trick or treating and we went to at least one community Haloween party and my memories of them are vivid and they were great fun. So I too, feel like Haloween has some fun aspects to it. One of my new jobs now is to be an aid to a handicapped girl who works in the IGA Bakery a couple of days a week. When we went to work yesterday I was blown away by the costumes. The whole staff of the store was having a contest to see who could wear the best costume and there were some excellent costumes that left you wondering who was inside it. I agree with you Andrea, it would be fun to be a part of that. Is it like the food offered to idols? Good question. Is it all wrong just because fun is the only redeeming feature it has? We do egg hunts at Easter simply because it's fun. It also has diddly squat to do with the real meaning of Easter. Is that ok simply because Easter is a Christian celebration and we are celebrating the real meaning of Easter? A large part of Christmas is also just for the pure pleasure of giving and recieving gifts and eating scrumptious food. We could celebrate Christmas without any of that and yet we don't. So I guess it's because there is no Christian aspect to Halloween that so many feel we have to shun it all. I don't know what the answer is either but Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) and I went trick or treating this year.

...we did NOT go trick or treating and we did NOT dress up as witches & ghosts but where we did hand out candy at the door and we did go to “alternative” parties. Fast forward to life as an adult with kids. Suddenly this non-issue in my life became something that needed to be “figured out”. Add to this mix a husband who was raised in a non-Christian family who has great memories of trick or treating, dressing up, pigging out on candy the next day, etc.

We have always kind of thought that we wouldn’t “celebrate” Halloween (ie go all out with the decorations or have our kids dress up like goblins) but that we would allow them to have fun with it, trick or treating, dressing up as fun characters, that sort of thing.

So anyway, all this to say, I am kind of confused myself. Last night we took our witch & our solider out trick or treating, they had a great time, we took them over to see the Grandparents (who happen to live on the best trick or treating street in the whole wide world where almost every house is decorated to the hilt with pirate themes and scary ladies jumping up from the porch, and there are people (& even a fire truck full of firemen) all hanging around outside on their lawns cooking up pots of witches brew etc.) & Great Grandma at the old folks home where all the old ladies oohed & aahed and we came home with great loot and it was just plain old fun.

as belivers we have looked for ways to separate ourselves from the world for fear that we will be a bad example or we may even be drawn into an unholy life and so we disconnect from the very people we wish to bring the Gospel to.
Several questions come to mind.
How strong are we in our faith?
Do we become salt and light to the world without being in the world?
Where did Jesus hang out and with who?
What if "Jesus followers" would dress up for haloween (maybe in an angel costume, tee shirt) with a large emblazoned question across the front, and simply ask some poignant questions such as, does satan exist? Would that not create the possibility of a great discussion?
In short I feel that it is high time for believers to look for ways to engage our culture and look for ways to do so in a CHRISTLIKE manner and so have a connection to lost people rather than be AGAINST them or what they stand for or enjoy. I think we need to begin to explore what and how they perceive our disconnect and opposition.

Happy 2008

There is so much unknown road ahead in 2008 but the sun is shining!