Incredible New Christmas Songs... Inspired!

Where's the line to see Jesus - Becky Kelley

A Baby Changes Everything - Faith Hill

Christmas in Heaven by Sarah Scheider

My girls are going to Hawaii!! Favour, Favour, Favour!!

Well, it is true! My girls are being blessed with a trip to Kihei, Maui over Christmas.


















Now, I have to admit that this can be a little traumatic for a mother of teenage girls, however, I am also so overjoyed for the two of them! Opportunities like this don't come around every day. Fortunately, I have lots of praying partners and
God has been been giving me a sense of peace regarding the whole trip! He is such a good God!!

All of my concerns have been removed as I bring them to Him. A direct flight, and now they both get to fly together! I know that it will be such a wonderful experience for them...

More to come as they get closer to the date!





Deliberations from Deb's Den <><

For my Kaybear… Rick Mercer Report on Bear Tagging… Too Cute!

My Dad just Emailed me this video clip  on the Rick Mercer Report.  (He definitely likes the Fish and Game lifestyle)  It is just toooooo funny! Check it out…. :0)

"Rick Mercer Report" on Bear Tagging - CBC

Rick Mercer visited Algonquin Park to do some work on Bear Tagging and research.  The video was absolutely hilarious and is definitely well worth a look.

The Glory Cloud of His Presence… (Aglow Part 1) Our Island Prayer Journey

Why was I there?   Was I ready?  Was I there for His Presence; or was it for our Island Prayer Journey, or the anointed speaker, Diane Fink… or the awesome worship lead by Leah Robertson… or even just the fellowship?

Olivia challenged me this weekend.  She sooooo wanted to be in His Presence and experience the Glory of God!!  The time is NOW and she knew it!! 

We (Olivia, myself, Penny and Laurie) had our Island Prayer Journey planned for the drive down to the conference at Qualicum Beach and we were going to stop at several places along the coastline.  We prayed at Royston, Craigdarroch Beach, Buckley Bay, Union Bay, Fanny Bay, Oyster River and Qualicum Bay among other small little hamlets...  to claim the FAVOUR of the LORD for that area.  Our trip was to bless others and to bless the land, but inadvertently, God poured out His blessings upon us!  The weather was glorious, the fellowship was awesome, the presence of God surrounded us and we saw eagles all over the place.

Olivia wanted to be READY and she wanted OTHERS to be ready along with her.  She had her oil lamp full!  She wanted God’s presence and she wanted to honour Him and Him alone!!  Fortunately for us, the love of God permeates all those around us and we all found our heart for the journey too.  He gave us his “Eagle Eye” from which to pray His prophetic prayers for the  various areas.  It was a powerful time of worshipping our creator in His glorious creation! 

If only we could live like this 24/7.  I know that I fall short way too often.  I desire that the scripture Psalm 84:2 would represent my live on a DAILY basis…  Not just every now and then.  I want my heart and my flesh to CRY for the LIVING GOD!!   I want to Live in His Glorious Presence EVERY DAY.

My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.  (Psa 84:2 ASV)

How often do I let myself get to this point with my Beloved?   I wonder….

Strandberg Christmas Newsletter 2008

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Hello and hallelujah!! It is only a week away from Christmas and we are just beginning to write our yearly 2008 Strandberg Christmas Newsletter!

2008 has been an extremely eventful and transitional year. We have walked through many challenges and changes together and have hopefully safely made it out the other end…. There is a saying on a plaque that is mounted on our china cabinet regarding “Change.”

It says “A bend in the road is not the end of the road… unless you fail to make the turn.” Our journey this year took us through some major “Osoyoos Type Switchbacks,” but we made it home safe and sound – Praise God!!

The year at a glance….

January started out fairly normal. Deana was in Grade 9 (now in grade 10) at G.P. Vanier, and Mikayla finished Grade 7 at Comox Valley Christian School and is now in Grade 8. I (Debbie) was still working as support staff at Arden Elementary School, and from March to June, I also took on a position at Classic Printers as their Graphic Artist. My roll as President for Comox Valley Aglow has significantly subsided and I have just finished my four year term as Secretary on Comox Valley Christian Education Society Board of Directors.

We attend Northgate Foursquare Church here in Courtenay and the girls have enjoyed spending time in Northgate’s THRIVE Youth Group.

The girls (now both teenagers…yikes!!) are growing up fast and exploring new territory. They are both budding into independent, thinking, young adults. This, of course, comes with a few bumps and tears along the way, but all-in-all they continue to show hearts of love and compassion for the people around them. They are finding their voices and their way through peer pressure, school transitions, teenage relationships, family changes, and life changes in general… I spend much time in prayer, of course!!

Special Memories from the girls...

A Message from Mikayla....

So this year was pretty awesome. Made some great friends, and ‘bonded’ with my family (trip to the cabin) hahaha. It had its downs, but none as memorable as its ups.

I think I’m going to remember 2008 as the year that taught me most, about friendships, family and just life in general. It was a very memorable year.

I’ve changed a lot over the past year. And for now, I’m going to enjoy the rest of my teenage years!

Have a good 2009 everybody! I love you all! ~! ^KaylaXoXoX^!

Now Deana... is attending Grade 10 at G.P. Vanier - The Next Generation.... It’s a flash from the past – Debbie and Mike, (mom and dad) both attended as well as Deana's uncles Lloyd, D’Arcy & Brad! Vanier just celebrated its 40^th Anniversary this year and we can all say we had a part in Vanier’s history!

Deana has been focusing on school and ended up getting 89.5 % in Science "A" Yeah! (Maybe now we will consider letting her try for her Driver’s License in 2009… Please Pray!!?!!). She is also in the process of putting out part-time job applications around town.

Both girls attended the Thrive / Outloud Youth All-nighter with ~150 other teens. Deana stayed long enough for the swimming at the pool, while Mikayla participated through the whole night with Swimming, Games, Food, and just “Hanging out”!!! Mayflower (Worship band out of Victoria) was there as well as Jason Ballard, a dynamic gifted young adult who speaks all over the world! Mikayla did avoid the Annual Polar Bear Swim though - I wonder why?? :D

And Debbie...

A couple of very special memories that I have this year brought a true revelation of God’s faithfulness and presence in the fire. Our car had lost its transmission and we ended up stranded in the Kootenays for 6 weeks (I know, if you have to be stranded this was the place to do it, at the cabin with our family!!)

However, it happened to be at the same time that the Fort Steel Forest Fire was ablaze… only 15 kms away. We had been told to be ready to leave if the Fire Marshall gave the call. I am sure that we could have all piled into Grandma and Grandpa’s truck, but without our car, it would definitely have been tight! Fortunately, at the last minute, the wind shifted, the fire turned, and we were all safe! Praise God!

There was also a time when I had started to feel sorry for myself (even in that beautiful setting surrounded by family). It was a rainy day with just a touch of the sun. It was the kind of a day that you would expect to see a rainbow, but I was thoroughly disgusted that there was not a rainbow to be found! I had at least hoped to find some promise in these trials we had been going through, but NO, the promise wasn’t visible in the sky that day.

Fortunately, God has sense of humour and He is always faithful. The next day He gave me a double rainbow!! It was beautiful, and I grabbed hold of it as a double promise of my own!

(For the full story check out my "Summer Journey"
Blog from September)

2008 Wrap Up

The last few weeks of 2008 have been busy. We were at the Northgate Christmas Tree Decorating evening to hang our “Rainbow Fire” ornament and watch Mikayla sing “Silent Night”... Then the next week she also got the chance to perform in the Grade 6-10 Choir at the CVCS Christmas Pageant (By the way, very well done everyone!)... The Youth all-nighter as mentioned earlier... The CVCS kids have also spent the last three Fridays at the skating rink which has made for some interesting antics!

I had a bit of extra work as support staff at Vanier for the last two weeks (God does provide!) and I was also able to help at the Northgate Soup and Sandwich Christmas Luncheon by praying with people in need on a cold winter’s day!

The plans this week may have to change a bit because of the snow (It is still coming down!) but for now, it looks like the girls will be with me and the “G-Rents” (as Kayla calls them) for Christmas Eve and with their Dad on Christmas Day. Lloyd and his family are in Florida right now (and rubbing it in too!) and D’Arcy and his crew will be on the mainland. I think Brad is staying in the area, so we will still get to visit with them.

Well, we wish you all a Merry Christmas & the Best New Year Ever!
God bless!
Debbie, Deana, and Mikayla!

By the way... Our favourite Christmas Joke!

Three Wise Women

You do know what would have happened if it had been
three wise WOMEN instead of men, don't you?

They would have asked for directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, and brought disposable diapers as gifts!

Author Unknown

Barrage - Too Early, Too Late, Too Much, Too Little, to Whom or .... TO HIM!

A Barrage Of Extremes....   I have been witnessing quite a bit of this lately. 

One friend is already complaining about hearing too many Christmas Songs.  She works at Wal-Mart and apparently they started playing Christmas music and stocking holiday shelves the day after Halloween.  However, another friend told me that her husband didn't believe in putting up any Christmas decorations until after December 1st,  while still another is heading south for the winter to avoid having to celebrate Christmas at all! 

One Wiccan friend of mine looks at Christmas Day (or the Winter Solstice to her) as a festival of food, hoping for "four turkeys in one day" while another Pastor encourages spending less money on gifts and spending more time together.  Instead he suggests sharing the money that they didn't spend with the poor, the hurting, the lonely, the hungry, the sick, the thirsty. 
(www.adventconspiracy.org)

Then there is a blog article that Pastor Craig posted with his wife "Shanda's version of Lights Up"  (see below) while Dad e-mailed me this picture of another man's Christmas Lighting.... 

It's can all be very humorous when you look at each item individually, but then you begin to feel your heart twinge when you see everything in the light of God's Word.  All these things are "sideshow distractions" according to the words in The Message paraphrase.

"Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust."   (Pro 4:25-27 MSG)

Are we keeping our eyes straight ahead?  

Are we focused on the "Christ" in "Christmas?  

Are we being barraged with distractions from all sides?  Music, decorations, lights, turkeys, stuffing, presents, want, greed, shopping, early, late, more, less.... 

The word barrage came to me as I was considering a title for this article.  I decided to look it up in the dictionary and "barrage" is described as a "rapid attacking outpouring of something" and "to subject somebody to a relentless onslaught."    All these rapid fire distractions are a tactic of the enemy to take our focus off of where it should be. 

Let's send a rapid fire barrage of our own by declaring that our focus is back on the Reason For The Season.... Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us, Child of God, Child of man, King of kings, Lord of lords, Wonderful, Counsellor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Atonement, The Way, The Truth, and The Life, Healer, Saviour, Sanctifier, Servant, Sacrifice, Seated at the Right Hand of The Father and Sovereign, Soon Coming King!

Jesus IS ABLE to smooth out the road before us.  He can and will help us to stay on that narrow path, and He can enable us to withstand any barrage or distraction that the enemy may throw at us!  THANK YOU LORD!!

Christmas is coming....

Christmas is coming....

How does your family celebrate Christmas? 

While at an FSS group the other night we all shared ideas on how we make it through the holiday without going crazy or ending up terribly depressed.  What do we focus on and what occupies our time during the Christmas season?

Christmas is usually always a time for families to get together and enjoy each other's presence.  Others, like single parent families are left on their own during this time.  Some people focus on what they don't have rather than having an attitude of gratitude for all that they do have.  Ultimately, our focus should be on enjoying God's presence, but so often we turn to the presence of  PRESENTS instead.  I snagged this video clip from Jason Eliason's Thrive Blog.  It really gets me asking questions... and hopefully answering those questions too.

Lord, I pray that you help all of us look at Christmas with a different perspective!  With Your perspective.  I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.... The reason for the season!  AMEN!!  Merry Christmas!