Mele Kalikimaka

Last year my family and I were reminiscing of earlier Christmas times and I recalled my mother waking us up by singing Mele Kalikimaka by Bing Crosby. Well, to my surprise, my siblings did not remember such a significant event, so I turned to my mother for verification, but unfortunately she too was struck by amnesia. Well after much carrying on, it turned out mom never sang that song to us....and so we now sing "Mele Kalikimaka the song Mom never sang on a bright Christmas morn". Now as a side note - she did sing "Pablo the Mexican Reindeer"...but that's another story.

So this is the first year I will be home in Three Hills for Christmas. I'm pretty excited about it. I've lived here for almost 7 years now. This week, I picked up my real Christmas tree at the only place in town...our local gas station. A friend and I sorted through the options. It was a bit of a guessing game as all their little arms were still in the up position. Eventually we found a winner, borrowed the saw from the nice lady and after we balanced it on the ice machine, cut off a few inches from the trunk. This isn't exactly how we do it in Ontario, but hey, there's no tree lot here.

There was one redeeming moment that reminded me of getting a Lanigan tree...the saw. You see, for whatever reason, come Christmas tree cutting time, any sharp saw would migrate to hidden caverns in the garage where no man could find them. A yearly exodus if you will. So the fallen saws, ones with cracked handles and dull teeth - too weary for the trip - would lay down relatively near to the garage door or hang upon nails in clear view. These were the ones that would be given to us by my father to cut down a tree for the family. Perhaps some of you have also experienced the result of this unfortunate tool strike.

So my sister, brother and I would set out with our Christmas tree toolkit consisting of a bedsheet, a bungee cord and ....the saw. When we would arrive to the tree lot, others would mock the saw and I must admit, there were several times we did opt for the man's saw over our own - but not this year. After perusing hundreds of christmas trees, faithfully marking the potentials with pieces of grass, sticks or mittens, the winner would be chosen. With a sigh, one of us would ask for "the saw". After laying down in the wet snow with branches poking in their eyes - they would initiate Phase 1. Phase 2 would start shortly after the shoulder cramping set in with the 2nd saw-er...then usually we ended with Phase 3 - equally similar to Phase 2. Each year cursing said saw. We would then carry the tree back to the car - my 5'3" sister on the tip and my 6'2" brother on the trunk and I would carry... "the saw". Once arriving at the vehicle, we would wrap our new addition with the bedsheet, squeeze it in the backseat and head for home. I tell you, every year I would return "the saw" back to the garage, placing it precariously close to the garbage can or even hiding it in a nook. However, every year it was back. Hmm.

On the MAF application front, this past week I handed in the first set of papers and completed the formal interview. Things appear to be coming along quite quickly. After the selection committee reviews this first chunk of information, then I'll be asked for references. So please keep me in your prayers as I continue in this direction. Thanks friends:)

I hope you enjoyed the stories today and are creating some of your own this Christmas season:)

Mele Kalikimaka!!
~April:)


A video featuring Lisa & April Lanigan cutting down the Christmas tree of 2006 with "the saw". Note: We had been working on the tree for a while and laughing quite hard and thus were out of breath.

Give peas a chance.

Peas for 30?
Tonight was our Staff Christmas party. It was an entertaining evening of turkey, fixin's, Christmas carols and games. A highlight each year is the traditional stealing of the white elephant gift exchange. This year was no different. The hottest items for 2010 were a pink foldable pig hamper, a "must have" mini camping ax, a headlamp, a large jar of candy, and a flask. It was wonderful to be with everyone tonight - there were many tears of joy and laughter:) I LOVE working with these people!! They are family to me:)

This morning marked the 11th day of freezing fog in the last 2 weeks. So in honor of being grounded, we took the opportunity to deck out the airport for Christmas! There were a few scrooges hiding in the study carols, but once Christmas Spirit arrived the crowd seemed to liven up. In fact, to my surprise, I witnessed an out-of-character chest bump between two serious instructors. I laughed until I cried. I guess that's what a little tinsel and lights will do to people~

T-27 days to Christmas. (I know...I can count.. but for the Lanigan family we celebrate when we can all get home...so the 30th it is! )

I hope your preparations are coming along nicely:)

Merry Christmas!!

Agape Valley Trails

Tonight I'm reflecting on these last several months and realizing that faith and obedience is a lot like that game in youth group where you're blindfolded and without touching your partner, you're lead by voice through a path in the forest, trying not to stumble on roots and rocks. You quickly have to trust that the one who is leading you can see and is right next to you giving clear directions. At the same time you obey their voice and commands, trusting that they are speaking the truth to you and have your best interest in mind....which includes not falling in a ravine. Faith & Obedience are challenging at times, as often I find myself in situations where the commands don't make a lot of sense based on my current surroundings but that is exactly where I need to obey and have faith in the One who is leading me.

What I love the most is when I read the Gospels -Jesus always had things prepared. There is never a time when He is caught off guard or surprised by an extra 4988 people showing up for lunch. Imagine that:) The disciples freak out, but He always has it covered. When the disciples fished all night and caught absolutely nothing, Jesus tells them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat...they obey...and in come their full nets. Then they realize it's Jesus and head to shore where Jesus had already prepared breakfast for them...fish, bread, and all~

If I could only fully grasp the One whom I'm serving, then faith & obedience would come so easy.

For those of you praying with me, I had the first interview with MAF last Thursday. It went well and I'm now in the process of filling out the next part of the paper application. Please continue to pray with me. I have lots of questions, but I still feel that I'm following His lead.

Following in obedience and in faith ~April

What's holding you back?

That was the question two friends asked me this week when I shared about my journey. It took some thinking this weekend to really pick out what it is. Quite frankly, I've been moving toward this goal for 12 years now - always a distance away "in the future" and now it's here - staring me in the face. I had imagined this moment to be different. I had pictured my life to be in a different place. I thought that I would be a couple of years into a marriage and the two of us would venture across the world to serve together. Instead, it's just me & God. Just is a bit of an understatement. My Aunt shared with me the last time I was home that she prays that the Lord will just give me what I need. The Bible says "My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory." Therefore I can trust that what I currently have including my friendships and family, is all I need...along with Christ of course. I do require a reminder of this truth and I'm thankful my friends asked me this question. The Lord is faithful to provide all my needs. I do not have to hold back.

Friends, I look forward to what is ahead. After seeing the Lord's hand guiding me this week with specific conversations, I have chosen to walk in His direction and start the application process with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). I have been working towards this goal for 12 years now! I can't believe it's finally here!

Please pray for me as I continue to seek the Lord for discernment and wisdom throughout this process. I want to be attentive to His voice.

Thank you to those who have been praying alongside me, I have received more and more clarity and confirmation. I do humbly ask you to continue.

Thank you with lots of love,
April

A boat & A Helicopter

Do you remember hearing the fictitious story of a woman and the flood? How as the rains came she would move higher and higher in her house until eventually she moved to the roof and waited for God to rescue her? Then some people came by in a boat to help her, but she turned them down saying she was waiting for God to rescue her....then a helicopter came by and again she refused to get in, hoping and waiting for God to rescue her...and then the end of the story is about her talking to God and asking Him why He didn't answer her and then He proceeds to tell her that He sent the guy in the boat and the helicopter? Have you heard this story before?

Well this week has been interesting. I've had several "random" encounters with people including close friends who have encouraged me to move into a certain direction for my future. I do believe that God directs people through others and through His Word. I do not want to be thick headed like this woman in the story. I know that God is directing me and I can trust Him.

Many people who have known me as an adult probably have no idea, but as a child I was extremely shy and timid. I feel like those characteristics are still scattered within my heart and often causes me to work at half capacity. I do not want to exist at 50% of my potential - of whom God has created me to be. I too often let the fear of the unknown paralyse my feet. At times I even thought that God would direct me through my fears as in if I felt anxious about it, then it wasn't God's purpose. Gosh, that is a tactic from the devil himself. God is not the source of fear and He does not use fear to guide His kids.

So in writing that, I look to His Word, knowing that it's the Truth, and believe that "God did not give us (me) a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
II Timothy 1: 7

Geometry

One triangle can never be a square. We discovered this truth this weekend at a Square Dance. It is truly impossible to corporately do these dances with only 3 couples...as we found out:) Unfortunately for us, we were in the dead zone of the speakers so we could only clearly hear statements like "bow to your partner...bow to the corner....circle to the left...circle to the right..." and somehow the other squares could hear many other calls - for their dances looked very organized and fluent. Ours on the other hand, often looked more like a star formation rather than a square. There is apparently rules about returning to your home partner...unfortunately again...we missed those rules so we would immediately weave around the circle and end up on the opposite side of the circle from our partners and the caller would say "bow to your partner"...and then we would scurry across and find our partner again with very confused faces wondering what kind of odd dance this was. This was repeated SEVERAL times. By the end, I had tears of laughter:) It was a wonderful wedding hoe-down!~

I spent this last weekend visiting my dear friends Ruth & Michael. Their home truly is an oasis. It is calm with a large dense forest and a little waterfall stream running through their backyard. I spent many hours talking and listening with my good friend and it was so wonderful to be in her company. I slept soundly in the most comfortable bed I have ever laid my weary body on, covered with the weight of multiple duvets. Gosh, it was heavenly. I could feel my body starting to relax. I wish I could have stayed longer. Ruth & Michael - you'll never know how deeply you both blessed my soul this weekend - Thank You!

I continue to ask the Lord for guidance and wisdom. The other night I was looking for specific verses and came across 2 chapters I had memorized several years ago. It was another reminder to me that the Lord is not surprised by the outcomes of my days. He is not afar off. He is closer than we think.

¹ O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
² You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
³ You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
⁴ You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
⁵ You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!

¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
¹⁵ You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
¹⁶ You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.

¹⁷ How precious are your thoughts about me,^b]">[b] O God.
They cannot be numbered!
¹⁸ I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!

Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18

autumn

Autumn is a beautiful season. It's my favourite! All the leaves turn from a blanket green to vibrant colours of yellow, orange, and crimson red. There's a crisp freshness in the air and it's the only time I have noticed that you can SMELL the leaves. It's a beautiful season, but it is a season of change. Did you ever realize that before? I don't think I consciously thought about it until today. These leaves abandon their uniform colour to transform into something new. Each tree changes at different times, often circulating through a variety of colours until they finally rest on one. We have a tree on my parent's front lawn that is always the last tree on our street to change. Sometimes it is still green in November... but eventually it does change to yellow in time before winter really arrives.

Change is something I battle with. I work in an environment where change is normal. The plans I make for each day will inevitably change and that's ok as I've learned to expect that. I tell my students that the plan they have prepared for a flight will change and all they can do is recognize the discrepancies and correct as they go.

Have you noticed when you go for a walk in September that you can feel the change in the weather? You know the season is about to change. You start to dig out your woolly sweaters and maybe even mittens for the Albertans...but you can sense it. I am in that place. I can feel that change is around the corner. I have some key decisions to make during this time that require wisdom and guidance. I am looking for people - friends - who are willing to join me as I ask the Lord - who does not change - for His plan and purposes. Will you join me in prayer during this season?

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5

Ah... the beginning

Most have you have known me for a long time and have patiently listened to my stories as my days unfold. So many of you live far away and I created this blog so you guys can still hear my random stories and see what my daily life is looking like. For those of you who are new, I'll catch you up briefly!

I am currently living in Three Hills Alberta. It's a small town of 3000 people where everyone knows everybody and you can literally go over to your neighbour's house for a cup of sugar. It snows once a month here - in fact just yesterday we had snow that accumulated to 3 inches - it usually stays a day and melts. We are close enough to the mountains that we experience the warm chinooks in the dead of winter.

I reside in a small square house in a little cul de sac shared by my good friend. I have a wee garden on the go and waiting for the frost warnings to cease before I plant them in the ground.

My place of work is 3 km away. I get to teach people how to fly. It's my most favourite job yet!

If the opportunity arises, I hope one day I can continue to serve Jesus overseas and use my flying & teaching skills to help people in remote communities.

So now the scene has been set, tune in for some stories along my way!