Jesus Loves You Society

Hey everyone! Happy Mon-whaaa? Wait a minute, did he almost say 'happy Mon-yay'? That's not right... But YES, Happy Mon-yay!! The start of another week, with no promise that each day it will get warmer until we're basking in the sunshine and living our best lives!! Pretend you're on a beach somewhere...this pic is Phuket Thailand, that's a great place to pretend to be...just be positive!! Can you smell the salt water & feel the ocean mist? (this overly positive message is an ...example of the quote to follow) Quote of the Week: "I don't believe our world needs more positivity. I believe our world needs minds that are equipped to be with the complexity of life. Minds that can hold nuance and polarity. Minds that can stay grounded, centered, and open to the full range of what it means to be human." Cory Muscara Here's the Week-At-A-Glance: Monday evening (women only) 4:30pm - 6pm Tuesday morning (women only) 9:30am - 11am Tuesday afternoon (young Mom's & children) 1pm - 2:30pm Homework Clubs: (student & Mom times) Tuesday * Wednesday * Thursday from 4pm - 5:30pm Students upstairs for snack, study & games Mom's downstairs for snacks, conversations & groceries A couple bad Dad Jokes: So what if I can't spell Armageddon, it's not the end of the world. There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot. Have a great week...hope to see you!

Happy Fri-Yay!! Did you know that in order for you to be born, you needed: 2 parents 4 grandparents... 8 great-grandparents 16 second great-grandparents 32 third great-grandparents 64 fourth great-grandparents 128 fifth great-grandparents 256 sixth great-grandparents 512 seventh great-grandparents 1,024 eight great-grandparents 2,048 ninth great-grandparents... For you to be born today, from 12 previous generations, you needed a total of 4,094 ancestors over the last 400 years... Now, think for a moment...How many struggles were there? How many battles? How many difficulties to overcome? How much sadness? How much happiness? How many love stories? How many expressions of hope for the future...did your ancestors have to undergo for you to exist in this present moment? GRATITUDE for today! Here's some Dad Joke Giggles for the weekend: If FedEx and UPS were to merge, would they call it FedUp? When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say? Why is the person who invests all your money called a Broker? Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks? Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just dry bread to begin with?? What hair colour do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men? I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me...they're crammin' for their final exam! Have a great weekend everyone...see you next week! Get out and enjoy the sunshine!!

I trust Easter weekend was a re-birth of hope for each of us in this year of change & adjustments... As we continue to walk through this time of uncertainty, there are truths that we can hold on to... "The fruitfulness of our little life, once we recognize it and live it as the life of the Beloved, is beyond anything we can imagine. One of the greatest acts of faith is to believe that the few years we live on this earth are like a little seed planted in very rich soil. For th...is seed to bear fruit, it must die. We often see or feel only the dying, but the harvest will be abundant even when we ourselves are the harvesters. How different would our life be were we truly able to trust that it multiplied in being given away! How different would our life be if we could believe that every little act of faithfulness, every gesture of love, every word of forgiveness, every little bit of joy and peace will multiply and multiply as long as there are people to receive it...and that -- even then -- there will be leftovers!" Henri Nouwen Here's the Week-At-A-Glance: Tuesday morning women's group starts at 10am Tuesday Young Mom's group at 1pm Homework Club for students & Mom's hits the ground running from 4pm-5:30pm every Tuesday Wednesday Thursday... * Those joining us this week will notice a new fence meant to keep our street friends from camping at the back door...we're also planning an enlargement of our front door area to accommodate strollers & good space for welcoming our community each day. Have a spectacular week...

Hey friends..... hope you are looking forward to a long weekend ahead! Easter is an exciting and memorable time each year. I always find Easter has a great mix of family fun with chocolate, family and friendships and getting outdoors alongside a time of reflection of our faith in Jesus. It is our hope that you can find a great mix of Easter fun and reflection this year Quote of the week - Henri Nouwen "God's love for his people should not be forgotten. When everything is... dark, surrounded by despairing voices, and do not see any exits, then we can find salvation in a remembered love that is a living force that sustains us in the present. Love transcends time and offers hope at any moment of our lives" (paraphrased version) Now it's time for some laughs.... Q - What is the difference between a crazy bunny and a counterfeit bill? A - One is bad money and the other is a mad bunny! Q - Who is the Easter Bunny's favourite movie actor? A - Rabbit De Niro! Q - Why are you stuffing all that Easter candy into your mouth? A - Because it doesn't taste as good if I stuff it in my ears. Why for 364 days of the year we tell our kids to NOT eat anything you find on the ground. But on Easter we tell them to "Go and search" in the dirt for candy a strange giant bunny left them And finally......... Tell your kids you hid an Easter egg with $50 in the backyard but you don't remember where. Enjoy a quiet day indoors That's all folks..... hope you have a fantastic weekend! Happy Easter

Today's encouragement, comes just before Easter... "I really want to encourage you not to despair, not to lose faith, not to let go of God in your life, but stand in your suffering as a person who believes she is deeply loved by God. When you look inside yourself, you might sometimes be overwhelmed by all the brokenness and confusion, but when you look outside toward him who died on the cross for you, you might suddenly realize that your brokenness has been lived through for... you long before you touched it yourself. Suffering is a period in your life in which true faith can emerge, a naked faith, a faith that comes to life in the midst of great pain. The grain, indeed, has to die in order to bear fruit and when you dare to stand in your suffering, your life will bear fruit in ways that are far beyond your own predications or understanding...Spend some time each morning doing nothing but simply sitting in the presence of God and saying the Jesus Prayer. Gradually, God will enter your heart in a new way and bring new light into your struggle." Encouraging words from Henri Nouwen in "You Are The Beloved" "Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me. Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me." Psalms 69:15, 16 [NIV] A simple week ahead of connection: Monday Women's Group from 4:30pm - 6pm Tuesday Women's Group from 9:30am - 11am Tuesday Young Mom Group from 1pm - 2:30pm Homework Clubs :: Tuesday * Wednesday * Thursday from 4pm - 5:30pm * Kids time upstairs includes a snack; homework & games * Mom's time downstairs includes a snack; grocery helps & plenty of time to share stories & a cup of tea or coffee... Dad Jokes: I dream of a better world where chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned! Life is like a camera...you focus on what's important, capture the good times, develop from the negative, and if things don't work out, take another shot!

A beautiful week is ahead of us...what will you do with your days? Make sure you get plenty of sunshine and water...you're basically a house plant with complicated emotions ;) Here's the week in front of us:... Monday - women's group from 4:30 pm - 6 pm Tuesday morning - women's group from 9:30 am - 11 am Tuesday afternoon - young Mom's group from 1 pm - 2:30 pm Tuesday * Wednesday * Thursday :: Homework Clubs from 4 pm - 5:30 pm * Mom's meet downstairs while school-aged kids are upstairs The wisdom of God is all around us, poured out among all creation. Its teachers are old and new. It dwells deep within and on the edges. It takes on forms strange and ordinary. All who seek God's wisdom will find it if only we pay attention, open to surprise, open to challenge, and open to the prophets of our day. Bad Dad Jokes: The past, the present & the future walk into a bar...it was tense! A termite walks into a bar and asks, "Is the bar tender here?" Why did the M&M go to school? He wanted to be a Smartie What do sea monsters eat? Fish & ships! Yesterday I saw a guy spill all his Scrabble letters on the road...I asked him, "What's the word on the street?" A lion attacked some tourists during a safari...sad to say, the lion's share of them won't be going home... The numbers 19 and 20 got into a fight...21! HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE!! GET OUT IN THE SUN!!

First Coming By Madeleine L’Engle He did not wait till the world was ready,... till men and nations were at peace He came when the Heavens were unsteady and prisoners cried out for release. He did not wait for the perfect time. He came when the need was deep and great. He dined with sinners in all their grime, turned water into wine. He did not wait till hearts were pure. In joy he came to a tarnished world of sin and doubt. To a world like ours, of anguished shame He came, and his Light would not go out. He came to a world which did not mesh, to heal its tangles, shield its scorn. In the mystery of the Word made Flesh the Maker of the stars was born. We cannot wait till the world is sane to raise our songs with joyful voice, for to share our grief, to touch our pain, He came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!

Welcome to the last 'gathering' week at JLYS before the Christmas break... ** Monday Night, Tuesday Morning, & Homework Club's are on this week ** Please wear a mask at all times! Next week (Dec. 21-24), we will not host gathering times & will take a break due to the restrictions.... ** WE ARE however, still open! So if there are any needs in the community "...don't be shy, GIVE US A CALL & swing on by". ----------------------------- We are in our 3rd week of ADVENT ('the coming') before Christmas...we've talked a bit about HOPE, then last week about PEACE...this week, we talk about JOY! Here's some things we know about JOY...it doesn't come from positive predictions about the state of the world. We tend to have very few of those these days. It also doesn't depend on the ups & downs of the circumstances of our lives. Joy is based on the spiritual understanding that, while the world in which we live is covered in darkness, God has overcome the world. Jesus says it loudly & clearly: In the world you will have troubles, but rejoice, I have overcome the world. The surprise is not that, unexpectedly, things turn out better than expected. No, the real surprise is that God’s light is more real than all the darkness, that God’s truth is more powerful than all the human lies, that God’s love is actually stronger than death. We find JOY most in the pain and uncertainty of our lives...you see, a JOYFUL person doesn't necessarily make jokes, laugh, or even smile. They're not people with simply an 'optimistic outlook' on life... ...a joyful person sees with open eyes the hard reality of the human existence, and at the same time, they are not imprisoned by it. Make it a goal this Christmas, to practice looking for JOY in the middle of your life swirl...like a 'hide & seek' game, we're promised that if we search, we will find it! Don't be imprisoned by the swirl, wade through it in search of JOY!!

Brace yourself for the last 'gathering' week AT JLYS next week...after that, we will be open, but not for gatherings. Please know that at any time during the Christmas break, if you are in need (...of a conversation; encouragement; resource; etc.) please reach out to each other or you can always post here on our page or message us (better than calling through the break)...and we can connect with you!! OK, on to the much anticipated bad Dad Jokes...obviously 'Christmas themed'... for this week and next... What do you call a bankrupt Santa? St. Nickel-less How much did Santa pay for his sleigh? Nothing, it was on the house! (<-- I like that one lol) What's the most popular Christmas wine? "I don't like brussel sprouts!" (wine = whine ...get it?) What did one snowman say to the other? "Do you smell carrots?" What's the best Christmas gift? A broken drum...you just can't beat it! How does Good King Wenceslas like his pizza's? Deep pan, crisp & even Ok, I gotta save some for next week...have a great weekend everyone!!

As we continue to find a way forward as community during these strange days, know that our plan will always include everyone's safety, while balancing our need for connection with what is being required of us by the Government of Alberta & City of Calgary. We are still gathering for the remainder of this week, and next week (Dec. 14th - 18th), while the kids are still in school... JLYS will be open, but 'not gathering' the week of Dec. 21st -24th...if you need grocery/other h...elps, please let us know. Our Christmas Break will include Dec. 24th - Jan. 4th, when again, we will be open Jan. 4th - 8th, but 'not gathering'. We will put word out that week to let you know what will happen in accordance to the province's requirements the week of Jan. 11th moving forward... ** We are still available to help with any crisis during the Christmas break, of course we are spending time with our families, but JLYS is our family too...if you are needing help during this time, please contact someone from our community without hesitation. Here's some encouragement... 5 Things you need to hear as we go into a second lockdown: 1. You got through the first one. You can get through this one. 2. Learn from the last time. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to be productive all the time. 3. With the winter mornings and evenings of darkness, there’s no doubt this one will be tougher, so please remember to keep talking to loved ones. 4. You are strong enough to get through this. Even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. 5. This won’t last forever, even though it feels like it will right now.

The first week of Advent ("the coming") was HOPE, now here we are in the 2nd week in Advent, and our theme this week is PEACE... "I have found it very important in my own life to try to let go of my wishes and instead to live in hope. I am finding that when I choose to let go of my sometimes petty and superficial wishes and trust that my life is precious and meaningful in the eyes of God, something really new, something beyond my own expectations begins to happen in me. To wa...it with openness and trust is an enormously radical attitude toward life. It is choosing to hope that something is happening for us that is far beyond our own imaginings. It is giving up control over our future and letting God define our life. It is living with the conviction that God molds us in love, holds us in tenderness, and moves us away from the sources of our fear." Henri Nouwen We build into HOPE in o ur lives by learning to wait with 'openness and trust'...it IS a radical attitude to invite PEACE to live in us. The peace of God, the peace that God came to bring to the world, the understanding that He is the author of Peace... The Shalom (Peace) that is talked about in the bible is more than simply peace...it is "a way of living in the world that brings abundance to all people, animals, and creation." Instilled into shalom is earth care, and looking out for the vulnerable. We are in turbulent days...who DOESN'T want more 'peace' this Christmas?!? I'll take a Vente of peace please! My prayer for each one of us is that we experience the 'peace of God', while we wait with openness & trust for a God-sized amount (Abundance) of peace this season. We are "for" each of you today, whatever your circumstance, please continue to let us know how you're doing... Here's the schedule for the week: Monday evening 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm Tuesday Morning 9:30 am - 11:30 am Homework Club: Tuesday; Wednesday & Thursday 4 pm - 5:30 pm