Vacation Comes to an end

We've been away from home for nearly two weeks so it's feeling a lot like it's time to come home. It's been a great time away. Everyone has had a great time and got to do some pretty cool stuff.

Britt:
Made some new friends, spent hours in town at the mall, stayed up late, thinks she could live in Moose Jaw except that they start school in August which she doesn't like at all! She's had an excellent summer with a bunch of birthday parties. We're very happy for her and glad that she was able to spend a month here. Next year, she'll probably try to be here as soon as school is out!

Zack:
Learned to shoot:
gophers (3 kills) and pool (very good at it!)

Played golf with Dad and UNCLE RODGER
Drove and rode the quad, went tubing at the lake and had a lot of fun with Tyler

Saw Grandpa's Grey Cup ring

Tyler
Beat UNCLE RODGER at the Saturday Sports tournament. (This was just a fun day at Rodger and Brandon's but it might have been the Stanley Cup.

Learned to shoot:
Gophers (2 kills) and pool (learned all the pool shark tricks)
Drove and rode the quad
Went tubing at the lake
Established a cult following with all of his little cousins - they think that he walks on water! Sidney thinks the sun rises and sets on him...

WORE Grandpa's Grey Cup ring. Looks at the pictures of grandpa holding the Grey Cup. Dreams that "one day it will be me.."

This has been a great time to relax and reconnect with family. We've been blessed to be here! We are looking forward to returning home, seeing Zoe and getting ready for school and a return to our own beds.

Tim

A Family Visit

I had a family visit this morning. It was very unique because I visted people I've never met and they didn't even know I was there...

Now that I have your attention, I'll tell you what happened. Last week we were at the church camp where Barb spent a lot of time when she was growing up. While we were there, I met a second cousin that I hadn't seen in a long time. We spent some time catching up over lunch and the conversation turned to the death of my younger brother. He was killed in a car accident when the car was hit by a drunk driver. It happened 25 years ago this spring. He was 6 months old, I was 18 and just completing my first year of Bible College. Needless to say it rocked our world in a number of ways. I haven't thought about James for a long time, but the conversation stirred a number of memories and emotions so I decided that while I was in the area (Melville, SK), I would visit his grave. I've only been there twice. Once on the day he was buried and one other time, so I was due for a visit...

I spent last night at my aunt and uncle's and told them what I wanted to do so before 8 this morning, my uncle and I were hiking around the cemetery. He knew where it was so it wasn't long until we were standing at his grave. At that moment, it felt like it was yesterday. The emotions flooded back, I shed some tears and my uncle and I just kind of stood there. It was awkward, painful and good all at the same time.

I spent a lot of time today thinking about how someone who lived for such a short time so long ago, could continue to have such an effect on my life? It brings "The Purpose Driven Life" to a whole new level of meaning. Sometimes our greatest purposes are fulfilled after we are gone and God continues to use memories to move us towards what He wants to work out in us and through us.

That wasn't my only visit. Because we were there, we went to visit my aunt's grave (his sister) and he showed me where he and my aunt will be buried. That was kind of strange, but there's a lot to be said for planning ahead. As we walked, I began to notice names of other people that I had met or knew because of my summers on the farm near there. Some were relatives, some were neighbours, some were family friends. We stopped and stood at graves of people he knew and that I had met. We went to my grandparents grave as well. It was a very rich experience.

Before we left he took me to the vetran's section. I have a great uncle who was killed in action in France in August of 1944. He is buried there, but there is a headstone to mark his life here too. Initially, the headstone was at a cemetry in the country. When the cemetery was eventually abandonded, the headstone was brought into the city cemetery. For whatever reason, it was just placed in the row of headstones and stayed there until someone needed the spot where it was. After that there were no other places left in the vetran's section. There is an archway that you walk through to access the vetran's section and my uncle's tombstone is placed on one side of the arch facing another in the opposite position. They look like sentries guarding the way in to the area. In the light of what's happening in Afghanastan and Lebanon, the whole thing was very poignant.

Most of the people that I visited live even though their bodies died years ago. I am confident that while I live out my life here, they are cheering me on along with many of my other heroes. One day, I will see them again (and meet some of them for the first time!) It will be amazing and overwhelming all at the same time.

I can only imagine...

Saskatchewan Vacation

It's not quite like the Griswold's "European Vacation" but it's been quite a week here in "Big Mosquito Country". We spent the week at a church camp (Keddleston) with Barb's cousins and their kids. It was a lot of fun connecting with cousins and meeting old friends as well.

Here are some of the highlights.

1) The lake turned GREEN! Hard to believe but true. One day the lake was blue, the next day the lake was green. You might think I'm kidding, but it looked like that green drink that Barb gets at Starbucks. What's most remarkable is that people continue to use the lake like it's normal.

2) The Blood Donor Clinic. All right it wasn't really a blood donor clinic because I didn't know I was donating until the next morning. Apparently my feet and ankles have tasty blood because they were covered with welts where the vampire mosquitos were having a banquet while I slept.

3) Old Friend/New Friend. On our first night there, Barb met someone we knew from Vancouver Island. She spent her summer at the same camp that we counselled and led at in other years. Louise is married with 3 sons. She lives in Regina which is a long way from Port Alberni and owns a funeral home business with her husband Miles. The great thing about old friends is that they usually bring new friends. Miles is a crazy man! I think we'll have a lot of fun together.

If you're thinking of dying any time soon, call Paragon Funeral Services in Regina. Miles and Louise will take great care of you.

4) Driving the Combine. Sorry I don't have any pictures on this, but the boys and I went for a ride on the combines with Barb's dad and brother. For the uninitiated, combines are harvesting machines that farmers use to bring in the crops. Yesterday they were harvesting lentils, next week they'll do peas and then probably birdseed, before they go on to do wheat and barley. There were 5 combines, 2 semi's and one 5 ton truck working the 200 acre field that we were at yesterday. They were done in about 5 hours. It's a pretty impressive operation. The cabs are all airtight and airconditioned. Each machine needs 4 computers to run the various processes involved so it's pretty complex. Here's a link to tell you more about what they are like. http://johndeere.com/en_GB/iCombines/9880i_sts/sts_index.html

5) Family Time. Because we are spread out from Victoria, BC to Moose Jaw, SK, the opportunity for everyone to be together is pretty rare. Last night we had a family birthday party for Brittany, Barb's sister (Rhona) and our niece (Sidney). They are all August babies and all born within about a week of each other which is kind of neat. The guys watched the Riders lose to the Stampeders as part of the evening. It was a memorable event.

Today we are just hanging out, playing pool and going out to shoot some gophers this afternoon. Nothing like "Big Mosquito Country" to bring out the killing instincts in you...

Have a good one!

Going to Saskatchewan...

So we left on vacation on Saturday afternoon with a fully loaded van and pointed it east. Destination - Keddleston Camp on Last Mountain Lake in Sunny Saskatchewan. It's been a few years since we've been back but I'm happy to report that absolutely nothing has changed here. The sky is still big, the ground is still flat, the highways still look they belong in Beruit and the mosquitos are ever abundant...

Here's some highlights from the trip thus far.

Saturday Night
We stayed in Golden at "Mary's Motel" - (Trust me Barb, it's a great price and how bad can it be??) I should listen to my wife!! The place was a dump and there were several parties going on in the courtyard. This must be at least a -5 Star hotel! Tell all of your enemies to stay there!! :-)

Sunday Morning
We left at 7:00 which was an hour later than we had planned and about 3 hours after I finally fell asleep due to the social gatherings taking place all around us. After a quick stop at Tim Hortons, we proceeded towards our destination. Tyler asked if we could drive by the Saddledome in Calgary because he's a huge Flames fan. Normally, I would have given him an excuse but I decided that in light of the journey before us, 15 minutes out of our way wouldn't be the end of the world.

It was well worth the detour. We pulled up in front and he had to get out and "touch" the building, look in the window and just "be" there. Nice little diversion for the day.

Family nearly gets hit by Greyhound.
That should have been the headline on Monday morning. I cut off a Greyhound with about 100m between us when I pulled out in front of it. There was a semi turning left and the bus was in it's blindspot. When I pulled out, there was no where to go. Thankfully we made it with a bit of room to spare. It was close enough that I probably should have stopped to change my shorts, but I chose not to and just blamed the kids for the smell... Too close for comfort, but THANKS GOD!!

Driving in a war zone
With no exaggeration, I thought we were in Beruit when we drove into Sask. What had been a nice wide, smooth highway became the worst piece of road I've ever seen. I think they only mark the really bad ones because they are still looking for the vehicles that fell into them. I'd take pictures, but you'd think I was using a moon shot because the craters are so big!! Needless to say I'm not in a hurry to drive here again. it was pretty bad!!

After 13 hours we are almost at our destination. This is after Tyler and I talk for an hour about how straight the road is (no curves for miles...) and how flat the land is. The name of the place we're going to is "Last Mountain Lake". I asked him why he thought they called it that. He said "that's probably because we saw the last mountain 10 hours ago..."

The other "Tylerism" of the day came yesterday afternoon. We are staying at a spot where all of Barb's cousins are also staying. There's 9 kids under 10 on the site. Barb's cousin has one of those "Slow! Children at Play" signs because we're near the road. Tyler pulled me aside and asked "Dad, does that mean "Slow Children at Play" or that people should go slow because there's kids playing. After rolling on the ground, I told him that it was really about people needing to drive slow because there are kids playing and that none of his relatives are "challenged".

Daugher reunited with Family
Britt met us at the van with a big hug. She's been away for 3 weeks so we were quite happy to see her. She's made some new friends and has had a great time here. This week is family camp so she's having a lot of fun enjoying "Late Night" after "Mug Up"

Life is Good on Vacation! I should get to post again in a few days. Until then, don't smile to broadly when you're running down the street, the mosquitos really show up on your teeth!

Tim

15 Things to Do at the Mall

I don't suggest doing this at your local mall, but if you were out of town and kind of bored....

The following letter was sent to a long time patron of a local Target store. After receiving this letter, she vowed that she would NEVER take her husband shopping with her again! ! !

12 January 2006

Re: Mr. Bill Fenton; Multiple Complaints

Dear Mrs. Fenton,

Over the past six months, your husband, Mr. Bill Fenton has been causing quite a commotion in our store.We cannot tolerate this type of behaviour and have considered banning the entire family from shopping in any of our stores. We have documented all incidents on our video surveillance equipment.Three of our clerks are attending counselling from the trouble your husband has caused. All complaints against Mr. Fenton have been compiled and are listed below.

15 Things Mr. Bill Fenton has done while his spouse is shopping:
1. 15th June: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.

2. 2nd July: Set all the alarm clocks in House wares to go off at 5-minute intervals.

3. 7th July: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the restrooms.

4. 19th July: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official tone, 'Code 3' in house wares..... and watched what happened.

5. 4th August: Went to the Service Desk and asked to put a bag of M&M's on lay-by.

6. 14th September: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. 15th September: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they'll bring pillows from the bedding department.

8. 23rd September: When a clerk asks if they can help him, he begins to cry and asks Why can't you people just leave me alone?'

9. 4th October: Looked right into the security camera; used it as a mirror, and picked his nose.

10. 10th November: While handling guns in the hunting department, asked the clerk if he knows where the antidepressants are.

11. 3rd December: Darted around the store suspiciously loudly humming the "Mission Impossible" theme.

12 . 6th December: In the auto department, practiced his "Madonna look" using different size funnels.

13. 18th December: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browse through, yelled "PICK ME!" "PICK ME!"

14. 21st December: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumes the foetal position and screams "NO! NO! It's those voices again!!!!"(And; last, but not least!)

15. 23rd December: Went into a fitting room, shut the door and waited a while; then, yelled, very loudly, "There is no toilet paper in here!"

Let this be said of me!

John Gill (as I've learned this week) was a great preacher/theologian/writer from the 1700's. Quite an inspiring epitaph! I hope it lights a fire in your life.

In this cemetery
are deposited the remains of John Gill, D.D.

A man unblemished in life;
An ingenuous disciple of Jesus;
A distinguished preacher of the Gospel;
and, of the Christian faith, a strenuous defender,
who embellished with mind, learning and devotion,
and ever unwearied amid the severest labours
more than fifty years,
strove with zeal perpetual and glowing,
to fulfill the precepts of the Lord,
To advance the prosperity of the church
and to seek the salvation of men;

In Christ he fell calmly asleep on the 14th of October, 1771, aged 74.

I Just Wanna Testify ....

Sorry for the delay, but it's been pretty busy around here in the last little while. There's a ton of stuff to tell you, the challenge is knowing where to begin...

The Britt Update:
Britt is in Saskatchewan getting her fill of cousins, aunties and new friends. She is having the time of her life. Apart from a bit of home-sickness while she was at camp, she did very well (with the exception of tearing some ligaments in her knee.) She's recovering well but did some time on crutches. The best part of the story is that she was well enough to spend a day at the mall with Aunt Sharon who just had hip surgery. I would have loved to see the two of them (Sharon on a scooter and Britt in a wheel chair) going through the mall.

The Vehicle Update:
We got a new vehicle for which we are truly thankful! We really appreciated the MX-6 (2 Dr. NO AC) that got us through the winter, but it really was time to do something. We opted for a Grand Caravan Sport. The AC works, it has a DVD player and Satellite Radio so all is VERY GOOD! Barb will enjoy her freedom today and was making plans last night about where she would go and what she would do today.

The Weekend Update:
We have some very kind friends who own a suite in a hotel at Sun Peaks who generously made arrangements for us to have a weekend there. To make things even better, the Kamloops Symphony was doing "Music in the Mountains" this weekend so there were concerts going for most of Saturday and Sunday. Most of them happened in the village and right in front of our hotel so Barb was very blessed. The boys and I weren't far from the ice cream store so we escaped a few times to get some ice cream and amuse ourselves in other ways.

The tempature in Kamloops this weekend was into the low 40's so getting to where the temp was only in the low 30's was very nice.

The Ministry Update:
I got a call on Friday from a friend in Victoria. She's part of a group of people who have been praying for government leaders for a long time. She shared the vision of what it is that God has called me to do and they were very excited. One of the people who was there (a pastor's wife) said that God had spoken to her in a dream the night before and told her that this groups was to take up an offering when they got together. When she heard about the ministry and what I'll be doing, she knew that the offering was for us. The total was over $600 which is a pretty cool blessing! This is a huge encouragement to me and reminds me that God's name is Jehovah-Jireh, the God who provides. We've sent out some letters and seen some response, but to have this come out of no where just reminds me that "on the mountain of the Lord it will be provided." Over the next few months I'll head out on the road on weekends to begin visiting churches, building a profile for the ministry and fundraising. I'm believing that I will see many more provision miracles as that begins to happen.

The Church Update:
I love our church and our pastor. After pastoring in the same city for 11 years, it's kind of neat to be a part of my friend's church. Pastor Andrew is really amazing. On a hot summer night, he hit the ball out of the park. We had a powerful service, marked by the presence of God and miracles (yes - miracles!). He is such a huge supporter of what we are doing and where we are going. I am so glad that God planted us in Bible Truth. This has been a wonderfully refreshing and empowering time. I am rediscovering spiritual truths and values that I had forgotten about for a long time and there is a fire burning deep inside that is fresh and exciting.

Mostly I am inspired afresh by the vision that God has a plan for our nation that goes beyond what we see in the natural. We might not have "In God We Trust" on our money, but we do have "His Dominion shall be from sea to sea" written on the Peace Tower" Jesus is Lord over every part of our nation and His kingdom is coming!!

"I've Never Failed At Anything I've Done..."

People say ridiculous things. I had the radio on as I was driving to work today and heard a candidate say "You should vote for me because I've never failed at anything I've done..."

What a remarkable (if somewhat delusional) statement. I think it speaks volumes as to his self awareness. I don't think I could vote for someone who had never failed. They wouldn't know what it was like for the rest of us!

Failure is never fun, but as John Maxwell wrote, there's something to be said for "failing forward". I was able to attend EXPO 2005 in Japan last summer and visited the American Pavillion. It was dedicated to Benjiman Franklin. Benjiman Franklin couldn't say he had never failed, because he failed a lot! Like Abraham Lincoln, his failures far outnumbered his successes, but they are both celebrated as individuals who shaped their world significantly.

"It's better to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all." If failure is something that you're unfamiliar with, maybe your life has become too comfortable and predictable.

Failure gives us the opportunity to learn and grow if we're willing to admit that we've failed and able to learn from our mistakes. Failing to learn from our mistakes is the biggest failure of all.

"There's No Such Thing As Business Ethics"

While there may have been many redeeming qualities about his life, Kenneth Lay will be remembered as the convicted former Chairman of Enron who oversaw the largest deception of regulators, shareholders and employees in the history of business. He experienced a colossal ethical failure that cost him his reputation and the shareholders and employees of Enron millions of dollars. For whatever reason, he began to believe that his business ethics were separate from his personal ethics and that his decisions at work would not affect his life away from the office. Nothing could be further from the truth. Ethics are the moral boundaries that we choose to govern our lives by and our personal and professional credibility is defined by how well we hold to them.

While it’s easy to find fault with Mr. Lay and others who have failed ethically, the reality is that ethical failure is not limited to the rich and powerful. At some point in time, everyone fails ethically. We fail personal ethics tests for at least one of several reasons.

1. We do what’s most convenient.
Most of us fail personal ethics tests because we don’t think we’ll get caught. We tell ourselves “it’s just this one time” or “it’s really not who I am” and we convince ourselves that it’s okay to step outside of the normally accepted rules of doing business.

2. We do what we must to win.
We’ve come to believe that we have two choices. We can win by doing whatever it takes, even if it’s unethical or we can have ethics and lose. Many people believe that embracing ethics would limit their options, their opportunities and their very ability to succeed in business. Few people set out with the desire to be dishonest, but nobody wants to lose.

3. We rationalize our choices with relativism.
Joseph Fletcher was a professor of theology at Harvard University when he coined the term “situational ethics”. Situational ethics might sound appealing until the situation isn’t in your favour. When we begin to function personally or in business using relativism as our moral compass, things can get murky very quickly.

How do you find your way to ethical behaviour?

1. Submit yourself to an external authority.
Choose a moral standard that you will adhere to and stick to it.
The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20)
Rotary 4-way test (www.rotary.org)
The Golden Rule (www.teachingvalues.com)

2. Tell others what you do.
Make your standards public. Publicity holds us accountable to ourselves, our customers and those around us.

3. Have a high personal standard.
Don’t compromise on the truth. Don’t take short cuts. Keep your commitments and do what’s right even if it’s unpopular.

4. Have integrity.
Align your priorities with your values. Know the things that matter most in your life and live your life towards them.

5. Confess when you’ve made a mistake.
Everyone makes mistakes. Admit yours quickly and easily. People are forgiving and trusting when we confess and ask for forgiveness.

6. Stand firm when the pressure is on.
Who you are when no one is looking is who you are. Character is defined by what we do, not by what we say we do.

Celebrating The Vision

I love the look that comes when people "get it" when I tell them about where God is taking me. It energizes me, inspires me and lifts me out of the doldrums that happen when I speak with people who don't "get it". It's interesting to see how it works. There's an "aha" look that comes when they see what God has put in my heart and how the fruit of that can literally change our nation.

My pastor says it best. We've spent millions of dollars working in the back alleys of our cities and towns at the expense of ministering to the leaders of our nation. I celebrate those who support the poor, the widow and the orphan and give to a ministry that does that in my city. I honour those who work in that world because it's a place that I know is difficult and challenging.

At the same time our leaders need a ministry directed to their needs and culture. Everything flows from the top down and unless our leaders are encouraged and supported to govern with righteousness and integrity, our nation cannot realize the fullness of the destiny that God has established for us. Righteousness exalts a nation and without it our future is bleak.

A friend asked me a good question today. "What exactly are you going to be doing Tim?" Here's the picture as I see it. Fundamentally it's all about building relationships so that at the right time, the right seeds can be sown that will make a difference in the big picture. Coming back to the examples of Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel, Joseph and others, presence and timing were everything. The same is true with this. By building relationships and networks, the possibilities and opportunities to influence those who shape policies and make the key decisions in our nation are endless.

My friend and I spent a lot of time talking about things today and I think he "gets" it. I hope you do too!

Have a good one!

Zack's pictures!

Here are the pictures of Zack's excellent weekend!

MVP Medal

Here comes the pitch....

The Presentation

WAY TO GO ZACK!!

My boy's gonna play in the big leagues...

The title works best if you're a Tom Cochrane fan...

Forgive me for boasting but this past weekend marks an end to Little League Season in our house and I need to applaud the success of Zack and Tyler. Zack was named MVP in his Friday game. He pitched the last 2 innings of the game (final inning is open) and did a great job. With the help of his team, he held the AAA Riverdogs to one run in the 4th and no runs in the 5th. His team was defeated, but they were playing against kids that were 2nd or 3rd year players in their division. He was on a AA Rookie team.


Zack has had a great year. This was a big stretch for him this year as everything happens a lot faster in Mosquito than it does in Tadpole, but he grew into the role and will have a great year next year as a "vetran".

Tyler finished off his Tadpole career in true Tyler fashion. He was a strong asset to his team, usually getting at least a double each time he was up to bat. I missed his last game, but he told me that he slid into home for the winning run in a come from behind victory. He didn't have to slide, he just did it because he could! Nothing says you've played the game like dirt and grass stains on your pants! He played 2nd, Shortstop, First and Catcher over the weekend and absolutely loves it. Here are few photo's from Tyler's weekend as well. Tyler is second from the left with the batting helmet on. He's waiting for his medal.




This is Tyler beside his friend Cooper. They are waiting for the MVP announcement. Two other team mates won them, but Ty and Coop both played really well and made an excellent contribution to their team









There's some talk about a parents/kids game this coming Wednesday and I'm already being trash talked... The boys may play each other some time this week as well. The pre-game banter and post-game bragging just might be worth writing about!

Check back for the pictures of Zack!

Tim

Enabled...

I was reading in Ezekiel the other day in ch. 36 where God says he's going to remove our hearts of stone and replace them with a heart of flesh. Now none of that is really new to me but I just "happened" to catch this phrase leaping off the page... "on the day that I cleanse you, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities."(KJV) Apart from the very obvious (but very powerful) relationship between cleansing and enabling, I couldn't help but think about the additional transformation from "country dwellers" to "city dwellers". It seems that there's a spiritual difference between city dwellers and country dwellers.

City dwellers need some things that spiritual country dwellers don't. City dwellers need favor, authority, ability and supernatural empowerment because of the environment in which they live. City dwellers are surrounded by people who require interaction, leadership and who are able to see and experience the blessing of God.

The enabling shows up in ch. 37 in the Valley of the Dry bones where Ezekiel prophesies to a graveyard and watches the bones come together to form a mighty marching army that changes it's world!

Enabling requires patience and presence. Patience because we need to slow down and wait. Presence because ours must be in God's.

Slowing down to wait...

Tim

Our first donation

I got some great news last night. We've received our first donation towards the ministry. There are other commitments we've received, but this is the first actual cheque! It's pretty exciting. We're waiting for some other things to happen over the next few weeks, including our first church coming on board, but all in all we're in a good place!

If you received a fundraising letter and are bit confused about the monthly giving option, here's what 's going on. We are in the process of setting up an auto debit option, but we're not quite there yet. It may take us a little while to get everything fully functional so in the meantime, the easiest thing to do might be to send a series of post-dated cheques. As soon as we've got the auto debit option functional, we'll let you know and switch you over if that's what you'd like us to do.

Gotta go!

Tim

Way to Go Britt

As I mentioned a few days ago, Britt graduated from Gr. 7 this week. Yesterday was her last day of elementary school. I think she's going to miss it, because she hung around after school was over just to be there. She had a great report card with some very positive remarks from her teacher regarding her citizenship (which I think means a sense of community responsibility) and her leadership (which I'm very proud of!)

She's had quite a week. On Saturday morning, it looked like she was going on a Mission's Trip to Mexico this summer. By Saturday afternoon, that fell through so it looked like she was going to be spending summer "on the couch". That all changed on Wednesday when she was invited to go on "Street Invaders". Street Invaders provides a crash discipleship, evangelism and ministry training course where the students are placed on teams and work with local churches to reach their communities. She's on her way to Saskatchewan which isn't quite Mexico, but provides all of the bugs, heat, travel and adventure, while still speaking the same language. :-)

She's looking forward to getting there and is going to be raising her own funds to make it happen SO ... if you need a baby sitter, weed wacker, housecleaner or a friend you want to hire, please... CALL BRITT! She's mature, reliable and stable. She makes great cookies and KD without the slightest bit of stress. She's never lost a child she was looking after and always brings them home on time after the field trip to the park/mall/woods!

Walking my dog...

I took Zoe for a walk tonight and had a great "aha" moment. She's a yellow lab who loves to play fetch. We didn't have to teach her to fetch, she was just born to do it and she does it very well... most of the time...

It's been a while since we were out together so she often needs to get focused because she's just so happy to be out in the woods. I threw a few sticks down the hill which she found really quickly, then we moved into more of a treed area. She was so happy to be chasing sticks that she forgot to pay attention to where the stick was going. I threw the stick to the left and she took off full speed to the right. Needless to say, she didn't find the stick on her own.

That's when I had my "aha" moment. It occurred to me that I've been like Zoe on multiple occasions in my life. There are times I've been running one way when the place where I'd be fully satisfied is in a completely different direction. I don't think this a one time lesson, but one that reminds me to keep my eye on the stick so that I can do what I was meant to do.

This has been a great transition period but I'm getting ready to get busy "chasing the stick" that I've been made to fetch. :-)

Frying eggs...

Kamloops hit a record 38.4C yesterday. Not sure how hot that is in Farenheit, but it's REALLY Hot in Celsius. Kamloops is rumoured to be one of those places where it's hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk in the summer. Who knows if it's really true, but it was hot enough to melt ice cream as I walked back to the office.

Anyway, on to some serious stuff. Leading Influence is now an approved ministry of the PAOC. That's kind of nice as it just adds to our credibility. On another note, for the first time ever I've got my own personal marriage register. It comes with the official approval.

I can hardly wait to put it to use so if you know anyone who wants to tie the knot, send them my way. Sonya, you and Gary should get married ... for the sake of the kids...

Tim

Christmas in June...

I always thought that Christmas was insane until now... We just finished our 12th weekend in a row with at least two baseball games and usually 3. Not to mention practices and weekly games that pretty much consume every other evening of the week. Let's just say that we've made a whole bunch of new friends (marmots) at the park where the boys play ball.

I'm not complaining... much... but the idea of a laid back summer is just an idea. I don't think it really exists because now we're headed off into "Summer Ball". Tyler is on the travelling tournament team and for this year Zack is on the devlopment team. Practices are on opposite nights so that means 4 nights at the park PLUS alternating game times on weekends. (Did I mention the grass needs cutting, the house needs painting and the dog needs to go to the lake??

In addition, Britt is graduating from Gr. 7. Big day for her. She's quite excited and we are quite proud of her. Her last graduation was in Kindergarten so it's been a while since she's graduated. I'm not sure why, but she doesn't want me to chaperone the dance after. Could it be that there's a boy somewhere in the mix that I don't know about??

Stay tuned for more in the life and times. I'll be the guy with the farmer tan...

Tim

When Blasphemy Becomes Boring

If you've read the article in today's National Post (A14), feel free to skip this, but I found Father Raymond J. De Souza's article very interesting to say the least.
As you may know, Madonna is performing in Montreal this week. Her show includes a number where she appears on a cross wearing a crown of thorns. La Presse gave the tour front page coverage with the headline "Madonna L'Icone" and added an 8 page supplement.
De Souza says that most of her audience wouldn't even see the the blasphemy in her actions because in our culture blasphemy has become blase. He says that if Madonna had writhed provocatively over a Koran, the response in La Presse would have been entirely different.
"To blaspheme is to show contempt for the sacred. It means insulting the things of God. And when culture reaches a point where blasphemy is boring, it is an indicator that the sense of the sacred and an affinity for the things of God are severely eroded."
Listen to this...
"That is the implicit diagnosis of the Archdiocese of Montreal, which chose to provocatively drape it's cathedral as well as billboards and posters across the city with some of the more famous Quebecois curses.... What happens when religious faith recedes to the point where the words are only heard in their profane usage but never in the original sacred one?"
The church is undertaking to educate people as to the true meaning of the words that they use profanely as a form of evangelism.
Kind of brings to mind what Jesus had to say about salt... when the salt is no longer salty, it needs to be tossed aside...
Lord... have mercy!

Things I saw & heard today...

Okay the title sounds boring but it's just been an interesting kind of day as I've travelled through Alberta.
I started in Sylvan Lake Alberta which is a great resort town with it's own lighthouse. Can't tell if you it works, but the town looks like a sea-side resort. Very cool.

I overheard a guy talking about his dying father and his cynical wife saying the only reason anyone cared was so they could get in the will. Hmmm...

I heard about a septic pump truck that flipped over and stopped traffic in Edmonton for an hour. The reporter said that traffic was "overflowing" in that area... (Sorry ... body function humour cracks me up!)

I saw a horse hobbling along a driveway with wire tangled around it's leg dragging along a broken fence post... couldn't help because it was behind a closed gate and this is Alberta and they don't take kindly to "city folk" messing with their "critters"...

I saw one kid throw another out of one of those inlflatable pools. They obviously spend too much time watching professional wrestling.

I saw the coolest abandonded buildings all along the way. Just old barns, bins and houses. I couldn't help but wonder what happened to the people who used to live there.

I saw 2 F18's fly over. Their "roar" was about 10 seconds behind them.

I saw a town called "Hairy Hill". Do you think they call the residents "Hillites", "Hillers" or "Hairbillies"?

I was near "Two Hills" today but didn't see any hills and now I'm in St. Paul (which is a very unique community....) and ready to have dinner.

What did you see today?

The Prize

I happened to be in Edmonton today and missed the return of the Stanley "Cup-less" Edmonton Oilers by a mere hour. I would have enjoyed seeing them because in my mind they are incredibly successful. I read today that they are the only 8th seed team in Stanley Cup history to make it to the finals, much less to Game 7.

During the presentation last night, Tyler (our youngest son) went to his room and brought out his McDonalds replica Stanley Cup to kiss and parade around the room in the same way the Carolina Hurricanes were doing on the ice. (He's convinced that he's going to play hockey for the Calgary Flames and win the Cup with Jerome Iginla... I hope he does. A hockey career will help considerably with my retirement plans!)

Hebrews talks about running to win the prize and I can't help but think that the celebration in heaven will trump anything that we can create here for a sports championship. The crowd there is made up of every saint that has ever run "the race" and even today they are cheering you and me on to run it well. Max Lucado wrote that when it's all said and done that our Heavenly Father will rise from His throne to join the applause as we cross the final finish line. (If you think about that for too long, it will bring tears to your eyes or keep you from sleeping!)

Tyler may one day be in a Stanley Cup, World Series or Grey Cup championship parade. (Let a dad dream...) but of this I'm sure, the party in heaven when we arrive there will make anything here look pretty lame.

Keep on running! The prize makes it all worth it!

Tim

The Church and Leadership

This is part of an email that came from a friend...

I got so excited the other day reading "Authority in Prayer" by Dutch Sheets. I read the most interesting thing that I believe is confirmation for this ministry.

He speaks about the scripture in Mat 16:18-19 where he says "Upon this rock I will build my Church". When Jesus used this word in Greek (ekklesia) the disciples weren hindered by our contemporary preconceived ideas as to what that meant. Church is far different from ekklesia as it was back then. To us it is a local congregation of Christians who meet and worship and what not but back then ekklesia was: (get this it is so exciting) an assembly of people set apart to govern the affairs of a state or nation- in essence, a parliament or congress.

To the Romans it meant a group of people sent into a conquered region to alter the culture until it became like Rome. Realizing this was the ideal way to control their empire, they infiltrated government, social structure, language, school etc., until the people talked, thought and acted like Romans. When Jesus said he would build his church, he was without question speaking of a body of believers that would legislate spiritually for Him extending his government rule over the earth.

Tim again: So... What do you think??

I AM A CHRISTIAN

I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spiritpower. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. Thedecision has been made. I'm a disciple of His. I won't look back,let up, slow down, back away, or be still.My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future issecure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, smallplanning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundanetalking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions,plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops,recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith,lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor bypower.My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road isnarrow, my way rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, mymission clear.I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back,deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice,hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table ofthe enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the mazeof mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayedup, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause ofChrist. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give tillI drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when Hecomes for His own, He will have no problems recognizing me--mybanner will be clear!!!Written by a young African pastor: It was tacked on the wall of hishouse, and found after he died as a martyr for the Gospel!

Accomplishment

I got a great surprise this afternoon when I typed in www.leadinginfluence.com and saw the ministry website appear. After several weeks of building it, tweaking it, re-thinking it, it's finally gone live with the right address. There's a real sense of satisfaction in seeing this come to reality as it's just one more step on the road to fulfilling the dream.

So... feeling as though I have accomplished something today, here's a quote that I came across today. We have but one life here... It pays, not matter what comes after it to try and do things, to accomplish things in this life, and not merely to have a soft and pleasant time.

Theodore Roosevelt

If God Were To Have His Way...

"If God were to have His way, what would my ___________ look like 5 years from now? Filling in the blank does something to you, or at least it does to me. It forced me to seriously consider how much freedom I was giving God to work in me and consequently in my future. I mean it's one thing to spend all your time living in the past looking at what God has done, but God is also the God of the future and He wants to do something with mine and yours.

The question is "What does He want to do?" and secondly "How does He want to do it?" Jer. 29:11 "I KNOW PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU" tells me that He constantly has something in mind for me that is bigger than anything I have seen thus far. The second question generally involves cost. God doesn't charge me for a brighter future but in order to go there, I have to be purified, pruned and refined. If I could get to the next step without anything changing in me, I'd already be there. Changing is challenging but well worth the reward.

So... if God were to have His way in your life, what would your life look like 5 years from now?

A Case of Mistaken Identity

I read in the Vancouver Sun this morning about two 19 year old women who were both in a serious car accident in Michigan. One was killed in the accident and the other had severe injuries and has just come out of a 6 week coma. The details are amazing. They look a lot alike and the wrong family was told that their daughter was killed in the accident. So, (follow this carefully...)

Girl A was buried by Girl B's family and Girl B was being visited in the hospital by Girl A's parents. Girl A has a tombstone with Girl B's name on it. The way the mistake was discovered was when Girl A's family kept calling her by Girl A's name. Girl B has recovered enough that she knew her own name and kept correcting them.

As a parent, I can't begin to imagine what these parents must have experienced. At the same time, I see a powerful spiritual lesson here. There are at least 3 types of messages that we hear about ourselves that shape what we believe about who we are.

There's self talk - where we are talking to ourselves about ourselves. We send ourselves messages constantly, some negative, some positive, but they are ever constant.

Secondly, there are the messages that we hear from the devil. They are always deceptive, never empowering and ultimately lead to to disappointment and destruction, because the thief comes to steal kill and destroy.

Finally, there are all the messages that God says about us. These are rooted in truth. Full of affirmation, power and life. These are the messages that make a difference in our lives and transform us from death to life, discouragement to hope, despair to confidence. These messages speak to us about who we are, what we can accomplish and what we can be. The words that God speaks over our lives are the words that shape our identity and destiny.

The challenge is to believe the right message, because what we believe about ourselves is what we ultimately become. Listen carefully. Believe only the best!!

Have a good one!!

Tim

New Website - Temporary Address

Hi again - I knew there was something that I missed. The website is also live, although the address is temporary because hosting with homestead is a bit "price". I think what they do is prey on people like me who don't know how to build a site. Homestead makes it easy to build a site that looks reasonably good and then you fall in love with what you've done. Once that happens, you're willing to lay out over twice what normal hosting fees are to "keep your site".

The address is www.leadinginfluence.homestead.com until I find someone who can build a site in front page, net fusion or some other application that will allow me to come in and edit easily. Any takers?? No pressure... You've got 23 days to save the ministry $250!! If you want to help (and can actually build a site..., you can get me at ptim@telus.net)

Thanks!!

Tim

Seeing It Happen...

I had another day of firsts today. I picked up the business cards for the ministry today. (This is hardly a big deal, but I felt like I was seeing a baby for the first time...) This afternoon, I picked up the brochures that are ready to be distributed. This has been so long in coming that it feels like what I have seen by faith for so long is starting to become reality. On the one hand it's unreal, on the other hand, it's surreal.

Maybe this is what Abraham felt like when he saw Isaac for the first time. Maybe a bit overcome, with a sort of "how can this be" type of look and at the same time "O WOW!" it's really happening kind of look.

I'm off to a conference tomorrow that I'm very excited about. Peter Wagner is teaching a seminar on Market Place ministry that I'm going to attend for a few days. It will be great and while I really don't want to spend ANOTHER day on the road, this is for a purpose for which I will gladly lay down my life.

I'll tell you more tomorrow when I have a chance to post.

Michael Moments

I've been on the road for a few days so I'm glad to have a guest writer. My friend Murray Lincoln has been writing for years. I hope you enjoy what he has to share with you!

The light breeze blew across our driveway cooling us on the bright sunny day. As I looked out at the scene from inside my garage I captured one of those very special moments that only a grandpa can see. There was Michael, my #5 grandchild, sitting in a small white chair staring straight ahead. The chair was sitting in a wooden wagon. He had his bicycle helmet on with the breeze blowing through it. He was completely quiet.

I watched him closely as he sat there. Nothing was happening. There was no noise and no competition with his brothers. There was only Michael, the chair and the wagon with a sweet silence wrapping him in love.

I didn’t interrupt this revere but rather watched from my carving bench. He sat there for perhaps 10 minutes or more. I was lost in time with him. I was enjoying the moments as much as he was.

You may not really understand how important this special scene is until you, as a grandparent, look after a 6 year old like Michael. He is active and he is a full of vinegar at times. He can get on his two older brother’s nerves and is likely to be in some ruckus with his little brother Christopher. That’s right, there are four boys in his family!

Since that day I have been reflecting on this God given moment. I have thought of that peaceful moment often. I have wondered at the quietness that Michael was enjoying. I am hoping that he will savour that moment for years to come. It has awakened something in me that I had thought was long gone. It is a memory of long ago.

Long ago on a farm in southern Saskatchewan I was a 6 year old like Michael. We visited with our grandparents often. Sometimes we stayed for a week or more. The farm was a place that you could discover all kinds of amazing things that were never found in our city living. There was a hay mow filled with pungent, soft hay for the cattle that fed below. That was in the barn that had all kinds of interesting nooks and crannies that boys could hide from their sisters and cousins. You could sit, for what seemed hours, before anyone could find you. While sitting there the sound of the wind blowing through the cracks and holes in the barn was in itself mesmerizing.

I remember on that farm the quiet places where you could walk alone and there was no one. There was only the sound of buzzing grasshoppers as they sped on there wings across your foot path. Added to that was the sharp chatter of the cricket that seemed to call out to other crickets along the same fence line. Wrapping all of that was the warm sunshine that engulfed the whole country side with its golden glow. The farm that was one mile away was barely visible. On each bright day as the shimmering heat waves blurred the horizon, you couldn’t see the buildings.

Wow, just the recalling of the “memories” again has me slowing and looking for more of the past. These thoughts sooth and satisfy like no other medication I have ever taken.

Coming back to my driveway again and the scene of Michael sitting quietly, I am blessed. I am watching a young child doing just what God intended him to do – just to be a boy with a chair, a wagon and a slight breeze. I hope that Michael will never forget what it is like to be a boy at his grandpa’s place. I hope he will always remember his quiet moments.

I pause here as I ponder what I face each week. As a minister, I watch with sadness the lives of people that have been caught up in the hustle of life never taking time to savour their life moments. They rush from one meeting to another. They are bored with their lives and seek diversions. The passionate rush toward a diversion will at times wreck all that they know. As they reach out in recovery they cry in pain. Their lives are filled with complicated and destructive patterns. If only they would have taken time and found their “Michael moments” when they were young. Or better yet, on a regular basis, reached back inside to their moments and savour again what they grew up with.

Can I ask you to take action in your life? Do it now. If you are pressed hard with your circumstances and almost drowning in business – take a break from it all. The summer is not over yet. Take a holiday. Get away. Find your chair and a light breeze to help soak up the sunshine.

Where does this fit into the spiritual world? In the NIV translation of the Bible it says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:10 NIV)

As a pastor I observe that our spirituality and our spirit life are greatly hindered by our busy world and life styles. I need to get away once in a while to discover the quiet moments again. Or better yet, to have God help me to make some new ones. I know what I need to do and with God’s help I am doing it one more time.

What about you? Do you have a need to get to that quiet place again? Would you like to discover “peace” in the middle of the hustle and bustle? Why not ask God for his help? He is there for you. The Psalmist said, “Be still and know that I am God…” Why not now?

*****
Rev. Murray Lincoln is the Pastor of Northview Pentecostal Church. He can be reached at murray.lincoln@gmail.com with your comments or questions.

God Ideas...

I love it when God gives me an idea. God ideas are about more than giving us something to ponder for a little while and then move on to something else. God ideas are seeds of vision that He drops into our lives for a variety of purposes. This ministry came out of a God idea that continues to inspire me and scare me at the same time because it is so big!!

Sometimes, "God ideas" are for the purpose of provision. Phil 4:19 tells us about how God will supply all our needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus. It seems to me that God is about partnership. He wants to do HIS part, but we need to do OUR part! Our part just might be moving forward with the ideas that He sows in our lives.

Other times, God ideas are about reaching people. (In fact, I think every "God idea" is connected to reaching people.) I'm convinced that God, the CREATOR of everything has strategies, ideas and plans that would allow us to get into the lives of every person in our city, province and nation and HE WANTS to tell us, if we will simply ask.

The psalms say "Ask of me and I will give the nations as inheritance to you." How cool is that??

Have a good one!!

Tim

Running For The Prize

Today was Zack's first school track meet. We knew it was happening today, but we only heard (in true Zack fashion...) what his chosen event would be. Zack chose to run the 800m. I don't pretend to be a track expert, but anyone I asked said that the 800m has got to be the toughest track event going. It's too long to be a sprint and too short to be a real distance run. That reality is only compounded by the fact that he's only 10. We got there early and watched a few races before Zack went. Apparently it's not cool to walk in the 100m, but walking is an acceptable option in the 800m. I determined that I was not about to stand outside on a blustery day with no jacket to watch Zack walk around the course so I found him just before they called his group, pulled him aside, looked him in the eye and said "Do your best Zack - Keep running and DON'T WALK!" We watched him as he went by us the first time. He was running strong and at a good pace, somewhere in the middle of the pack and was holding his own. He started to fade in the second half and his little legs were getting tired so we called out for him to "take bigger steps" and he began to do it. His pace improved and he began to move up in the pack. By the time he was done, he finished in about 13th place. Zack was very happy and we were quite proud of him. That last 1/2 lap around the track looked pretty tiring, but they were so focused on finishing that there were no losers, just finishers!

The whole event reminded of Hebrews 12. There's a picture of people running while others are cheering them on and watching them go. Paul writes and says "let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us." Running isn't always easy. Sometimes we get tired and need to adjust our pace. Sometimes we need to take bigger steps. Whatever the race throws at us, the thing that matters most is that we keep moving our feet and to quote Paul again "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." There's a prize at the end of the race that makes it worth the pain.

Tim

Tell it like BB King Does...


Barb and I spent the weekend at Harrison Hot Springs Resort. The church gave us a gift certificate when we left last fall so we used it to celebrate our 18th Anniversary and enjoyed it to the fullest. What an amazing place. Our room was a Junior Suite, overlooking the lake. Can't beat the view. The pools were great, but the highlights were on Sunday. We started with golf. It was my second game of the year, Barb's first in 2 years, but we had a ton of fun... I had the best drive of my life on the 9th hole (Par 4, 370 yds, dog-leg left. I was on in 2 and all would have been perfect, except for the fact that I got a bit impatient with the 4 snails (look up "slow play" in the dictionary and you'll find a picture of this foursome...) playing in front of us and drove the ball over their heads... I was torn between "oh no... that ball is still going...." and "oh WOW... that ball is still going..." Three of the four couldn't have cared less and were such "non-golfers" that they actually played to the wrong green. The other person (there always has to be one of these...) waited for me on the 9th green. After a pointed "you shouldn't..." I went on to 3 putt the green... grrrr..... It was still a great shot...

After a lesuirely lunch, Barb went for a hot stone massage. She absolutely loved it! I'm still trying to get my head around what's so cool about river rocks heated in a roaster, but she thought it was pretty cool. I read the Da Vinci code while she was gone. It would be a better book if Tom Clancy had written it, but it's okay....

We went to "Billy Bob's Jazz and Blues" for dinner. Dinner was okay, but the entertainment was great. We hung out for 3 hours enjoying ourselves to the max. Some people shouldn't dance and some who do should only do it when no one is watching... There was even an "amen" corner of sorts... an older lady was sitting up near the stage "coming into agreement" with the artist... It was kind of like this...

"Tell it like BB King does..." That's right.... Uh huh... C'mon now... you can say that again...."

I AM NOT KIDDING!! It was truly the funniest thing I've seen in a long time...

My parents had the kids who had a great time going to the Falkland Rodeo, learning to shoot a pellet gun and generally enjoying a weekend in the country. All in all... it was a great time!!

The Da Vinci Code - Part 2 ...

"Most people will go to this movie just because the church is against it..." That's what I heard on the way to work yesterday morning on CBC. The commentator went on to say that most people see the church as against anything fun and enjoyable... Gotta tell ya ... that just bugs me... mostly because it's true...

Without putting a ton of thought into it, most people can tell you that the church is against same-sex marriage, abortion, homosexuality, sex before marriage, sex outside of marriage (and some probably even think that the church is against sex INSIDE of marriage...) You see what I mean, it looks like we're against everything and anything... Now there are good reasons why God creates boundaries, but it seems to me that we've put too much energy into letting everybody know about the boundaries and not nearly enough time into telling the world about what we are for...

For example, the church is for families, children, women, equality, helping the poor, the widow and the orphan. We believe that success is a good thing and that education is valuable. We believe in service, sacrifice and generosity. The church is against injustice and for mercy and justice. It hates violence and celebrates the peacemaker.

I think it's all about our approach... we start on the basis of what's wrong with what people are doing or have been doing. It's just a thought, but starting with what people are doing wrong isn't the best way to build a positive relationship.

Check out Jesus with the woman caught in adultery. It can't get much worse than being "caught" in the act. You'd think that would qualify you for a tongue lashing from the Almighty, but Jesus only says ... I don't condemn you either.... go and sin no more....

The woman left with hope and empowered to go and do the "right thing" instead of the "wrong thing". I think she left feeling pretty good about her encounter with Jesus.

We could learn a lesson here. It might change the whole world...

A priest, a Pentecostal preacher and a Rabbi all served as chaplains to the students of Northern Michigan University in Marquette. They would get together two or three times a week for coffee and to talk shop.
One day, someone made the comment that preaching to people isn't really all that hard. A real challenge would be to preach to a bear. One thing led to another and they decided to do an experiment They would all go out into the woods, find a bear, preach to it, and attempt to convert it.
Seven days later, they're all together to discuss the experience. Father Flannery, who has his arm in a sling, is on crutches, and has various bandages, goes first.
"Well," he says, "I went into the woods to find me a bear. And when I found him I began to read to him from the Catechism. Well, that bear wanted nothing to do with me and began to slap me around. So I quickly grabbed my holy water, sprinkled him and, he became as gentle as a lamb. The bishop is coming out next week to give him first communion and confirmation.
"Reverend Billy Bob spoke next. He was in a wheelchair, with an arm and both legs in casts, and an IV drip. In his best fire and brimstone oratory he claimed, " WELL brothers, you KNOW that we don't sprinkle! I went out and I FOUND me a bear. And then I began to read to my bear from the HOLY WORD! But that bear wanted nothing to do with me. So I took HOLD of him and we began to wrestle. We wrestled down one hill, UP another and DOWN another until we came to a creek. So I quick DUNKED him and BAPTIZED his hairy soul. And just like you said, he became as gentle as a lamb. We spent the rest of the day praying
They both looked down at the rabbi, who was lying in a hospital bed. He was in a body cast and traction with IV's and monitors running in and out of him. He was in critical condition.
The rabbi looks up and says, "Looking back on it, circumcision may not have been the best way to start."

The Da Vinci Code

I'm a bit of a "spy" movie/book fan, so I confess I'm looking forward to seeing this movie on the big screen. I don't get to a lot of movies, but I'm looking forward to seeing this one, mostly because I really enjoy mystery stories. The movie does raise an interesting question in my mind.... What if something came to light that affected what we had always believed as truth? What if what I have come to believe about Jesus was not entirely the way it really is? I'm not suggesting something as big as His deity or the virgin birth, but we tend to create Jesus in our own image. In other words, there are times that we think that Jesus sees the world in the same way that we do, that He enjoys the same things that we do and that He shares the same preferences and tastes that we do. (That might sound ridiculous to you, but I've been a pastor long enough to know that for most people, that's pretty much how it works...)

Here's where I'm going with this. When Jesus came to earth the first time, the religious crowd didn't accept him because He didn't fit their mold or meet their expectations. They were looking for someone who embraced their lifestyle and shared their values. When he came and hung out with tax collectors, drunks, gluttons and sinners, they were mortified.

In the same way, I can only wonder what my response to Jesus would be if I saw him on the street. Would he "fit" into my grid or would I put him on the back burner because he's not what I expected him to be.

I think Jesus is a whole lot of fun. A person who loves people and isn't too uptight about all of the "stuff" that matters so much in church life. I also think that He's got a ton of passion and the stuff that matters to him REALLY MATTERS A LOT! I think He's more about mercy than He is about judgment. I think He's big on grace and forgiveness. Holiness is connected to walking closely with Him on the journey and not about all of the rules and trappings that we create to make him "happy".

Open my eyes Lord, I want to see Jesus. The way that He is, not the way that I've made him...

Have a good one gang!

I've got to tell you the funniest thing that happened tonight. Britt and Zack were both at sleepovers so Barb, Tyler and I went out for dinner. We went to a place that we haven't been to for about 2 years. As soon as we looked at the menu we remembered why we hadn't been there, but it was too late to leave because we had already ordered our drinks. The food was "okay" but the service was BRUTAL! I could give you details but that's not what's funny. After we waited 20 minutes for Tyler's 3 mini cones to show up for desert, we finally got the bill. Our server came by about 10 minutes after she dropped it off and by that point I was balancing the bill and cash on the edge of the table to see if she might notice 2 20's on the floor... She finally came over and asked if I needed change from my $40 on our $32 order. Now to me, the only place you don't tip something is McDonalds, Tim Horton's or any other fast food place, so even though the service was awful, I was going to leave her something. It wasn't going to be $5 but all I had in change was the $3 that came back from the bill. I left it on the table and we got up to leave. Tyler was finishing his cone when we got up so he was about 10 seconds behind us. When we got to the car, he was very quick to tell me that he'd brought along the change that I'd "forgotten" on the table...

What do you do when you're in the parking lot and your son has just grabbed the "cheapo" tip that you left the server?? I've never seen a "Miss Manners" on the topic so I did what seemed pretty obvious to me... I put the car in drive and left!! I certainly WASN'T going to go back and give her the $3 that Tyler had pocketed!!

There's probably a lesson here, but I don't see it at the moment... any thoughts??

Thinking Things Through...

Like most people, I couldn't help but notice the large Pro-Life Rally on Parlaiment Hill yesterday. For the record, I'm pro-life, but not the "hold a sign, sign a petition" kind of pro-lifer. I guess everybody sees it differently, but here are my thoughts on yesterday's rally.

There are believers on the government side of the house who hold to biblical values. We are blessed to have a Christian serving as the PM of our great nation. One of the greatest challenges he and his party faced during the last campaign came in the constant "fear mongering" that the media and other political parties constantly threw at them. The underlying message was "these people are dangerous, they can't be trusted and that Canadians should be concerned about their hidden agenda." So now, after just over 100 days in office, we are seeking to bring abortion back onto the political table. This does us a huge disservice. First of all, it gives credence to the notion that "these people are dangerous" and that a government led by a believer will pander to the evangelical right. In my mind the last place the church should be right now is protesting on Parlaiment Hill, unless it is to pray, support and encourage the leaders who are there by God's appointment. I think we should be there relationally, but I don't think we need to be there demonstrating what we are against, yet one more time.

At some point, it comes down to trust. First of all, we need to trust God that He is in control and directing the affairs of our nation. Secondly, we need to trust the believers that currently are serving in government. All of this is a process and it takes time for things to change. Finally, if you feel the need to do/say something, write your MP a letter. Tell them that you appreciate them and that you are praying for them and if there is a way you can serve them, you would be glad to do so!

Looking Good...

I'm experiencing a dramatic change in my thinking about the way we're supposed to look. Now, as my friend Sonya noted a last month when I was honored as her "Person of the Day", I confess to a bit of a "GQ" fascination and enjoy wearing clothes that I think are "unique" and "cool". (My favorite shirt is a Tommy H - Pink, Green, Yellow and cream striped shirt. I've taken some flack when I've worn it, but it takes a real man to wear pink!!) :-)

Coming back to the point, I've become absolutely convinced that God takes great delight in making us look good at every opportunity. By and large, we've kind of missed the power of that truth within the church. We've worked more towards "fitting in" than we have towards looking good and yet looking good is what God has in mind for us.

The biblical imagery to support this is overwhelming. There's the recurring theme of being washed or cleansed. The bible constantly speaks of being given new clothes and there are countless promises of God's provision and blessing coming to His children. Jesus spoke of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. What stands out more than a lily in a field? In the OT He promised that it would be His blessing and presence that would set His people apart from the rest of the world.

Here' s my recent experience with this. Between now and when we launch Leading Influence Ministries, I'm selling software to local governments. I'm having a blast right now because my sales are starting to happen. I'm getting some great recognition within the company and from the owner. What they don't know (yet) is that I have made it my practice to pray before demos and over the proposals that I send out. I've asked God to give me favor at every level and this success is entirely a matter of God making me look good in the eyes of the people around me.

This is not limited to me, but can work for anyone because God's promises work for everyone. At the end of the day, we are made to be the head and not the tail. To stand out, not fit in in every possible way so.... Let God make you look good! That's his plan anyway!

I heard something incredible last week. "God's glory appears where people see eye to eye..." Given the truth of Ps. 133, and Acts 2, this makes perfect sense. God works and moves when people are connected in unity. I've been a pastor for over 20 years so I've learned a few things about unity. I know for example that unity is about more than singing off the same page. It's also about more than the religious language that we use we refer to each other as "brother and sister". (Most of the time that stuff makes me want to just run screaming from the room...) No, unity is about more than just superficial "niceties"...

Unity is based on what we agree we see together. For instance, I had coffee with a couple of guys that I'm getting to know this afternoon. They are key leaders in marketplace ministry in our nation. I was blessed to be with them. We shared our hearts for ministry and quickly understood that we see the same things through the eyes of the Spirit. Nobody had to verbalize it, this was about more than just being on the same page, there was a spiritual "connection" that occurred because we were seeing the same things at the same time because of the work of the same Holy Spirit at work in our lives.

This connection is about more than "kumbuyah" moments where we come together to light a candle, hold hands and sing. This is about something profoundly deep. It's something supernatural that we experience as the Holy Spirit connects our hearts and lives together. This plays out over and over in our lives. Over the course of this ministry transition, I have shared my heart and vision for the legislative community with pastors and ministry peers and have generally got one of two responses. The first response is amazing to me. I have had people light up and say "YES" that's so amazing and incredible. (I really like that response, not because it makes me feel good, but because it affirms the call of God on my life to this particular area of ministry.) When I asked my pastor to sit on our board of directors, his response was to weep because he was so honored to be a part of something that he sees as absolutely incredible. That's because we see the same thing and as a result God reveals His glory (greatness, power, majesty)

On the other hand, I have seen a response that is less than inspiring. I have had conversations with people who absolutely "glaze over" when we talk about it. (It's not unlike watching the eyelids of recently butchered chickens...) I love my friends whether they "get it" or not, but it's been pretty amazing to watch them leave the conversation even though they are still sitting there because they don't see what I see. It's okay to not "see it", it just makes the point that I opened with earlier. When we don't see it together, there can be no glory revealed.

I think this is absolutely powerful and explains why churches that are rooted in a unity that is born of the Spirit vs. a manufactured "detente" can do anything, build anything, fund anything and reach their world. This is an amazing dynamic that the gates of hell cannot stand against. Nothing can stop the church that agrees that they see the same thing because of what the Spirit is doing on the inside!

Where we see "eye to eye", we are together in relationship, fellowship and purpose and that elevates us to fresh levels of faith and fruitfulness because those who see the same thing, encourage each other to reach beyond themselves and into the realm of the supernatural.

Have a good one! Thanks for tuning in!!

Extra, Extra Read All About It!!

As a tribute to Zack and Tyler who started their first paper route today, I wanted to make the following announcement. LEADING INFLUENCE MINISTRIES is an official legal entity that is fully incorporated in the Province of BC. This is great news and not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. Now that we are legal, we'll be able to open a bank account and send out those fundraising letters!! :-)

I've got some other stuff that I want to write about this week, but this is an exciting day and marks a huge next step in the life of the ministry.

Yahoo!!!

On The Beach

Ever had one of those days when it doesn't seem to matter what you try or what you do, nothing seems to work the way you planned it out? I've had my share of those too. Yesterday was one. I've been working on some stuff in my life that I'd been making good progress on, but yesterday, I hit the wall, melted down and pretty much self-destructed. I could give you more details, but I'd like to keep a shred of dignity so let's leave it at "it wasn't very pretty."

That being said, Barb came with me for a recycle run" and we took some time to help me debrief, re-group and regain my focus on the things that matter most. We prayed together about what we we facing and in that moment Jesus met us. It wasn't a profound "spairitual" experience (like my pastor says...) It was just a real moment, where He came in and changed my perspective, attitude and outlook. Now, this is not the first time He has done this, and I know it won't be the last. He is in fact a specialist at meeting us "on the beach".

John tells us about a time when the disciples were "maxed out" too. Jesus has been crucified and raised from the dead and the disciples are in the process of learning to live, work and minister without the physical presence of Jesus. The disciples decide to go fishing and the worst possible thing happens. They get skunked!! What could be worse for professional fisherman?? It actually does get worse because Jesus calls to them from the shore and asks them if they've caught anything. That's got to be the worst. Getting skunked and having a "shore-ling" ask you how you did...

Jesus tells them to throw their nets on the other side of the boat (which makes ZERO sense) in the natural but they do it anyway and harvest an amazing catch of fish. What I like most about the account is that Jesus met them when they were at their lowest and worst and turned everything around. When they had come to the end of themselves and done all they knew how to do, Jesus walks in, speaks to their situation and in an instant everything changes. Not only did they catch a ton of fish, but Jesus had a fire with some fresh fish baking on it.

Jesus met me on the beach yesterday. It was rich, sweet and powerful. It was gentle, quiet and peaceful. He eliminated my stress, changed my day and turned things around in an amazing way. I love it when He meets me on the beach - it changes everything!

Look - here He calms again...

Our daughter Brittany has been pressuring me to write something about her so here you go Britt...

Britt is 12 going on 21. She's a very mature and responsible young lady. All in all a good kid, with a lot of friends, a social life that never quits, a great babysitter AND someone who really likes to make other people feel special.

If I could change one thing about Britt, it would only be that I'd want to turn the clock back to when she was 3 or 4 and liked to give me lots of hugs, cuddles and kisses. She doesn't do that anymore and I kind of miss it, even though she's growing up. Oh yeah... I'd like to make her a clean freak where she couldn't stand to have a messy room or bathroom.

When it's all said and done, Britt is a great kid and I'm glad to have her just the way she is ... even when she makes me crazy!!

Have a great week Britt!

There's news of God doing some exciting things in Sarnia, Ontario. Large crowds, sustained meetings (21 days and counting...) and some extraordinary things taking place as God powerfully changes people's lives. To quote Martha Stewart "that's a good thing..." and it is. For some this will be the "silver bullet" for the church and we will get on airplanes, busses and into our cars to get to "Sarnia". This too is a good thing because it speaks in part of spiritual hunger and the search for freshness.

I had an "aha" moment a few years ago. If my heart was to suddenly stop beating, medical professionals would put those electric paddles on me, yell "clear", jolt me, watch me flop like a fish and hopefully my heart would begin to beat again. To me, that's a picture of revival. A drastic supernatural intervention that "re-starts" our spiritual heart beat. If the doctors were to keep jolting me with the paddles, they would eventually kill me because the heart wasn't made to endure that many "big" shocks, and yet this is what we are constantly asking God to do with the church. We pray "revive us" God. Jolt us again so that we can be what we were before.

I would fully expect that if I needed paddles to start my heart beating again, my doctor would want to talk with me about the necessary changes that needed to happen in my life so that this would no longer be necessary. In other words I would need to reform my diet and exercise habits. The same is true in the church. Revival may get us going for a while, but it is REFORMATION that we need to experience. Reformation calls for an entire re-shaping of the way we think, what we say, what we do and how we do it. Think "Holmes on Homes" in the church. Reformation means that what currently isn't working would get tossed or fixed so that it would do what it's supposed to. If you've seen Holmes, you know he's ruthless and getting rid of what doesn't work Imagine how the Holy Spirit might work if we gave Him permission to do the same.

I love the church. I just think some things have to change.

I drove past the spot where the "last spike" was driven to complete the Canadian Pacific Railway this afternoon. The scenery in Eagle Pass is amazing. It's a tight mountain valley surrounded by snow capped peaks and lush green grass in the valley. That spike represented the completion of thousands of miles of railway tracks and ties over a nation as expansive and magnificent as Canada. It was built over muskeg, the Canadian Shield, across the prairies, through forests and mountains. It goes around lakes, over rivers and through valleys. It is an amazing combination of vision, sacrifice, investment, dreams and hard work. There were many times when the project nearly came to a halt because of resistance, hardship and scandal. There were many days that lives were lost (particularly in BC) as the railway encountered some extreme geography that needed to be overcome.

As I glanced over at the site, I thought of the words of the apostle Paul in Philippians 1:6 - "Being confident of this, that He who has begun a good work in you will continue it until the day of completion." You and I are on a journey. We are constantly in the process of being "made" into the people that God wants us to be. Making us is not as simple as making a cookie, because we are all unique and made with a specific purpose that absolutely sets us apart from everyone and anyone else. We were conceived in the heart and mind of God long before the foundations of the earth were laid. God dreamed dreams about us and made plans for us that He will accomplish as we allow him to "make us".

The challenge for us is really about whether or not we will "settle" for where and what we are or if we will continue to allow God to build us into what He has designed us to be. The easy thing for the builders of the CPR would have been to stop building at Calgary or Banff and "settle" for the east side of the mountains, but the dream was to connect the nation by rail from coast to coast. Building from the east to Alberta would have been an accomplishment in itself, but the vision was for the Pacific and so the building went on.

The same is true with us. It's easy to settle for where we are, what we have and what we have become, but the next step in the plan is always just around the corner. The upside is that we never arrive here, but are always able to enjoy the amazing race that God has given us to run with endurance, pleasure and purpose. He keeps working as long as we keep walking!

Keep on walking! The change of scenery is good for you!

Tim

I caught a few minutes of a documentary this weekend that told the story of a group of scientists that were searching for the cause of the Tsunami that so severely damaged parts of Thailand, Sri Lanka and India. It was pretty interesting to watch as they focused on a small group of islands hundreds of miles offshore. It turns out that the elevation of these islands was nearly 10' higher than it was before the tsunami. What caught the attention of the researchers was that the coral reefs that had previously surrounded the islands underwater were now part of the immediate beach. After some investigation, they discovered the fault line where the two geological plates shifted. At that point the difference in elevation was somewhere near 100' which easily explained the size and speed of the killer wave.

I read this in a Tom Clancy novel this weekend. "History is a series of small events that periodically culminate into the moments that we remember." It strikes me that for years those two geological plates were grinding, shifting and straining against each other and no one knew or noticed until the big moment. The same is true with history and social/spiritual change. Time goes on, words are spoken, attitudes shift, decision are made and plans are put into action and then suddenly and ultimately " the big moment" happens. When it does, we are shocked, taken by surprise and overwhelmed. If you don't know me, you might be entitled to think that I subscribe to a conspiracy theory and that I somehow believe that the CIA, Mossad, the Rockerfellers, Jews or the Catholic Church are all pulling some secret strings and manipulating history to a particular end... I don't buy into conspiracy theories, but I do believe in a master plan.

In the bible, the book of Revelation tells us that "kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and Christ." 1 Cor 15 tells us that God is constantly working towards the ultimate fulfillment of His plan to bring EVERYTHING under the feet of Jesus. How cool is that?? He's working to bring sickness, injustice, violence, hatred, racism, poverty, discrimination, pain, sin, suffering, guilt, shame, fear and doubt and the list could go on and on .... And place them completely and absolutely under the feet of Jesus where they no longer affect us, reach us or influence us.

At this point it's easy to write this off as a "one day" event, but the reality is that we are a part of the process. Not in a militant, violent, reactive kind of way, but as salt and light that changes our world through influence, presence, leadership and servanthood. You and I are part of the plan to bring "everything" under the feet of Jesus.

It begins in you and works through you to accomplish the great and glorious purposes of God that He has made and empowered you to fulfill through the power of His Spirit at work in you.

Make history - change something!