Did you feel the darkness tremble??

February marks an official next step in Leading Influence Ministries. In addition to being in the Legislature as of February 13 to "watch and pray", As of today we are embarking towards the goal of having 10,000 people praying for BC MLA's and their ridings on a daily basis. Imagine the spiritual impact of having 10,000 people praying for an MLA and their riding every day. If even a little prayer makes a difference what would happen when that many people begin to pray along the same theme and with the same focus?

Unprecedented displays of the grace, mercy, wisdom and power of God will be seen in ways that have been previously unkown. Where it has seemed that God is on the outside looking in, He will suddenly be on the inside looking out, bringing transformation, hope and healing to places and people everywhere.

Darkness will begin to flee as the light of the glory of God begins to shine over every riding of our province and over every MLA. Righteousness will rise the like morning sun, not as the result of a political petition or protest but because the people of God across our province have touched heaven and asked God for his presence, blessing and touch upon the most beautiful place on earth because it is NOT by might, NOR by power, BUT BY MY SPIRIT says the Lord!!

Here's how we're going to do it. We've created an online prayer calendar http://www.leadinginfluence.com/PrayerDirectory.html that allows you to click on the day of the month and see the MLA we are praying for. At this point, we have the MLA and Riding names, plus some other information. As time goes on, our vision is to include specific information on each riding provided to us by the MLA. One of the things I'll be doing over the next few weeks as I meet MLA's in Victoria is to send them an email saying that we have people from across the province who are praying for them and asking God to bless them today. One day I'll be able to say we have 10,000 people praying for you and your riding today. That will be a VERY exciting time!

10,000 people seems like an impossible goal, but it's the goal that we will achieve as the Lord helps us. You can "join the team" and become part of transforming the spiritual atmosphere of our province by visiting our website http://www.leadinginfluence.com/PrayerDirectory.html Click the link at the bottom of the page and we'll add you to our next email blast going out n a few weeks.

Thanks for coming on board! I'll keep you posted on how we are doing!!

"A man should be remembered by something more than...."

"A man should be remembered for something other than his worst mistake." The person who said it on the TV show I was watching was arguing for his life on a witness stand. It caught my attention because we so often want to label people in light of their worst mistake. He's a ... liar, thief, cheat, adulterer, murder, flake, fraud, etc, etc.

I hate labels personally. I don't like it when they are attached to me and yet, I am learing something about myself that I don't really like. I remember "stuff" that has happened to me and have attached labels to the lives of those who have done it. "Backstabber" "Hypocrite" "Liar" etc. etc. (There are other labels, but this is a public forum so we'll let them be unsaid...)

My point today is that while I dislike the labels that others have attached to me, I have been very willing to attach them to others. Not good... especially given that the bulk of my adult life has been in pastoral ministry... Now just so you know, I only attached labels to people who went out of there way to make my life miserable, but that still doesn't make it right.

All of this reminds me of a story I heard once about people putting labels on everybody tagging them with all of their faults, mistakes, failures and sin. Think about it if you will. A mass "labeling" event. Every label, every sin, every failure, every mistake, every flaw, plainly labeled and marked for everyone to see. You might think there would be some sense of humility in the room as it was very clear that everyone was in the same boat and no one was "label free".

Then Jesus comes into the room.... not to pass out yet more labels but instead to start removing labels. In removing the labels, people are set free from their past and able to live towards their future. (The story in it's entirety is far better and longer, but I think you get the point.)

Here's what I'm coming to learn about me. The labels that I have placed on people are there only as a result of my impression or experience with them at one particular point in time. They may well have moved on or past that kind of behaviour, position, attitude or whatever and yet they continue to be "there" in my mind because of the label that I have placed on them. This is really about forgiveness and "letting go". The reality of life is that it's just way to short to hold on to the junk of the past far beyond the life of the actual offense. So, I am choosing to be a "label lifter" rather than a "label placer".

As for the labels that others have placed on me, Jesus continues to come into my room and lift off labels. It feels good to be free!

Have a good one!

Walking Down the Street

I'm in Vancouver for a few days and saw the most amazing thing as I went for a walk from my hotel last night. There are lot of things that you see in Vancouver that you won't see anywhere else, but here's something new for you.... A toilet paper store! Yup. That's it. A toilet paper store that sells nothing but toilet paper. You can buy it by the roll, by the case, by the package or by the super mega roll that you see in public places, but all they sell is TP!

Only in Vancouver...

Tim

Mr. Layton Comes To Kamloops

Jack Layton came to Kamloops today and while it was brief, I did have the chance to speak with him for a few moments today. He's a very real and down to earth person. While we didn't talk at length today, I would have liked to tell him that he has been a tremendous encouragement to me.



During the last federal election, I read a quote by Mr. Layton in the Canadian version of Christianity Today. Along with every other federal leader he was asked how he saw the relationship between faith and politics. The responses (loosely quoted...) were as follows:



Then PM Paul Martin (LIB) - "I leave my faith at the door because faith and politics shouldn't mix."



Stephen Harper (CPC) - said something to the effect that faith was a personal matter and while it would affect the life of the individual, he preferred not to comment. This isn't an exact quote by any means, but he did give a very careful answer.



Gille Duceppe (BQ)- "Faith and Politics should not be mixed. I refuse to answer because the question is inappropriate."



Jack Layton (NDP) - "Ottawa needs to hear the prophetic voice of the faith community."



Mr. Layton is right and now you see why I like him! I really see this as invitation to a visit with him in his Ottawa office. I couldn't help but think as I shook his hand that the day is coming when I will be able to sit in his office in Ottawa and share the prophetic voice of the faith community with him. I already know what I will say to him when that day comes and I'm really looking forward to it.

Here's what I know to be true. God is more interested in the hearts/lives of political leaders than He is in their politics. Sadly we have been more concerned with their politics and not enough with their hearts and lives.

I also know that when they meet Jesus (the real Jesus, not an intolerant, narrow and uptight concoction of who He is sometimes made out to be) that they will be attracted to His love for people and His desire to strengthen and transform their lives so that they can experience His love, grace and power and at the same time fulfill their true life purpose. All of this is because of His great love for them.

I'm starting to preach so I'm gonna leave it for now! Have a good one!!

Simply Amazing...

We were re-arranging some space in our house yesterday and found my journal from 2002. I hadn't looked at it for a few years so I opened it up and began flipping through to see what was going on in my life during that time. Some things I read made me smile, some things I read made me sad when I remembered the pain of those days. And then I flipped the page (there's probably something tremendously profound about that statement...) and read these words...

"I have a growing desire to create a "legislative chaplaincy" I remain very attracted to leaders and see an enormous need for godly leadership and influence at that level. This is very exciting to me, especially given the last 3 years of my life. The people that I have shared this with have been very positive and affirming which has been a tremendous confirmation to me.

This change would require me to:
1. Raise my own support - $100,000 annually
2. Create something new that would influence our nation.
3. Develop a whole new approach to life and ministry.

A thought I had this morning was "how do I reconcile what I believe about the local church (The local church is the only hope for the world...) AND where I see God taking me? Both are valid and neither are in conflict, it's just a matter of how do these two things fit together??"

Like you, I've heard people say over and over again that it's important that we write down our goals if we want to achieve them. Now I must confess that while I've written down goals in the past, it was mostly to "appease" whoever was leading the particular goal setting exercise that I was participating in. My thinking was "I believe, but help my unbelief..."

Five years after writing this down, I'm more of a believer than ever before.

God... You are SO AMAZING

You want to use me in which project??

We were all at breakfast this morning and there was discussion around ensuring that everyone, but Zack in particular had their homework done. Zack is in gr. 5 this year and in our school, gr. 5 is the year that the students do a heritage project. Over the years, we've done grandpa's and great grandpa's and it's all been quite interesting. After some discussion, Tyler suggested that Zack do his heritage project on me. I was shocked to say the least because at the ripe old age of 44 I hardly think of myself as qualifying for a heritage project. When I suggested that I might be a bit young for such a tremendous honor, Tyler was quick to remind me about how I always tell him that I rode dinosaurs to school. Due to my quick thinking (thanks to healthy doses of "Ginko" or whatever it's called...) I was able to redirect them back to studying a grandpa who actually lived in the "good old days".

Tyler has been grounded for the rest of his life for making such a crass suggestion.

Tim the fossil...

Puppy Patrol...

I was having coffee with a friend in Victoria on Tuesday when Barb called to tell me that she couldn't find our VERY PREGNANT dog when she got home from work. After about 5 minutes of looking around and calling for her she heard some whining from under our deck. Zoe had rooted out some space among the rocks to deliver her litter. As we were on the phone the total went from 2 to 4 and over the next hour she had 8. One succumbed to the cold so there are only 7 in our house today. She had 4 yellow and 3 black puppies.

This is a classic case of Lady and the Tramp as the father wooed her away from us while we were out for a walk in the woods. By the time we caught up to them it was too late, he had made his mark (so to speak...) and it was a matter of waiting and watching. He isn't much to look at, but she's a beautiful dog and I'm hoping that her "Lab genes" have overpowered his gene pool.

I never cease to be amazed at the wonder of nature. Zoe has never seen a litter apart from her own and yet has managed to figure out nursing, protecting, caring and cleaning her offspring. It reminds me that if God is concerned enough about her puppies to provide them with a mother who will care for them, how much more will he care for us who are of much more value to him.

Speaking of value.... I know some puppies who will need a good home in about 6 weeks and they will go for cheap!! So .... if you're looking for a dog let me know.

Tim

Soar like an Albatross??

A friend shared this with me last week and I want to pass it on to you. This comes out of a dream that she had after she and her husband had just seen an incredible miracle in their lives. Apart from a few minor editing changes, I'm posting it as she sent it to me. I hope you enjoy it.

You need to develop the characteristics of long distance flying birds. The Lord showed me small parts of the birds extremely close up and with some other minor instructions the dream ended.
I studied these notes on the Albatross.

Good navigational skills involving accurate, orientation and assessment are needed. (I can understand that when praying) You need to store up fat (phat in the Lord) Albatrosses are highly efficient in the air, using dynamic soaring and slope soaring to cover great distances with little exertion. Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord.

Dynamic soaring (this is good)
Dynamic soaring is a flying technique used to gain kinetic energy without effort by repeatedly crossing the boundary between air masses of significantly different horizontal velocity Such zones of high wind gradient are generally found close to obstacles (notice you need those obstacles) and close to the ground, so the technique is mainly used by birds, but glider pilots have occasionally been able to soar dynamically in meteorological wind shears at high altitudes. Sea birds dynamically soar by repeatedly diving into the valleys of ocean waves or sea billows (when sorrows like sea billows roar) and then wheeling back up into the air. Albatrosses are particularly adept at exploiting the technique and they use it to travel many thousands of miles using hardly any energy.

When the bird pulls up into the wind out of the still air in the lee of a wave, it suddenly becomes exposed to a head wind, so the speed of the air over its wings increases. It then turns in the other direction and, with the wind behind it, dives back into the shelter of a wave. This also results in an increase in its air-speed. So by repeating this "wheeling" pattern, the bird can continue flying indefinitely without having to put in any effort. In effect it is harvesting energy from the wind gradient.

Slope soaring requires a hill or a mountain (who doesn’t have those in their life, I know we did) and a wind that is blowing on the face of the hill or mountain. The wind will create a region of rising air directly in front of the hill which may extend quite a distance upwards and outwards from its face because the airflow follows the contour of the hill (this is called aerographic lift).
However at near vertical cliffs, there is usually an area of turbulence with descending air near the base of the cliff. Downwind of the hill, standing waves can form that are also used by glider pilots to gain height but this should not be confused with slope lift. The rising air from the slope is used to keep gliders airborne. Although a glider is always descending through the air, it will climb if the surrounding air is rising faster than the glider's sink rate. (Feel like your sinking in your problem?)

So what I gathered from all of this:
1. Good navigational skills involving accurate, orientation and assessment are needed. We need to be Phat in the Lord!! This is needed for our prayers to hit the mark.

2. Dynamic soaring is needed to build kinetic energy So that it is not by power or by strength but by my spirit says the Lord. No sense us flapping our wings without purpose.

3. Notice that the zones needed to catch these drafts involve obstacles!!! We may even need to use the valleys of ocean waves or sea billows.

4. Slope soaring requires a hill or a mountain to create a region of rising air. We need to use the mountains and hills in our life to acquire greater heights. In the last year facing some of the many obstacles, sea billows, and huge mountains, we learned to stand on God’s promises!!
Even in the darkest hours we prayed, trusting God’s word that tells us that "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Rom 8:27-29

So I am not sure what you are facing or what 2007 will hold for us but as we stand in his strength and power no matter what obstacles, mountains or sea billows we face they can only be use as a means to cause us to soar to greater heights!!!!!!!!

Believe!! Soar high!!!!!!!! Don’t be discouraged!! Our God can do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask and pray.

Be Blessed!!

And God said...

In the beginning there was chaos. There was nothing to see. Absolute darkness covered everything and it seemed like nothing was going on. And yet in the darkness, the Holy Spirit hovered over it all. He was there "brooding". A quick evaluation would say "there's not much happening here" and that would be accurate except that Holy Spirit was doing something unseen, unheard and undetected. He was preparing the chaos for the moment God said "Let there be..." so that when God spoke it something amazing could happen.

Understanding this incredible reality makes a huge difference in my life. It helps me to understand those periods of my life that make no sense to me in the natural. I've been blessed and have enjoyed some tremendous days of ministry when God was so close that at times it was as though you could smell Him. There have been other times when life and ministry felt a lot like I was banging my head against a wall and that God was nowhere to be found. Coming to recognize that He was at work in the chaos and preparing me for the next step when God spoke another "Let there be..." over my life, has brought tremendous healing and release to me.

You might feel as though God is far away and has forgotten your name and address. It may be that you are spinning your wheels and wondering what's going on in your life. Your life might even look more chaotic than ever before. It might look black for you, but the reality is that the Holy Spirit is hovering over it all, preparing you for the opportunities that will appear as suddenly as light came forth when God said "Let there be..."

So... don't give up or quit. Today may be the day God says "Let there be..." over your life.

It can't be Friday... it was just Wednesday

So I had this idea that when I stopped working at iCompass that I would have more time to keep the blog current while I put myself into growing the ministry. Funny thing about ideas... they don't always work out the way you planned. It's been a great week and once the kids are back in school next week, my idea may actually become reality, but what a crazy week this has been....

I had my first MLA meeting on Wednesday. I can't share specifics except to say "WOW GOD!!" It's funny how we expect God to do big things and great things, but when He does it they are so often far beyond what we expected would happen that it surprises us. It's no wonder that Paul wrote about him as the One who is able to exceedingly above all we are able to ask or think or imagine. Wednesday was one of those days when He did just that. At the very least I will have a guest pass to both the speech from the throne and the budget speech and potentially something more longterm after that.

One of the things I can tell you is that there are many Christians in key positions of leadership within government and that God continues to open doors and arrange people as he sees fit. The devil has us convinced that we are always on the bottom never on the top, but the bible tells us that when we walk with HIM we are always on the TOP never on the BOTTOM! Based on what I learned on Wednesday, I'm not surprised that our province continues to be an economic leader in our nation based simply on the fact that the blessing of God ALWAYS flows from the TOP down. We are very blessed to be where we are.

Finally, I met a guy this week who makes wooden coins. Kind of cool thing that if you have them in your house, you can't put them down. Check them out at www.woodencoin.com

Tim

Big Day

I am PUMPED about Wednesday!

I'm starting off with a speaking engagement at 7:00 AM to a number of business people in our city. I've been with them before and it's nice to be invited back. The theme for the morning is "BHAGS". If that's something new to you, BHAGS are BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS GOALS. You could think of them as the King Kong of all the goals we set and work towards. BHAGS are fun to dream and set for ourselves and even more fun to achieve.

I've got an appointment at 10 to secure a business opportunity that will pay the bills while we continue to lay a firm financial foundation for the ministry. Things are coming along, but I'm able to do some other things while we get this fully off the ground.

12:00 Noon - This marks a big moment for us as I have my first official meeting with an MLA for ministry purposes. I've known this person for a few years so I'm really looking forward to our time together. Pray that the Lord will be very present and will guide our conversation. I can hardly wait to see what God will do with this.

1:30 - Go to the Y and buy a Family Membership. Missions Trips, Christmas and a Youth Retreat do nasty things to your waistline.

Speaking about BHAGS, what's the one thing that would make 2007 an amazing year for you?

Tim

Some Thoughts For My Penny

I did a double take as I was digging through my change at Starbucks today. After a closer look, I confirmed that I had a 1929 US Penny in my pocket. I learned that it was called a "wheatback" because of the two sheaves of wheat on the one side of the coin. It's in excellent condition for it's age.

I couldn't help but think of all the things my penny has seen since it was minted. It went through the Stock Market crash of 1929, the Great Depression of the 1930's, World War II, the Korean War, the fun of the 50's, Woodstock, the social turbulence of the 1960's and 70's, Vietnam, Watergate, men walking on the moon, the invention of the internet, 78 Christmas Days, etc, etc...

Add to that all of the people whose hands touched it. I wonder how many times it had been used to pay off a debt, buy a treat, buy groceries, gasoline or ice cream or been dropped in an offering plate. If my penny could talk, what stories could it tell of love, laughter, life, death disappointment and delight?

I'm not sure what I'll do with my penny. I'm actually thinking of getting it framed just because I don't want to lose it.

What do you think I should do with it??

A New and Glorious Morn...

We were singing "O Holy Night" at our Christmas eve service tonight and the power of this one line overwhelmed me....

"Long lay the world, in sin and error pining, till He appeared and the soul felt it's worth"

In a day when everyone "adds value" I was reminded that until he appeared, the value of my soul was only theory. No one had put anything on the line for me. No one had gone to bat for me. No one had stood up for me... until HE came and at that moment my soul (and the souls of all humanity) began to feel their tremendous worth. Value is determined entirely by what someone will pay for the product. The owner might think it's priceless but the buyer may say it's only worth $1.99. The owner might think it's not worth very much, but to a collector the final piece of a set is absolutely priceless. When Jesus came to earth as a man to redeem all men, He spoke volumes of the worth that He places on me. People don't always see themselves (or other people) as valuable and worthwhile, but if HE does, that changes everything.

What kind of God puts it all on the line to redeem a creature gone awry? What kind of love moves Him to give His ONLY for the sins of many. After a while the theological, legal, technical aspects of this amazing miracle begin to sap out the wonder of God's amazing grace and work demonstrated to us on this day. The beauty of what happened is sometimes lost in a maze of theological banter, debate and technicalities intended to bring clarity but far too often just muddying the water.

"A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn."
Hope springs eternal when you know that God believes in you. I had the strangest thing happen on the way home from China. I took a few minutes just to say "thanks" God for allowing me to go on this trip, when God INTERRUPTED me. He stopped me to say "thanks Tim. I couldn't have done it without you." I realize it sounds incredibly arrogant to say that and it's not verbatim by any means, but what I want to share with you is the very clear sense I got that God was communicating His belief in me and the value He continues to place upon me. That brief interlude with Him sparked hope and confidence in me. There is a new and glorious morn for all of us because Jesus came to earth to live and walk in the flesh. He came bringing hope, forgiveness and the promise of a bright new day. I used to think I understood the "new day", but I've come to see it in a whole new way. Our best "yesterday" pales in comparison to the brightness of the tomorrow that He has prepared for us.

Have an amazing Christmas!!

Back in the groove

It's taken the better part of a week, but my head is almost clear of jetlag. I read that the most you can be "lagged" is 12 hours. Anything more than you just subtract the number from 24. What that means is that while we were in China, we were 16 hours AHEAD of home so the difference is only 8 hours. What that means is you are VERY TIRED in the late afternoon and if you succumb to the sweet temptation of sleep you will be VERY AWAKE just after midnight. A 90 minute nap at 6:00 PM isn't what the doctor ordered. The other night I woke up at 1 AM and stayed awake until 5 AM at which point I decided to deliver the kids newspapers. You can only watch the Dukes of Hazard Christmas special so many times...

Needless to say, I pushed through the next day and slept like a log all night.

We are looking forward to a wonderful Christmas and then we are heading off for a few days where I am speaking at a retreat between Christmas and New Years. Once the New Year comes, we will be ramping up the partnership development side of the ministry so that when the Legislature is recalled we will be able to be there and begin to minister in that arena.

If you are interested in partnership, either through a special gift or by supporting the vision monthly or annually, we are now able to take credit cards which is going to make everyone's life a lot easier.

Thanks again for your interest and support. We are looking forward to the future and to what God will do with this.

Coffee...

Not original, but good just the same....

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:"If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us." God brews the coffee, not the cups..... Enjoy your coffee! "The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything."Live simply.Love generously.Care deeply.Speak kindly.Leave the rest to God.You are the miracle, my friend,Your life either shines a light - or casts a shadow.

Thoughts?

One VERY LONG Day...

International travel is exciting and interesting but it makes for some very LONG days. Check this out...

1. We left China at 8:00 AM on Dec 15th, arrived in Hong Kong 2 hours later.

2. We spent 10 hours shopping in Hong Kong. This was like visiting another planet. 2 hours in Stanley Market and then another 4 hours on Nathan Road left me feeling energized (because the environment is so electric...) and numb because it's like being immersed in a spin cycle. I don't think I could live in Hong Kong, but I'm looking forward to visiting there again.

3. We left HK at 9:00 PM for a 2 hr. flight to Taipei. The day is starting to get long at this point, but it's still manageable. We arrive on time for a 2 hr. layover. The difference between HK airport and Taipei airport is significant. HK is a shopping mall that airplanes leave from. You can literally shop till you drop there. Taipei is a nice airport where everything closes down at around 11:30. I did manage to find some Tolberone before everything closed. Our flight was delayed by 30 minutes, but all in all, not a big deal...

4. We left Taipei for Vancouver at about 12:30 AM. If you're keeping track we're approaching 18 hours in airports at this point. The flight is 10 hours but through the wonder of time zones and the international dateline, we arrive in Vancouver at 5:50 PM for another 3 1/2 hr. layover before our final 45 minute flight to Kamloops. By the time we land at home it's about a 32 hour trip. Small wonder I want to nodd off at inoportune times throughout the day, although I am learning the secret of the "power nap".

Because it was so warm, I left China wearing shorts and sandals. HK was a bit cooler but someone lent me a sweatshirt that I wore the rest of the way home. Stepping off the plane in Kamloops wearing shorts and sandals was a refreshing experience to say the least. I could have changed in Vancouver, but I was just too tired to bother.

Thanks for your interest and support. It's been great to know that you have been praying for us and checking in while we were in China. I'm looking forward to doing a return trip next year.

Tim

To the Ends of the Earth

There's an actual place called "the end of the earth". It's a park about 10 minutes from the hotel we were staying at. The Chinese called it that because there is nothing to see but sky and water when you stand there. It's the southernmost point of China and is farther away from Vancouver than Sydney, AUS.

We preached, prayed and prophesied at the end of the earth on this trip. Listen to these words out of Isaiah 43 ....

Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east,
And gather you from the west; I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth— Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;

25,000 people a day commit their lives to Jesus in China. God has not forgotten the people at the ends of the earth, nor did He forget us on this trip. Nor has he forgotten those of you who prayed for us and stood with us. What a privilege for us to be a part of what He is doing in China. This is a great land with a harvest that is ripe and ready to come in.

It's interesting to me that it's the daughters that He calls from the ends of the earth. I can't tell you how many women we prayed for who were "workers in the villages", basically pastors and evangelists who carry the good news of Jesus to people all through this amazing nation. I couldn't help but be moved by their love for Christ and their commitment to preach the gospel at great personal risk.

We are leaving Hong Kong tonight for home! I'll write more when I get there!!

Tim

Did you hear that knock??

There’s nothing quite like the adrenaline rush that comes from an unexpected knock on the door from a man in uniform when you are preaching. While we are thankful that nothing came of it (he was a security guard for the school in the same facility) it still brought the reality of life for the church home to us in a hurry. We were out of the room in about 3 minutes after the knock and there was no further difficulty for the rest of our time here.

I’m told that we are in a part of the country that is more tolerant of the church than other places. This is probably true as believers are unafraid and unashamed to carry their bibles, meet openly, pray in public, etc, etc. We met people who work in prayer centre’s, Bible Colleges and other churches which was something of a surprise to me. I expected a more “covert” form of operation.

One of the couples we met had chosen Abraham and Sarah as their English names. They are a young, vibrant couple who are committed to serving the Lord in ministry. Abraham served as our translator and Sara was our chief cheerleader, coordinator and guide. She doesn’t speak English, but she can make stuff happen. While we were there, we had some “Blue Mountain” coffee. This is apparently the most expensive coffee in the world ($100/lb) in Canada if you can find it. As we raved about the coffee, she told us she could order some beans for us if we would like. Our cost would be about $5/lb. Needless to say we jumped at the chance and within about 20 minutes of her phone call, a delivery man (pedaling a rickshaw I’m sure…) showed up with our coffee. Hallelujah! Amen?? (The expectation is that you will echo your agreement heartily and then applaud with enthusiasm…. At least that’s how they do it in China!)

Last night we were treated to dinner in restaurant owned by a man in the church. They served us frog legs as part of the meal. Frog legs taste just like hot wings. Some of you may find this hard to believe, but I noticed a real spring in my step after dinner and I still feel very “hoppy” today!

This has been such an amazing time. I’ve had the privilege of sharing ministry with Pastor David “Happy Holidays” Pearson from Seattle Church (SC!). I have learned just by watching his life and ministry. He is a man of prayer, compassion and authority. I am challenged by his discipline and focus. I’ve heard him speak to his wife (Sue) and children Heather and Joel. He is an incredible husband and father. The incredible breakthrough that we experienced here came largely because of his discernment and leadership. He was like the plow that broke that ground. I was able to follow and exhort the people, but it was all because of his willingness to address spiritual strongholds within the church and city.

We have other team members who have played critical parts in making this entire trip a success. Evelyn Picklyck (Founder and President of Humanitarian Hope) arranged all of the details for us so that all we had to do was show up and minister. Evelyn is starting a blog that you can check out at www.humanitarianhope.blogspot.com If you are interested in joining her on a trip, you can find information on where she is going on her website at www.humanitarianhope.com .

Tom Laroche and Jackie Smith were with us as well. They each taught capably and powerfully. Their prayer ministry was very effective and a real benefit to the church here.

Lorne Sieb is the 6th member of the team. While he wasn’t involved publicly, Lorne has been a very present member of the team providing comic relief, taking all of the pictures and video you will see of the trip. He loves to wander off down alleys and “discover” how the locals live. He thinks nothing of renting a rickshaw and heading off on an adventure. He overcomes the language barrier through his smile, willingness to try to speak the language and general “likeability”. A classic “Lorne moment” happened last night when he came into our room offering us dried squid and fresh garlic as a bedtime snack.

That’s all for now. We got an early start this morning and it looks like the next stop on our journey is “NA PING” a place where you can catch a few zzz’s before you go to “SHA PING”.

We are all looking forward to a few days of R&R before we head home. That way we aren’t grumpy when we get back!

Talk to you later!

Other Things You Don't See Everyday...

When we got to the meeting tonight we stepped off the elevator only to meet a rat (yup, you read it right...) a black one with a long tail ... waiting to take it down. We jumped off (literally) and he ran onto the elevator. Apparently he was on his way to meet his cousin the bat that was swooping around in the foyer of the building we were meeting in. I've been in ministry for a long time and have met some "rats" along the way, but none of them ever had a tail.

Everybody still up for a trip over here??

The upside is we found a pizza joint here. It was fabulous to eat something familiar!

We had a great time together tonight. We took care of business by doing some spiritual house-keeping. Let's just say that our friends here have a bright future and their coach knows he is well supported by those around him. Tomorrow is going to be great!!

Things you don't see everyday

To mark my 101st post, here's something a little different for you...

Things I've seen today...
1. One large dead rat...

2. Walk up dental clinics, right beside welding shops and next door to tea houses.

3. Instead of "one way" streets, there are every way streets. You can go whatever direction you want, create what ever lane you want and go as fast as you want.

4. Honking and flashing headlights here mean - "Look out, I'm coming your way." One beep means I'm passing on the right. Two beeps means I'm passing on the left. Or is it the other way around??

5. You can get a haircut for about 90 cents. You have to pay based on how much they cut off. A wash, cut and style is about $3. Not sure how much dentists charge... Don't want to know.

6. There are crosswalks complete with people who blow whistles and point flags if you try to cross against the lights. The locals move 10 feet from the crosswalk and proceed at will.

7. The "walk in clinic" thrives here. There must be about 10 within a 4 block radius. It could be that there is a connection between pedestrians crossing will and the number of clinics.

8. When crossing the street, just walk out into traffic, they will drive around you. Never change speed or run suddenly, you'll get hit...

9. We met a guy in the elevator with 2 10 gallon cans of gasoline... (I am NOT making this up!!)

10. There's an animated Santa playing the sax down in the hotel lobby. He's not bad actually!

Things I wish I'd seen in the past 24 hours....
1. Starbucks... We've been to a couple of different places for coffee. The names are interesting... "Scripture Coffee", UBC Coffeehouse, EverLove Coffee

2. You can't buy deodorant here. Apparently the "musky" smell that comes from going without in a subtropical climate is very sexy... Someone "borrowed" the fresh stick I bought before I came. Fortunately, I had a travel one as well.

3. An English language anything... I'm looking at the daily paper that is delivered to our room for free. I'm not sure why they bother.

4. A waitress that could speak english. Coffee in Chinese is "caffay". When we ask for "coffee" we get a blank look. We've only been here for 36 hours and to the same place 5 times so you'd think someone would begin to get it.

5. A Canadian Flag...

6. Most of all .... Barb, Britt, Zack, Tyler and Zoe.


That's all for now! Wish you were here!

Church In The Raw...

I can't get the thought out of my mind that I have come as close as I have ever come to seeing the church in it's most raw form. There is no sophistication here at all. It is simple and basic, but it is powerful and passionate. I watched people spend the afternoon and evening in church for 3 days straight. They worshiped without a sound system or a band. At one session they had no instruments at all and worshipped with enthusiasm and passion for 45 minutes. The rest of the time they had an out of tune guitar, but no one noticed!

There have been some significant surprises. It is not illegal to meet, own a bible or even pray in public. There are some things that you can't do, like promote your group, have public meetings and that sort of thing, but it's not like the police are breaking down the door on a regular basis.

Along that line, I learned something very interesting. The Chinese value "face". When the church gives "face" to the police, they do not harass them. "Face" means not flaunting what you are doing. The police in turn look the other way provided you do not provoke them to a response. They provide "face" to the church by allowing her to go about her activities unharassed. It's almost a "don't ask, don't tell." kind of thing.

I can't help but be overwhelmed at what I have seen and expect to seeover the next few days. If there was a way to instill this kind of focus and passion into the NA church, we might really see the national move of God that we all long to see.

Getting late here...

Tim

Day Four or is it Five ????

We completed our visit with our friends in our first city last night. What an incredible time yesterday as we had 4 visits with each member of our team sharing something with the group. Everyone did a great job and our Dad visited us again last night. There is a great future for the family in this region of the world and we are very confident that our Father will use our friends here to add even more members as time goes on. We are thrilled that we have had a part in encouraging and equipping them for this great task.

After checking out of our hotel this morning (a 5o minute process...) we got into 3 taxis and headed off to the bus station. It was interesting to see the country as it has probably been for hundreds of years. This is truly a beautiful place. Our trip took us about 3 hours and passed very quickly in our air conditioned luxury coach. The martial arts video with subtitles was entertaining, even though the acting and the stunts were brutal...

We met the club leader this evening and we know that the next few days here will be very rewarding for everyone here and us as well. We will be meeting with some friends from North America tomorrow morning and we are looking forward to our time with them.

We are looking forward to Sunday here ... even though it's only Saturday there!

Day Three ....

Sometimes you've just got to sit back and say Wow! We had two (but actually 4 visits) with our friends today. We started our visit at 3 and ended after 11, but we had a great time together. At the end of the evening, our Father paid us a visit. It was so exciting that some people were falling down and everyone was very happy.

We are going to visit some some small children today and share the gifts that we brought for them. They live together in a large home and will appreciate what we have for them.

I'm going down for breakfast now and will try to write more later today. We are all doing well and having a great time here.

Talk to you later!!

Day Two

The one thing you can count on when on a trip like this is that you can't count on anything to happen the way it is supposed to. Thus the need to go with the flow and play it by ear. Yesterday was one of those days. What was supposed to be a conference for leaders is primarily a "club" conference only. That means that only 1 of the 3 sessions I had planned for will work the way I had envisioned. This could be a matter of stress for me except that my DAD knew that it would be this way when I got here so He already has another plan in place.

So... rather than being stressed out about this, I chose to enjoy breakfast on the patio with my traveling companions and then opted for a walk on the beach. (The temp. here is 28, the sun is shining and the ocean is warmer than the resort pool....)

I am happy to tell you that I am confident that the same person who drew the boundaries for the oceans, has no problem providing me with the necessary material for 2 visits today and another one tomorrow, so I am going to talk with him for a while and find out what he would like me to say. He will enjoy the fact that I can only rely on him right now. When you are talking with him, mention my name to him.

Yesterday was very interesting. My friends here are very warm and open people. Because we are visiting them from a long way away, they are making many sacrifices to be with us. It is an honour to be with them knowing how much this means to them. We are enjoying being with them and enjoying their beautiful city.

I will write again tomorrow.

Day One

Arrived last night - after 18 hours of flying and another 18 of waiting. We were tired and weary to say the least, but after a good sleep we had breakfast together. I'll try to send you pictures later. Let's just say we paid the extra for the Western breakfast rather than risking our lives on the national options...

1/2 our team is visiting with our friends this afternoon. The other half (my half..) will visit with them this evening. We are all excited about the opportunity to finally be together. I did walk in the ocean for a few minutes this morning, just to say I did. Nothing quite like feeling the sand washing away under your feet as the waves return to the sea.

Internet is "spotty" here - sometimes on, sometimes not... I'll try to keep you as posted as I can.

More later!

Bags are packed...

Hey everybody - I'm in the passenger lounge at the airport. Wanted to say a brief goodbye and a "pray for us" while we're gone. This is going to be exciting, stretching and a huge adventure all at the same time! Specifically, pray that we will be protected and preserved at every turn. We obviously need the Lord to help us in many ways.

We are excited about the possiblities and the opportunities. Pray Ps. 91 and Is. 61 and all will be in.

Leave a note!

It's Time!!

The big day finally arrived and I "officially" finished my full time employment with iCompass Technologies today. It's been a very good year. I have learned a lot and have come to appreciate many things about life that I had come to take for granted.

After a two week missions trip, I will be ramping up the ministry full time effective January 1 and am looking forward to adding to the traction to we already have.

I heard a song at Harvest City Church a few weeks ago that captured my attention and I want to share it with you today. It's called "It's Time" and speaks about what burns in my heart for our magnificent nation. It's time for Canada to see the great revival that people have been talking about for years. It's time for a revival to sweep our land that will transform every part of our culture and draw men and women, young people and children to the hope of Jesus and the power of the gospel to renew every part of their lives.

Here it is... you'll actually have to click the Media Player button to hear it, but it's very worth it, especially if you close your eyes and see it happen as it plays!!

http://www.leadinginfluence.com/Audio.html

Looking forward to hearing from you...

Device to Root Out Evil...

For those of you who have wondered as to my artistic insight, this is my first (and probably last ...) foray as an art critic... leave your comments at the end!

I'm in Vancouver today attending the Faith Political Interface conference.I'll tell you more about that later, but I wanted to tell you what I saw today when I stepped out for a break. It's called "A Device to Root Out Evil". If you live in Vancouver, you probably know where it is (W Cordova and Butte in Waterfront Park...)

This statue is controversial but in the light of the conference I'm attending, I found it absolutely inspiring. The artist is making some obvious statements about how he sees the church and it's role in the world.

The beauty of art is that it can be interpreted in a number of ways.... If steeples point us to heaven to remind us of our hope in God and in the strength and power He provides, the inverted church, with the steeple being rooted into the ground reminds me of the amazing impact that the church can have in uprooting injustice and dispelling darkness. The only way to rid a garden of weeds is to pull them out by the root and that requires getting on your knees and putting your hands to work. When I stood beside the sculpture, I couldn't help but think of a plow being plunged into the ground to prepare the land for seed. The bible speaks of breaking up our fallow ground because it is time to seek the Lord.

The sculptor (Oppenheim) says that he simply inverted the object to catch the attention of people and that the inverted steeple points us to hell instead of heaven. The words of Jesus "I will build my church" and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" ring particularly true. Perhaps this sculpture is nothing more than a sign pointing to the reality that because of the cross, even a mocking statue points to our overwhelming victory over EVERYTHING that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ.

So - what do you think??

Tim

Canada's Prophetic Destiny

I'm hearing God speak to me about Canada's prophetic destiny. When I googled that term to see what other people were saying, I didn't find much beyond the standard, God is going to send a revival, etc, etc. I don't disagree with any of that, but I was looking for something more unique, because I believe that God has a destiny for our nation that is powerful, especially at this point in history.

When Canada became a nation, she was given the name "The Dominion of Canada". The choice of terminology comes from Ps. 72:8 "And he shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth." Sir Leonard Tilley, one of the Fathers of Confederation, read that verse on the last morning on the final conference of Confederation and suggested that Canada be called a dominion. His peers agreed and the recomendation was sent forward to the Queen for her approval. On July 1st, 1867, Queen Victoria proclaimed "The Dominion of Canada" into existence. There's got to be something tremendously significant between this verse, that prophetically describes the kingdom and rule of Christ and the destiny of our great nation.

As I pondered this, I was reminded of a verse out of Is. 58 that speaks of being repairers of broken walls and restorers of streets to dwell in and suddenly some things came together that I want to share with you. Our nation has a unique international role of being a repairer and restorer. Our international military involvement has been limited to liberation and restoration. We have never gone to war as an act of aggression. As I dug deeper into Is. 58, I began to see some other things that are part of our prophetic destiny as well.

Is. 58:6a - "to loose the bonds of wickedness" - which speaks of our commitment to justice
Is. 58:6b - "to undo the heavy burdens: - which speaks of mercy
Is. 586c - "to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke" which speaks of deliverance

Is. 58:7 - "to share your bread with the hungry" - generosity and compassion
Is. 58:7b - "to bring to your house the poor who are cast out" - hospitality
Is. 58:7c - "when you see the naked, to cover him" - kindness

Canada does all of these things with excellence all around the world. As I write this, Canadian troops are putting their lives on the line to fulfill Is. 58:6 in Afghanastan. It's hard and dangerous work but it's work that they are doing with excellence and true Canadian passion.

Our international track record in sharing our bread with the hungry, opening our doors to the poor and clothing the naked is stellar. NO ONE ELSE can do what we do the way we do it. Our role in the world is to rebuild and restore hope, dignity, security and peace.

This unique role is something that only we can do. Others have a part of it, but our international image is that of peacemaker, restorer, provider and rebuilder. The result of walking in this path appears in Is. 58:8. God promises that:

1) Our light will break forth like the dawn. This speaks to me of increased favor and stature internationally that surpasses what we already have. I've read words about a coming economic transformation that will propel us to an entire new level and may actually liberate us from the economic "dependency" that we have on the US economy.

2) Our healing will quickly appear. After nearly 140 years of confederation, we are still divided. This is evidenced by the BQ motion in Ottawa that Quebec be recognized as a nation and the Government motion that Quebec be recognized as a nation within Canada. Perhaps the blessing of God to our nation will be a satisfaction of this and other issues and we will truly be able to put regional and territorial issues aside and enjoy the greatness of our amazing nation.

3) Our righteousness will go before us . Righteousness exalts a nation. While on the one hand, we have issues at home that need a prophetic presence and voice, as we continue to move towards righteousness out of relationship rather than legislation (could be a "word" there....) God will undoubtedly bless us in great measure and continue to place his favour upon us!

4) And the glory of God will be our rear guard. Perhaps this is where the great revival and outpouring that we hear so much about comes into play. I don't want to prophesy revival just because everyone else does, nor do I want to I say it isn't coming. I will say that fullfilling our prophetic destiny is connected to a national outpouring of the presence and glory of God and that if we fail to fulfill the prophetic destiny (nationally and internationally) that God has established for us, we won't experience what many are prophesying will happen.

The church's role in this is critical. While we must pray and fast, we must also take up the role of servant leadership within our nation at every level. Because the church is designed to be a leadership culture, we are the greatest national resource in this area, but it comes down to what we believe about ourselves. Until we embrace the role of King and Priest in our nation, we will always be just the tail and never the head. It's time... to step up, step out and step into the fullness of what God has for us as the Church in our land! His DOMINION SHALL BE from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth!!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!!

Boarder Babe

Two quick posts today - the first is to tell you about opening day at Sun Peaks. I got a new board so was working out some adjustments, but it's going to be great once there's some more snow on the hill. The boys were fine and got back into things really quickly. Barb was totally amazing! She was carving better than she did all of last year. I spent far more time on the snow than she did.

Today, she's complaining about being stiff and sore and asking how I'm feeling. I keep telling her I feel like a young man and everything is fine. Truth be told, my abs are killing me and my legs are stiff, but I'll keep letting her think that it's only her.

My punnishment for this little prank is that laughing hurts ...

Midlife Moments

As hard as it is for me to believe, I arrived at age 44 today. There's great excitement in our house over this auspicious event, but I'm content to pretend it isn't happening. Here are some "mid-40" thoughts....

1. I used to think people who were 44 were old and should be called "Mister".

2. When my father was 44, I was in my 3rd year of college. My oldest is 13 and in gr. 8.

3. I tried on my birthday gift today and it was "snugger" than I would prefer. Barb said, "it's just a smaller cut honey..." I think it's just a sign of the times!

4. If you keep swimming when you jump off the bridge, you don't drown! Between God's faithfulness and your willingness, bobbing to the top is easier than you might think.

5. Listening is more comfortable than it used to be. I've actually had people on the phone ask me if I'm still there...

6. Respect comes easier if you keep your head down and your mouth shut...

7. Living "Like you were dying" is more fun than "living as though you were dead."

8. Friends matter more because of what you've been through together.

9. I am more in love with Barb than ever before. I am SO BLESSED!

10. I am not perfect! It's been a shock to come to this revelation, but true nonetheless.

11. Brittany can be right and I can be wrong.... (That hurts to admit, but it periodically happens!)

12. God is ALWAYS faithful!! This has been a stretching and challenging year, but one that I will hold as a trophy of God's grace and goodness to me!

Blessed...

We've had quite an exciting time in our lives over the past week or so... God has been incredibly good to us AGAIN!! Here's the latest!

I had the unique experience of being awakened in the night last week and hearing God ask me to "speak to my deals". I tried to put this off but there was no way I was going back to sleep until I did what He asked. These deals are important because they are going to "pay the bills" for a few months in the new year so it's important that they come through for me and my employer. The next day, I spoke with a customer who said "no" in spring but wanted to know if the same pricing would apply if they did a deal with us now. Within an hour, a second customer told me they would be ready to proceed with a deal by early next week. Total value is over 30K!! MONEY COMETH!! :-) I think this is the coolest thing! God is AWESOME!!

I had the privilege of preaching in our home church on Sunday morning. Our pastor pumped this for two weeks and gave me the kindest introduction to compliment the tremendous opportunity of preaching on a Sunday morning. The people were amazing and very responsive. A good number responded indicating that they were interested in becoming partners which is pretty cool too.

All in all, God is VERY GOOD!! But you already knew that!!

Bill Clinton

I went to hear Bill Clinton on Friday night. He's a great speaker who shared with humility, transparency and passion about his work with AIDS, Global Warming, Economic Development and Disaster Relief. He shared a number of fascinating stories, but I wanted to pass this one on to you because it really rang true within me.

He told about when Ariel Sharon went up on the Temple Mount several years ago with a group of Israeli policemen. This was the first time in years that a Jewish PM had been there because of the political and religious tensions. Yasser Arafat who was the leader of the PLO at that time saw the incident as a provocation (which it was) and launched another violent uprising on the West Bank. Clinton invited Arafat to a meeting a pleaded with him to meet Sharon's actions with peace rather than violence. His suggestion was to meet Sharon on the Temple mount along with a little girl and some flowers for the Israeli PM and offer to give him a tour of the sites there. He pointed out that Arafat was allowing Sharon to determine his actions and responses and that in the end, Sharon was manipulating Arafat to make him do what he wanted him to do.

He contrasted that story with Nelson Mandella who was imprisoned for 14 years for his resistance against the government. He talked about the personal cost to Mandella and how he missed seeing his kids grow up, lost his wife and years of "family" time, not to mention his freedom. Clinton asked Mandella if he hated his oppressors and jailers. Mandella said he did for a while, but came to the conclusion that while his jailers could lock him up, separate him, torture and potentially kill him, they were powerless to take his heart and mind unless Mandella let them. Mandella realized that even as he was being released hatred and unforgiveness would keep him a prisoner if he wouldn't let it go and so he did. He went so far as to invite his jailers to sit in his cabinet when he was president of South Africa.

Hatred and resentment make you small and keep you small. Forgiveness and grace make you a bigger person... and a better person. No wonder Jesus said, forgive those who hurt you. It's not always easy, but it makes for a much better life, for you and those around you.

Later!

Taking the Plunge...

After a year of thinking, praying, planning and preparing, I took the plunge this morning by communicating my intent to leave to my employer. iCompass has been a blessing and I have learned a lot while working here, but "it's time for the dream to come to pass". So, effective Nov 3o, I will conclude my full time employment here. I am off to speak at a pastor's conference overseas (details later) in early December and then I'll continue to book speaking engagements and move towards full time engagement in the ministry as soon as possible.

This is yet one more step in a journey of faith. We keep telling ourselves that the wind and waves don't matter as much as walking towards Jesus, but the spray hitting your face is a little un-nerving even if your feet aren't sinking into the water. I find myself singing "Jehovah Jireh, my provider..." a lot lately. Maybe it's declaration, maybe it's affirmation, maybe it's celebration. Whatever the case, it feels good to sing it and to know that it's true!!

Love to hear from you on this one!

Take off your masks...

I stopped at 7-11 the other day and there was a sign on the front door requiring customers to take off their masks while in the store. It's obviously a crime prevention issue, (notice I'm not saying WHICH 7-11 in which town, but if you live in Kamloops, you can use your imagination as to which one it is...)

I've been thinking about the message though. What if we put signs up at church saying "Masks are not allowed inside the church" or if we put them on homes "masks are not allowed within relationships" or if what if we put them at the entrance to our towns and cities... remove masks while in Kamloops, Vancouver, New York, etc... (notice the subtle but obvious connection of Kamloops to world class cities...)

Since the days of Adam in the garden of Eden we have been covering ourselves to hide what we didn't want people to see. Hiding has made our lives and relationships more complicated and painful. Hiding puts distance between us and those around us and most importantly, us and God. As an experienced (and former) "hider", I can tell you that hiding is a short term solution to a long term issue. The craziest thing of all is that those closest to you KNOW that you are hiding or at the very least suspect that you are because in most cases they are doing the same.

There are two obvious solutions to this scenario. On the one hand, we can continue hiding, because after all everyone else is doing it... OR we can come out of the darkness into the light. Coming into the light seems kind of scary. Someone very close to me described it as the fear of being hated for what you really are. And yet, I can tell you that LOVE covers a multitude of sins and coming out from hiding was the best thing I ever did.

There's something very liberating about not living in the shadows "hoping" that your secret remains a secret. Embracing grace and freely admitting that you aren't all things takes a huge weight off your shoulders and allows you to be real in a very real way. Admitting you have "clay feet" takes a ton of pressure off you.

Try it ... you'll like it...

Tim

Walking By Faith

I heard something a few years ago that came back to me like a bolt of lightning today. Walking by faith isn't a matter of waiting for God to go first but a matter of us stepping towards what God is calling us to do, even if all the "i's" aren't dotted and all the "t's" are yet to be crossed.

God ALWAYS responds to faith. This has been a huge learning curve in my life and one for which I am extremely thankful. The biblical examples of God responding enormously to the smallest acts of faith never cease to amaze me. Whether it's Moses extending his sheperd's staff, a boy offering his loaves and fishes or people walking around a city and one day shouting at the walls and watching them fall over, the result is still the same. We do our "little" part and GOD does His very BIG part!!

Week by week, we see God responding to our acts of faith-filled obedience and it's overwhelming and exhilarating all at the same time. As partners continue to join us on the journey we know that God will respond to their simple act of faith with enormous results as well.

When we "jump off the bridge" to obey the call of God on our lives, there's no need for a bungy cord or a safety net. To say "unless God provides" is an oxymoron of the greatest kind. God ALWAYS provides and makes a way when we are walking with Him

Can you hear me now??

I've got some fun stuff I want to share with you later, but just wanted you to know that I've added an audio feature to the website. I've uploaded the message I preached at Harvest City Church (thanks for your help, Eddie...) and you'll find it at www.leadinginfluence.com Find the Audio Page and go from there.

Thanks for checking in!

The Week in Review

What a full, exciting and blessed week!! Since I've last posted, I've been to Victoria for several meetings that were interesting and exciting at the same time. On Thursday night, Barb and I met with a group of intercessors from Victoria who pray for the city, government, etc. It was exciting to meet with them and they were very kind to spend an evening with us. We were able to share the vision, discuss the direction in which we were going and pray together. Thanks to Bill, Susan, Donna and Rina for putting the evening together and hosting us. It was a great night.

On Friday we met with a group of friends from Colwood Church who feel more like family. Even though we've been gone for 12 years, we have been blessed to build friendships with quality people who love and believe in us. What a blessing to have Pastor Funk lay his hands on us and bless us and the ministry in that context. It's priceless to have his blessing on what we are doing.

On Saturday we went to the Lions game in Vancouver. We have a friend who is a waterboy for the Lions and were able to get down to field level after the game. Once everyone had cleared out, the boys were able to catch a few footballs on the field and have some fun. (More about that in another post...)

On Sunday, I was blessed to preach at Harvest City Church with Pastor George and Joyce Johnson. It was an incredible time and I was so blessed to be with amazing people, in an amazing church. I'm trying to load the message on the website, but having some troubles because it doesn't handle "mp3" files. In the meantime, you can hear it on www.harvestcitychurch.com and pick it up off their website. I spoke on the "Dynamics of Influence".

The church graciously blessed us with an offering that morning which will help us establish the ministry. I'm very grateful for the hospitality and generosity of the church.

Today, Barb marks the big "40" Sadly... I'm out of town, but we will celebrate when I get home. I am so proud of her and absolutely love EVERYTHING about her. Apart from putting up with me, she is an incredible woman and an excellent example of a life well lived!! Here's to 60 more years!! (I thought about saying 40, but we might want to live longer than 80...)

Training and Reigning

I don't often watch TV in the morning, but I'm on a road trip and had it on while I got ready for the day. I was watching a Christian Talk Show and the guest was talking about young Josiah. Josiah was one of the kings that God used to bring about revival. What makes him unique is that he assumed the throne when he was 8 and over the span of about 20 years God progressively moved him towards the ability and authority to reign with righteousness.

In the natural, Josiah shouldn't have had a chance... His father and grandfather were both incredibly corrupt and except that God had spoken that he would turn his nation towards Him 300 years before it happened, it's not likely that he would have been much different.

But God had a plan to grow Josiah and so He positioned godly people around him who mentored him towards right choices so that when he was in his late teens he could lead appropriately. The point the guest was making was that Josiah had to learn to reign over the things around him before he could reign over a nation. The same is true with us. Until we are able to reign over our own lives, we won't be great leaders in the world around us.

I'm a great believer in destiny, but until we lead ourselves, our homes and churches well, it's not likely that God is going to give us a whole lot to do outside of that realm.

So... today's message ... train to reign in your own life and watch what God will do with you in the broader circumstances of your life...

Love ya!!

How well do you fit?

Kind of a strange title, but it comes out of a comment I heard this week. What the guy was saying was "If you fit in this world, your DNA is too small." The point he was making was that when we live according to God's plan for our lives, we live larger than we do when we live outside of that plan.

It's given me a lot to think about over the last few days. The world is corrupt, distorted and "less" than what God created it to be. When we fit within it, it speaks to the size of our spiritual DNA. I'm not suggesting that not fitting needs to be apparent on the outside and that we adopt 80's hair/clothing styles just so that it's apparent that we don't really belong. I think it's more about recognizing that those of us with a renewed spiritual DNA won't find what we are looking for on this planet.

As I write this, I'm hearing U2's "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" in my mind. It could be an anthem for the spiritually renewed, knowing that what we are looking for is found in another kingdom that is both now and "not yet".

Our DNA wires us for service, sacrifice, abundance and purpose that goes beyond normal living and propels us into a dynamic realm where God is both present and powerfully active. That's the place where miracles happen and the supernatural becomes natural.

What Equals 100%?

From a strictly Mathematical Viewpoint: What Equals 100%?

What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been in situations where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 101%? What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 1 9 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then: H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

and K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But, A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

AND, look how far the love of God will take you
L- O- V- E-O-F-G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:
While Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there,
it's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

Friends, Faith and the Future

This week marks a year since I left the church we had served for 11 years and moved on to a new adventure. It was a scary time, marked with more than a few "sleep diminished" nights, but it remains the right thing to have done. Through those intial first months when things were pretty scary, there were friends and family who reached out and supported us emotionally and spiritually while we walked through a valley that was deeper than we thought it might have been but we made it because they prayed for us and with us, lifted our hands and at times pulled us through into a "good and spacious land". We aren't yet where we want to be, but we are a long ways from where we used to be. They reached out because they love us and believe in us. I've got to say that in some cases I was surprised at the depth of concern and where it came from. Some people whose lives I felt I had touched only in passing, continue to cheer us on in this new journey. One in particular sends me "emails from heaven"... it's always a treat to hear from her...

Some thought we were crazy a year ago. Then again, people thought Abraham, David, Moses and multiple others were crazy too. I'm convinced that you can't reach the fullness of what God has for you by constantly playing it safe. Irrational action when God is in it makes perfect sense. That's not to say that irrational action is always God driven, but throwing something out because "it doesn't make sense" ensures that God doesn't have a chance to do anything in our lives.

So... here's to a life of faith and knowing God's faithfulness at every level knowing that God is Good ALL THE TIME!!

Defence of Religions Act

As a "B-Plan" in the event that the federal government's intended review of the same sex marriage legislation fails, there are measures being prepared to protect pastors and churches from law suits if they refuse to marry same sex couples. The "Defence of Religions Act" is seen as a response to what many have come to see as an over-aggressive gay agenda that lables anyone who speaks against homosexuality or same-sex marriage as "homophobic".

I'm hopeful that this step will provide the church and it's leaders the freedom to say "no" without fear of legal action. While not everyone will agree with me on this, it's no secret that morality cannot be legislated. Morality comes out of our personal decision to yield our will to a greater moral authority. The choice to yield cannot be forced upon anyone who knows their own mind and is determined to follow it. (If you're not sure that you agree, ask some parents who have teenagers at home...)

While I certainly don't agree with same sex marriage on a personal level, it may be that the "Defense of Religions Act" is the best option for our nation, if for no other reason than it will avoid an enormous social and political backlash.

The great irony in this discussion (which was on the front page of today's (Oct 4, 2006) Globe and Mail) is that constitutional experts are already saying that the act itself would violate the constitution and that protection provisions already exist.

If the current federal government fails in it's effort to reverse same sex marriage legislation (and it's a virtual certainty that it will...) my hope is that this proposed Act would quickly and easily pass. If not the election posturing would be fascinating to say the least ...

By the way - I've changed the comment requirement and you no longer have to login to post yours so ... fire away on this, I'd be very interested in what you have to say!

School Shootings

I groaned out loud when I saw the news of the shooting at the Amish school. I'm not sure why this particular shooting is as bothersome to me as it is. Maybe it's the fact that this is at least 3 in a row over a relatively short period of time. Maybe it's because I have a daughter and in the last 3 shootings, it's been young women who have been victimized. Or maybe it's because this seems to be more than an attack on just children and females.

The Amish by choice lead a very simple and intentionally separate life. They have conciously chosen to look and live differently than the rest of the world. The "one-room schoolhouse" where the shooting occurred is an expression of there chosen lifestyle. The irony is that their choice to educate their children in that context as a means of protecting them from the world, really put them at greater risk, because there was no where to hide when the shooter entered the room.

I hate the fact that violence penetrates the world of the innocents so often and with such impunity. I hate the fact that people who are powerless are far too often the chosen targets of people who are choosing to make their own twisted and dark statements with guns and bombs. I hate the fact that "the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy" as often as he does. It makes me angry that there are parents with empty spaces in their homes tonight that weren't there this morning just because one man's inner world collapsed because of the work of the thief. It makes me angry that there is a widow who had nothing to do with her husbands actions but now faces her own valley of sorrows as she tries to cope with her own loss and the horrific actions of her husband.

I'm tempted to write about hope, redemption and sovereignty, but instead tonight, I just want to pray for those whose hearts are broken and whose lives are shattered.

There's Bears in them there hills...

It's been an interesting few days around here. We have a green belt a block from our house where we take our dog for a walk. It's also the place where bears pass through on their way to wherever it is bears go...

Yesterday, Britt and the boys took the dog for a walk through the park. Tyler climbed up the hill to a rope swing that they like to play on. Zack was at the bottom of the hill with a friend when they noticed two bears (a mom and a cub) sitting on the branch right above where the rope swing is attached to the tree. Thankfully, no one panicked and the bears weren't overly interested in a mid-morning snack, even though Tyler said that the "big one was watching me with his mouth open..." Truthfully, the boy has multiple guardian angels as one would hardly be enough.

Today, Britt was walking down the trail to meet a friend when she and the dog encountered another one. Not a lot of details on this, other than she walked around a corner and a bear was there looking back at her. Apparently Zoe (the dog) just stopped, took one look at the bear, tucked her tail between her legs and did a quick retreat back up the path. About the only people that she barks at are our neighbor and me when I come in late.

I enjoyed a great morning at Clearwater New Life Assembly today with Pastor Dan and Joan Daase. God is doing some great things in their church and they graciously had me there for the morning. God was present in so many ways and I was very blessed for being there. In keeping with the bear theme, I saw one cross the highway on the way home from Clearwater.

Someone once told me that hitting a bear with your car would be like hitting a pig. Not sure if it's true, but I'm glad I didn't have to find out...