Prayer Bulletin

Victoria, BC - November 2, 2007 - From the Vancouver Province

Sindi Hawkins, deputy speaker of the B.C. legislature and Kelowna-Mission MLA, is again battling acute myeloid leukemia. In a brief statement yesterday, Premier Gordon Campbell said Hawkins was admitted to hospital for treatment this week. "Sindi will be on medical leave for the duration of the treatment required, which includes chemotherapy and a subsequent bone-marrow transplant," Campbell said.

Hawkins, 48, was first diagnosed with leukemia in January 2004, and received a life-saving bone-marrow transplant from her younger sister, Seema, a few months later.

She wrote a diary in The Province during her ordeal. Her cancer has been in remission for the past three years. "She has told me she feels fortunate that her sister, Seema, is a perfect match and will be her bone-marrow donor once more," Campbell said. Campbell said Hawkins told him: "I am ready and strong. I fought this thing before and won and I know I can do it again. My medical team and the B.C. Cancer Agency is one of the best in the world and I am confident that I am in good hands. Please keep me in your prayers." Hawkins is requesting privacy, but will try to write weekly updates on her website, www.sindi.ca. "Sindi, and patients like her, require a lot of blood products over the course of their blood-cancer treatments," Campbell said. "She has requested that you consider becoming a blood donor." In 2005, Canadian Blood Services honoured Hawkins for her work in support of blood and marrow donation in B.C.

ABOUT THE DISEASE

Acute myeloid leukemia is a potentially fatal cancer that mostly starts in the bone marrow, where new blood cells are made. It can spread to the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, brain and spinal cord. The drop in blood cells can lead to fatigue, shortness of breath, easy bruising and bleeding, and increased risk of infection. It is treated with chemotherapy and bone-marrow transplants.

Shaping the Tides

Last week, I saw a full moon over Vancouver. I was there for a conference and was staying on the 15th floor which only added to the quality of the view. It reminded me of something I read this summer.


As you know the moon simply reflects the light of the sun. A full moon occurs when it is in proper alignment with the sun. What I didn’t know was that the moon being in full alignment with the sun has a significant effect of life here on earth. Apparently there are more babies that are conceived and delivered during a full moon than at any other time of the month. I also learned that the tidal pull of the moon is greatest during a full moon because of the combined gravitational force of both the sun and the moon.


The writer made an interesting connection between the moon’s ability to shape the tides based on it’s alignment with the sun and the role that we can have in the earth today as we align ourselves with the plans and purposes of God. The bible tells us that we are kings and priests. Kings and priests have the authority and ability to shape the culture around them by virtue of their position and calling.

While this might seem ‘heady’ and overwhelming, the reality is that our ability to sway the tides around us is directly connected to how closely we are aligned to our Father in heaven. Jesus underlined the importance of staying intimately connected to His heart, mind and presence on a daily basis when He said that said that apart from Him, we can do nothing. At the same time, He told us that when we were connected to Him, we were in a place where anything could happen.

The social tides that sweep over our culture can be shaped and tamed, but only as we humbly come into alignment with the heart and purposes of God for our lives and for the world around us and then simply let the gravity of his love, joy and presence reach the world we live in.

Pivotal Praying

Britain's William Wilberforce, at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, prayed pivotally to make a difference in the lives of slaves and slave owners. He prayed and worked for 20 long years and eventually made a difference that shaped the culture of the western world.


When we pray to make a difference in the world, we are recognizing that something is already wrong. Somewhere there's an injustice. Somewhere there's a person who needs help with an addiction. or an abusive relationship. Somewhere there's oppression, a wrong that has to be made right.


I remain captivated by what could happen as 10,000 people come together with one heart to touch heaven on behalf of a single MLA on an ongoing basis. I'm convinced that bringing our petitions for our leaders and nation is the most powerful option available to us as the people of God. Click here to get the latest copy of our monthly prayer calendar.

Thanks for praying with us! Together we can do it!

God's Fingerprints Found in Canadian History

I'm attending the National Foursquare Convention in Surrey, BC this week. Barry Buzza (their president) shared these thoughts in his message last night.

Canada has been raised up by God with Destiny in mind.
1. The Viking, Lief Ericsson came from Norway in 1003 and wintered in Newfoundland in 1004 A.D. Ericsson was the first known white man to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to Canada's native peoples. An Inuit carving, found on Baffin Island, depicts a Norseman bearing a Christian cross, giving silent testimony to this man's influence 1000 years ago.

John Cabot landed on Newfoundland shores in 1497, claiming the land for God and country.

In 1533 Jacques Cartier sailed up the St. Lawrence River to Montreal. To commemorate the founding of Montreal, Cartier wrote in his diary ... "We all kneeled down in the company of the Indians and with our hands raised toward heaven yielded our thanks to God."

Samuel de Champlain wrote in his diary, "I thereupon concluded in my private judgement that I should be committing a great sin if I did not make my business to devise some means of bringing them to the knowledge of God."

Commanded by a vision, Marie Guyart - better known as Marie de L'Incarnation - arrived in 1639 in what would become Quebec City. By 1642, Marie, and Ursuline nun, had established the first school and built a convent in New France. In yet another dream, God took her to a vast country full of mountains, valleys, and heavy fogs. "It was Canada that I showed you", and, "you must go there to build a house for Jesus"... Marie interpreted the dream to mean that she must go to New France to evangelize the natives and to build a convent and a school.

In 1679 Count Frontenac, a devout Huguenot (French Protestant), and one of the Governors of Canada, declared to the First Assembly, "As for me, I shall esteem myself happy in consecrating all my efforts, and if need by, my life itself, to extending the Empire of Jesus Christ throughout all this land."

In 1784, David Thompson, the great map maker, began his work in Canada's West. What motivated this man to endure such hardship? A vision! He wanted to reach the Native people of the West with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He always carried his bible with him and read it out loud at every opportunity, to voyageurs and to Indians.

Egerton Ryerson believed that his primary task was "to make men Christians - Christian in heart and life, in temper and work." He was the "Father of public education" in Canada, and wanted a common patriotic ground in the education system of comprehensiveness and avowed Christian principles.

Sir Leonard Tilley, (Father of Confederation, 1867), when reading verse 8 of Ps. 72, "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, "the thought occurred to him, what a splendid name to give Canada.

In a 1980 Parlaiment session, by the National Anthem Act added the prayer "God, keep our Land, glorious and free" to the verses written by R. Stanley Weir. The third verse of O Canada contained another prayer...

Ruler Supreme, Who hearest humble prayer,

hold our dominion in Thy loving care.

Help us to find, O God in Thee, a lasting rich reward,

as waiting for a better day, we ever stand on guard.

O Canada, glorious and free,

O Canada, We stand on guard for thee.

2. Our place among the nations is unique.

Canada is seen by the world as a place of freedom and peace; where al nations can live free from conflict; in civil order and harmony, and yet retain their own cultures and traditions.

3. Our destiny rests upon the obedience of the Church in Canada. We must understand our gifts, destiny and call, as a bridge to the nations of the world.

Devout Loiterer

My regular attendance at the Legislature is starting to attract the attention of the staff. At this point, I'm generally greeted with 'back again?' or 'You must be a glutton for punnishment'. I've even been getting a few lingering looks from the security staff who I'm sure have figured out that I'm not just a part of another tour group.

A few years ago, MacLean's magazine referred to the 'devout loiterers' on Parlaiment Hill who were actually staff members from the National House of Prayer who were there to pray for MP's.

At this point, I'm spending a lot of time doing the same thing. Apart from Question Period, most of the business at the Legislature, while very important, is a bit like watching paint dry. (It's a good thing I've learned to pray with my eyes open or I might be mistaken for some of the people who catch 40 winks in the public gallery from time to time.)

When I visited Fort St. John this past winter, someone shared something with me that I have spent a lot of time reflecting on over the past week. While he celebrated the open doors that we had experienced, his encouragement was to watch for the hidden doors that would open in the walls.

While I enjoy favor with many people, there are places where there are walls that stand in the way of building bridges to even more people. It's here that I am looking for God to make a way where there seems to be no way. Would you pray with me until we see it happen? Email me at tim@leadinginfluence.com and let me know you're praying with me.

Thanks!

Whoosh....

That would be the sound of time flying. The past two weeks have been a blur of travel, track meets, choir concerts, soccer games, mornings and afternoons at the Legislature, meetings and .... well, I'm actually too tired to remember at the moment.

Here are some highlights:
1. Zack is playing soccer on the school team. He's having a great time making new friends. His team is doing very well with 3 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie. The tie was nearly a win yesterday as they lost on the last play of the game. It was a beautiful goal in the top right hand corner. The ball actually hit the cross bar and bounced straight down and into the goal.

2. Tyler is on the cross country team at his school. Most races are about 1.2 to 1.4 kms. He's done remarkably well placing anywhere between 2nd and 6th. He placed 3rd in the city final on Monday at Beacon Hill Park. We celebrated with ice cream!

3. Brittany had her first choir concert last week. She did very well and the choir sounds great. I've heard something about a choir trip to Italy, France or somewhere expensive for next year. I hope she does it. It will be a great experience for her. She's enjoying her first job and continues to be affirmed by her employer.

4. Barb celebrated her birthday yesterday. She turned 26 .... again.... Her parents are visiting for the week and it's nice to have them here, especially for Barb's birthday.

5. My carpet is here and in the office. Pictures will follow as soon as I can have Brittany come and take some better ones. I am in Vancouver for a few days. I'm attending a conference for a few days and speaking at a lunch meeting on Thursday as well. I'm excited about the conference and will write about it tomorrow.

Till then...

Kind of Neat

Someone posted this on my facebook site. It's a link to a you tube video. If you don't have high speed, this may take a while. I'm planning another post later this week. I think my carpet is finally ready in which case I can show you pictures!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT7x3VnrqbA

Enjoy the video.

And so it begins...

The BC Legislature resumes today after a summer recess. Today will be an historic day as a First Nations Chief will address the House on the occasion of her band signing a land settlement agreement. I'm looking forward to hearing her. I'm also looking forward to reconnecting with MLA's and to being a source of hope, encouragement and blessing to them.

It's been a busy few weeks and things will only become more hectic now that the House is in session, but I've been praying and waiting for this day for a long time. Many of you have shared in the praying and waiting and today our faith becomes sight. There many more steps on the way as we move forward towards fulfilling this call, but I'm learning to savour the moments as God gives them and move forward as He leads. (It's much easier than constantly running into walls...)

Barb and I are ministering at a banquet function tonight. I'm excited about sharing the story of how God brought us into a new role and field of ministry. It will also be good to share the evening with her. Please pray for us. I'll post an update in a few days.

Reconstruction

When I walk out the door of my office, I can see at least 4 construction cranes. It's pretty amazing when they are lifting heavy containers of concrete. There are times when the container is above the street as cars and people walk by. Yesterday, the crane directly behind the office was being dismantled as it was no longer needed at that site. In order to bring it down a larger mobile crane was brought in. The boom was so big that it was brought in on two separate flatbed trailers. The street was blocked off and because of the associated danger involved with moving the equipment, access was limited to those who lived or worked in the area. As the pieces came down, they were placed on the street and I expected that they would be gone in the morning.

I arrived at the office early this morning and to my surprise, the crane pieces were still on the street only about 100 yds from where they were yesterday. The large crane that took everything down yesterday was busy hoisting the old crane into place on the building directly behind the one it had worked at the day before.

As I walked to the car God spoke to me about the crane. He pointed out that at the end of the day yesterday, I had assumed the crane was done and gone, but in reality it had just been moved to a new location, perhaps to build an even bigger building. It's purpose was still valid and there was still work for it to do. He also pointed out that before you can go higher, there are times that you have to be taken down so that you can be moved into a new place, to fulfill a new purpose and continue to be a part of what He is doing.

This week marks 2 years since I resigned at Gateway City Church in Kamloops. It was the right thing to do and it was the right time to move towards what we are doing today. The last two years have been full of great lessons, recovery, healing and reconstruction. In just over 10 days, I will fully step into the new role and ministry that God has prepared for me to do in advance. These past two years have been precious as the Lord has reconstructed so many things in our lives to prepare us for this step.

We have learned about His faithfulness to us and how He always makes a way. We've learned that God is not cheap and nor should we be. He blesses open hands as much as he blesses open hearts. We've learned that little is much when God is in it and not to despise the day of small beginnings. We've learned about friendship, love and great neighbours that we've had to leave behind. We've also learned that there are new friendships that quickly become as precious as those we've known in the past and that in the end we have not lost friends so much as we are adding new ones.

Finally, we've learned that deconstructing is a part of constructing is into something new and wonderful. Deconstruction ensures that while we might have become set in our ways, thinking and practices, we are not abandoned to our 'rut'. God cares about us too much to place us on a shelf and leave us there until Jesus comes. He'd rather have us 'in the game' because it's better for us and because He's got a job for us that needs to be done.

An Everlasting Covenant

I'm reading (ever so slowly) through the life of David in my devotions. As I read through the closing chapters of 2 Samuel today, I saw something that really spoke to me. David was undoubtedly a man after God's heart, but he was prone to some fairly significant lapses in terms of godliness and judgement. He paid a tremendous personal price for those blunders as did the people he led. At the same time, David continued to seek the Lord from the depths of his soul, regardless of what he was experiencing.

The words of 2 Sam 23:5 leaped off the page this morning. "He has made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things and secure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire; Will He not make it increase?"

Our covenant with God is everlasting. It does not have a best before date on it and it is always redeemable if our hearts are turned towards Him. It is also ordered. The covenant is created by God. Every detail is cared for and addressed. Nothing that affects me will slip through the cracks of this amazing covenant. God sees to it that we are cared for and protected in every way. Suddenly, Ps. 46:2 "Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed and the mountains be carried into the sea..." is more meaningful than ever before. There is nothing to fear, because He has provided for it all.

Finally, the covenant is secure. Nothing can change, alter or affect what is established in the covenant. Heaven and earth may pass away and the mountains that I can see when I walk our dog may fall into the ocean they rise from, but NOTHING in the covenant can or will change.

On Christ the SOLID ROCK I stand....

Our New Office

I’m excited to announce that we’ve been blessed with fantastic office space in a perfect location. The office is within 2 blocks of the Legislature and is located in the Community Ministries Centre of Church of Our Lord. (The CMC is on the left hand side of the church.)

Church of Our Lord is the oldest church in all of Victoria and is a familiar landmark in the downtown core. It’s within a few blocks of the Legislature which is fantastic. It truly goes beyond what we had dared to hope, ask or imagine.

There are some pictures in an earlier post of the painting and construction, but here are some with the furniture in place. I just got a call that our carpet will arrive early next week!

This is a view from the door area. There's a park outside the window with some beautiful old trees in it. The office is on the second floor which gives a great view of the squirrels in the tree.

This is the view from behind the desk of the conversation and meeting area. I apologize for the poor lighting, but I took this with a camera phone. The burgundy chairs will be replaced by leather club chairs sometime over the next few weeks. Once the carpet is in, we'll load up the bookshelves and get rid of the boxes.

While our mailing address will remain the same, the office itself is located at 626 Blanshard St., Victoria, BC. Our new phone number is 250-483-5403. If you happen to be in Victoria, please stop by and visit.

We've been blessed with some tremdous deals through this process, and have had an excellent response to helping with our office set up expenses. We still need approx $1500 to finish the project. If you’d like to be a part of help with the costs of setting up our office, please click here to to share in the miracle with us.

Carrying The Presence

I’ve been thinking about the priests in the Old Testament who carried the Ark of the Covenant in the book of Joshua. They had the privilege and responsibility of carrying the tangible presence and power of God in their nation. As a result they had a front row seat to demonstrations of God’s power to save, protect, deliver and restore. They saw the Jordan River stop flowing the moment they stepped into the water. Carrying the Ark around Jericho might have been hard work in the heat of the Middle East, but what a sight to see the walls collapse as the trumpets blew and the people shouted.

I’m convinced that the Presence of God is too important to be limited to Sunday morning gatherings and brief moments that we set aside through our day. It’s got to be about more than just us, our inner peace and comfort and joy that comes from that. Deep down, I’ve come to believe that God’s plan for His people is to carry His Presence into the market place and the public square and to share the full benefit of His Presence with those we meet there rather than simply keeping it to ourselves.

This is far less complicated than what we’ve made it in the past. The priests did nothing more than carry the Ark. While they lived lives of holiness and separation, they weren’t overly mystical, flaky or hyper-spiritual. They were simply priests who carried the Presence.

Something good happens when the Presence of God comes into a place. His Presence brings His blessing. His Presence brings His power. His Presence brings wisdom, hope, courage and strength. His Presence changes everything it touches.

It's your world. Carry His Presence into it and watch what happens!

Communion on the Moon

I just got back from a quick trip to the beach on the way home from picking up some groceries. The moon is full, the sky is clear and the result is spectacular. I heard an interesting news story that came out today about the first act of worship on the moon. You can read more about it below.

Communion on the Moon - Buzz Aldrin
by Bill Carrell

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the moon in the Apollo 11 space mission. Michael Collins third member of the group, was in charge of the command module, essential for their return to earth, which circled the moon while Armstrong and Aldrin landed. The moon lander touched down at 3:17 Eastern Standard Time, Sunday, July 20, 1969.
Aldrin had brought with him a tiny communion kit, given him by his church, that had a silver chalice and wine vial about the size of the tip of his finger. During the morning he radioed, "Houston, this is Eagle. This is the LM pilot speaking. I would like to request a few moments of silence. I would like to invite each person listening in, whoever or wherever he may be, to contemplate for a moment the events of the last few hours, and to give thanks in his own individual way."
"In the radio blackout," he wrote later, "I opened the little plastic packages which contained the bread and the wine. I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine slowly curled and gracefully came up the side of the cup. Then I read the Scripture, 'I am the vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit.' I had intended to read my communion passage back to earth, but at the last minute Deke Slayton had requested that I not do this. NASA was already embroiled in a legal battle with Madelyn Murray O'Hare, the celebrated opponent of religion, over the Apollo 8 crew reading from Genesis while orbiting the moon at Christmas. I agreed reluctantly..." "Eagle's metal body creaked. I ate the tiny Host and swallowed the wine. I gave thanks for the intelligence and spirit that had brought two young pilots to the Sea of Tranquility. It was interesting for me to think: the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the very first food eaten there, were the communion elements."

Genesis tells us that 'in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth'. How incredible is it that the first thing that man did when he arrived there was to worship and partake in communion? Simply amazing don't you think?

Office Update number ??

After what seems like forever, I have some pictures of our new space to show you. Since these were taken, we've acquired some furniture, but I'll hold off on showing you the finished product until the carpet is in and our new chairs are in place.




This was the first day we painted. Notice the short extension on the roller. I got a great deal on the package only to discover that the roller only fit that 18" extension.... sigh....

And this is why I opted to get a roller cage that could be used with a proper extension pole. I call this picture "Reach Higher"

Here's Barb sweeping up after we done. You can see the painted walls behind her. Don't you think she's the most beautiful member of a clean up crew you've ever seen.... and can she ever sweep a room clean!

This is the view out the window of the office. It faces south and overlooks a small park. You can hear the squirrels and birds when the window is open and the sun is shining, but only if there isn't a bus, ambulance or fire truck going by.

Here's the view from beside the window looking towards the door. It gives you a better sense of the color and the size of the room. We've still got some trim to paint up on the window and door, but apart from that there's not much left to do.

And finally, the best picture of all. Barb has been a huge part of every step along the way and is so supportive of what we are doing. There have been a ton of changes in our lives in the last few years and she has been a rock and anchor through it all. I'll post some pictures of the office sans carpet tomorrow, which will be my first day in our office space.

Progress

Hi Everyone - just a quick note to bring you up to speed on our office development. This project has been more work than I anticipated and because everything is a 'first', it's that much more involved.

I'm happy to tell you that our walls our painted, we have some initial office furnishings in place and the carpet is on it's way. I'll actually go to the office to work next week, but we have no landline as yet and the room echoes like crazy on my cell phone so we've got a ways to go. The carpet arrives in about 8 days so it's not impossible and we've got some nice chairs on their way as well.

Watch for photos later today or Monday at the latest.

The Sounds of Fall

One of the big changes for Zack this year is that he can participate in band. He is the first person in our family to be able to play a brass instrument. In true fashion, Zack's instrument of choice is the equivalent of a tuba. YUP... a TUBA! The upside is that he doesn't have to lug it back and forth all year as he can use one at the school, but we did have to rent one for the year and yes... it was the most expensive instrument on the sheet. He had his first band class this week and learned how to use the mouthpiece. On the way home from the music store he entertained us with a full complement of 'sounds' that all bore a striking resemblance to well... you can just imagine.

This morning, while I was trying to have some quiet time, Zack's friend came over with his trombone and they decided to 'practice' together in his room. His friend plays the trombone. While I appreicate their zeal, I'm looking forward to the day when they've had a few lessons and can actually play something that sounds like music.

The other big first in our house is that Tyler rode his bike to school today. As strange as this might sound, this is the first time that any of our kids have ridden a bike to school. The funny thing is that his school is only a 5 minute walk from our house, but he was proud and excited to be able to take his bike today.

Rise and Build

We began work on our ministry office space yesterday. Like any other project it will probably be much bigger than it looks like it will be at the beginning, but it will be worth it!! We are converting the back half of a former classroom so it's really just about building a wall, drywalling, mudding, taping, sanding, patching some holes, choosing colors, flooring, furniture and fixtures.

We'll follow up with setting up the furniture, unpacking boxes and getting ready for the return of MLA's. It will be a busy but very exciting two weeks.

We are making progress towards our goal of having the reno's paid for before we move into our new space. If you'd like to be a part of the miracle, you'll find our donation page here. Thanks for your generosity.

If you are in the Victoria area, we are hosting a Partners and Friends BBQ on Sept 15th from 3-6 PM. We need to know that you are coming so if you'd like to be a part of our celebration, please click here to register.

Yipee!!

Even though I'm sitting down as I write this (have you ever tried typing while you stand??) I'm doing the happy dance on the inside. We've secured office space in a fantastic location near the Legislature. The office over looks the park, the windows open and the sun shines in when it doesn't rain in the winter. There's even a coffee shop across the street. To those who doubt that God is good, they bake their own cakes, muffins and pastries. Did I mention it's only about 2 blocks to the 'Y' which will be handy in light of the fantastic baking across the street?

This has happened very fast and without an ounce of stress which is totally amazing. At the same time it presents an exciting opportunity to see God provide. I wonder if you might consider helping us furnish our new office space? Our budget for furniture, decorating and prep work will be about $2000. We want to buy good quality furniture so that our stuff isn't broken and shabby a year from now. Our lease costs will be somewhere near $450/month so you might want to consider being a part of that as well. This is your opportunity to be a part of miracle.

Here's what I know to be true. Sowing results in reaping. Barb and I have learned a lot about sowing over the past few years and it is resulting in reaping today. We continue to sow significantly into the ministry to make it possible and will continue to do that. We know that we will reap both in the here and now and in the life that follows. We will see that harvest in our finances, relationships, children and ministry.

Perhaps you'd like to sow into the ministry as well. You can do that by clicking here. In sowing you will share in the ministry to the lives of leaders who will be encouraged, blessed and ministered to in that space. You'll also have a great place to visit when you come to Victoria!

Thanks for praying about being a part. Be blessed!!

Getting Into the Groove

Summer vacation ends today. If you're a student, that's not necessarily good news. If you are a parent you just might be breathing a sigh of relief. We love our kids but are glad that school starts again in September!

This is also a time when MLA's will be preparing for the fall sitting of the Legislature. Contrary to popular belief, MLA's aren't on vacation all summer but rather spend their days in their ridings, meeting constituents and working on local issues. September brings caucus retreats, strategy and policy development sessions and a general ramping up of their schedules as they prepare to return to Victoria.

In anticipation of the fall session, we are busy developing a fall prayer strategy, building partnerships and arranging speaking/ministry engagements. It's an exciting time for us personally and for the ministry. We want to be covered in prayer and prepared to minister effectively on October 1st.

A good friend (and former neighbour) left me a comment on the blog about this being our season. I believe that he's right and that September will be absolutely amazing as God takes us to a whole new level.

Letting go of yesterday, embracing tomorrow!

They That Wait...

In a culture where being busy is equated with productivity, waiting hardly seems to be a fruitful activity. For those of us who have an 'A Type' personality, waiting is almost like torture as we sit, stand, pause and DO NOTHING until outside circumstances come together so that we can reach the top of our mountain.

This past month has been a time of waiting. I didn't intend on it being that way. I envisioned being on the phone, making appointments, meeting people, adding partners, securing office space, etc, etc. It was SUPPOSED to be a month of achievement, goal reaching and meeting targets. So I started, making calls, sending emails and generally trying to make things happen and then I made the stunning discovery that none of that was getting me any nearer to what I knew had to be done. People were on vacation, in summer mode and generally just chilling out. I felt like I was spitting in the wind ... so I began to wait. I bought some books that I'd been looking forward to reading for some time and devoured them. I spent time with the kids. I prayed. I walked the dog and kept walking with God.

Unknown to me, God had been busy doing His part on His time and in His way. Out of nowhere, people I've never met began to sow financially into the ministry. Speaking opportunities began to present themselves, simple 'get to know you' lunch meetings became catalysts to partnerships, friendships and alliances. We have a great opportunity for a fantastic office space that goes beyond anything that I could have dared to ask, think or imagine! It even provides a view of the park, has a coffee shop across the street and is within walking distance of our house and the Legislature. Anything that I had looked at or considered earlier pales in comparison to what this space will be. It's not official yet, but my Father is working out the details and I'm looking forward to moving in. Even if it's not in that place, He has the perfect space picked out for us.

I've come to see something else connected to waiting. There have been many people who have prayed, dreamed and waited for years to see something like what God has called us to do. They have plowed the way and laid down their lives and waited. I spoke with one man who was in tears as he told me that he had prayed for the government and for MLA's until he became so discouraged that he had simply given up. He and many like him have waited while God was doing what was unseen and preparing it all for such a time as this.

I'm discovering that waiting is an art. It's not about doing nothing and being irresponsible. It's about trusting and resting and staying focused while our Father in heaven is working out the details in our lives.

Being still....

Zoe and I went to the beach yesterday. She explored, swam and 'fetched'. I took the opportunity to listen to the waves on the gravel and I began to think about how many waves had rolled over those small round stones and how much they had changed over the centuries. The waves came in different sizes and with varying intensity and they all ended at the same place and in the process sifted through the hundreds of thousands of stones until the rough edges were knocked off and they roll through each other as the waves recede to the ocean.

I love the ocean and the lessons I learn there. It's a place where I have always been able to hear the voice of God and see something that reminds me that He is at work in me and on my behalf. I'm in a place I've never been in my life. Launching a ministry and growing a partnership base requires a level of faith and trust that is something new to me. The temptation on days when it's slow and there aren't a lot of people available to talk to is to take matters into my own hands and do 'something' and yet taking matters into my own hands is the beginning of walking according to my own wisdom and understanding.

Proverbs tells me that there is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death. One of the most interesting prophetic words that has been shared with me is that there will be days when the wind will blow favorably and fill our sails propelling us forward. There will be other times when there will be no wind and it will seem like we are going no where. The word to us was to 'be still' and know that He is God.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that being still is a challenge for me, but it's one I need to rise to so that I can learn the lesson of trust and obedience.

Learning to rest...

Gopher Hunters Keep the Prairie Safe

Reports from the prairies indicate that the gopher infestation has reached epic proportions. The situation has become so severe that serious measures are being implemented to address the issue. The government has hired two "gopher assasins" to begin immediate extermination of any and all gophers. Their orders are to shoot to kill any and all gophers on sight with the exception of "Gainer" who is generally only seen at Roughrider games.

In order to avoid any confusion about the identity of these highly trained assasins, we are releasing their photos to the public for quick identification and also to demonstrate their immediate success in exterminating the vermin.

Zack "Go Ahead... Make My Day" Schindel

Toothless Tyler Schindel

"The Terminator"

These assasins were trained by their uncle Rodger "is that gunfire I hear?" Gregor, and are skilled professionals. Thanks to their hard work, dedication and commitment, the prairie will remain safe and free.

Thoughts from the beach...

I took Zoe for a walk today. The upside of this move for her is that she gets a swim in the ocean every few days. If we forget, she will put her paw on your leg, look at you with her brown eyes and just push down. Anyway, I got the 'hint' from her this morning and we went to the beach. While we were there, I saw several jellyfish. One on the beach and one in the surf. Jellyfish are interesting. They rely on the tides, currents to get around.

While I didn't see any today, I know that there are salmon in the same waters where Zoe swims. As I watched the jellyfish float in the surf, I couldn't help but think about the strength and determination of the salmon. We used to go observe the Adams River Salmon Run near Kamloops. It's pretty impressive to watch thousands of salmon work their way up the river to lay their eggs especially when you consider the journey that they make in order to do it. It's no easy feat to survive 3 years in the open ocean, escape fishing lures, nets, natural predators and ulitmately swim up the Fraser River, through the Fraser Canyon, Little Shuswap Lake and into the Adams River. It's not the kind of journey that a jellyfish could make.

It occurs to me that life requires us to be more like salmon than jellyfish. There are times and seasons in our lives where it's okay, even necessary to float, but most of the time, getting to where we want to be requires us to swim, work against the current and overcome the challenges that stand between where we are and where we want to be. Keep swimming. You'll get there!

Watergun Commando

One of the things that we didn't consider when we moved is that routines would have to be re-created around our new environment. That's not to say that everything is in chaos, but it's interesting to see how a new place means that we have to discover new ways to do what we've always done. For example, Zack and Tyler just took the dog for a walk so she could run and play. In Kamloops, it was just a matter of throwing a ball in the back yard. Here, it's much different because the yard is too small and the park is a few blocks away. I told you all of that just to say one of the reasons that I haven't posted as often as I'd like to is because of what seem like endless changes in our lives that have resulted in less creative ideas than I usually have.

I saw something today that made me laugh out loud. As I was driving down the street, I noticed a little person (probably about 7) jump out from behind the fence in his townhouse complex and shoot the windshield of the vehicle coming towards me with his supersoaker. After about a 2 second blast, he ducked behind the fence to wait for his next "victim", which in this case just happened to be an unmarked police car. I am NOT making this up... I couldn't stop to observe the consequences of his actions, but I'm guessing that he's not hiding behind the fence any more... unless the policeman had a very good sense of humour or he had VERY fast little legs!

This begs for a pastoral lesson so here are several options for you:
1) Sometimes we play with a spiritual supersoaker and think that it's really something lethal.
2) Know your enemy. Don't take on more than you can handle.
3) Live dangerously... nothing will happen if you don't try something.
4) The element of surprise makes up for a lack of wisdom. (with my tongue firmly in my cheek!)

When the seas roar and foam...

We were at church this morning, visiting with some old friends and getting reaquainted as we start to put down roots in our new city. After the service was over, I visited with an old friend. We haven't seen each other in years and had a few minutes to catch up on different things. Her husband was in a motorcycle accident 6 weeks ago and had recovered so well that he was able to go on a wilderness canoe trip with his friends. She left and I found some new friends to visit.

Shortly after, I noticed a police officer go down a hallway to the pastors office. After a few minutes, the pastor came out and called me into his office. When we got there, he told us that the person who had been in the MC accident, had drowned this morning in a canoe accident. He was on his way to break the news to his wife.

We prayed together and he left to deliver the most difficult news possible. I've spent the last few hours praying and mulling over this sad development of events. There are no easy answers, nor will there ever be any easy answers to this tragedy. Bad things happen to good people, even very good people. Death hurts. It stings and it messes up plans and lives... Death is rarely a welcome visitor.

As you read this, perhaps you could take a few minutes to pray for Gloria, Mark, Vince and their sister. They have lost a fantastic husband and father. Also pray for Pastor Funk as he ministers to the family and the church as they deal with this very significant loss. Bernie was a board member and leader in the church and this is a significant loss in every way.

What an amazing woman.

I got this from my friend Mark Hawkes who is a prof at Summit Pacific College.

I have been working on a sermon for this Sunday, looking at the perspective of Naomi and how she approached the events in her life. While I have been working on Naomi’s perspective God has also been opening my mind to Ruth’s. Man I do love the God I’m serving (ok most of the time!!). This amazing story follows a family from Bethlehem during a period of total moral chaos and confusion. Ruth is about the sovereign work of God in the lives of unassuming, humble people. Out of the gloom, decadence and moral crises comes this refreshing, wholesome love story. In it God is actually working out his blessing in and through this family. However, if one looks in the wrong place it will be missed. This reminds me that so often I look in the wrong place and miss what God is doing.What was it about Naomi’s boy that attracted Ruth in the first place? He was a foreigner and refugee from Bethlehem. He wasn’t rich and he didn’t have a sweet ride! Ruth marries and within a few years, she is left a a widow with no child. She must have wondered if she had made a mistake marrying into this family, especially when her father-in-law and brother-in-law also die. What is that? What would I be thinking? What did these three women talk, how did they explain all their husbands dieing so close together? What were the neighbours thinking and saying? Wouldn’t they possible be thinking the gods have cursed them; there must be something wrong with these women? How can they all be barren, and all their husbands die?When Ruth’s mother-in-law wants to return to Bethlehem, Ruth makes the decision to go with her. What was Ruth thinking? Did she not have any family in Moab? Would she not have questioned a God who would let three men in the same family die, leaving only widows? She must have had many questions. Did she not understand that in moving to Bethlehem she would most likely remain a childless widow? She was still a young widowed woman with no child of her own. Did she wonder if God was displeased with her? Did she wonder what this God of hers was doing? The questions must have raced through her mind. As I read this story, I’m amazed at the situation of this young woman. What was God thinking???Naomi returns to Bethlehem with Ruth, and yet Naomi states “she went out full and came back empty”. How did this make Ruth feel? Ruth must have had great fear and apprehension as she went out to work in the fields. A stranger and a foreigner to boot. How did she just happen to find a field that Boaz owned? How did she choose it (rock, paper, scissors), how did God lead her there? Boaz must have been watching Ruth, he inquired about her, he takes a liking to her, because she is industrious (hard work does pay off) she must have had some looks also. What went through her head when she is given so much food, and she is invited to eat with Boaz? I wondered if she though about Boaz at all? Boaz was a land owner, why was he not already married? Was there something wrong with him; was he too picky, maybe he was not good looking? I don’t know, but he wasn’t married, which does not fit the normality of the day. What had God permitted in his life that would place him in this place at this time? Did he wonder what God was doing.I wonder what went through Ruth’s mind when Naomi told her to go to the threshing floor, find Boaz and at night "uncover his feet" and lie down at his feet. Would you do that if your mother-in-law asked you to, I think NOT!! Had they talked about Boaz before? Did Ruth even like him, he was much older so the text tells us; "The LORD bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor” I wonder if she entertained the thought, what if he doesn’t accept the proposal. What then, would she be the brunt of the jokes, would they call her a desperate woman? I can’t imagine her thoughts and fears as she waits at the threshing floor for all to fall asleep. Then she sneaks through the darkness to where she saw Boaz lie down for the night. She then lies down at his feet thinking “this could turn out really bad. “This God I serve already took my first husband; it couldn’t get any worse, could it?”Boaz awakes and lets her know that he accepts her proposal and wants to marry her. I’m sure she was filled with excitement!! And then the incredible!! Boaz tells her there is another man who has first choice!! FIRST CHOICE, am I a piece of meat that can be bartered on? Boaz tells Ruth to stay the night and in the morning go home and wait until the matter is settled. Wait, wait for what? Did she sleep that night? I know I would not be sleeping at all. I’m sure Ruth must have been thinking, “Naomi when I get home I’m going to kill you. What did I get myself into!!” Can it get any worse??? You bet!! There is the real possibility that she will have to marry this other man, and she doesn’t even know him. Her first husband died, now the man she proposed to, her next possible husband must follow some stupid law which would see her marrying someone else. That has to suck!! If I was in that situation, how would I be waiting?? How would you be waiting?? I think I would take off back to Moab!! This God of Israel sure knows how to screw things up!! Try and tell Ruth that YHWH is working things out, go ahead I dare you!!Boaz does the right thing and he and Ruth marry and they live happily ever after. I almost feel the tears welling up in my eyes. NOT!! A son is born to Boaz and Ruth and the women bless Naomi. Now I’m sure Ruth thought, these people are crazy, they praising Naomi. “The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! The women living there said, "Naomi has a son." And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. Ruth knows she gave birth to this son, and yet the son becomes Naomi’s. We see God working through a person for the good of someone else. And yet that working is not always easy. What did Ruth think? This was her first child and it was a boy!!The events of Ruth happened "in the days when the judges ruled" (1:1). People did what was right in their own eyes. This woman puts me to shame! How did she do what she did? Naomi blames God for the bad things, and then praises him for the good things. We are not told what Ruth thought or said, but she is the one who shines in this story. I have read this story many times, and this is the first time I have really tried to look at it through the eyes and perspective of Ruth. This pagan woman has great faith, and when Israel is doing what is right in their own eyes, Ruth is doing what is right in God’s eyes. Oh God help me to do what is right in Your eyes, regardless of what is going on around me, regardless of what others are doing. And if there are painful events in my life that you design to bless someone else, help me to do what is right in Your eyes regardless of my perception.

Home Again

We arrived home late on Saturday night from our nearly 3 week vacation. It was a bit strange veering west at Olympia towards Port Angeles rather than heading north towards Kamloops, but I guess that's a bit understandable after 13 years. After taking a few days to clear out the cobwebs from the long drive home, I'm looking forward to tomorrow as the ministry will become a "full time" focus at that point. In reality it's been a full time focus for a long time, it's just that I'll begin to draw a modest salary starting on the 1st that will allow me to focus exclusively on the ministry rather than on 2 or 3 other things to keep body and soul together. We've got a long way to go until it's a liveable salary, but it's a start and gives us the opportunity to work exclusively on growing the ministry.

I've learned a lot about "faith declarations" over the past year. It's interesting how our words determine our future. I distinctly remember saying I wanted "x" dollars in the ministry account before I would begin to draw a salary. It's extremely interesting that we have exactly "X" amount of dollars in our account. I wish I had chosen a higher number, but our next goal is to be fully funded by October 1st. That leaves a significant amount of ground to cover, but we will get there by God's help and strength.

Our friends Sandro and Cindy (and their "brady bunch") are visiting us for a few days. We are so glad to have them here. We've known Sandro for a long time but only met Cindy a year ago. She's fantastic and we feel like we've known her forever. The kids are watching vacation video which is sort of like vacation slides only faster.

Finally, I should say that I've joined facebook which explains my lack of posting. I'll try and do better on here because it's important to keep this fresh and relevant. However, if you are on facebook, feel free to contact me there too.

Have a good one!!

Let's go surfin' now...

Sorry for the long gap, but we are on vacation and so it's been more challenging to write. We left a day early (yay!!) on our surprise laden vacation. We are in Southern California, although the boys only thought we were going to Seattle. We were able to get as far as central Oregon before we told them that we were really going to Disneyland. The response was better than we anticipated. Tyler was screaming because he was so excited. It's probably a good thing that we told them in the van, rather than inside a building...

We are having a great time staying with family in a fantastic location. We spent Saturday night in Anaheim and went to see the Angels and Rangers. On Sunday we visited Angeles Temple and saw Delerious in concert. Delerious was a bonus, as we were planning to be there anyway. Angeles Temple is having a tremendous impact on Los Angeles and God is doing incredible things there.

We came to San Diego on Sunday afternoon and will be here through Friday when we will return to Anaheim and meet some friends from Kamloops. This is the next big surprise for the boys as they don't know that some of the friends will be meeting them at Disneyland.

We're not sure about our plans for today. We may hang around the pool here or we may go to the beach or we may take Britt to a mall or we .... (you get the idea...)

We'll keep you posted.

Tim

It's a Beautiful Day ... the sequel

I've added a new post under "Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" but it shows for July 1 instead of July 8. Click back to see the latest post.

Oops..

Tim

Happy Dominion Day!

What we now call Canada Day, used to be called Dominion Day. Dominion Day had it's roots in the naming of the Canadian Confederation when Premier Tilley suggested to the 1866 Conference of Confederation that Canada be called the "Dominion of Canada" based on Ps. 72:8 "And he shall have dominion also from sea to sea". The conference endorsed his recommendation and sent it to Queen Victoria for her approval. On July 1st, 1867, she proclaimed the Dominion of Canada into existence. It's really incredible to think that her royal proclamation endorsed what God had spoken before the foundations of the earth were laid.

Ps. 72:8 is actually Canada's official motto. I can't help but smile when I think that our forefathers embraced a prophetic declaration of the coming kingdom of Jesus as the phrase that would identify our nation. Admittedly, not a lot of people see the verse for what it is, but the reality of God's word is that He watches over it to perform it whether people believe it or not. He is God and His word does not return empty. It always produces the harvest that He intended. His purpose and plan for Canada will be accomplished. He will have dominion from sea to sea and our nation will be an source and symbol of hope, restoration and blessing for the nations of the earth.

If you've been following the blog, you'll know that we've just moved from Kamloops to Victoria in order to more fully and effectively fulfill God's call on our lives. We literally live 3 blocks from the sea in 3 directions. Now that we are settling in and the bulk of the unpacking has been completed, part of my daily routine will be to prayer walk around the Legislature on a daily basis and pray that His will would be done on here on earth as it is in heaven. Because government is bigger than just the Legislative precinct, I may expand my walk to cover a different ministry headquarters each day as well. What do you think??

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

So here it is the "new 'hood" post. We are living in a very interesting and unique part of Victoria. There are so many things to see and do and .... all of it is within walking distance. After 13 years in the near desert climate of Kamloops we now live 3 or less blocks from the ocean in 3 directions.

Three blocks to the south takes us to Ogden Point and the Dallas Rd. waterfront.

Three blocks to the west is Fisherman's Wharf which continues to be where the fishing boats come and go and then sell their catches to commerical suppliers and the public as well. Our kids don't eat seafood yet (born and raised in Cattle country) will do that to you, but Barb and I like it, even though we haven't had the opportunity to buy something fresh yet.

Three blocks to the North takes us to the heart of the tourist district. There are lots of hotels and the Inner Harbour that has buskers, performers and artisans sharing their skills and work. Everyone loves to go down and see what's happening in the Inner Harbour. Tyler has even participated in a busker show as a helper. He even made $5 so I guess that makes him a professional.

If you travel due East from our house, you'll go right past the Legislature and eventually find Beacon Hill Park.

For an urban area, there are some things that I find very interesting. There's plenty of green space near us (several parks within a 3 block radius) and more dogs than I ever encountered in Kamloops. It seems 1 out of 3 people has a dog here. Given that lots are small, that means a lot of walking on leash because you can't let your dog roam in Victoria.

Anyway... that's all for now. I'll post some of Britt's pictures later this week.

Tim

Road Trip

We are digging our way out of the boxes, so I thought I'd give you a quick update on the move, etc. The move went remarkably well. I left Kamloops at 7:30 in the YEW HAUL with Zoe on the front seat. I had Country 103 on the radio just because it seemed like the kind of music you should listen to when you drive a truck. We got to Merrit in about 1hr and Zoe was whining and needed a break. (I just realized it might have been the music...) Anyway, we pulled over and she sniffed the sagebrush, left a mark to let everyone know she had been there.

We got back in the truck and by the time we near the toll booth she was whining again and I needed a break. I guess she thought if it was okay for me to sing, it should be okay for her to make some noise too. Much to her delight we found a stick and played fetch for 20 minutes. We got back in the truck, got our motor running and headed out on the highway. This was the part of the highway that I looked forward to and worried about all at the same time. If you've never driven the Coquihalla, it's a pretty steep highway from the toll booth to Hope. While I've always thought it would be kind of fun to use a "run away" lane, when I was actually driving a large truck with a full load, I decided that slower is safer. The weather was fantastic when we went through, but a day later there was a freak blizzard at the summit. Glad it came the day after...

We got to Hope safely and I found another country station that was playing "Hillbilly Delux". Again, it all seemed appropriate driving a UHAUL. We stopped in Abbotsford for fuel and shortly after we were "On the Road Again" bound for the ferry. At 12:30 I heard a traffic report that the 1:00 PM sailing was filled and that the next boat went at 3:00. I arrived at the terminal at 12:40 to a nearly empty parking lot (only 25% filled) and got a ticket on the 1:00 PM sailing.

With the help of some fantastic family and friends, we had the truck unloaded in about 90 minutes. And then the work of unpacking began. You know, we left here 13 years ago and thought the move was a lot of work. We had know idea how much work this was going to be. I actually thought that if we planned well, we could have the truck loaded in a few hours, completely forgetting that 3 kids and 19 years of marriage combines to create a magnetic force for all kinds of clutter. The best I've found thus far is a box containing cards wishing us well as we moved to Kamloops. Yup.. unopened for 13 years. It was like a time capsule.. So much for "clutter management".

Anyway, I'll give you the scoop on the new 'hood tomorrow.

Tim

Bye, Bye Kamloops - Thanks for the memories

The big truck in our driveway and a sold sign on the front lawn combined with the papers we signed today all point to the fact that we are going, going, going .... gone in less than 36 hours. The memories of this city will stay with us for a long time. We came here as a family of 3 and leave as a family of 5 plus a dog. Our boys were born here. Brittany is moving back to the city of her birth. The sunset was magnificent tonight. We will only see one more as residents of the city. It was as though the sky was painted.

Tomorrow we will say our final goodbyes to our friends and neighbours. We have been blessed with some amazing people around us. We prayed for good neighbours and God gave us the best! We will miss the Young's, Beveridge's, Frenkel's, etc, etc. Even the people we share the back fence with who we've never seen or spoken to will be missed. They always threw the ball back into our yard!

We came here with dreams, some of which were realized some that weren't. We leave with some disappointments and regrets, but these are the threads of our lives that contribute to the magnificent fabric that God is weaving into our lives to create the masterpiece that He envisioned for us in the beginning.

We are leaving 13 years to the week we came here very different than the way we came. We are older, wiser and changed because of our time here. My head is greyer and there is less hair than before. My head is smaller and my heart is certainly softer than it was at different points along the journey.

We are moving towards something fresh and new. It's a vision and dream that we have carried for years. It is so out of the ordinary, but at the same time so real and tangible. What we saw by faith, first in our hearts, then in a living room in Victoria and then through countless "God moments" is now becoming reality. I never cease to be amazed at how God makes something out of nothing and how He is gracious enough to include me in His plans. Thanks God!

So... tomorrow is the end of one chapter (maybe even a series of chapters...) and the beginning of a new one. This one was written in heaven before God said "Let there be" and one that will be completed on His terms and timeline. Thanks for praying, believing, sowing and standing with us. I'll post again from our Pacific Island home.

Tim

Our New House

We've made a quick trip to Victoria so Barb could see the house and the boys could get a sense of their new "hood". Driving from the ferry to the house was very interesting. I was being plagued with thoughts of "Have I done the right thing?" "What if she doesn't like it?" and "Have we lost our minds?" The house is actually smaller than I thought, but will work just fine with some creativity and adjustments. We did some minor work on the yard today as it is a gardeners paradise/nightmare all at the same time. I'll post some pictures after we are moved in and settled.

So, we are all good with the house and the only family members that haven't seen it are Britt and Zoe. This morning we went for a walk to the Ocean at 7, for a drive at 10 and now Barb and the boys are at "Seeing is Believing" while I mooch an internet connection and catch up on a few things.

I'm preaching at Burnaby Chinese Pentecostal this Sunday and then sharing at our home church one more time before we leave town. We are so blessed to have been a part of Bible Truth for this past 18 months. This time has prepared us in faith and fellowship to take a step that is beyond anything we've ever done before.

Pray for us, this is a long leap...

Tim

The Flood that Didn't Come

If the experts were correct, the Fraser Valley would be experiencing a flood as I write this. But because God intervened, people are able to sleep in their own beds, live in their own homes and carry on with their lives, without the hassles and headaches of a flood. God is good!

Some will attribute this to luck, good fortune and cooperative weather. At the end of the day, it's only God who could manage this and He did it in response to our prayers and to demonstrate His care and concern for people and the MLA's who asked us to take up the challenge. We have seen the first of many miracles as God is very interested in making himself known in our great province and nation.

"Before the nations, He has bared his mighty arm."

Thanks for standing with us!

Anything Can Happen

The combination of the hot weekend and rain in the Interior yesterday has raised concernes about a potential flooding throughout the province. In the natural, flooding appears inevitable. However, our God in heaven is not limited and governed by the laws of nature. So, this week I'm asking you to pray along with people from across the province asking the Lord to hold back a flood and allow for a spring runoff without damage to property and people.

You may live far away from a potential flood zone, but ten's of thousands of people in our province will be dramatically affected if the river spills it's banks, particularly in Prince George and the Fraser Valley. We need a miracle and miracles still happen.

It's time to pray!!

He Supplieth Every Need!!

There's a song that we've been singing at our house for the last few months that has the following lyrics:

"It's a big, big house with lots and lots of rooms". God knows what he's doing and He has heard answered our prayers in style. In an ideal world, we'd like to live in downtown Victoria within a few blocks of the Legislature, but the houses and yards are quite small and the costs are quite high. Last night I received a call from an owner of a house that I had looked at on Tuesday morning. It's either 2200 or 2400 square feet, 5 bdrms, 4 bathrooms on 1.3 acres in the country. The lot borders on a nature preserve. There's lots of room for everyone (including the dog!) This will be a wonderful home for the next year as we find our feet and get re-established in Victoria.

I didn't fall asleep until well past 1 AM because I was just so excited about the events of the past 2 days. God has been so good to us. In 30 (counting today) days we will be living in Victoria and I won't be spending nearly as much time at the Vancouver airport waiting for flights. I'm at the airport as I write this. I made a surprising discovery yesterday... what I thought was a 5:40 PM flight was actually a 5:40 AM flight. I was up at 4:25 this morning...

From a ministry perspective, the past 2 days have been awesome. I am starting to be introduced as "the Chaplain". It's strange and exciting at the same time. God continues to open doors of favor and opporunity. There's more than I can tell on here because I'm committed to protecting the privacy of MLA's but I can tell you I was thrilled to be able to pray with an MLA in his office about some specific challenges that he shared with me.

Last night we went out for Chilean food (very good!!) An MLA from the Fraser Valley was there and we discussed the impending flood threat. Apparently there's not enough water in the Fraser because of the slow melt. The heat from the Interior will change that somewhat, but the river SHALL NOT flood!

Looking forward to getting home, seeing Barb and having a nap.

Miracle House Needed!

A few days ago, I said I would share what's happening in our lives as we prepare for the move, so here's the latest:

1. Our house is sold. The subjects came off on Friday afternoon and the sold sign is up. It's exciting, surreal and unsettling all at the same time.

2. We are looking for a place to live. This sounds like no big deal until you realize that the rental market in Victoria is basically 0% and that the real estate market is white hot and most stuff is gone before it hits MLS.

3. The good news is that I am heading to Victoria tomorrow to spend the week at the Legislature and to house hunt. The bad news is I'm going to househunt without Barb. :-(
Call us crazy but that's the way this is playing out.

4. We need a miracle house. A place where we can keep our dog, that's affordable (you wouldn't believe the cost of renting in Victoria) or an unbelievable deal. We want to live in the James Bay/Fernwood area for several good reasons that are mostly connected to the proximity to the Legislature. It needs to be in a good area for our kids and it needs to be "pet friendly" because our dog is part of the family. Dogs grow on you and she would be VERY missed! Some of you might be laughing, but "you have not because you ask not".

5. We need a miracle house in the next 5 days. It's important to get this nailed down so that there's some stability for our kids over the next month as we start packing up their stuff and putting it in boxes.

Thanks for standing with us. Let us know you're praying.

Tim
4.

Saturday Surprise

Our boys are in a ball tournament this weekend, so I let them sleep in and did their paper route this morning. Zoe (our Lab) hasn't had a good walk for a few days so I decided to take her with me "off leash". At 5:30 AM, what could the harm be??

She bounded out of the house and down the street as she loves to explore, sniff and dart through yards, bushes and gardens. Every so often I'd call her back, she'd walk beside me and all seemed well. As we approached our first stop, she was ahead of me, sniffing through the bushes at a nearby house. I wasn't really paying attention as it was "pre-coffee" but I did notice her go into the bushes.

What happened next was a sight to behold... there was a flurry of activity followed by a mad dash because Zoe had found a cat. Because the cat was the same color as she it, it looked as though Zoe had been thrown backward out of the bushes. What happened was the cat darted out the back and she was scrambling to catch it. The cat streaked across the yard and parking lot with Zoe in hot pursuit. There was no barking, just full out speed. The cat bolted up the nearest tree which would have been fine except that it was full of crows who started squawking and protesting. At the point, the cat is about 10 feet up in the tree, hanging on for dear life while Zoe is jumping up at it.

I called her away and we finished Tyler's route. As we walked back past the tree again, I noticed the cat still up the tree with the crows squawking away.

Do cats come down from trees or do you have to call the fire department?

Orderly Snow Melt Continues

I smiled to myself when I heard the leading story on CJNL's (NL Radio) major newscast at 7:30 this morning. Apparently the higher than normal snowpack is melting in an orderly fashion. I'm not surprised for several reasons. First of all people all across the province are praying to stop a flood in the Fraser Valley. While we'd all prefer warmer weather, those of us who are praying recognize that a cool spring ensures there will be no flood. Secondly, the bible talks about the "treasures (storehouses) of snow" in Job 38:22. I think the Lord is managing the snowpack remarkably well and I fully expect that the river will be staying within it's banks.

God is good. Watch for a personal update over the next few days on some stuff happening here at home. It's all good!

Tim

Rising to the Call

What are your thoughts on this quote?

God has given the church a great call and therefore it takes great people to accomplish it. If we fail to see our greatness, we will fall short of our call. Our pauper mentality and false humility have rendered much of the church ineffective by diminishing our vision for the influence we are meant to have in the world.

News Article

I was interviewed by the Kamloops Daily News this week. Here's the story as they printed it.

Evangelical pastor bringing Christian Values to Legislature
The Daily News (Kamloops)
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Page: A4
Section: News
Byline: Cam Fortems
Source: The Daily News

When the B.C. legislature reconvenes this fall, another person in uniform will join officers in parliamentary dress and MLAs wearing business attire. High up in the public gallery, Tim Schindel plans to watch the daily theatrics of question period clad in a clerical collar.
For Schindel, an evangelical Christian pastor who has lived in Kamloops for 13 years, wearing a collar -- normally associated with Roman Catholics or Anglicans -- is a new experience.
While he has never worn a collar, Schindel hopes its instant recognition will allow those in the legislature who will see him day in and day out to understand his purpose: A calling to bring the leadership of God and Jesus to the leaders of this province.
"Doing what I'm doing, (the collar) makes sense," Schindel said. Wearing a collar while he sits in the legislature is just one way that Schindel is making up the rules as he goes along. The provincial legislature, like those in the nine other provinces, three territories and the House of Commons in Ottawa, has no house chaplain. Schindel isn't in Victoria to fill a job, he's there to create one: to bring a stable Christian presence to any of the 79 MLAs who want it.
"We want to build a core group we have regular contact with," Schindel said of his goal as the leader of Leading Influence Ministries, a non-profit group comprised of evangelical B.C church leaders.

"Our goal is not to cram anything on them. There's no agenda beyond being an encouraging presence. We want to influence people to govern with excellence and with some values."
Schindel cites his experience as president of the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce as influencing his desire to bring the hand of Christianity to leaders.

He counts among his supporters Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger, a devout Baptist who lent his assistance to Schindel -- as well as a warning about the task ahead.
"He came to me several years ago," Krueger said. "He felt God was calling him to this ministry. I said it's a tough go. We have people of all faiths elected as MLAs. And some with no faith."
In addition, even Christians who may feel comfortable with Schindel have their own churches back home, Krueger said.

Schindel spoke to The Daily News on the same day that fundamentalist American preacher Jerry Falwell died. The controversial founder of the Moral Majority brought the influence of religious conservatives into U.S. politics. "Not my bag," said Schindel, an affable man who has worked most recently as a newspaper distributor after leaving the church in Kamloops where he had been pastor. "When you identify with a particular ideology or movement the issue of faith and politics really comes into play. . . . You're getting on thin ice," he said of Falwell's intersection with politics. Schindel's awareness of the issue is even addressed on this website, in a posting about the separation of church and state.

Instead of protests and demands, bullying and organizing, Schindel said he hopes to bring a quieter Christianity to the legislature. And one that is non-partisan. In a recent posting on the Leading Influence website, Schindel asked Christians to pray for provincial leadership on the pine beetle crisis and to alleviate flooding in B.C. this spring. Schindel said there are aspects of every party "close to the heart of God," whether the NDP's advocating for the disadvantaged, the Liberal party's openness and welcoming of people of different faiths and backgrounds and the federal Conservatives' traditional values on issues such as same-sex marriage. In the United States, government assemblies typically have a politically appointed chaplain, an official taxpayer-funded position. There is nothing comparable in Canada.

Schindel proudly notes that 10 members from both sides of the legislature attended a prayer breakfast he organized in Victoria this month. Several Sikh members also expressed interest, but could not attend, Schindel said. Schindel has his home in Kamloops up for sale and hopes to move to Victoria this summer with his wife, Barb, and three children, to establish his ministry.
Beyond receiving prayers and financial backing from churches and individuals in B.C., Schindel said the biggest positive omen was a last-minute chance to deliver the opening prayer during the throne speech in the legislature when the scheduled minister was a no-show. Within 10 minutes he was pulled from the public gallery to centre stage. "It was tremendously exciting," said Schindel, who is comfortable in front of a crowd. "You're front and centre."

cfortems@kamloopsnews.ca
© 2007 The Daily News (Kamloops)