Today marked the final day of the spring session of the Legislature. It was also a special day for us as we hosted 12 ladies and one gentleman from a number of Prayer Canada chapters in Metro Vancouver. They have weekly prayer meetings in City Halls. We had a fantastic time together as we visted, shared lunch and then spent the afternoon at the Legislature. We are very indebted to the ministry of Prayer Canada as they have prayed for our municipal and provincial governments for many years.
While we were having lunch I was able to prepare them for what they would see at Question Period. Given that this was the last day of the session, QP was going to be more raucous than usual and I wanted them to know what to expect. Some people think that what happens at Question Period is what happens every day all day. It's not true. Question Period is really a 30 minute window where the Opposition is able to set the agenda and ask the government any question that they choose. However, both sides go into QP with the understanding that it's not really about getting answers but more about political posturing and if you are lucky, saying something that will get you on the 6 PM news or into tomorrow's paper. (Of course, the goal for the government is to avoid being on the news or in the paper because of what happened during QP.)
One day our youngest son (10) leaned over and asked me why they don't just answer the question. I shared his question with a Cabinet minister and an Opposition MLA. Both gave me the same answer. They said 'Tell him it's not called Answer Period."
There are too many names (and not enough time...) to remember everyone who was there, but thanks to Leona for putting the trip together, to Selma for the kind gift, and to everyone else who came. It was a delight to have you join me for the day. I also want to say thanks to Susan, Rina and the kitchen crew from the Cridge Club who provided us with lunch.
For the benefit of those who might be interested in seeing one of the more interesting Question Period sessions from the spring, I'm including a link to the BC Legislature site. If you are in a hurry, the last 10 minutes give you an idea of what politics in BC looks like when the gloves really come off... Pour a cup of coffee, click the link and enjoy ....
http://leg.bc.ca/hansard/video/archive.asp?video=200805291315&time=14:25:48&duration=00:33:58&toc=archive
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Eleven Things You Won't Learn at School
This came to me from a friend....
Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life. Rule
9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life. Rule
9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
May Long Weekend
Just a quick update. I've got some serious stuff perking for the blog, but I'm told by at least one lurker that she prefers the family stuff over what I think is profound. One day she might even post a comment but for now she lurks in the background...
Anyway... our boys are in a baseball tournament this weekend. Actually it's only supposed to be Zack, but the team only had 9 players yesterday and one guy missed the ball on a strange hop and got hit right below his eye. He couldn't finish the game last night but was able to play today. The coaches asked Tyler to dress for them so we had the pleasure of watching both boys play today and for the rest of the weekend. Zack got on base 2 times (once on a walk, once because he was hit) and he came in one time. Tyler came off the bench late in the game and played centre field. He made a few strong plays defensively and hit twice. He was walked the first time. He tried to steal home on his first at bat and almost made it. The bat was dropped in the batters box and he slid over it on the way into home plate. He struck out on his second at bat. (The whole team was struck out by a 13 year old who was amazing...) He's very excited about playing this weekend and we are too.
This afternoon, they did a skills competition. It was so much fun as the boys did relays and then finished the competition with a home run derby. The first batter hit it out of the park 3 of 5 times and won it all. Zack and Tyler were on a pass/throw relay that they really enjoyed and came in a close third (missed second place by .2 of a second...)
Barb and I look like lobsters. The breeze was cool enough that you didn't realize you were getting burned. It's the first really nice weekend here so we weren't really thinking about sunburns. I'm hoping it turns to a tan.
This week we celebrate 20 years of marriage. We've got some plans for next weekend... :-)
Anyway... our boys are in a baseball tournament this weekend. Actually it's only supposed to be Zack, but the team only had 9 players yesterday and one guy missed the ball on a strange hop and got hit right below his eye. He couldn't finish the game last night but was able to play today. The coaches asked Tyler to dress for them so we had the pleasure of watching both boys play today and for the rest of the weekend. Zack got on base 2 times (once on a walk, once because he was hit) and he came in one time. Tyler came off the bench late in the game and played centre field. He made a few strong plays defensively and hit twice. He was walked the first time. He tried to steal home on his first at bat and almost made it. The bat was dropped in the batters box and he slid over it on the way into home plate. He struck out on his second at bat. (The whole team was struck out by a 13 year old who was amazing...) He's very excited about playing this weekend and we are too.
This afternoon, they did a skills competition. It was so much fun as the boys did relays and then finished the competition with a home run derby. The first batter hit it out of the park 3 of 5 times and won it all. Zack and Tyler were on a pass/throw relay that they really enjoyed and came in a close third (missed second place by .2 of a second...)
Barb and I look like lobsters. The breeze was cool enough that you didn't realize you were getting burned. It's the first really nice weekend here so we weren't really thinking about sunburns. I'm hoping it turns to a tan.
This week we celebrate 20 years of marriage. We've got some plans for next weekend... :-)
Monday, May 12, 2008
PrayBC Continues to Grow
It started with a simple question. ‘What if the Church in BC came together to stand in the gap as a people of blessing?’ What would be the impact of thousands of people joining together in worship and prayer celebrations all across our province? We wanted to find out and so we launched ‘PrayBC’.
Here’s what’s happening so far. As I write this article, we know of at least 12 communities that are committed to hosting PrayBC celebrations. We know of many more that are in the process of coming on board as well.
As you might know, this is BC’s 150th Anniversary. As a result the Provincial Government is encouraging a variety of community groups to host community events to mark this very special point in our history. We see PrayBC as an excellent opportunity for churches to use as a way to celebrate our 150th anniversary. There is no registration and all of our professionally developed resources are available for free. All we ask is that communities register with us and receive an offering to help us cover our costs at their event. We believe that we will see over 30 communities join the PrayBC team.
For more information visit http://www.praybc.com or call our office to speak directly with someone who can help you.
Here’s what’s happening so far. As I write this article, we know of at least 12 communities that are committed to hosting PrayBC celebrations. We know of many more that are in the process of coming on board as well.
As you might know, this is BC’s 150th Anniversary. As a result the Provincial Government is encouraging a variety of community groups to host community events to mark this very special point in our history. We see PrayBC as an excellent opportunity for churches to use as a way to celebrate our 150th anniversary. There is no registration and all of our professionally developed resources are available for free. All we ask is that communities register with us and receive an offering to help us cover our costs at their event. We believe that we will see over 30 communities join the PrayBC team.
For more information visit http://www.praybc.com or call our office to speak directly with someone who can help you.
Prayer Breakfast Report
We held our second MLA Prayer Breakfast on May 1st. Just over 70 people joined us for the morning. It was exciting to watch our MLA’s, partners and friends come together for a morning of encouragement, affirmation, fellowship and prayer.
The breakfast was held at the Union Club of British Columbia. It is a beautiful venue and serves our purposes very well. We are thrilled to be able to use it. Our speaker for the morning was former NHL player and Stanley Cup winner, Ryan Walter. In addition to telling a few hockey stories, Ryan did an amazing job of sharing how he came to Christ and put his ‘inner game’ on the right track so that his ‘outer game’ would become everything that God intended it to be. We highly recommend Ryan as a guest speaker. We are already making plans to have him back with us for another event this fall.
As we were planning the breakfast, there was a real sense that it was important for us to include some young people as part the program. We became aware of a Next Generation Prayer for Authorities that was written by a group of young people from North Western BC. We were able to put a copy at every place setting and Noah Bolinder, a student from Victoria prayed the prayer publicly. It was moving and inspiring for everyone present. There isn’t enough room to print it here, but I’ve posted it on the ministry website and you can find it there on the ’Event Archive’ page.
We know that we had many friends and partners praying for us as we planned, prepared and presented the breakfast and we want you to know that people were blessed, strengthened and encouraged. It was a great day and you helped make it that way!
Thanks for standing with us.
The breakfast was held at the Union Club of British Columbia. It is a beautiful venue and serves our purposes very well. We are thrilled to be able to use it. Our speaker for the morning was former NHL player and Stanley Cup winner, Ryan Walter. In addition to telling a few hockey stories, Ryan did an amazing job of sharing how he came to Christ and put his ‘inner game’ on the right track so that his ‘outer game’ would become everything that God intended it to be. We highly recommend Ryan as a guest speaker. We are already making plans to have him back with us for another event this fall.
As we were planning the breakfast, there was a real sense that it was important for us to include some young people as part the program. We became aware of a Next Generation Prayer for Authorities that was written by a group of young people from North Western BC. We were able to put a copy at every place setting and Noah Bolinder, a student from Victoria prayed the prayer publicly. It was moving and inspiring for everyone present. There isn’t enough room to print it here, but I’ve posted it on the ministry website and you can find it there on the ’Event Archive’ page.
We know that we had many friends and partners praying for us as we planned, prepared and presented the breakfast and we want you to know that people were blessed, strengthened and encouraged. It was a great day and you helped make it that way!
Thanks for standing with us.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Prayer Breakfast Report - What MLA's are saying...
Here are some comments coming from our Prayer Breakfast last week. I'm witholding the names of those who shared these things, but it's pretty exciting to see the impact that we are having on the lives of those who lead us.
This comment was made during debate at the Legislature during the week of May 5th. I found it by accident but it made my day!!
This comment was made during debate at the Legislature during the week of May 5th. I found it by accident but it made my day!!
I'm touched every year by the prayer breakfast. There was one just last
week. The thought that there were people who were praying for the leadership
of the province…. I've got to tell you, it's a kind of moving and emotional
thing.
I'm not necessarily convinced the Bible requires us to be prayed for,
but the concept that people pray that we do good work here, to assist
us in doing good work is a wonderful thing. It gives one a sense of
community, and it encourages us to value what we do here — the honour and
the privilege it is to serve in positions of leadership, whether you're in
the opposition or the government back bench or you're in cabinet or you're
the Premier of the province. What we do here is important.”
This came from a card I received in the mail.
'As an MLA I would like to thank you and Leading Influence
Ministries for being so supportive and encouraging. My community
has had a similar prayer breakfast for years and as elected officials we
always appreciate such support and guidance. Please keep up the good
work!'
I'm really humbled to see what God is doing and how He is doing it. Our commitment is to continue to serve and be a blessing to those God has called to serve our province in this way. We know that as we do, God will continue to open more doors of opportunity.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Visiting Ontario
I grew up in Ontario. Admittedly, it was North Western Ontario and we lived closer to Regina than Toronto, but I did grow up in Ontario. I'm back for a week visiting my sister, preaching for a friend and then speaking at our National Pastor's Conference.
On Monday, I visited Queens Park otherwise known as the Ontario Legislature. I had looked forward to this part of my visit. I absolutely believe that the MPP's in Ontario need the same kind of pastoral ministry that we are establishing in BC. I went to pray, observe and quite literally to put my feet on the ground as a prophetic and symbolic act.
Serving and reaching the MPP's in Ontario is critical to our vision. While it might be hard to take for those of us in other parts of Canada, the reality is that Ontario and Toronto really shape so much of our national culture that it's critical that the key spheres of influence in this province be reached with the love, life and transforming grace of Jesus Christ.
My hotel room was on the 18th floor and I had a fantastic view of the Skydome and the CN Tower. As I was getting ready I found myself praying and making proclamations regarding this city. I'm convinced that God has a plan for Toronto and Ontario and that as His purposes and plans for Toronto are fulfilled, He will redeem the media, commerce, entertainment, the arts and government and then use them as a catalyst to transform our nation at every level.
For some of you, this might be an enormous stretch, but the bible is clear that God loves cities and that He loves to transform them. Canada cannot be transformed without Toronto and Toronto can only be transformed as we reach it's leaders and influencers.
I have a dream...
On Monday, I visited Queens Park otherwise known as the Ontario Legislature. I had looked forward to this part of my visit. I absolutely believe that the MPP's in Ontario need the same kind of pastoral ministry that we are establishing in BC. I went to pray, observe and quite literally to put my feet on the ground as a prophetic and symbolic act.
Serving and reaching the MPP's in Ontario is critical to our vision. While it might be hard to take for those of us in other parts of Canada, the reality is that Ontario and Toronto really shape so much of our national culture that it's critical that the key spheres of influence in this province be reached with the love, life and transforming grace of Jesus Christ.
My hotel room was on the 18th floor and I had a fantastic view of the Skydome and the CN Tower. As I was getting ready I found myself praying and making proclamations regarding this city. I'm convinced that God has a plan for Toronto and Ontario and that as His purposes and plans for Toronto are fulfilled, He will redeem the media, commerce, entertainment, the arts and government and then use them as a catalyst to transform our nation at every level.
For some of you, this might be an enormous stretch, but the bible is clear that God loves cities and that He loves to transform them. Canada cannot be transformed without Toronto and Toronto can only be transformed as we reach it's leaders and influencers.
I have a dream...
Monday, May 05, 2008
From Toronto
Hi Everyone - greetings from the 18th floor of the Hilton in Toronto. (Relax, I got a screaming deal on www.hotwire.com that cost me less than staying at Super 8) I'm in Toronto attending a conference for a few days. Yesterday I preached for someone I really admire. His name is Murray Lincoln. Murray is an amazing person who I see as a real trail blazer and pioneer. In addition to being a fantastic pastor and leader, he's also a carver, handyman and writer. I'm posting a link to his latest blog post. I hope you enjoy it.
http://northviewchurch.blogspot.com/2008/05/48-hours-of-victories-and-five-victors.html
http://northviewchurch.blogspot.com/2008/05/48-hours-of-victories-and-five-victors.html
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Quick Update
Well - it's the night before the MLA Breakfast. It's going to be a great morning and we are all looking forward to enjoying it. We've had an excellent response from friends and MLA's so I'm very pleased. My hope is to do a follow up post after the fact with some photos as well so watch for that over the next few days.
It's been a while since an update so here's the latest for those of you that long for family details but don't bother with my spiritual insights...
We went to Kamloops on the weekend. I was speaking in Logan Lake on Sunday morning so I brought the boys with me and they had a dental visit on Friday afternoon. Tyler was done in about 3 minutes as his ortho work is going very well. Zack is making amazing progress but has required more work. He spent 3 hours in the dentists chair, most of it waiting. He had 7 (yup 7) needles as he had to have some gum surgery. I'm really proud of him! It will be worth it later on when he has movie star teeth.
We stayed with our friends in Kamloops and the boys had a ton of fun seeing their buddies. They were up until 1 AM and awake before 6 to play their computer games and just laugh and talk. We are always treated like gold by this family and this time had the added bonus of grandparents there as well. It was a full house, but we had an awesome time.
Sunday morning I was in Logan Lake with the boys. This church has been so good to us and very supportive and generous. The pastor took me over and showed me the most amazing missions table I've ever seen, and what really made it special was it was all about what I'm doing. It was really pretty cool.
We made a pitstop in Abbotsford for gas and quick break. On the way to the ferry I really began to feel very tired. I love to drive and even on a very long trip, it's very rare that Barb does more than a very little bit of driving, but I would have gladly let her drive home from the ferry. On Monday morning, it was apparent that we had some kind of bug and Barb, Tyler and I were all under the weather. I worked from home a bit but took about 3 naps just to make it through the day. Monday night Zack had a baseball game but it was pouring rain. I was on for field prep so with a lot of help from some other parents we got the field dragged, raked, lined and ready, only to be told that we had to move to another field. After we moved, that one was prepped and then the game was called.... I was home by 6:20, asleep by 6:30 and didn't wake up until 7 AM on Tuesday.
So there you go BD (and everyone else...) I've given you the scoop on the Kamloops weekend... :-)
It's been a while since an update so here's the latest for those of you that long for family details but don't bother with my spiritual insights...
We went to Kamloops on the weekend. I was speaking in Logan Lake on Sunday morning so I brought the boys with me and they had a dental visit on Friday afternoon. Tyler was done in about 3 minutes as his ortho work is going very well. Zack is making amazing progress but has required more work. He spent 3 hours in the dentists chair, most of it waiting. He had 7 (yup 7) needles as he had to have some gum surgery. I'm really proud of him! It will be worth it later on when he has movie star teeth.
We stayed with our friends in Kamloops and the boys had a ton of fun seeing their buddies. They were up until 1 AM and awake before 6 to play their computer games and just laugh and talk. We are always treated like gold by this family and this time had the added bonus of grandparents there as well. It was a full house, but we had an awesome time.
Sunday morning I was in Logan Lake with the boys. This church has been so good to us and very supportive and generous. The pastor took me over and showed me the most amazing missions table I've ever seen, and what really made it special was it was all about what I'm doing. It was really pretty cool.
We made a pitstop in Abbotsford for gas and quick break. On the way to the ferry I really began to feel very tired. I love to drive and even on a very long trip, it's very rare that Barb does more than a very little bit of driving, but I would have gladly let her drive home from the ferry. On Monday morning, it was apparent that we had some kind of bug and Barb, Tyler and I were all under the weather. I worked from home a bit but took about 3 naps just to make it through the day. Monday night Zack had a baseball game but it was pouring rain. I was on for field prep so with a lot of help from some other parents we got the field dragged, raked, lined and ready, only to be told that we had to move to another field. After we moved, that one was prepped and then the game was called.... I was home by 6:20, asleep by 6:30 and didn't wake up until 7 AM on Tuesday.
So there you go BD (and everyone else...) I've given you the scoop on the Kamloops weekend... :-)
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Catching Up
Well - here' s the latest from the past few days. After about 14 days without a real break, I took Friday and Saturday off. Day 1 was okay (although I did sneak a bit of work in when Barb wasn't looking...) Saturday was a different story. The problem on running on adrenaline and caffeine is that when you slow down, you crash. Crashing for me usually involves being grumpy and negative. None of this is a good thing for anyone around me so Barb gently suggested that I take a nap in the afternoon. After about 10 minutes she came upstairs and told me (ever so sweetly and yet so very pointedly...) that I needed to get it together and that being grumpy wasn't fair to anyone around me.
The thing with Barb is that she has a wonderful way of getting her message through to me without raising her voice or making a scene. This time was no exception and after about an hour of solitude and rest, I was a much happier boy.
I read a book a few years ago. It was called 'The Contemplative Pastor'. I didn't like it at all but it was exactly what I needed. The author talked about 'the rythmn of the Sabbath'. The idea is that we are made to need a rest every 6 days. When we fail to honor the Sabbath in our lives, we begin to 'wobble' physically, emotionally and spiritually. While it' possible to keep going, our creativity, productivity and general effectiveness starts to decline dramatically and continues to do so the longer we go without a rest. Relationships begin to suffer and we make poor choices all because we fail to rest and be refreshed. These are the consequences of sin, as we fail to honor the Sabbath in our lives. Given enough neglect, we crash and burn and God often provides us with an 'enforced Sabbath' to give us time to properly recover be renewed.
It feels funny to be thinking like this and yet I know that failing to permit myself a Sabbath rest, caused me to be spinning my wheels for most of last week, not to mention the fact that I took out my fatigue on those who are closest to me. Needless to say, I've been making ammends today and it's been much better for everyone around me.
So... while I'm not about to start taking an obligatory nap on Sunday afternoons, I'm learning my lesson about the need to take care of myself while I seek to care for other people.
The thing with Barb is that she has a wonderful way of getting her message through to me without raising her voice or making a scene. This time was no exception and after about an hour of solitude and rest, I was a much happier boy.
I read a book a few years ago. It was called 'The Contemplative Pastor'. I didn't like it at all but it was exactly what I needed. The author talked about 'the rythmn of the Sabbath'. The idea is that we are made to need a rest every 6 days. When we fail to honor the Sabbath in our lives, we begin to 'wobble' physically, emotionally and spiritually. While it' possible to keep going, our creativity, productivity and general effectiveness starts to decline dramatically and continues to do so the longer we go without a rest. Relationships begin to suffer and we make poor choices all because we fail to rest and be refreshed. These are the consequences of sin, as we fail to honor the Sabbath in our lives. Given enough neglect, we crash and burn and God often provides us with an 'enforced Sabbath' to give us time to properly recover be renewed.
It feels funny to be thinking like this and yet I know that failing to permit myself a Sabbath rest, caused me to be spinning my wheels for most of last week, not to mention the fact that I took out my fatigue on those who are closest to me. Needless to say, I've been making ammends today and it's been much better for everyone around me.
So... while I'm not about to start taking an obligatory nap on Sunday afternoons, I'm learning my lesson about the need to take care of myself while I seek to care for other people.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The Long and Winding Road
Last night after baseball, Zack and I took the scenic way home and explored a new road. We didn't know where it would take us. It was long, windy and narrow. So windy and narrow in fact that I began to feel a bit queasy on the return trip. I asked Zack how he was feeling and he said he was fine.
We continued to drive. I even slowed down and when we finally came back to the wider and straighter road, I thought all would be well. It was, until we went down the winding road that is our street. As we got closer to our house, I thought I'd be able to make it and as soon as I got out of the car my stomach would settle down.
When I pulled up in front of our house, it was apparent that things were not going to settle down until there was a general 'evacuation' of my swirling stomach. I took 3 steps, believing that this too shall pass when all of a sudden things began to pass. Zack ran to the house to get Barb while I continued the process of 'evacuation'.
I'm sure there is a spiritual lesson in here somewhere, but for now, I don't think I've ever met anyone who has made themselves carsick before...
We continued to drive. I even slowed down and when we finally came back to the wider and straighter road, I thought all would be well. It was, until we went down the winding road that is our street. As we got closer to our house, I thought I'd be able to make it and as soon as I got out of the car my stomach would settle down.
When I pulled up in front of our house, it was apparent that things were not going to settle down until there was a general 'evacuation' of my swirling stomach. I took 3 steps, believing that this too shall pass when all of a sudden things began to pass. Zack ran to the house to get Barb while I continued the process of 'evacuation'.
I'm sure there is a spiritual lesson in here somewhere, but for now, I don't think I've ever met anyone who has made themselves carsick before...
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Tony Blair Does God...
From Reuters:
Tony Blair's spokesman once said "We don't do God." He certainly does now.
The former British prime minister has gone public over his beliefs in a major speech on faith, saying religion had to be rescued from extremism in an era of growing globalization.
Speaking in Westminster Cathedral recently against a noisy backdrop of anti-Iraq war protesters, Blair launched an impassioned defence of religion.
Blair, who converted to Catholicism last year after stepping down as prime minister, rejected the notion that religion was divisive, irrational and harmful, and argued "faith can transform and humanize the impersonal forces of globalization."
"For religion to be a positive force for good, it must be rescued not simply from extremism -- faith as a means of exclusion -- but also from irrelevance," he added. Politicians in the United States speak openly about religious faith but Blair has admitted that if you do so in Britain "frankly people do think you are a nutter (crazy)."
When Blair was once pressed in an interview about his beliefs, his press spokesman Alastair Campbell interrupted and said, 'We don't do God.' But Blair, now working as a Middle East peace envoy and seeking international consensus on global warming, did concede religion and politics could be uncomfortable bedfellows as leaders who talk about their faith "may be considered weird."
The worst danger, he said in his speech, was that "you are somehow messianically trying to co-opt God to bestow a divine legitimacy on your politics."
Tim here: - Don't you just love it when a former world leader suddenly discovers that there's room for the King of Kings in his own life and work?
Tony Blair's spokesman once said "We don't do God." He certainly does now.
The former British prime minister has gone public over his beliefs in a major speech on faith, saying religion had to be rescued from extremism in an era of growing globalization.
Speaking in Westminster Cathedral recently against a noisy backdrop of anti-Iraq war protesters, Blair launched an impassioned defence of religion.
Blair, who converted to Catholicism last year after stepping down as prime minister, rejected the notion that religion was divisive, irrational and harmful, and argued "faith can transform and humanize the impersonal forces of globalization."
"For religion to be a positive force for good, it must be rescued not simply from extremism -- faith as a means of exclusion -- but also from irrelevance," he added. Politicians in the United States speak openly about religious faith but Blair has admitted that if you do so in Britain "frankly people do think you are a nutter (crazy)."
When Blair was once pressed in an interview about his beliefs, his press spokesman Alastair Campbell interrupted and said, 'We don't do God.' But Blair, now working as a Middle East peace envoy and seeking international consensus on global warming, did concede religion and politics could be uncomfortable bedfellows as leaders who talk about their faith "may be considered weird."
The worst danger, he said in his speech, was that "you are somehow messianically trying to co-opt God to bestow a divine legitimacy on your politics."
Tim here: - Don't you just love it when a former world leader suddenly discovers that there's room for the King of Kings in his own life and work?
Thursday, April 03, 2008
It starts when???
I left my office yesterday afternoon and went straight to the airport to catch my flight to Victoria. I was on a mission. I was going to a conference and could hardly wait to get there. Everything went smoothly. My WestJet flight had satellite TV and I watched TSN most of the way to Calgary. I got my car rental and headed north to Red Deer. I hadn't eaten since breakfast so I decided to get something to eat and then go to the evening meeting. I had a fantastic dinner, watched a bit of the Blue Jays game and then decided I should get going.
When I found Word of Life Church, I thought it was kind of strange that the parking lot wasn't very full, but then again, I'd never been there before so I wasn't sure what to expect. When I got inside, it seemed pretty quiet for a conference and the people who were in the foyer were just kind of standing around. I actually met a guy that I've known for a few years. When I asked him when the conference was starting (because I thought maybe I was early...) he told me it started... are you ready for this... NEXT week.
I kind of hoped that 'Prank Patrol' or one of those other TV shows was doing this to me as a practical joke, but no... this was all my doing. What do you do when you show up a week early to a conference?
I didn't know yesterday, but I do today. You turn around and find a hotel close to the airport.
My next step was to call Barb and tell her. She laughed, her sister laughed and all of my kids laughed. Are you laughing too?
When I found Word of Life Church, I thought it was kind of strange that the parking lot wasn't very full, but then again, I'd never been there before so I wasn't sure what to expect. When I got inside, it seemed pretty quiet for a conference and the people who were in the foyer were just kind of standing around. I actually met a guy that I've known for a few years. When I asked him when the conference was starting (because I thought maybe I was early...) he told me it started... are you ready for this... NEXT week.
I kind of hoped that 'Prank Patrol' or one of those other TV shows was doing this to me as a practical joke, but no... this was all my doing. What do you do when you show up a week early to a conference?
I didn't know yesterday, but I do today. You turn around and find a hotel close to the airport.
My next step was to call Barb and tell her. She laughed, her sister laughed and all of my kids laughed. Are you laughing too?
Prayer Bulletin
John Les resigned as Solicitor General last Friday afternoon. He is the subject of a police investigation dating back to his time as the Mayor of Chilliwack. In a media scrum, he admitted that being investigated by the police isn't any fun. It probably isn't which is why we need to pray for him. He apparently heard the news of the investigation when he came into his house after doing some yard work on Friday afternoon and in that brief instant, a nightmare began.
Politics aside, Mr. Les remains a person and in spite of a very brave front, this must be very hard on him and his family both personally and professionally. I'm asking our prayer partners from across the province to remember him as they pray.
Additionally, the Hon. John van Dongen has assumed the role of acting Solicitor General as of Tuesday. This is a huge responsibility and one with high expectations. Within an hour of his appointment, he was being asked questions in Question Period about the actions of a Crown Corporation that falls under his jurisdiction.
Please make it a point to pray for Mr. van Dongen as he assumes his new role.
Politics aside, Mr. Les remains a person and in spite of a very brave front, this must be very hard on him and his family both personally and professionally. I'm asking our prayer partners from across the province to remember him as they pray.
Additionally, the Hon. John van Dongen has assumed the role of acting Solicitor General as of Tuesday. This is a huge responsibility and one with high expectations. Within an hour of his appointment, he was being asked questions in Question Period about the actions of a Crown Corporation that falls under his jurisdiction.
Please make it a point to pray for Mr. van Dongen as he assumes his new role.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Around our house...
Here are some lighter moments from life at our house in the past few weeks...
Barb is babysitting our niece. Her name is Avery, she's 2 and we are so glad we can help Rona and Mat out and at the same time get to enjoy Avery. Avery loves to play with buttons. Yesterday, she got up on the chair by the computer and began to play with the mouse. (We just got a new computer that runs on VISTA which just makes the story that much more interesting...) In just a matter of a few unsupervised minutes, she managed to change the orientation of the screen so that everything was turned on it's side. (Some call it landscape, but my mom reads this blog and so for her everything is just 'sideways'.) Barb didn't want to call and break the news over the phone so she waited until I walked into the house and let me discover this little surprise all by myself.
Here's the amazing thing about VISTA. A 2 year old can change the orientation of the display with a few clicks of the mouse, but it takes an adult who spends most of his day on a computer the better part of an hour to undo it. Actually it took Zack holding the monitor on it's side while I did 3 google searches to find the fix. Not surprisingly, you don't actually change the orientation through the monitor icon in control panel. You access it through sounds and something. Ahhh yes.... VISTA. Makes me wonder why I didn't buy a Mac....
Anyway, back to Avery. This morning we were giving a friend a ride to work. We went to her house to pick her up and then drove back past our house on the way into town. Our car is parked on the street and we noticed that the headlights were flashing. This caught my attention so I called Barb to ask her if she could see what was going on. My call went to voice mail and so I waited, knowing Barb would call back. Apparently Avery found more buttons, this time on the key fob for the car and she had pushed the panic button. Barb was hearing a horn sounding and couldn't figure out why someone's alarm was going off, until she realized that it was our car! When I called, she was looking for the keys...
Enough about Avery.... we were finishing off the painting project in our stairwell earlier this week when we ran out of paint. I picked up an old bucket with the code on top and went to the paint store. When I came back, the guy asked me why there was brown paint and green paint in the can. This was a good question because I had only painted with one color, which was supposed to be the color code on the lid of the can. He then broke the news to me that I had just finished painting my house with a 'mis-tint'. The color was supposed to be brown, but the tint was green.
The can that I took in was one that came from a friend who helped us choose our color. We used it for a first coat on a small wall. After the can was empty, we simply poured paint out of our contractor size pail into the small pail to make life easier. Hence the green paint in the brown paint can. The funny thing in all of this is that our friend who helped choose the color kept saying 'I'm surprised at how green it is...' and my mom who visited for a few days kept asking if we 'liked the color'. Now it may be that they were just commenting on the color or it may be that they were making subtle suggestions.
Either way, I was too busy painting to notice...
Barb is babysitting our niece. Her name is Avery, she's 2 and we are so glad we can help Rona and Mat out and at the same time get to enjoy Avery. Avery loves to play with buttons. Yesterday, she got up on the chair by the computer and began to play with the mouse. (We just got a new computer that runs on VISTA which just makes the story that much more interesting...) In just a matter of a few unsupervised minutes, she managed to change the orientation of the screen so that everything was turned on it's side. (Some call it landscape, but my mom reads this blog and so for her everything is just 'sideways'.) Barb didn't want to call and break the news over the phone so she waited until I walked into the house and let me discover this little surprise all by myself.
Here's the amazing thing about VISTA. A 2 year old can change the orientation of the display with a few clicks of the mouse, but it takes an adult who spends most of his day on a computer the better part of an hour to undo it. Actually it took Zack holding the monitor on it's side while I did 3 google searches to find the fix. Not surprisingly, you don't actually change the orientation through the monitor icon in control panel. You access it through sounds and something. Ahhh yes.... VISTA. Makes me wonder why I didn't buy a Mac....
Anyway, back to Avery. This morning we were giving a friend a ride to work. We went to her house to pick her up and then drove back past our house on the way into town. Our car is parked on the street and we noticed that the headlights were flashing. This caught my attention so I called Barb to ask her if she could see what was going on. My call went to voice mail and so I waited, knowing Barb would call back. Apparently Avery found more buttons, this time on the key fob for the car and she had pushed the panic button. Barb was hearing a horn sounding and couldn't figure out why someone's alarm was going off, until she realized that it was our car! When I called, she was looking for the keys...
Enough about Avery.... we were finishing off the painting project in our stairwell earlier this week when we ran out of paint. I picked up an old bucket with the code on top and went to the paint store. When I came back, the guy asked me why there was brown paint and green paint in the can. This was a good question because I had only painted with one color, which was supposed to be the color code on the lid of the can. He then broke the news to me that I had just finished painting my house with a 'mis-tint'. The color was supposed to be brown, but the tint was green.
The can that I took in was one that came from a friend who helped us choose our color. We used it for a first coat on a small wall. After the can was empty, we simply poured paint out of our contractor size pail into the small pail to make life easier. Hence the green paint in the brown paint can. The funny thing in all of this is that our friend who helped choose the color kept saying 'I'm surprised at how green it is...' and my mom who visited for a few days kept asking if we 'liked the color'. Now it may be that they were just commenting on the color or it may be that they were making subtle suggestions.
Either way, I was too busy painting to notice...
Sunday, March 23, 2008
He is Risen!
Easter is amazing. It reminds me that in what feels like our darkest moment, God is up to something behind the scenes that goes beyond what we would dare to think, ask or imagine. I've been thinking about something for most of the day today. It seems to me that the devil has no choice but to concede Easter, after all, how do you argue with an empty tomb? There's no doubt that he is working to distract people with the Easter Bunny and probably a thousand other things, but that's just way too obvious. (Besides, I had neighbours who had bunnies and never once did they leave anything shiny and bright in their cage.)
It seems to me that the Easter is all about the BIG WIN. If we were kids, it was the play for all the marbles. The one battle that determined WHO would win it all. If you know me, even a little bit, you'll figure out that I'm pretty competitive and while I'm more mellow than I used to be, I'm still convinced that winning is more fun than losing. If Easter is all about the 'BIG WIN' then I want every benefit that comes from it. I want to know the power of that WIN in every part of my life. I want to know that it works in my relationships, finances, body, and for every part of my past, present and future. I understand that Easter sets me up to live victoriously in every area of my life. I don't have to be arrogant or pompous about this. All I need is to grasp it, believe it and then begin to speak and live towards it.
We sang this song in church today. One of the lines was 'I know that my Redeemer lives and now I stand on what He did.' The key to this life is knowing what He did and then standing upon it no matter what I see around me.
I mentioned earlier that the devil has no choice but to concede Easter. At the same time, he's not about to go away without sowing the seeds of doubt and deception about what Easter is really all about. In the last little while, I've been hearing something that troubles me. It's the idea that Christ and Christianity is all about 'helping me' with my issues and pain. It's almost as though all I need is a spiritual/psychological elixer that will help me along until I breathe my final breath. This is the great deception. Jesus did not come to help me. He came to TRANSFORM me. The power of the gospel is not some mystical 'panacea' that will help me 'get by' with a little help from Jesus. Rather the power of the gospel absolutely revolutionizes my life so that I am forever changed. As I yield myself to His power at work within me, I will experience transformation at a measure and level that goes beyond what I can accomplish or achieve on my own.
I think the real lie is that I have to settle for some things, that there are parts of my life that cannot and will not change. It's as though I must embrace my lot in life and forget about hoping, believing, expecting and preparing for a better day.
As I write this, I am thinking of a friend. When I met her, she had huge issues in her life that were connected to her childhood. As we were getting to know each other, she crashed emotionally. It was a tough time for her and her husband. She is a case study in what I am talking about today. As she has yielded her life to the power of the gospel at work within her, she has been completely changed. She has become a visionary, leader and best of all is completely at peace with herself and the world around her. I'm proud of her, but I'm more proud of what God has done in her life and it's all because He has Risen!
It seems to me that the Easter is all about the BIG WIN. If we were kids, it was the play for all the marbles. The one battle that determined WHO would win it all. If you know me, even a little bit, you'll figure out that I'm pretty competitive and while I'm more mellow than I used to be, I'm still convinced that winning is more fun than losing. If Easter is all about the 'BIG WIN' then I want every benefit that comes from it. I want to know the power of that WIN in every part of my life. I want to know that it works in my relationships, finances, body, and for every part of my past, present and future. I understand that Easter sets me up to live victoriously in every area of my life. I don't have to be arrogant or pompous about this. All I need is to grasp it, believe it and then begin to speak and live towards it.
We sang this song in church today. One of the lines was 'I know that my Redeemer lives and now I stand on what He did.' The key to this life is knowing what He did and then standing upon it no matter what I see around me.
I mentioned earlier that the devil has no choice but to concede Easter. At the same time, he's not about to go away without sowing the seeds of doubt and deception about what Easter is really all about. In the last little while, I've been hearing something that troubles me. It's the idea that Christ and Christianity is all about 'helping me' with my issues and pain. It's almost as though all I need is a spiritual/psychological elixer that will help me along until I breathe my final breath. This is the great deception. Jesus did not come to help me. He came to TRANSFORM me. The power of the gospel is not some mystical 'panacea' that will help me 'get by' with a little help from Jesus. Rather the power of the gospel absolutely revolutionizes my life so that I am forever changed. As I yield myself to His power at work within me, I will experience transformation at a measure and level that goes beyond what I can accomplish or achieve on my own.
I think the real lie is that I have to settle for some things, that there are parts of my life that cannot and will not change. It's as though I must embrace my lot in life and forget about hoping, believing, expecting and preparing for a better day.
As I write this, I am thinking of a friend. When I met her, she had huge issues in her life that were connected to her childhood. As we were getting to know each other, she crashed emotionally. It was a tough time for her and her husband. She is a case study in what I am talking about today. As she has yielded her life to the power of the gospel at work within her, she has been completely changed. She has become a visionary, leader and best of all is completely at peace with herself and the world around her. I'm proud of her, but I'm more proud of what God has done in her life and it's all because He has Risen!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Night and Day
We attended the Good Friday Service at our church this evening. The service was simple. It was really just portions of scripture combined with worship and communion. As the passage about Jesus death was being read, I saw something I'd never noticed before. After Jesus died, Joseph of Arimethea (a secret disciple who was intimidated by the Jews) went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Nicodemus helped with the embalming of Jesus body by bringing 75 pounds of spice. The story mentioned, seemingly in passing that it was the same Nicodemus that came to Jesus by night (Jn 3) who now came in the day. I couldn't help but notice the contrast between Joseph and Nicodemus. Joseph was a secret disciple and only Jesus and perhaps a handful of others knew of his faith.
Nicodemus on the other hand had come to Jesus by night, but now came to minister to him by day. It seems to me that we all come to Jesus by night in the sense that we come to the realization of our need to him at a dark point in our lives. We may not be in a crisis as such but the realization of our need underlines our own personal darkness and confirms our need of the Saviour. Something obviously shifted in Nicodemus's life that moved him from seeking and following under cover of darkness to stepping out to serve in the light of day. Admittedly, his particular service in this context was to bring 75 pounds of spices that would be used to embalm the body of Jesus, but the Lord had need of those spices for the next 3 days and so someone had to bring them. I expect that he might have felt funny, perhaps even at risk, as he delivered the sack of spices to the tomb that Joseph had provided, but God knew what he was doing with Nicodemus.
The world needs more Nicodemus like disciples who move from being night seekers to day followers. We need 'spice carriers' who will deliver a sweet fragrance into places of darkness and death while God does an unseen work on behalf of many lives that are invisible at the time. We need followers who will risk ridicule and rejection for the sake of obedience.
Are you up to the task?
Nicodemus on the other hand had come to Jesus by night, but now came to minister to him by day. It seems to me that we all come to Jesus by night in the sense that we come to the realization of our need to him at a dark point in our lives. We may not be in a crisis as such but the realization of our need underlines our own personal darkness and confirms our need of the Saviour. Something obviously shifted in Nicodemus's life that moved him from seeking and following under cover of darkness to stepping out to serve in the light of day. Admittedly, his particular service in this context was to bring 75 pounds of spices that would be used to embalm the body of Jesus, but the Lord had need of those spices for the next 3 days and so someone had to bring them. I expect that he might have felt funny, perhaps even at risk, as he delivered the sack of spices to the tomb that Joseph had provided, but God knew what he was doing with Nicodemus.
The world needs more Nicodemus like disciples who move from being night seekers to day followers. We need 'spice carriers' who will deliver a sweet fragrance into places of darkness and death while God does an unseen work on behalf of many lives that are invisible at the time. We need followers who will risk ridicule and rejection for the sake of obedience.
Are you up to the task?
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
On Eliot Spitzer
Like many of you I've watched the tragic story involving New York Govenor Eliot Spitzer unfold this week. In fact as I write this, a news story featuring his resignation is playing on the TV. Once again, those things which are done in secret are being shouted from the rooftops. I can't (and don't) condone his actions in any way but at the same time I am saddened for him. He believed a lie that somehow he could get away with his actions. Believing the lie cost him his job, reputation and did untold damage to his family and friendships.
Integrity is a word that is often tossed around in leadership circles. We expect our leaders to be people of integrity, to live up to standards that they say they will and that they will keep their word. Integrity really speaks of 'wholeness' and 'oneness' in our lives. We want to separate public lives from private lives but in the end it really can't be done. When Mr. Spitzer's private life became public there was a tremendous deficit between what he portrayed he was all about and what he was actually doing.
Integrity is much easier to talk about than it is to achieve. Integrity requires more than a commitment to truthfulness and a connection between my words and my actions. Integrity requires humility and the ever present readiness to admit that we are subject to failure. Walking in this way keeps us from the kind of failure that Eliot Spitzer is currently experiencing.
My hope for Mr. Spitzer is that this nightmare will result in something amazing happening in his life and that he (with his family intact) will come out of this valley stronger and with a great sense of God's grace and restoration in his life.
My hope for you is that you will recognize the lie that says 'you can get away with it' and understand that integrity comes only through honesty and humility.
Have a fantastic day!
Integrity is a word that is often tossed around in leadership circles. We expect our leaders to be people of integrity, to live up to standards that they say they will and that they will keep their word. Integrity really speaks of 'wholeness' and 'oneness' in our lives. We want to separate public lives from private lives but in the end it really can't be done. When Mr. Spitzer's private life became public there was a tremendous deficit between what he portrayed he was all about and what he was actually doing.
Integrity is much easier to talk about than it is to achieve. Integrity requires more than a commitment to truthfulness and a connection between my words and my actions. Integrity requires humility and the ever present readiness to admit that we are subject to failure. Walking in this way keeps us from the kind of failure that Eliot Spitzer is currently experiencing.
My hope for Mr. Spitzer is that this nightmare will result in something amazing happening in his life and that he (with his family intact) will come out of this valley stronger and with a great sense of God's grace and restoration in his life.
My hope for you is that you will recognize the lie that says 'you can get away with it' and understand that integrity comes only through honesty and humility.
Have a fantastic day!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Taking Possession
We took possession of our new house a few weeks ago. It's been an exciting time as we watched God make a way for us. I've been thinking about the number of times 'asking' was involved in the process. We asked God to give us a house that would meet our needs and that we could afford. We asked a realtor to help us. We asked the owner to accept our offer. We asked a lender to provide the funding. We asked a lawyer to handle the transaction. We asked friends for their help as we chose colors, laid flooring, built cabinets, packed and then loaded and unloaded the truck. Thankfully, everyone along the way said yes and we spent our first night in our new house last night. (I'll post some pictures after the counter tops arrive and the boxes are emptied.)
I've started reading through the Psalms this past week. I found these words in Ps. 2. 'Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession.' These are not new words for me, but this time they took on a fresh significance especially as I reflected on our house transaction. There were no guarantees that anyone would say 'YES' to us. At any point along the way, someone could have said 'no' to our request and we would have had to find a new way or another way to make that happen.
What I find most amazing in Ps. 2 is that God invites us to ask. 'Ask of Me' and then He gives us a guaranteed response. (... and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession.) Any of God's promises are amazing but the scope of this promise is astounding to me. The idea of God granting nations to His people who have the faith to ask and the courage to follow through on taking possession of that nation by His Spirit rather than by petition and protest is simply amazing to me.
Sometimes we dream about 'what if' scenarios. 'What if God were to give us the nation, our province, our city, our school or our town?' The possibilities are amazing. Sadly we too often stop there, rather than pressing through to possess the promise that God has made to us. Sometimes the message of the naysayers who tell us that it can't be done overtakes God's promise that says He will do it. James tells us that 'faith without works is dead'. Possessing the nation takes more than praying and making prophetic declarations. It requires going and serving within the spheres of influence that shape our province and communities. As we move forward with humility and grace, our nation will be changed and we will see the fulfillment of the promise.
I've started reading through the Psalms this past week. I found these words in Ps. 2. 'Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession.' These are not new words for me, but this time they took on a fresh significance especially as I reflected on our house transaction. There were no guarantees that anyone would say 'YES' to us. At any point along the way, someone could have said 'no' to our request and we would have had to find a new way or another way to make that happen.
What I find most amazing in Ps. 2 is that God invites us to ask. 'Ask of Me' and then He gives us a guaranteed response. (... and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession.) Any of God's promises are amazing but the scope of this promise is astounding to me. The idea of God granting nations to His people who have the faith to ask and the courage to follow through on taking possession of that nation by His Spirit rather than by petition and protest is simply amazing to me.
Sometimes we dream about 'what if' scenarios. 'What if God were to give us the nation, our province, our city, our school or our town?' The possibilities are amazing. Sadly we too often stop there, rather than pressing through to possess the promise that God has made to us. Sometimes the message of the naysayers who tell us that it can't be done overtakes God's promise that says He will do it. James tells us that 'faith without works is dead'. Possessing the nation takes more than praying and making prophetic declarations. It requires going and serving within the spheres of influence that shape our province and communities. As we move forward with humility and grace, our nation will be changed and we will see the fulfillment of the promise.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Update Coming
For those of you who are wondering if I've dropped off the face of the earth, I am still here. It's been extremely busy between travel, the Legislature and preparing to move to our new house and so there hasn't been a lot of time to blog.
That being said, watch for an email blast coming out tomorrow.
That being said, watch for an email blast coming out tomorrow.
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