Keeping Focus (even when life gets crazy)

While there are a lot of benefits to being able to work out of your own home, there are some downfalls too.  One of them being those moments when you realize that you haven't stepped outside in a few days (yes, it has happened on more than one occasion!).  The other one is that there is no punch clock at the end of the day.  If there is work to be done, it doesn't matter if it's 6:00 and you should be calling it a day, you've got to finish.  And I don't know if it's Murphy's Law or not, but at least with the various jobs and commitments I'm involved with, it seems like when it rains, it pours and I'm left desperately trying not to get wet (or miss a deadline)!

That's what the last few weeks have been like for me.  On top of my regular commitments, I've had quite a few unexpected things come up as well.  But even as challenging as it's been to get everything done, it's been good in the sense that I haven't allowed myself to become completely overwhelmed by it either.  Through doing this kind of work, I've learned my lessons (often the hard way) and as a result I've got quite the system for my to-do list.  I have it set up so at a glance I can see what needs to be done, who it's being done for and when it's due.  And when I finish an item I cross it off and don't start a new list until Monday morning.  It gives a sense of accomplishment when you look at your list and see more items scratched off than left on, doesn't it?  Well maybe it doesn't for you, but for me it does and it allows me to stay organized and keep my focus on what matters.

Another thing I've really learned the value of is saying "no".  In fact, the only reason I got through the past couple of weeks is because as certain areas of my life increased their demand on my time, I had to put aside other things.

But it isn't easy to say "no" or "I can't" or "not this time" because no one wants to let someone else down and it's also not easy to accept and embrace our limitations, but it's not healthy if we don't.  I've learned (the hard way) that I can't be all things for all people.  Over the last year or two I've been on the journey of deciding what's important in my life and what things, jobs, people, ministries, and relationships I want to invest my time in and go with that.  Of course that list is a work in progress and as things come up, I do re-evaluate, but keeping that in mind has allowed me to have the boundaries I need in my life to be well-balanced and keep my focus on what's important.

Because when I look back on my life I don't want to look back on one disorganized mess of a life where I was so busy running from one thing to the next that I didn't get anything done.  No, I want to look back and be able to say that I was faithful with what God gave me and what I did, I did well.  No one's perfect and I know I have many mistakes ahead, but at least this is one step forward on the journey... 

The Music That Makes A Moment

Recently I've been spending quite a bit of my time working on making videos. The more time I spend on projects like these, the more I enjoy it. There's something about telling a story with a mix of video, pictures and music that appeals to me.

With the latest video project I'm working on I've really noticed how it's the music that truly makes the video. You could have the best mix of photos and video clips and transitions, but if you don't have the right music playing in the background, you lessen the impact of the moment.

Whoever said that music speaks to us was onto something. And it's not just the lyrics that we can relate with or the melodies that catch our attention. It's the memories that we attach to the music we listen to that is truly a powerful thing. That's why you can be transported back in time just by hearing a song playing in a grocery store or you could have so many different emotions raised just by hearing a song on the radio. Music is something we identify with and carry with us on so many different levels.

Night Before Christmas

I love Christmas music, mainly the classics, but every once and a while a new song comes out that catches my attention and makes it onto my favorites list.  This song from Brandon Heath is one of those songs.  He released it last Christmas and it's a powerful one worth checking out!

Sabbath

I've been thinking quite a bit about the Sabbath lately. I have to admit taking a Sabbath day every week isn't something I've always done. There have been seasons when I did, but slowly but surely, my commitment to taking a day set apart would fade.

Recently I re-committed to taking a Sabbath day a week. One day completely void of work and filled with a combination of rest and time spent with people and God. I don't do this because I believe it's a requirement to get into heaven or something that we as Christians have to do, but I do it because I believe that the reason God instituted it is because He knew it has great value for us. Not only just for rest in our busy worlds, but also as a good reminder of who is in control at the end of the day. As Peter Scazzero wrote in Emotionally Healthy Spiritually,

"We stop on Sabbaths because God is on the throne, assuring us the world will not fall apart if we cease our activities."

So last Sunday instead of catching up on work or undertaking a project or scratching an item from my to-do list, I just took a time out from it all. I enjoyed a challenging church service, then went out with friends for lunch afterwards. In the afternoon I spent time thinking about that mornings service. I took a rest, played some video games, and did some reading. The after supper I spent some time with my family, watching our first Christmas movie of the season. It was a very enjoyable day that recharged me. And sadly, it was filled with things I would have missed out on if I was still pursing my to-do list or trying to fill my time with things I view as being "productive".

All in all I agree with what Andrew Wylie said: "The Sabbath is the link between the paradise which has passed away, and the paradise which is yet to come."

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Things Are Not As They Seem

A few years ago I read this quote on the back of a HM Magazine and it impacted me so much that I wrote it down and kept it for years in my "quotes file":

"David was the youngest son of a shepherd, but he became the greatest king of Israel. Paul ardently persecuted the early church, but he became the one who would spread the Gospel to the Gentiles. Mary was an ordinary teenage girl who became the mother of the Messiah. There are times in our lives when things seem almost hopeless but God wants to use us all for great purposes. He does not look at our current condition, but at what we have the potential to become. We should view others and ourselves in the same way...We should try to view all things with the faith and hope that God can and will transform us into the people He wants us to be."

It's a good reminder to me that "things are not as they seem". Sometimes I know I can be cynical and think that because I can't see something happening that the ending has been written in stone. Well I've been learning more and more over the years that the exact opposite is true. God can do anything and often His work comes in the most unexpected ways and in situations we've written off as hopeless and lifeless. We follow and serve a God who cannot be fit into a box and with whom all things are truly possible.

I Will Lift You Up Again

I wrote this in the summer when I was out at my aunts cottage and it's been playing on repeat on and off in my head ever since. It's a reminder to me that I have a choice whether I'm going to believe the lies that are being whispered or not. It's also a reminder to me that those whispers couldn't be further from the truth when it comes to what God thinks about you or I.

I Will Lift You Up Again

Satan tells you that you're insignificant

Not worthy of even love

He whispers you've gone too far

Your mistakes can't be undone

He's told you your dreams are over

Happy ever after isn't for you

You know his words are lies

But you still believe they're true

You've added your mistakes

They seem too count too high

But you're neglecting the truth

Don't you remember who's on your side?

God says,

You've fallen, but I will lift you up again

You've failed, but I still have a greater plan

You're broken, but hearts are what I mend

You're down, but I will lift you up again.

I will lift you up again, I will lift you up again.

Yes you may have disappointed

Those regrets might keep you up

But God hasn't stopped forgiving

Let Him redeem you with His love

Cause He says...

You've fallen, but I will lift you up again

You've failed, but I still have a greater plan

You're broken, but hearts are what I mend

You're down, but I will lift you up again

I will lift you up again, I will lift you up again.

Sudbury Getaway

On Friday I headed down to Sudbury with my sister and sister-in-law to do a little bit of shopping and have a change of scenery. We had never done a trip together just the three of us and since my sister-in-law is due in a few weeks, we figured it was as good of a time as any to have a little getaway.

We stayed one night and had a great time together. We hit up a lot of stores, had a delicious dinner at Respect Is Burning and enjoyed our hotel. It was also a good chance for me to test out the new camera I bought earlier last week. As much as I loved my previous Canon, this summer it bit the dust and I didn't want to be without a camera, especially with a niece or nephew on the way, so I invested in the Canon SX30. So far it has not disappointed. The first picture below was taken through the hotel window while the flag was going nuts in the wind. I love the responsiveness of the camera and the zoom is pretty amazing. The second image was taken through a (rather dirty) car windshield while the car was moving. Eventually I would like to save up for a real DSLR, but for now this will definitely do the trick!

Back to December

I'll admit it- I am a closet Taylor Swift fan. When "Speak Now" released last Tuesday, I did buy it on iTunes and I have to say, I'm loving it.

It's one of those albums that is really written from the heart and many of the songs are relatable to me, especially right now. I don't know if I should admit this or not, but yesterday at church I couldn't get one of them out of my head.

Here's a performance of one of my favorites "Back to December" that Taylor did today on Ellen:

The Best Question Ever

So last night brought about the end of "The Best Question Ever". It's a course that I've been helping out with at my church for the last six weeks.

The series is presented by Andy Stanley and it's one of those things that you can watch over and over again because there are just so many valuable truths in it. In fact this was my third time going through it and it hasn't tired on me yet.

Andy's "Best Question Ever" is "In light of my past experience, current circumstances and future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do?" He says that by asking this question in our decision making we can truly foolproof our lives and I believe it.

I've gone through many DVD series in small group settings and on my own and honestly, this is the best one I've ever participated in. No matter where we are in life, we all have decisions to make and since the series is all teaching us to make wise decisions, it's one of the most applicable things I've ever watched.

Some of my favourite quotes from the series:

"No one plans to mess up their lives, but we don't plan not to mess up either."

"We can talk ourselves into anything and make a bad idea sound like a good idea."

"We make bad choices because our hearts deceive us."

"Unwise decisions set us up for moral failure... we justify our unwise decisions by saying there's nothing wrong. That's why we need to ask not 'what is the right thing to do?', but 'what is the wise thing to do?'"

"For most of us our greatest regrets were at a time when we were consciously running from God. We knew 'I'm not going to listen, I'm going to say no' and then we wonder why that's the chapter of our lives with the most regret."

Emotionally Spiritually Healthy

Right now I'm reading a book called "Emotionally Spiritually Healthy" by Peter Scazzero (and I highly recommend it). Through reading the book one of the things I've been challenged the most about is facing things head on. As he wrote in the chapter I'm reading now: "When we deny our pain, losses and feelings year after year, we become less and less human."

In my own life often the temptation has been to sweep things under the carpet, especially when it comes to pain and hurt. But through the pages of this book and my own spiritual journey as of lately, I've been learning that denying the pain or dismissing the hurt is not the quick way to joy. Often it's only through embracing our feelings about something that we fully do come alive.

But this is something that takes courage. It's not easy to reopen wounds or look unpleasant things in the face. It takes a heart that is ready to be challenged in order to be healed. But when we arrive at that place, we do find something unexpected there- life.

What About Today?

Recently I re-read my copy of "No Compromise", a book that tells the life story of Keith Green, a radical Christian musician who passed away in a plane crash when he was only 28 years old.  Just one year older than I am right now.

One of the things that inspires me most about Keith's story is that while he could have never known that his life would be tragically cut short at such a young age, he lived like a man who was very aware of his mortality, making sure every day he had on this earth counted for something.  It challenges me and causes me to question myself because I certainly don't always have such passion and drive.

Isn't that sadly the way it goes?  We often get so busy thinking about tomorrow that we forget about today.  And in forgetting about today, we forget that tomorrow is no guarantee.

So the question that I ask myself, that we all need to ask ourselves, is "if today was it, would it have been enough?  Did I really make it count"

None of us are born with an expiration date stamped on our foreheads.  We don't know when our time on earth is coming to a close, so that makes it that much more important that we live life to the fullest everyday, leaving nothing undone.  As Paul instructed us, 

"Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out.  Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." (Romans 13:11)

So how do we live embracing today, knowing that we aren't promised a tomorrow?  Well  I believe it comes from sharpening our focus and getting serious about making a mark everyday.  That manifests itself in a variety of ways- of leaving nothing unsaid with friends and family and making sure that everyone in our lives are well aware of where they stand with us.  Of not putting things off for tomorrow that can easily be done today, whether that's talking to those around us about our faith or reaching out to the person who's been tugging on our hearts for a while.  And ultimately it means not allowing today to slip by without realizing its purpose and significance in the grand scheme of things.  

If satan can convince us that today is just another day and really doesn't amount to much in the end, slowly our purpose slacks and we become a people satisfied with saving everything for tomorrow and then the next day and then the one after that.  Soon our lives turn from being ones filled with passion and zeal into ones defined only by our lack of direction and motivation.  As Donald Miller once wrote: "It occurs to me it is not so much the aim of the devil to lure me with evil as it is to preoccupy me with meaningless."

We all have a choice of what we are going to fill our time and our minds with.  And I'm not saying that we always have to be doing something- there is also great purpose found in "being still and knowing that He is God".  But it comes down to the daily choices we make and often the smaller the choice appears, the bigger impact it can have in the long run.

Are we going to choose to spend hours in front of the television?  Or tonight are we going to turn off the tv early and pick up the Word of God to see what He might have to say?

Are we going to spend yet another evening reading status updates from people we might otherwise pass by on the street?  Or are we going to call up that person who could really use some company right now?

Are we going to join yet another activity, sports team or club to occupy and invest in ourselves?  Or are we going to take the talents we've given and use them to invest in other peoples lives and eternity?

Are we going to choose to continue in a cycle that finds us trapped in sin?  Or are we going to stop being complacent and do what we know needs to be done so that we can walk in freedom?

These are the choices we're faced with everyday and they are the choices that define what today means for us.  This day is not just another one on the calendar- during these 24 hours God could literally change the course of your own life or someone else's life through you.  So are you going to give it everything you have?  You might as well- there's no use holding back for a day that isn't guaranteed to come anyways.  As Theodore Epp said "Live as though Christ died yesterday, rose from the grave today and is coming back tomorrow."

Happy Thanksgiving!

Crossing An Item Off

Many years ago I started my "list of things I want to do before I die" otherwise known as my bucket list. The original list had probably fifteen items on it and I've since added many more items and crossed off quite a few as well. Well this last weekend I got to cross another one off and it was unexpected.

I'm not big into bowling, I go maybe a couple of times a year, but a few years ago I decided that one of my things to do before I die is to one day bowl over 300. I knew it was a long shot, seeing as though I don't normally come anywhere near getting that number, but I added it on the list nonetheless.

So on the weekend when I went bowling with friends as part of a birthday extravaganza, I was shocked and thrilled when on my second game I hit 310! It was great to hit this goal with friends cheering me on and it was nice to be able to come home and cross another item off of my list. That's the fourth item I've been able to cross off during the last year, the other three ones being:

-have lyrics of mine put to music (accomplished x6 this year thanks to a talented friend)

-see a musical (saw the Sound of Music last fall in Toronto)

-visit an art museum (went to the Art Gallery of Ontario in March)

So now that I've been crossing off items, I'm thinking I need to start adding more to the list. My next goal is to start working on the travelling section of my list, but we'll see how that goes!

My Summer So Far

So I've been pretty absent from the blogging world lately. There's a few reasons for that. I've been having a little writers block lately when it comes to blogging, article writing, etc. Usually in the summer I'm more inspired than ever to write, but that hasn't been the case this year. I think mainly because this has been a very different summer for me and my routine has been off.

Since July I've calculated it and I've spent more nights away from home than I have at home and that's a big change. So where have I been? All over the map. I've spent just over two weeks at my best friends house throughout July and August, helping out with some babysitting, which actually has been a blast. It's amazing how differently kids view the world and the more time I spend with them, the more I appreciate the difference. They have such a wide-eyed wonder that we seem to lose when we get older and it's amazing how the world is a much more exciting place from their perspective. It's been a refreshing change to see more of that this summer.

July also brought about a week of holidays from work, so I packed up and went to my aunts cottage to spend my time off there with said friend and child. It was a great week and I felt so refreshed during my time there that it was a major effort to leave and come home. One of the biggest blessings of my time there was it led me on the journey to acceptance which isn't an easy thing to always find.

So what did I need to accept? Well as most of you probably know, I have struggled with health problems quite a bit and while previously I had tried a ton of different things to help, nothing worked. That is until I tried a certain medication last spring. At first the change was incredible. I felt like a new person and for the first time in years I had hope that my struggles were behind me. That feeling lasted for a few weeks, but then the bottom fell out.

Not only was the medication extremely pricey, which put the strain on, but the longer I took it, the worse the side effects that came with it became. Until finally it came to the point where I had to make the choice to stop taking the pills, which was one of the toughest choices I've ever had to make. Because while no one likes side effects I was very much aware that to stop taking the medication was choosing to go back to the way I was and I would have done anything possible to avoid going back there. But back there I went within weeks of stopping the pill and no pun intended, that was a hard pill to swallow. But it was during my holidays that I started the journey towards acceptance and in the weeks following I have found that place of acceptance again. Even though it's not pleasant, I really do trust that God has a reason in all of this and I'm finding my way back to the solid assurance that faith brings especially when life isn't easy.

This month besides celebrating a wedding and doing more babysitting between work, the radio show and other life responsibilities, I also headed off on my one real road trip of the summer. In the past it's been a tradition to always go somewhere in the summer and where in the past my travels have taken me to Southern Ontario, Chicago, and Traverse City, this summer was a different story and circumstances dictated that I was going to be sticking closer to home. So some friends and I took a weekend trip to Sudbury just under two weeks ago. We took in Science North, did a bit of shopping, shot some crazy videos, and enjoyed some pool time at the hotel. It was a fun weekend and while I still have a real burning desire to travel and see the world, I was reminded that you don't always have to go far to have a good time!

So that's what I have been up to lately. So where has summer taken you so far?

Who I've Been Hates Who I've Become

This week I wrote a new devotional for the MAD Christian Radio Show. It's called "Who I've Been Hates Who I've Become". Check it out:

Relient K has a song that is titled "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been", but sometimes don't you feel the reverse, that who you've been hates who you've become?

As Christians we experience a remarkable life change when we come to know Christ as our saviour, but that doesn't take us out of the running when it comes to trials, temptations, doubts, and disappointments.

Sometimes there are days when we look in the mirror and can't recognize the face staring back at us. And when we arrive at this place, this crossroads, we have a decision to make.

Are we going to ignore our conscience and run full steam ahead down a road that we know is leading to destruction? Or are we going to humble ourselves before God, confess our sin, our fears, our doubts and our disappointments and ask for His help in experiencing real change? That is what we are instructed to do in James.

James 4:7-10: "So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor."

You want change in your life? Those verses in James are the formula. Humble yourself before God and instead of letting the gap exist and grow, draw close to Him and He's going to draw close to you. Instead of giving the devil free rain, resist him and he's going to flee. Let yourself experience sadness over what's happened as you humble yourself before God, but here is the key- don't stay there! As we're told in that verse when we humble ourselves before God, He's going to lift us up in honor. And when He does, Satan is going to want nothing more than to keep you down in self-condemnation- be aware and choose not to go there!

The truth is, God is a God of forgiveness and grace. 1 John 1:9 says "But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness."

That verse doesn't say that God only forgives some people and you are not one of them. It doesn't say that if this is confession number 299, you're out of luck. The verse says that God is faithful and just to not only forgive our sins, but cleanse us when we confess!

Remember that God loves you, mistakes and all. If you've come to a place in your life where who you've been hates who you've become, know that you don't have to stay there. There is grace, love, and forgiveness waiting for you, just a prayer away.

Before The Morning

I've been listening to a lot of music lately. Even more so than normal, which is a lot! I guess I've been really trying to fill my mind with good things and reminders that God is with me no matter how hard life gets or how gloomy it seems outside.

One song that has really been clicking with me is "Everything Falls" by Fee and the second that has become my theme song of the moment is "Before The Morning" by Josh Wilson. If you haven't heard the song before, take a minute to watch the video below. It includes the very powerful lyrics and if you are anything like myself, you won't be able to help but be moved as they sink in. I love the line in the chorus that says "Cause the pain that you've been feeling, it's just the dark before the morning."

What I've Been Up To

It's been a while since my last post and while some might assume that means I haven't been doing much writing, in fact the opposite is true. I've been spending most of my spare moments finishing up the book manuscript that I started last summer. It's hard to believe that it is nearly finished. When I started writing last July I never dreamed that the pages would take form like they have and I am really excited about the message that it contains.

I still have no idea when or if it will ever be published, but I am excited about it all the same!

So what's it about? Well it's about the times in our life when we're between one thing and the next. In the upcoming months as the final words are constructed and the last chapter is closed, I will share more. But for the moment, here's a little excerpt for you. It's from a chapter called "So I'm In The Desert, Now What?":

So you're stuck in the middle between where you were and where you want to be. Life took an unexpected turn and it feels like your life is a phone call that has been stuck on hold for way too long. If that's your journey, you're not alone. Let's take a look at a few people who experienced very similar situations.

David was one of these people. For many years of his young life, he spent his time in the fields working alone as a lowly shepherd with little recognition. In fact he was considered to be so low on the food chain that when it came time for Jesse to go meet Samuel with his sons in order for Samuel to recognize which one of them would be the next King of Israel, David was left at home. Talk about what had to be one big bruise on his ego.

Once David was finally confirmed as God's choice for the next king, he didn't immediately get on the throne. In fact he had many years ahead of him filled with lots of difficult experiences before he finally put on his crown. He worked as an armor bearer, he played his harp for the king, he defeated Goliath, his life was threatened and he was forced to go and hide in a cave in the middle of no where. He fought battles and he wandered like a nomad with no permanent place to call home.

He had the promise of a future as king, but he still was forced to live for many years in the in between.

Jesus had a similar story. He had a pretty remarkable event of His birth that attracted much attention, but growing up His life looked pretty similar to that of other sons of carpenters. Here we have the Son of God and instead of attracting crowds at 16, He was likely putting in long hours, helping Joseph at work. In fact it was only when Jesus was 30 did He make enough waves to be recognized in history when he started His public ministry.

If it took King David, the man after God's own heart, years of preparation before he was ready for what God had for him, who are we to think that we don't need a similar time of waiting? If it took Jesus, the Son of God, nearly 30 years to be prepared for His three and a half years of public ministry, why do we think that we can shortchange our own times of preparation?

Instead of trying to speed up our journey from point a to point b, we really need to learn what it means to bloom where we are planted. As Mother Teresa once said "I am not called to be successful, but I am called to be faithful."

You Hold Me Now

I heard the song "You Hold Me Now" by Hillsong United for the first time yesterday and it really spoke to me. Sometimes it's easy to get so caught up in the pain and darkness in front of us that we forget the hope that we have in Christ.

"No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering, You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness, no sick or lame
No hiding, You hold me now
You hold me now

In this life I will stand
Through my joy and my pain
Knowing there's a greater day
There's a hope that never fails."

From 26 to 27

So tomorrow I make the transition from age 26 to 27. To celebrate, I'll be hiding out in the bush with some of my favourite people in the world. When I think of the fact that I'm already going to be 27, it floors me. Yet all it takes is a quick look in the mirror to see the grey hairs that are accumulating to confirm that yes, I am getting older.

But getting older is not necessarily a bad thing. Because with age comes wisdom and maturity. And I'm much more comfortable with the person I've become at 27 than the person that I was at 17.

So to commemorate another year in my life that's come and gone, I've decided to take a quick look back on my favourite things of year 26.

Favourites of 26:
Book: Jesus Wants To Save Christians by Rob Bell. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I'm not being over dramatic when I say I think it's one that every Christian should read and then re-read. There are so many valuable lessons that can be learned and I love the way that Rob captures the whole story of our redemption from Old Testament to New Testament.

Movie: The Blind Side. My favourite kinds of movies and books are those based on a true story. Something about that just adds an element of validity to it in my mind. I'm also a fan of sports movies and Sandra Bullock, so all things combined, how could I not love this movie? The storyline was great and the acting believable, I highly recommend it.

Album: Alter The Ending by Dashboard Confessional. My brother introduced me to Dashboard Confessional a couple years ago and I've been a fan ever since, so I was very excited to find out that he was coming out with a new CD this year and had to pick it up. It did not disappoint. Until Morning is a catchy song that has also become my ringtone and the album is filled with other outstanding tracks like Get Me Right, Belle of the Boulevard, and Hell on the Throat. I love the spiritual undertones that sprinkle this whole album- it's fantastic.

TV Show: The Good Wife. I love reading books and watching movies and tv shows about lawyers, but ever since The Practice left the airways (and I'm talking about the original Practice), I had yet to find another lawyer based tv show that I really loved. That is, until The Good Wife hit the air. While the story revolves around lawyers and their practice, it also adds an interesting element regarding political scandals and marriage. Plus it's set in my favourite city- Chicago, so all things considered, it became pretty much an instant favourite.

Experience: Year 26 was a hard year in a lot of ways, but in others it was definitely one of my best. It was packed full of new experiences, like venturing into songwriting, seeing a musical, and taking my first trip to an art museum. Fun moments, like my brothers wedding, a trip down south last summer, and many amazing weekends at the cottage. Growing moments, like working on my next book (more on that to come!). And many learning experiences. To pick one experience that rises above the rest is an impossible thing to do, which in itself is a good thing because I've been blessed with so many of them!

So the chapter on year 26 has come to a close, but I am looking forward to year 27 and the possibilities that it brings.

Wisdom from Merton

"My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following
your will does not mean
that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that my desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope that I have that desire
in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything
apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this
you will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear,
for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me
to face my perils alone."
- Thomas Merton (1915-1968)

The new pain & energy meter

Have you ever gone to a doctor's appointment and they ask you to rate your pain or energy on a scale of 1-10? I've been asked that question many times and it always throws me. It just seems to be too vague. For pain, do they mean a 10 is the worst pain I've ever experienced? Or the worst pain I could ever imagine experiencing? And when it comes to energy, that's also vague because my energy levels can change from one hour to the next.

A friend and I were discussing this the other night and it turns out I'm not the only one who has trouble answering these questions. So we came up with the idea about doctors using a concrete scale that people can relate with. We came up with a few ideas of ways to measure pain, then the other night when I had a little too much time on my hands, I finished it.

So for anyone who's ever had trouble determining if your ache is a 2 or 7, this is for you:

Pain meter
0 - Happy as a clam
1 - Someone poked you (not on facebook, real life buddy)
2 - Paper cut
3 - Stubbed toe
4 - Fell playing hockey in the snow
5 - Body slammed into the wall
6 - Punched in the face
7 - Finger stuck in a car door
8 - Fastball to the face
9 - A car ran over your foot
10 - Your arm just fell off and someone just dropped a cast iron pot on your toe.

And then of course, there's the lack of energy meter,

0 - Red Bull was named after you.
1 - Your sleep is solid and you feel like a million bucks. If only you could transfer feelings into dollars...
2 - The world seems like a much better place when you're sitting on the sofa with a remote in hand
3 - You just downed an energy drink and still have trouble remembering your first name
4 - You're winded from that long journey to tie your shoelaces
5 - Energy? Like money that's a foreign concept
6 - Yawn isn't just a four letter word, it's the only one you manage to keep saying over and over again
7 - Your speech is slurred, and it's not just from all the alcohol last night
8 - Brain is on neutral, eyes need to be supported open by toothpicks
9 - Brain is off, but you still know it's there. Or you suspect it is.
10 - The amount of energy your body has when you sleep. Or at least you think it does.

Just bring this with you to your next doctors appointment so they can know exactly what you're thinking and feeling! lol

Trip Down Memory Lane

Kodak Gallery is having a sale on photo prints, so I decided to tackle a project I've been putting off for years- getting my digital prints developed. I bought my first digital camera back in 2003 and since then most of my photos have been saved on a hard drive, not printed for an album or displayed.

As I've been going through thousands of photos this week, it's been like taking a major trip down memory lane. Photos from trips, birthdays, graduations, retreats, weddings, and events I had all but completely forgotten about passed before my eyes this week.

Two things really stood out to me as I've been going through visual representations of the last 7 years of my life. The first is how quickly life can change. When I look back I can see how everything is different now even compared to a few years ago. Life is always changing!

The second thing that struck me was the value of community. As I looked at snapshots from my life from over the years I saw many important faces. People who I've laughed with, grown with, leaned on, and had the time of my life with. And while many of the experiences I've had in my life have been great in and of themselves, it was often the people I was with who really made the memory. I was reminded of something that C.S. Lewis once wrote:

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival." (CS Lewis)

Really is there anything better than journeying through life with other people by your side? I have a feeling the community we experience here is a small taste of the joy and love we're going to experience in the afterlife. God knew what He was doing when He designed community. No, it's not perfect and yes, there are times when people will let us down. But if we don't take that risk, we're never going to experience the blessing that can be found in the people we journey through life with.

"Life is partly what we make it, and partly what is is made by the friends we choose." (Tennessee Williams)

Darkness & Light

On Sunday I returned home after spending a couple of days in Toronto. I had a doctors appointment and we decided to spend an extra two days exploring the city afterwards.

One of the these days we went to the Art Gallery of Ontario to view the King Tut exhibit. While the exhibit was fabulous, the gallery itself was also pretty incredible. I love photography and was thrilled to explore the large exhibit they had, mostly of black and white prints. They also had a whole room dedicated to the masters of the details- Freud and Rembrandt. I was surprised to see just how many sketches Rembrandt did of Biblical scenes. I think he captured the story of Abraham and Isaac more profoundly in one picture than I've ever seen or heard it explained before.

On the way out I stopped by the store and while browsing, I came across a painting by Lawren Harris that I really connected with. At first glance I know it's not the most amazing painting that's ever been done, but there's something about his use of darkness and light that really resounded with me:

To me this painting speaks to the truth that many times in life there is a lot of darkness in front of us and it's easy to just focus on the darkness, the ugliness, the despair. But if we take our eyes off of the foreground and look at the whole picture we can get a glimpse of the light, and the hope, in the distance. Light and hope which we are moving towards, not away from. At the same time, the light can cast on even the darkest things, as we see with the outline of the trees in this painting.

So needless to say I ended up buying a print of this painting and will be hanging it on my office wall. A reminder that even in the darkness, there is light and hope in the distance.

The Words I Would Say

Over the past couple of days I've been thinking a lot about comings and goings. Maybe that has something to do with getting ready to take a trip, but I've been thinking about our "hello's" and "goodbye's" in life. In my case now I might be only leaving for a few days, but what would I change if I knew I was leaving and never coming back?

Would I change the way I talk with my friends, my family? Would I spend more quality time with them? Would I see that person who lives ten minutes away, but might as well live 10,000 miles away for all we see each other? What would I do differently?

And as I thought about this more, I realized how important it is in life to never leave things undone. Because while I've booked a return ticket to come home after my trip, we never really know what life has in store for us or the people we love. Nothing is a guarantee and that said, we shouldn't get too comfortable with the idea of a certain tomorrow. Not that we should freak out and never plan for tomorrow, but we should never leave things undone or unsaid because the truth is we really don't know.

Olympics

I've always been a fan of the Olympics, but I can say with certainty that I've never before gone as "Olympic crazy" as I did this time around. I think having the torch pass through our community on the way to Vancouver helped in reminding me what our great country is all about and what it really means to be patriotic. Then watching our athletes rise to the top on home soil? That just sweetened the deal.

But the Olympics are about more than just winning gold medals. They are about countries coming together who normally would not stand next to each other. They are about lowering the walls the divide us. And they are about victorious moments when athletes surpass what seem to be insurmountable obstacles in order to stand on the podium, representing their country.

Yes, Canada won more gold medals than any other country has ever won at a winter Olympics game, but that's not why I'm proud to be Canadian. I'm proud of our never give up spirit and I'm proud that even in a country that is as spread out and as diverse as we are- we still can come together and stand as one. And isn't that what the Olympics are all about after all?

My Weekend In Review

This weekend started off in a rather weird way on Friday night when I heard the doorbell ring after dinner. I opened the door only to find a guy with a ski mask and goggles and a sign that said "come with me". It turned out my "fake kidnapper" was commissioned by a group of friends who wanted me to come out to watch a movie and chose a rather interesting way to pass on the invitation! For someone who rarely gets surprised, I have to say they did a pretty good job getting me.

Saturday was a beautiful day weather wise so in the afternoon we grabbed our skates and headed out to the skating rink. The conditions were great and it was good to be back on skates again. We always had rinks in our yard growing up, so I pretty much grew up skating and sadly don't skate nearly often enough now that I'm older.

Sunday morning brought about a great service at my home church. Our pastor spoke on pursing excellence in our lives and I was challenged to be more mindful of where I'm investing my best. Is it towards my relationship with God? Sadly not always, but that's something I'm going to work on.

After church I went over to my grandfathers house to meet up with the rest of the family, which was followed by dinner at my brothers place. After dinner I went to a friends place to watch the Canadian men's team take on the USA in the Olympics. While Canada ultimately came out with a disappointing loss, it was a good effort and I enjoyed the game. Here's to hoping the team makes out better when they face off against Germany on Tuesday!

The Best Question Ever & Fearless

Life's been good and I've been learning a lot lately.

At College and Career's we've been going through a series called "The Best Question Ever" by Andy Stanley and it's been quite eye-opening. Andy's best question is not "What is the right thing to do?" or "What is the moral thing to do", but "Based on my past history, my current situation and my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do?". It's one of the most applicable series I've ever gone through and I highly recommend it for small group or personal study.

At the same time I'm also going through the book "Fearless" by Max Lucado with my best friend. We've been reading through it a chapter at a time, then taking time to discuss what we've read and go through the questions in the discussion guide that's at the back of the book. I believe we're only at chapter 4 and already the content has been worth the price of the book. Some of my favourite quotes so far:

"Fear never wrote a symphony or poem, negotiated a peace treaty, or cured a disease. Fear never pulled a family out of poverty or a country out of bigotry. Fear never saved a marriage or a business. Courage did that. Faith did that. People who refused to consult or cower to their timidities did that. But fear itself? Fear herds us into a prison and slams the door. Wouldn't it be great to walk out?"

"Feed your fears and your faith will starve. Feed your faith and your fears will."

"Fear at it's center is perceived loss of control."

So what good books, DVD's or studies have you been into lately?

Some thought provoking quotes

Here are some quotes that have been circling in my mind over this past week:

"Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you're alive, it isn't." (Richard Bach)

"Unbeing dead isn't being alive." (E.E. Cummings)

"To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else." (Emily Dickinson)

"Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare." (Japanese Proverb)

Shocking Story

There's a shocking story in the news today about parents who are fighting doctors who want to remove their baby from life support. According to the story, these parents were handed a letter saying when the doctors planned on taking their baby off life support and were surprised as they had not made the decision themselves to do so. Now they are caught up in a court battle in order to fight to give their baby more time.

Isn't that scary that decisions like that have been removed from our hands? It used to be that a family would make a choice depending on their own beliefs and what their loved ones wishes would have been. Now a medical team can make a choice and even if you disagree with it, they'll proceed unless the courts intervene on your behalf (the Terri Schiavo case was a very sad example of this).

That's one of the reasons I believe it's so important to have a Power of Attorney for Personal Care. Not only does this give you the chance to legally appoint who you would like speaking on your behalf in a situation where you could not, but it gives you the opportunity to clearly communicate your wishes and it's all recorded on a legal document (to download the form for Canadians click here).

I know it's not pleasant to have to think about what might happen if, but in a society where there are more grey areas than black or white, I feel it's important that we make our opinions known if we feel strongly one way or the other.

Josh Wilson

You're stuck in an airport during a security breach. It's packed and people are getting very impatient. So what do you do to help the situation? Well if you're Josh Wilson you start leading an impromptu sing-a-long.

Check out the amazing video below and if you haven't heard Josh Wilson's music, I highly recommend checking out his album "Trying To Fit The Ocean In A Cup".

Christmas Re-cap

Well Christmas Day has come and gone and what a wonderful Christmas it was.

Christmas Eve I received one of the best Christmas gifts I've ever gotten (more on that to come) and enjoyed Christmas Eve service at my home church. Afterwards we headed over to my grandfather's house where we visited and watched the Griswold's Christmas Vacation- a favourite in our family.

Christmas Day was packed full of visits with various members of our family, both immediate and extended. Our family started a new tradition this year- a Christmas baking contest. We each anonymously brought in a dessert to my grandfather's house at dinner and nominated two judges to decide which ones were worthy of being called winners. My sister-in-law took first place, followed by my cousin in second and myself in third. I made no-bake chocolate cookie squares and not only are they easy to make, but they are tasty.

I've been very much enjoying the large amount of free time that the Christmas holidays bring. On the weekend I spent one day mostly reading, which is something I love to do, but have rarely spent that much time doing lately. Yesterday a friend and I re-visited our childhoods and went sliding. Other than one really wicked wipe-out, I survived with only a few bruises. Tonight's activities of choice was dinner and bowling, followed by a free skate (thank you Tim Horton's!) at a local arena.

And maybe that's one of the things I love the most about Christmastime- the lack of schedules that were are so ingrained into keeping. Instead we're free to enjoy spontaneous time shared with family and friends.

Christmas

This year our family is doing something a little different- we're celebrating two Christmas'. Since my sister and her husband aren't able to come for the actual Christmas day because of work, they are driving up today and tonight we are having what we've come to refer to as our "fake Christmas". Big meal, gift exchange, Christmas baking, the works. Then next Friday I get to do it all over again with our extended family.

I just love this time of year. There's something about Christmas that is so special. Maybe it's the fact that we actually pause to spend more time with the people who are important to us. Maybe it's the feeling of expectation in the air. Maybe it's seeing people you haven't seen in forever and having the opportunity to get caught up. Maybe it's the hope that Christmas represents. Or maybe it's all of the above. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but there's no denying that there is something so different and wonderful about this time of year.

And speaking of Christmas, if you are in for some good Christmas music, over the next week or so the stations who air MAD will be airing our MAD Christmas Special. It's a couple of hours of Christmas music, memories from the artists and reflections on the season. And what makes it even more special this year is the fact that I'm joined by a special guest co-host! You'll have to tune in to find out who it is, but I can tell you this much- we had a blast putting it together. To see where and when you can listen, visit http://www.madradioshow.net/tune.html.

Gifts in the Manger

To prepare my own heart for Christmas and to put together a series for College and Careers, I've been spending quite a bit of time contemplating Christmas. One thing that has struck me this year is the vast amount of gifts we received (and still are receiving) in Christ.

You see I've known and believed that Jesus came to die for my sins. And while that is true, there are also quite a few other reasons why He came. Here are some verses I've come across in my studies:

"For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day." (John 6:38-39)

"I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. " (John 12:46)

"Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose." (Matthew 5:17)

"Jesus responded, 'You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.'" (John 18:37)

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10)

"But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. " (1 John 3:8)

I had read most of these verses many times before, but I never really realized how often Jesus said the words "I came" and proceeded to tell us reasons why He came into our earth on that very first Christmas morning.

As if the forgiveness of sins and redemption of mankind wasn't enough! He also came into the world to: give us abundant life, bring us light in the darkness, provide Truth that casts out lies, fulfil the law, the list goes on and on and on.

It's one thing to imagine how horrible it would be if there was no hope of the afterlife following the here and now. But this Christmas I'm also mindful of the fact that our lives here and now could be much different without the gifts that Christ gives us. I don't know about you, but without peace or hope or the light of Christ, my life would be very different than it is. And the only reason I have these things is because God made the choose to send His Son into our world. What a truly amazing gift that is!

iPod Touch

Last month I made the leap and finally bought an ipod touch. It's something I've wanted for a while, but I'm very cautious when it comes to decision making, so it took me a while to finally make the purchase. Am I ever glad I did.

This thing is incredible. I can watch movies or tv shows on it. I can check my email or surf the internet as long as there's wifi available. I can get details on the weather or play games. I can read the Bible or other books. It even has two built-in apps that let you take voice memos or notes, which comes in very handy.

The best thing about the ipod touch is that you can get most of the apps that are available for the iphone, so the sky is pretty much the limit of what you can add on and do on this thing.

Yesterday I was stuck waiting for tests for a couple of hours and thanks to having my ipod touch with me, I didn't even mind the wait.

Wisdom from Merton

"The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them." (Thomas Merton)

The Civil Wars

When I first started to get into Christian music, one of my favourite artists early on was Joy Williams. I found her music to be a great combination of songs that pick you up and songs that move you.

So I was pretty disappointed when for a few years she kind of dropped off the radar. Well, now she's back and in my opinion, is better than ever. She's putting out both stuff on her own, and as part of the duo otherwise known as The Civil Wars.

Tonight I heard their new song "Poison & Wine" for the first time and it's fantastic. It's one that will hit home for anyone who's been through a divorce or break-up.

Here's the video for you to enjoy:

Toronto Trip

Well I've been back from Toronto for a couple of days now. It truly was a great trip. My doctors appointment went very well and it was nice to have a bit of time to explore the city. Although I've been to Toronto quite a few times over the years, this was my first time actually staying right downtown. Hearing siren after siren (we were in the hospital district) took some getting used to, but it was worth it to be in the middle of the action and in walking distance from pretty much everything we wanted to do during our free time.

One of the highlights for me was seeing the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Royal Ontario Museum. There was something about seeing parts of the Bible in the original language that was thrilling, but then also to know that these scrolls were thousands of years old? It was an experience like no other that's for sure.

Another amazing thing they had at the museum was an actual chunk of stone from the temple in Jerusalem. The stone had stayed in tact even with the destruction of the temple and historians believe that the very stone was something that was overtop a door of the temple. Meaning that Jesus would have walked right under this stone during His time on earth!

For that to still be in tact over two thousand years later is amazing. But that they were able to transport it to Canada where I was able to stand next to it in a museum was just incredible. I have to imagine the feeling I had looking at the stone and the scrolls is a small comparison of what it would feel like to walk in the footsteps of Jesus in the actual Holy Land.

Unfortunately to preserve the artifacts, no cameras were allowed in that part of the museum, so I don't have any pictures. But I do highly recommend checking out the exhibit if you have the chance!

Fear

With all of the fear surrounding the H1N1 flu, I think this is a very important verse for us to remember: "Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday." (Psalm 91:6)

With 24/7 news networks blaring and sites like twitter and facebook bringing us real time information and speculation about this illness, it's very easy for us to get caught up in a cycle of obsession and fear. And just when we think we're getting over our fear, we turn on the TV to see another newsflash and we're back to square one.

As believers in Christ, we shouldn't be placing our faith in CNN or the WHO or even a friend on facebook. We should be placing our faith in Christ and trusting in His sovereignty.

The truth of the matter is, not one of us knows exactly how long we're going to be on this earth for. We might live to 100 or we might die unexpectedly tomorrow. But in the meantime, we can't live our lives so caught up in fear that we're not really living at all.

Even with this flu, all we can do is take reasonable precautions such as wash our hands, eat right, get our sleep, and avoid contact with people we know are sick. After that, it's up to us to trust God with the rest. Walking around like the world is about to explode isn't a way to live.

Things change at a very fast pace here on this earth. Illness come and go. Disasters take on many forms. And no one is given any guarantee over what is coming their way tomorrow. But we can know this- we follow a God who is worth trusting. A God who never allows us to walk through life alone. And a God who knows the number of our days. Isn't that alone enough that we can rest in?

"I lift my eyes to the mountains- does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, He who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps." (Psalm 121:1-4)

Thanksgiving Wedding

Last weekend, on October 10 to be exact, was my little brothers wedding.  Yes, I realize I should have posted this days ago, but after the wedding I was so tired from all the busyness that blogging was the last thing on my mind.  But it's better late than never, right?

So back to the wedding.  The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was fantastic.  It was great fun to re-connect with some family and friends I hadn't seen in a long while and the celebration was unique and very much them.  From the mess-up during the ceremony and their reactions to it (one of the rings was put on the wrong hand!) to the speeches and stories to the dance to ending the evening with fireworks, everything contributed to making a very memorable day.

Part of my role for the wedding was putting together the slideshow and doing a speech and in the process, I took quite a few trips down memory lane.  Through that I realized just how lucky I am to have grown up where I did and with the people I did.  When we were younger we lived in the country and there weren't a lot of kids around, so my siblings and I were literally forced to become best friends with each other if we wanted to have any fun.  And what fun we did have.  From playing hours of hockey outside to making our own cabins in the bush to sumo wrestling in the snow to building our own "bob sled" track and doing crazy stunts on the toboggan, we are all blessed with many great memories of growing up together.

So thank you to those of you were praying for the wedding.  Your prayers were definitely answered.  The weather was beautiful and everything ran very smoothly.  God was certainly in the midst of it all :)

Redemption & Someday

So last week I mentioned a song called "Redemption" that I had written the lyrics to and sent to my best friend, Julie Bouchard, who surprised me by coming up with music to the song.

Well now she has recorded a demo of Redemption and put it online, along with another song called "Someday" that we wrote together.

You can check out the lyrics to both songs below and visit www.myspace.com/juliejbouchard to give both songs a listen!

Redemption
If is a very hard word to live with
Something you wish you didn't
Ever have to think about.
Those mistakes that keep you tossing & turning
Praying, hoping, yearning
To be freed from.

But you've gotta believe,

Chorus:
That redemption is more than just a word
It's the story that God is writing
In our lives
The brush is still in His hands
And the picture He's painting
Is beautiful,
Just so beautiful.

All those things that you've done
The scars, every single one
Have been washed away.
Each tear, everytime you've cried
He's been there by your side
And He promises to never leave.

But you've gotta believe,

Everytime you fall,
Everytime you hide
Everytime you feel
Worthless inside
He's there, oh yeah
Everytime you doubt
Everytime you question
Everytime you pray
He's singing redemption
He's singing redemption
Redemption.

If is a very hard word to live with
Something you wish you didn't
Ever have to think about.

Someday
Sometimes my heart grows weary
Sometimes my heart grows faint
Waiting for that special day
When You call my name

Sometimes it's so hard to see
Sometimes I just don't wanna believe
But I've been given a promise
And that promise carries me
Oh yes, that promise carries me

Chorus:
Someday it's all going to fade away
And the Word that became flesh
Will stand right before me.
Someday it's all going to pass away
The old will be gone, the new will stay
I'll be standing there, singing Your praise.

Sometimes I can't help but wonder
Sometimes I just seem to question why
Still I'm holding onto hope
That You will redeem my life

Sometimes my vision is cloudy
Sometimes I don't seem to hear so well
But again You whisper my name
And I'm just so ovewhelmed

Bridge
Someday, it's a day that I'm waiting for
Somehow, I know that it's coming Lord
Someday, someday.

Wedding Prep

As one of my tasks for the wedding this weekend, I've been commissioned to put together the dance music for the reception. This has lead to many hours of sifting through songs to find ones that will be perfect for dancing.

I've found lots of good oldies, some beautiful slow songs, and some great fast songs, like the one below. However, I somehow doubt that any of us will be that co-ordinated on the dance floor ;)

Weekend Adventures & Redemption

It's been a couple of pretty incredible days. I had planned for a routine weekend of playing catch-up on things that had been piling up, but when I got a phone call on Friday afternoon asking if I'd rather take off to head out of town instead, I quickly scrapped my previous plans.

We had a great weekend in the midst of God's creation. It's the perfect time of year to be out at the cottage, with all the leaves changing colour and falling off the trees (as you can see to the left). And besides having lots of fun, it was very recharging for me. Just being in the outdoors does something magical for the soul.

On Sunday we came back into town in time so that I could attend my brothers wedding shower. It's crazy to think that in less than two weeks my little brother will be getting married- the wedding has snuck up on us so quickly. But it was a fun evening and was very interesting to hear them answer everyone's questions and see them fair out in the games that tested how well they really know each other.

Today threw an interesting curve ball my way when the power went out for a couple hours this evening. I had lost some time this afternoon because of a doctors appointment and I was hoping to use the evening hours to catch up, but alas, it was not so.

However as much as the day today brought its moments of inconvenience, all was redeemed (literally) at around 10:00 when the power went back on. About a month ago I had written some song lyrics and waiting in my inbox when the power went on was said lyrics put to music by my super-talented friend. And while I may be really biased, I think it sounds just incredible! The song is called Redemption and who knows, you might just be hearing it someday soon!

Rising From The Ashes

Tonight I had a great time at our College and Careers kick-off. It was an amazing night of worship and sharing what God has done and the things we've been learning lately.

For my part of the "open mic" portion of the evening, I shared something I wrote called "Rising From The Ashes" and since I shared it with them, I thought it would only be fitting to share it with you all as well. So here it is:

Rising From The Ashes

In the summer of 2008 I had the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream I had of visiting the city of Chicago. Chicago was always a place that fascinated me. I'd seen its landscape in movies, read about its attractive qualities in books, and it fueled in me a desire to want to see the city.

While I was there touring the sites the thing that impressed me most about Chicago was something I hadn't know a lot about previously. That is the rebuilding of Chicago. You see in 1871, a great fire spread throughout a good part of the city and burned everything in its path. As a result, many of the landmarks of the city were destroyed and over 100,000 people were left homeless. Instead of moving away or scaling back the city, the people and officials came up with a plan for a bigger and better Chicago. They took the ashes and debris from the fire and dumped it along the waterfront, creating room for wonders like Grant Park and Soldier Field. Architects from around the world flocked to the city in order to help rebuild.

Where Chicago could have turned into a desolate city as a result of the fire, it instead turned into something stronger and something greater. Chicago literally rose out of the ashes with character and purpose.

As I listened to the tour guide tell this story, I couldn't help but think about the refining fires that we face in our lives. Do we, like Chicago, rise from the ashes when the flames flicker out? Or do we let the ashes settle on our lives and remain there, forever buried in darkness?

Much of the answers to those questions depend on the shape of our hearts before the fire starts. If we wait until the smoke starts rising to think about our character, chances are once things heat up we will be found wanting. But if we are already living our lives striving after the good things in life, the flames will only serve to refine and bring out the best of what is already there.

This was the message that God gave the prophet Jeremiah. God said to him:

"Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals, that you may determine the quality of my people. Are they the worst of rebels, full of slander? They are as insolent as bronze, as hard and cruel as iron. All of them lead others into corruption. The bellows blow fiercely. The refining fire grows hotter. But it will never purify and cleanse them because there is no purity in them to refine. I will label them 'Rejected Silver because I, the LORD, am discarding them." (Jeremiah 6:27-30)

Just as a rock can only be refined into gold if there was gold in it to begin with, so is it with you and I. If our lives are lacking in purity and character then when the refining fires sweep into our lives, instead of bringing the beauty in us to the surface, they will only leave us feeling burned.

There aren't a lot of guarantees in our lives, but we do know that no one is exempt from facing tough times. Therefore, we shouldn't wait until the smoke starts clouding our vision before we get serious about being a people of character, passion, and purity.

Instead we need to live our lives in such a way that when the fire comes, not only do we have a strong foundation to stand on because of our relationship with Christ, but we have a heart that is ready to come out of the flames stronger and brighter, not burned, or worse, lifeless.

Let’s make it our mission in life to be people who are refined and not defined by the things we go through.

College and Careers Start-up

This Thursday brings about the start of College and Careers for another year. The summer must have gone by quicker than usual- I'm having a hard time believing it's already time to start meeting again!

This will be my 7th year with the group and it never ceases to amaze me how God seems to have something different for us up His sleeve every year.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what He has in store for us this year. We'll be starting off with a "Worship & Open Mic Night" on Thursday before transitioning into the "Becoming A Contagious Christian" course, which will take us to our Christmas break.

If you live in the Timmins area and are between the ages of 18-30, please feel free to join us! All the details can be found at collegeandcareers.ca.

It Might Be Hope

This theme of hope has been carrying out throughout the rest of my week. And one thing that has been driving the point home again and again is a song from Sara Groves called "It Might Be Hope" that I recently came across. I love how she portrays hope as something that can be found just when we least expect it (see lyrics below).

I know that's been my story many times. Life gets dark and it looks like the lights are never going to go on again, but then suddenly a sliver of light comes in the most unexpected places. A phone call. A letter. A verse that shines. Or just a deep down feeling that everything is going to be okay.

It Might Be Hope by Sara Groves
(click here to listen on youtube)

You do your work the best that you can
You put one foot in front of the other
Life comes in waves and makes it's demands
You hold on as well as your able

You've been here for a long long time

Hope has a way of turning it's face to you
Just when you least expect it
You walk in a room
You look out a window
And something there leaves you breathless
You say to yourself
It's been a while since I felt this
But it feels like it might be hope

It's hard to recall what blew out the flame
It's been dark since you can remember
You talk it all through to find it a name
As days go on by without number

You've been here for a long long time

Some Verses on Hope

I've been thinking a lot about hope lately and what a great thing it is to have in our lives. To know that no matter how dark it gets, we have our hope of glory in Christ.

I thought I'd share a few of my favourite verses on hope:

Psalms 31:24- "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD."

Romans 5:3-5- "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."

Romans 15:4- "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

1 Peter 1:3- "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

Colossians 1:27- "To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Pondering The Path of Our Feet

In the Psalms, we're instructed to ponder the path of our feet. In a practical sense that involves thinking about where it is we're heading. I know that sounds like such an obvious thing to do, but is it really something that we spend enough time doing?

How often is it that we stop and think about where we are heading and what's going to happen if we take another step in that direction?

If you keep stepping in one direction at work, what will your life look like in a year or two down the path?

If you keep walking down a winding road in a relationship, is it going to lead to the destination you had in mind?

If you keep taking one step in the direction of a new beginning, a new job, a new ministry, are you going to wake up one day and regret where the road took you?

Pondering the path of our feet.

I'm convinced that if we truly took the time to think a head of where our steps are leading us to, we'd often make some very different decisions. Saying yes to some things while saying no to others. All while keeping in mind that every step we take leads somewhere. Every choice, every decision, all lead us a step further from one thing and a step closer to something else.

That's why living a complacent life is so dangerous. We can fool ourselves into thinking that if we are complacent we aren't heading in any direction so we can't be heading towards anything difficult or wrong either. That's one of the biggest lies the enemy spins. We all are like bottles tossed in the ocean- we're going to move a little with the current of life even if we are just treading water.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to wake up one day miles away from where I'm supposed to be. So once again I'm making a conscious effort to ponder the path of my feet, knowing that if I do so, I won't just be drifting with the tides in life.

Webster Falls

Another shot from my trip. This one was taken at Webster Falls and I got the opportunity to play with the shutter speed a bit. If you look closely, you can see what appears to be falls behind the falls. It was quite the site to see!