Monday, December 31, 2012

Snow

I hope I don't sound sacrilegious when I say this, but I got a taste of what it might like to be God over the weekend.  After spending some time scraping the packed snow and shoveling over the weekend I came inside and checked my Facebook.  There was a guy thanking God for the snow.  While he was thankful, I was grumbling about shoveling the white stuff.  

So who's right?  Obviously some people love the snow, while others may not.  Was God punishing me or blessing the guy who shovels snow for a living?  

I'm not sure anyone will be able to give me the correct answer.  It is a silly example I know, but there are other more serious examples too.  Why does God heal some and not others?  Why are some blessed financially and others struggle?  They both love God, serve faithfully, and are big givers (of finances and their time).

In Sunday School I was told that some questions will not be answered until heaven.  If that's the case, I am going to have A LOT of questions.  Honestly, it also leaves me frustrated.  I find myself asking why a lot more.  Maybe it is because I just read the story of Jacob wrestling with God (Genesis 32 I think).  He would not stop wrestling until God blessed him.

Maybe I'm not stubborn enough.  Maybe I'm too much of a wimp.  Jacob was willing to have his hip dislocated to receive God's blessing.  Maybe, being restless is part of our growing relationship with God.  Maybe without the frustration, the hard work, and the pain, we can't be ready for what God has in store.

I usually have a theme song that carries me through each season in my life.  Right now, it's Switchfoot - Restless.  Every time I hear it, it reminds me to not look at the problem or pain, but to "wrestle" with God.  My blessing could be right around the corner.

             

Friday, December 21, 2012

Thankful

I know this never happens to you, but sometimes I find myself whining about my circumstances.  I wish this was different, I wish that was different, I wish, I wish, I wish...

I believe those are the most important times to reflect.  That is when I realize I have a lot to be thankful for.  My wife, my son, my family, my home, my job, my car, my country, etc.  I could go on forever.  But no, I often think of the worst things going on in my life and grumble about those.

Then I see a video like this and remember I have even MORE to be thankful for.  Even though Derek is blind, he is living life thankful for what he can do!


Sunday, December 16, 2012

Most Difficult Job In The World

Each of us has our own opinion of what the most difficult job in the world might be (doctor, pastor, teacher, etc).  But what about the Christian comedian?  Think about it, comedy is, by definition, making fun of someone, something, or some situation.  But, not everyone agrees on what could or should be made fun of?  Someone is always going to disagree with what is "funny" or "not funny."

So, I'm taking a chance here by posting a video that "I" think is funny.  I know that someone might be offended by something...but I will take my chances :)


Monday, December 10, 2012

Have A High Energy Christmas!

Christmas music dominates this time of the year.  In the stores, at church, and at LIFE we play lots of it too.  I love Christmas, but some of the music is a little bit too sleepy for me.  Of course the lyrics are amazing, but so many of the Christmas carols and songs lack energy (Silent Night, O Come O Come Emmanuel, We Three Kings, Christmas Shoes [I know this is a favourite for many, but it is slow...right?], etc).

So, for those who like to pick up the pace and have some energy fun at Christmas, here are some of my picks:

1. Relient K - 12 Days Of Christmas
2. All Star United - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
3. Tenth Avenue North - Deck The Halls
4. Matthew West - Come On Christmas
5. Relient K - Angels We Have Heard On High (I know, I already picked Relient K, but their Christmas album is awesome).

I know, I am just getting started.   The point is, there is lots of fun Christmas music if you listen for it.

Merry Christmas!

Friday, November 30, 2012

I don't know what it is, but animals make me smile.  We had almost every kind of pet growing up.  A couple of cats (Spike and Froggerber), a dog (Molly), fish (Sausage), and two birds (Harold and Ivan).  If you are a pet owner, you know each pet has their own personality which makes you love them.

One thing I always envied was how some dog owners could train their dogs so well.  While the rest of us spent years trying to train them to do at least one trick, they are somehow able to train their dogs to do something like this...enjoy!


Saturday, November 24, 2012

On Thursday we held our 12 Hour Teen Challenge Transformation.  We asked National Director George Glover to join us and he brought along some of the students in the program.  You were able to hear George give the vision behind the ministry, and the students were able to share their stories of transformation.  However, something you were not able to see or hear was how the students acted when they were not on the air.  On several occasions, I walked by and they were reading scripture and praying together.  I guess that's normal for those of us who consider ourselves Christians, but after speaking with a couple of them, I knew what set them apart from me and I was immediately humbled.  Their commitment to prayer and scripture reading was so passionate because they are at a stage in their life when they need God.  Drugs and/or alcohol controlled them for years, and only the power of God was able to help them break the addiction, and they know it and refuse to take their transformation for granted. 

Do I need God?  Do I act like I need God?  Do I pray and read my Bible like I need God?  In a crisis, maybe I do, but at other times, I think I try to do a lot on my own.  Isaiah 26:4 says, "Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD God is the eternal Rock."  It says, "always," not just when I think I need Him. 

I would like to thank George Glover, the staff, and the students of Teen Challenge for their passion, encouragement, and ministry.  Who knew the 12 Hour Transformation would have been such an important day in my life.

www.teenchallenge.ca

Friday, November 16, 2012

Life Is Like A Car

I would not consider myself old by any stretch, but I think I have picked up a few nuggets of wisdom along the way.  For instance, most of us get in a vehicle everyday that gets us from point A to point B, but have you every noticed that our lives are very similar to the life of a car.  Think about it:

  • A car can be tough to start early in the morning.  Some of us don't like to wake up early either.
  • Vehicles come in many different colours....so do we.
  • Sometimes a car doesn't fire on all cylinders, but it still moves.  Just like you when you don't get your morning coffee.
  • In order to have fun, the car needs to be full of gas.  When it comes to us...never mind...
  • Over time, the paint chips, the defogger stops working, the passenger side door doesn't open anymore, and the engine sounds like it has the hiccups
Even though the car may appear to be ready for the scrap yard, it might just need some tlc.  I think that's the way Jesus sees us.  He doesn't see the rust spots in our lives, but the potential.  Nothing a little restoration couldn't fix. 






Friday, November 9, 2012

A few years ago when Audio Adrenaline decided to call it quits, I was sad.  They were so much fun and had such a heart for ministry.  Lots of bands break up, but few bands have to break up because their lead singer loses his voice...permanently.  But that's what happened with Audio Adrenaline.  Mark Stuart lost his voice and had to retire.

A couple of months ago we heard that Audio A was coming back with a brand new lead singer, Kevin Max (yeah, the guy from DC Talk).  Did that make Mark Stuart bitter?  Someone else was going to front his band!  In fact, the opposite is true.  It was Mark's idea:





Kevin Max has an amazing voice!  I can't wait to see them live again.  Here is our first taste of what's to come:



Saturday, November 3, 2012

Air Raid 21 Is In the Books

The great thing about concerts is that everyone can get something different out of the show. For what it's worth, this is Air Raid 21 according to Steve Jones.

The show opened with Unlikely Heroes. This is the band from Orangeville that won the Rock The Show contest at LIFE. The opportunity to open up for Finding Favour, Anthem Lights, and Abandon. What you may not know about the music "industry," is that breaks are everything! It really is who you know. I feel so good that we were able to introduce the band to a brand new audience (you), help them go backstage to meet the other bands and learn what it is like the do the music thing.

Next up Finding Favour.  Many were surprised by the "sound" of the band.  There were an "edgy worship band."  The parents in attendence seemed to be big fans.  If that genre of music is your thing, look them up.  They were certainly pros.

Anthem Lights is what I call, a pop/rock/boy band.  Their vocal style is similar to the boy bands from 10 years ago but the style more like pop, with some bite to it.  No loud guitars, but edgy at times.  They stopped to play an acoustic set and showed off their ability to sing some tight harmonies.

In most concerts, the last band is usually the one that most people come to see.  Since all of these bands were still "new" to most fans, that may have not been the case with Abandon.  However,  I was a fan of Abandon before Air Raid and became even more of a fan after seeing them live.  Josh Engler nailed all of the notes, had fun with the crowd, used the entire stage (you know, everything they tell you to do on American Idol), and shared his passion for Jesus over and over.   I was talking to a listener before Abandon took the stage.  A close family friend of theirs died earlier this year, a single mom, who left a young son behind.  You can imagine the pain and confusion he must be going through.  As I was talking to them, the only words that came to mind were, God has a big plan and purpose for that young man's life.  Next thing you know, Abandon is on stage with lead singer Josh reminding everyone in attendance that God has a plan and a purpose for everyone's life.  He even made us all repeat it back to him!  That's why I love Air Raids.

If you missed it, you missed something special.  Hopefully you can make it next time!

Friday, October 26, 2012

What Not To Do!

I am so impressed by people who are good with their hands. You know, these people can fix their car, finish their basement, build furniture, fix appliances, etc. Unfortunately not all of us are gifted in the same way.

We moved into our home in June. By the end of September, I noticed that some of the branches of our tree were touching the side of our house and the roof. We can't have that! I jumped into action, got the ladder out of the garage, the handsaw to cut the branches, and then this...

You might notice the knuckle of one finger is bigger than the rest. As I was sawing, I didn't see a branch behind the one I was cutting and basically punched the tree (All of the "handy people" can stop laughing now).

If you need someone to send out a Birthday Blessing at 7:20 I can do it. If you want to book an interview for an event at your church, I can do that too. If you want me to help you out with home repairs...keep your first aid kit close by.

Friday, October 12, 2012

It's amazing how little you know after a lifetime of learning

Two verses have been stuck in my head lately: Psalm 119:11 "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." and... Matthew 18:3 "And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." The verse in Matthew has always intrigued me. We are supposed to become like little children? We have a little guy running around our house who will be two in December.
He is a child that is learning everything. He is learning how to eat, talk, run, play, share, pray, behave, and I could go on forever. Childhood is for learning so we can become the adults God wants us to be. So why, after a lifetime of learning, are we supposed to change and become like a child again? That's when I took the advice of Psalm 119 and started to meditate on Matthew 18:3. It sounds like a deep, theological study session. But in fact, I have just been thinking a lot. For what it's worth, here is what I came up with: 1) Children are not afraid to ask for what they need/want. Yeah, that's right, I said want. Keep in mind, they don't always get what they want, because sometimes as parents we know that something better is in store for them. 2) Children cry. They will cry passionately for a few seconds, get all of their sadness and frustrations out of the way, and move on quickly. They don't get bitter and bury their feelings deep inside. 3) When in need, children always look to mom and dad for help. When they're hungry, thirsty, hurt, confused, uncomfortable, they turn to mom and dad first. Does that describe your relationship with God? Do you always ask for what you need/want? More importantly, do you accept his decision? Do you share how you're feeling with God? Do you let it all out or keep it bottled up inside and let bitterness get ahold of you? When in need, who do you go to first? Your heavenly Father? This is certainly not meant to provoke guilt or shame. Maybe God is just trying to simplify life a little bit for us.