AJ Renton: Comin' to You Live

See You Soon

2011-01-17T11:14:00.000-08:00

Leilani got some new fishies (that's what she calls them) and a tank for Christmas this year. Being an animal lover, I relish the opportunity to foster this same love in her. And she has it. She loves sitting and watching them do their thing, feeding them, and talking to them.

But even being a little kid, she can teach me something about perspective.

Sometimes, like when we want her to wear nice shoes instead of her rubber boots to church, she'll throw a tantrum, collapse on the floor, cry for 10 minutes, and not understand the true importance of things like time and perspective. There are other times, however, when she can teach me a thing or two.

Last week, one of her fishies got caught behind the filter and died. When I found it, I was sad. Not too sad, but definitely a little. I got the fish out, and wanted everyone to look at the poor little fish, see how beautiful it was, feel the sadness of a life cut short.

Jennie-Lynne had no need to examine the fish along with her feelings. It was a fish. And she had no feelings. Leilani had more heart, and at least looked at the fish with me and wanted to poke it, perhaps with the desire of resuscitating it back to life. I know I wished to do the same, and looked closely over and over hoping to see some movement that would prove the foregone conclusion wrong.

So after examining our hearts, and realizing there was no saving this tetra, Leilani said she wanted to come with me to the toilet where we would say goodbye to our fishy. When we got there, she turned the fish net upside down, and with a couple taps on the seat, set the little fishy free into the cold, lonely waters of the toilet.

At this point, I was ready to wait a few moments, hopefully see the tetra spark to life with the shock of the cold water, and if not, say some poignant words to close out and memorialize this fishy's wonderful life.

Leilani was not in the same mindset.

As soon as the fish hit the water, she reached for the handle and flushed the poor thing down!! As it started to swirl around and around, she waved and said, "Bye bye fishy, see you soon."

I love seeing life through a child's eyes. Sometimes they can teach us so much. Although Leilani loves her fishies, and loves all animals, she does not yet have the awareness of losing something and never seeing it again. Often, things she says goodbye too she does in fact get to see again. And other things, she simply forgets about. Sometimes, we blow things out of proportion, and I was doing this with the fish. And there are many things in life that I lose perspective on and give too much importance.

This funny story relates to a great talk I heard by Andy Stanley from this year's Passion Conference. He talked about APPETITE, and how our appetites will either be ruled by us or will rule us. He talked about how when an appetite grabs our attention, we lose perspective on everything else, and that particular need is magnified out of proportion. In fact, this magnification is what psychologists call 'Impact Bias' and is a physiological fact. When an appetite is magnified, our brains literally change as energy is focused toward getting that particular need met. Everything else becomes blurry and of less importance.

Although the story of the fish is just a funny anecdote, and I wasn't really all that wrapped up in it, Leilani's perspective still gave me a lesson on how sometimes we put too much focus or energy into the wrong things.

May you, today, find that you are a master of your appetites, fulfilling those that are placed in healthy things while shifting away from those that cause damage. May you not lose focus on the good, the true, and the right.

PS. Here is the link to a Andy Stanley's great talk. I highly recommend it, but it is about 45 minutes long so set aside some time. I think it's worth it.

PPS. As I finish writing this, Leilani is crying about not wanting to sit in her highchair for lunch. Everything Mommy offers her for lunch is met with more tears and more "no ways" because she has gotten to that point where she has lost perspective, can't even remember what it is she wants, but knows it's not what Mommy has to offer.

An Update

2010-12-17T11:46:00.000-08:00

Well everyone knows I am not the best blogger. Too much other stuff to do, and facebook provides a far easier way to spread the news. However, I think this blog is a great place for more extended updates, and I've got news to share, so here goes!

FAMILY
Leilani is now 2.25 years old! It has happened so fast, with lots of fun and challenges along the way. She is a darling little girl who surprises us daily with a new word, phrase, or action. My favourite over the last couple months was when she came out of the bathroom after a couple minutes alone, with mommy's makeup on either side of her mouth and dotted on her nose, saying "cat!" She had dressed up as a cat for Halloween, and a week later, decided she wanted to do it again. So cute!

TRANSPORTATION
Although it seems like boring news, this area of my life has changed quite a bit lately. In September, the insurance for my bike was up, and because of a lack of funds and a maxxing out of our credit, I had to park Ebony indefinitely. Without my motorbike, I had to switch to using my bicycle more often. I enjoyed that most days, though the rain can be annoying. However, both JL's and my bike got stolen a couple weeks ago :( So now I'm back to my main transportation option from 2003: my longboard! If you see me humming along, make sure to give me a honk!

EDUCATION
I'm done!! Well, not completely, but kind of. I have completed all my classes and have only my thesis to finish. It seems like not long ago I was writing my pros and cons list for some education options up here on this blog, and now I'm just a few months from being done it all. Just 18 months after starting my Masters at UVic, I'm already at this stage. I really can't believe it. Jennie-Lynne has endured a lot to make this happen, and I'm so thankful for her support. I also want to thank all those friends and family members that have sacrificed Andy-time to help make this happen. It's been a huge blessing in my life, so thanks for your prayers as well!

WORK
So this is the really big news. I have decided that this is going to be my last year as the Youth Pastor at Lambrick Park Church. JL and I have thought about this for a long time, and we've decided that I will be resigning in June of 2011. We are really excited about the next season of our life, as our entire marriage has been wrapped up in life at Lambrick. It's been an amazing, 6.5 years, with so many blessings and challenges, but we feel it's a great time to make a change as the kids I started with who were in Grade 6 are now graduating. I am thankful for God's protection over the years, as many people leave ministry under worse conditions. We love Him, His Church, my coworkers, and the ministry. I will miss the youth and my youth leaders the most, but if we find a job in Victoria we'll remain a part of LPC. I do hope to find a job working with youth in some way, but just not in a church right now. Again, I want to thank all friends and family who have prayed for us over the years, and ask for more prayers as we seek God's direction for the future. We are confident He has led us to this decision for a reason, so now it's exciting to see where He'll lead now.

Prodigal Trilogy

2010-07-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday night (July 11) I spoke at The Place on Luke 15. Instead of doing the classic 30 minute speech, I chose to let someone who I met 3 years ago do the talking. I shared the video done by Jason Hildebrand, called 'The Prodigal Trilogy.'

The point of Luke 15 is that Jesus came "to seek and save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10), and He told these stories to expound on that mission and to point out the need to celebrate people being found by God.

However, Jason brings out so many points with his writing and acting, that I felt it much more valuable to have him share and let others get what they wanted from it. I have heard from many that they were thankful for my different approach to the evening, and very encouraged if not provoked by Jason's storytelling. Many have asked how they can get a hold of his videos. Because Jason makes a living off of his creative work, they are only available on his website. I would suggest his 'Blue Like Jazz' which has been endorsed by Donald Miller as well (get the combo package for savings). I have a copy of 'The Prodigal Trilogy' people can borrow, and I may buy another to have on hand at the church as well.

People have also asked for the questions that I put up to inspire deeper thinking following each video. These were not meant to restrict, and didn't cover all of the emotions or ideas Jason touched on, but they were meant as a starting point for those struggling to engage his material on their own. Anyways, here they are:

The Younger Son
- How have I been a restless spirit?
- How does this monologue alter my view of others?
- Have I had similar inner struggles to this younger son?
- What embrace have I fought?

The Older Son
- What do I feel entitled to?
- Do I have a problem of pride, arrogance, or self-righteousness?
- What are my motives for staying and serving in the Father’s house?
- What do I have to release in order to be found?
- What am I trying to prove with my work?

The Father
- What does this character teach me about God?
- What does this character teach me about myself or about being a parent?
- Who or what do I need to release control of?
- How can I reach out to welcome the younger and older brothers to the celebration?

Conclusion
- Which role in the story do I relate to most?
- How does the story allow me to relate to others in a different way?
- What have I learned about God? Myself?

Some Thoughts

2010-03-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Good Stuff
- A friend passed on this post by Donald Miller, which not only struck me as wise insight but also relating to the recent talk I just gave at The Place. Check it out if you want advice on how to make positive changes in your life, character, or faith.

Bad Stuff
- I spent last week up island with my family, reading and writing a sermon. I didn't have internet. It was a connection that I missed, but was also thankful for the time away to not be distracted. In the weeks (months? year?) before, I had spent less time on Facebook, only going on to check messages and write back to people. Plus the odd status update that almost always related to work and inviting youth out to events. But this week, after a full week away, I for some reason have jumped back on full steam. I'm commenting on a lot of other people's status' and posts, and just wasting time. I need to stop. I think I'll take Donald Miller's advice above.

Undecided Stuff?
- One of the things I have been discussing on Facebook was the recent incident involving Victoria Police and potential excessive force used to quell a drunken downtown brawl. Police officers happened upon 8 men kicking and beating one unconscious man lying on the sidewalk. They immediately threw in the pepper spray to dislodge the group, and started rounding up the offenders. One cop in particular laid down some pretty big kicks and knees to force people into submission in order to be cuffed. I personally think that sometimes this technique is necessary. When there's a potential riot on their hands, police need to be able to use greater force to get the job done quickly. I do think that the one police officer went too far. But I think he barely over stepped what was necessary or reasonable. The kicks look too forceful. The knees a little too quickly administered after the warnings. But again, I do feel that this behaviour is not over the line in some circumstances. Whether he deserves some time away from the job and some anger management courses is no doubt. But some are calling for assault charges and are heavily angered by this use of force. I disagree.
Here's a link to a recent story talking about use of force and the fact that police officers are actually trained to kick and punch under some circumstances.

Sermonating

2010-03-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I spoke to about 300 people at The Place regarding Luke 18. I focused on the parable of the 2 praying men (pharisee & tax collector), the babies being brought to Jesus, and the rich young ruler. My main points were:

Jesus calls us to let go of anything that hinders our ability to hold on to Jesus completely (can't grab hold with both hands if your hands are full of cash or toys or...).
We can do nothing to earn our way into the Kingdom of God. Nothing. Jesus says babies are our best example, and I think that is because they can't try to do anything. They just receive care. They feed off of their mothers. They do nothing of their own accord except to cry for help. We too often TRY and prove our own merit and value to the Kingdom, and Jesus calls us to just bring our dirty nasty serves and cry for help. That is it. Our best efforts of proving our worth are just attempts anyways, as they'll never be good enough. Come to Jesus with yourself and He'll do what is impossible for us to do. Can we do it? Can I do it?

If you want to read or listen to the whole thing, then you can grab it here.

Almost a Year!

2010-03-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

Yup, that's right. It's almost been a year since I've been on here. Almost.

But I didn't let it get to that anniversary point, so I count that as a victory. I could just let this blog drift into the horizon like so many others, but maybe it's worth keeping going. Who knows. I guess you all (who are you anyways?) will know in a few years.

Regardless, here's a couple quick updates, alike to my friend's Sarah Pee's recent list:

HOME
Leilani: Still growing (almost 1.5 years). Whining often. Still very cute.
JL: Feeling the need to hobby and adventure. Sewing and Mexico fit the bill perhaps?
Calla Lily: Still biting. Sometimes cute.
House: No more renos! Well, not now for lack of money & time. Lawn needs mowing.

WORK
Youth: Still the best part of the job. Number are interested in Baptism. Pretty stoked.
Teaching: Spending a lot of time on Matt. 7:13-14 - encouraging youth to take that narrow path each day, and telling stories of those who have.
Leaders: Been a little disappointed with a few and lack of commitment. Others (like Keenan & Sarah) are awesome.
Church Leadership: Not really a part of that right now, but they're working hard.
Future: Not sure. Not eager to be planning multiple weekly events anymore. Never was. But still love being part of my kids lives.

OTHER
School: Going great. Getting good grades and half done courses for degree. Have to get approval for research soon. Have to stop procrastinating on paper I'm currently writing.
Family: Mom's heading down to Arizona with the band. Dad's taking care of Nana. Chris is 2 months from marrying Amy. Greg & he just finished curling. And Jenny is back in Vic for in Vic for a short time as she makes some pretty big decisions. Love them all!
Camp: Right in the middle of huge step: purchasing Mesachie Mountain. Big changes ahead I feel. Much prayer needed.
Health: Still not exercising regularly. I suck.
Spiritual: Some up, some down. Reading Buchanan's "Things Unseen" - easy read but really valuable. Also reading Lewis' "The Great Divorce" with our group. Between the two, thinking lots about heaven and the spiritual realm we are so often blinded to.

Okay, that's all I got for now. Sure there's stuff I'm forgetting, but gotta get back to this paper. I'll add a pick of Leilani to bring some life to this update.

Further Updates

2009-03-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

Haven't written in a couple weeks. Not keeping up with my hope of writing more often. However, I have been killer busy with work the last while and just haven't had the time for extras, so I feel sufficiently excused. If you disagree, then you can keep it to yourself. :)

Wanted to let you know that... I got accepted to UVic for my Masters in Leadership Studies! I'm pretty excited about this. For some reason, I am really surprised because I had a feeling it wasn't gonna go this way. I have generally been accepted for everything I've ever applied to so I figured this was the one that would swing the other way. But I guess not, as I got informed earlier this week that I would be starting up my studies in May and entering another new path in my graduate studies hike. I hope this one ends soon with a degree on the other side.

In other good news, the Lambrick leadership has agreed that my studies at UVic are in fact ministry relevant and will be so valuable to what I do here at LPC that they'll be helping to pay for my degree. If it takes me 3 years to complete, they'll pitch in about half of the $9000. I'm so thankful for all the leaders who discerned that this step forward for me was valuable for the church as well.

As for other updates, I just got back last night from the 5th annual LPC Youth Work Camp up at Imadene. It was a great time and our youth worked very hard, even though it was snowing. I'm proud of these guys every year and this was no exception. Great work youth! Leilani and JL also came up to visit with us and it was great to have them along for the first time to Work Camp. Trips are always better with my family along for the ride.

My parents are almost done their trip in China, and they seem to have had a great time. They're there with the Reynolds Senior band and the kids are having a great time too. My dad climbed 1400+ stairs on the Great Wall with some of the students and was sore for a couple days afterward. They say the smog in some areas is literally unbelievable.

And that's about all for now. Hope that gets you 'updated' on all things Andy.

An Update

2009-03-04T11:46:00.001-08:00

I wanted to say thanks to many friends for giving me their suggestions and thoughts into what I should aim for regarding my future education. All of your comments we're insightful and valuable in my deliberations.

The update is that I have in fact applied for a MEd in Leadership Studies at UVic (which I'll transfer to an MA after I find a supervisor for my thesis). However, getting accepted is a whole other matter. We'll see what the Faculty of Graduate Studies has to say about my odd academic history, and hope that my vocational experience and glimmers of excellence (12 A+'s, but also 9 N's or F's) tweak their hearts.

In other news, I have been asked how my meditation on Ephesians 4 is going. Well, I'd say. Not great though. I kind of got caught up around verse 27 and have struggled to nail down those last few verses. But it's still permeating my mind, and I've found it very valuable. I've also jumped on some other passages and stuck them up their in the head as well. I thank God for the reminder to be dwelling on Him and writing His Word on my heart.

What To Do?

2009-02-23T10:39:00.000-08:00

I graduated from my undergrad in 2003. I immediately applied at Acts Seminary at Trinity Western University and began a Masters of Arts in Christian Studies there. After one course (Intro to NT Greek - B+), and learning that Masters courses I was beginning in Victoria were transferable to Regent College and not to Acts, I switched schools. I enrolled as a student at Regent, with the intention of attaining my Masters of Christian Studies in Applied Theology, but didn't actually apply to that program as I knew it would take longer than the 5 year maximum they allowed.

I took four Applied Theology courses in Vic over 2 years, but did not get credit for them as I didn't have the money to put into it. Plus, I'm always eager to get free education :) I have taken 2 courses (5 credits) at Regent, where each credit costs about $500. I need 60 credits to graduate, so not only do I have a long way to go, but $$MONEY$$!!!!

So, that's where I've been, and lately I've been trying to figure out where to go now. I have looked at various options over the years, and have generally not decided much. A year ago, before JL and I found out Leilani was coming to visit, I decided that doing the Arrow Leadership Program (which gets me credits with Regent, but not many) would be the best initial move forward. But I've recently been encouraged to take an MA in Leadership with Royal Roads or UVic instead. So now there's lots of options.

I'm writing all this, not to bore you (you can stop reading anytime you feel, and move along with your day), but rather to inform you about my life and ask your opinion of 'what to do?' (note title). Below is a list of pros and cons for each option I'm currently looking at. Feel free to pass along your thoughts, or any further options you may suggest for my consideration.

Regent College MCS:
+ Great reputation within church (good cred if I remain pastor for life)
+ LPC will give me ~$1500 for courses
+ I'm already in this program
+ Lots of freedom in my degree, which allows me to take courses I enjoy
- EXPENSIVE
- Will take me at least 5 years, probably more to complete
- Related to above, no real end in site has been bad in past for Andy (including with education)
- Not as well recognized outside of church (what if I am not pastoring?)
- Still not sure how to meet residency requirements (doing on-site courses)

Arrow Leadership Program:
+ Great support among other Christians in cohort
+ Counts for credits toward Regent degree (not many, but a few)
+ I get a scholarship and LPC will probably give me money as well (still $4500 out of my own pocket)
+ Only 2 years
+ Good reputation within some church circles
+ Supposedly really good (and devastating) for personal awareness and spiritual life
- Takes 2 years, and then I still have 3+ years left to get actual Masters degree
- Quite a lot of money considering what credits I get
- Hesitation in past has been my disagreement with leadership philosophy of Arrow CEO (also a prof)

MA in Leadership Studies at UVic:
+ Comparably really cheap compared to other degree options (about $9-10K total)
+ Walk away in 2-3 years with a Masters degree
+ Good reputation everywhere (not JUST Christian agencies)
+ Great learning, more academic than Arrow
+ A foreseeable end in sight... very good for Andy
+ Thesis option allows for future in academia (not currently a big priority for me)
- Possibly no financial help from LPC
- Possibly not recognized as equivalent to Masters at seminary for LPC or other church
- Have to apply and get accepted!
- Not Christ-focused (a con suggested by a mentor, though I think this has value too)

MA in Leadership at Royal Roads:
Same as above except
+ Lower admission requirements mean I should be a lock to get in
- Twice the price of UVic
- No thesis option

And that's that. Thanks for helping me with going through this process.

A Little Update

2009-02-08T23:36:00.001-08:00

I've been meditating on Ephesians 4 lately. Here's a bit from memory:

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live lives worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called. One Lord, one faith, and one baptism, one God the Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train, and gave gifts to men." What does "he ascended" mean if he had not also descended to the lower, earthly regions?

That's about it for now. Check up on me if you want :) Hope it allows you to meditate a little on it too.

How Far Will It Go?

2009-02-05T14:01:00.000-08:00

Here's a story for you. A 60 year-old woman has just given birth to twins in Calgary. My thoughts below, may be offensive to some, so I apologize now if that's the case. Maybe stop reading now if you prefer. But I still want to share.

Now I have no problems with older people having children. If you get pregnant then that's life, and God be with you. And I have no problem with older people choosing to raise kids either. I am aware of a semi-retired couple that has just adopted their grandchild because their daughter is incapable of caring for the child who is fighting an infant addiction to many hard drugs. I think it's not only commendable what they are doing, but I also pray fervently that God will be with them and bless them in this incredibly hard task.

What I have been thinking about recently is the assisted pregnancy our country has normalized. Now this takes many forms, from simply helping the parents gametes not fight each other off, to in vitro fertilization with ones own embryos, to the same IVF but with donor embryos, etc. So many variables. I am not necessarily against them all. I have a friend who is currently carrying the child of a couple who was unable to get pregnant themselves. She has done an honourable thing, and I am proud of her, but I still question (not 'decided') the ethics of it all.

Paul said everything is permissible, but not all things are beneficial. Just cause we can, doesn't mean we should. The medical world has jumped leaps and bounds in the last 30 years in what can be done for assisted pregnancy, which is great for science. But is it right?

The two main concerns I have are (and notice I'm staying away from the theological - just don't know regarding that):

1) What about adoption? Are there not enough children in our world that if having a child is hard for us, can't we try loving and caring for another's natural child? Two friends that have adopted have shared interesting thoughts with me recently. The first is a woman who adopted after having multiple miscarriages. She says she knows her children (3) were born in her heart, and she regularly forgets they were not born of her body as well. Interesting. The second is a friend who made the choice to adopt rather than have natural children (which he and his wife use careful protection to inhibit). He says he is shocked and saddened that people always presume and offer apology for the fact that they can't have 'natural' children and HAVE to adopt. Some people even suggest IVF as a better option. His experience shows that adoption is sometimes even frowned upon, including in the church community. What?!

As people who have decided to walk down the road of adoption and see where God takes us, JL and I are excited to learn about what God is going to do through us and teach us in this somewhat isolated community. I'm excited as to how it will further influence my thoughts on IVF and other assisted pregnancy options.

2) Healthcare costs. Having children is expensive. In every way. It is very expensive for our healthcare system. But our country desires for our nation to produce more children, so it's worth it. It's always worth it.

However, the cost exponentially increases with children who have health irregularities at birth or who are premature. And with assisted pregnancies, the chances of these goes up exponentially as well. IVF regularly (around 50%) results in multiple pregnancies (twins+), which almost always result in pre-term births (the rate of preterm births in multiple births babies is 17 times higher than single babies). In Canada, a normal weight, single birth child costs our system about $1000 by the time it goes home (after a couple days). With additional health concerns for pre-term babies, the cost goes up quickly. It is suggested a pre-term baby born before 6 months costs well over $100,000 to our system before it leaves the hospital. The average cost for per-term babies was a lot less however, but still 12 times the normal cost at over $12,000.

Now sometimes per-term births cannot be avoided, and I obviously believe we need to care for any child born in Canada. But, should we look at controlling IVF and other assisted pregnancy options that regularly (over 80%) lead to pre-term and/or multiple births? Or what about the woman in the above article, who was deemed too old to be eligible for IVF in Canada, so went and paid for it in India and then returned to Canada for the free care? Does the taxpayer have the obligation to care for these people? Well, ethically, yes. But should we look into it a bit more. I think so.

Well, those are some of my thoughts. I think this will gradually become more and more of a concern for Canada (especially with universal health care) and you'll see it as a hot topic on a political stage near you. Best to do some research and get your opinion ready cause someone may be asking for it soon.

Sorry again if I offend anyone. Please be gracious.

Here are some resources you may found valuable in thinking through this all:
Recent Can. Press article
Article on recent Canadian Institute for Health Study
Victoria's Fertility Centre

On the Move Again

2009-02-02T21:45:00.000-08:00

This past year's been a tough one on my body. Not only am I just getting older, and that's hard enough, but I've had some injuries that have put me up longer than hoped for.

The first was an ATVing accident that was 100% my fault, as I pushed the boundaries of what that Quad could do and felt what it was like to fly. Concussion, whiplash, some cuts and bruises were the minor problems. The back pain lingered longer and eventually required some physio treatments and a trip to a Chinese medicine-man who worked this magic on me by beating the junk out of my back, neck, and shoulder. The worst part was that I tore the two menisci in my left knee. MRI's, sports doctors, and physiotherapists worked on that to get it back in shape, but it was 3 months before I could walk without discomfort and 4 months till I got the go ahead for normal exercise.

That was around late October. Unfortunately, after going to the gym for a few weeks, the next hit came. In November, I was walking down the stairs with Leilani, and the stairs fought back. Now, I always have trouble with stairs, and especially the ones in my house. I fell down them every other day for the first 6 months we lived here. Now that we're almost 3 years in, I do a lot better. But I knew my time would come when my daughter and I took a tumble together. Fortunately, I was able to sacrifice my body to keep Leilani safe. She was fine, but my left foot and ankle were not. Two months later, I'm finally feeling confident to get back to exercise.

So, I'm on the move again. I've been exercising the last few weeks, but it's all involved lifting weights and doing action on the floor that doesn't involve my foot. But now I'm taking the plunge and gonna start hitting the pavement again. I hope to complete my first run this week (complete with ankle brace of course). Short, but hopefully sweet. And come April 26th, I hope to be able to make 10km cause I'm signing up for the Times Colonist run. Really excited actually. Haven't done that since 2001 or something, so I'm eager to try it again. I have NO idea what kind of time my old and injured body will be able to muster, but I'm hoping for at least under 50 minutes. I regularly ran 40-42 minute 10km as an 11 year old so 50 minutes shouldn't be too much of a stretch. I know I can handle the pace, but can my foot handle the distance. Ah well, we'll see!

Check back to hear the report.

Ephesians 4

2009-01-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

Over the last year (at least), I have increasingly realized my tendency toward gossip.

For many years now, I have liked to talk. I talk way too much. I've wanted to listen more, but for some reason, I struggle to do so. It's a lack of focus at times, a restlessness at others, and just plain old selfishness most of the time I'm sure. Lord, help me with this...

But the gossip, well that HAS to go. I get talking, start storytelling, and usually in an aim to spread some humour, the stuff just starts rolling off my tongue. I often realize it part way through, and only a couple times have I been able to stop it midstream. I need to submit to this.

The worst part of gossip is that it's almost always done to puff up yourself. I'm not usually trying to do this, but subconsciously my mind/tongue goes there. Clearly I feel the need to do this for some reason, and that shows me I am not finding my confidence in Christ. Two words, one phrase: Not Good!

So, what to do? Well, I've always enjoyed Ephesians (which my fingers keep automatically spelling Ephesiance for some reason!) chapter 4. Unity in the Body. Living as Jesus would have us. Good stuff. The first chunk is important to remember when you realize you're talking bad about others. But the last paragraph hits much harder. Look it up. It's elemental.

So I think a good place to start on this journey toward a cleaner tongue (well, I've started already, but each day is a new start and today I put a stake in the ground and mark out my trail once again) is to memorize this. Ephesians (did it again!) 4. The whole thing. Dang, why'd I type that. I've never been able to memorize a whole chapter except a couple Psalms like 150 which are short and repetitive. What have I done?!

Okay, well, in God's grace and for His glory and toward my cleaner tongue, I will push forward on this journey. Ephesians 4, one verse at a time (a day?), you are mine. By March 1st I should have you mastered. If only my gossip would leave me that quick.

Please pray for me...

A Comparison

2009-01-21T18:30:00.000-08:00

I happened across something today.

A rare opportunity to compare two things.

Two things that are so alike, but yet so different.

Two things that almost never end up side by side.

And it made me smile.

Here are the pics I took to 'record' the comparison.

These 'machines' are both 3 years old, making them potentially archaic based on their industry, but one still functions fantastically. The other has new versions, slightly smaller, but nothing like the other.

I hope you enjoy the comparison yourself.

The battle between the smallest desktops of their time: the Mac Mini vs. the Dell Mini.

See you for yourself, I hope you smile too...

Women in Leadership

2009-01-20T13:05:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, a friend and co-labourer asked me my thoughts on women in eldership. He figured I was well-read and researched on the subject. I am not.

However, I have spent time chatting with friends and other pastors, and poured over Scripture as relating to this subject. Below, you will find my very rushed, unedited (read the 'About Me' to the left), and potentially calloused response to him. I'd love feedback and thoughts in order to move myself and the Church forward in this thinking.

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In my mind, the whole of the Biblical text shows how holding to the truth of one specific word is not the intention of the Word. God doesn't necessarily change, but His will and desire for a people changes, especially as that people group goes through change. When Abraham came to Canaan, God wanted him to dwell alongside the people in tents. When the Israelites came back, He wanted them to rid the region of the Canaanites so as to not be ruined by their paganism. When Saul stretched the boundaries of the Kingdom, He wanted something of the same. When the Israelites failed in these things, He wanted them to live in captivity of another nation and still hold true to Him. When they returned, He wanted them to live in peace with their neighbours. When the Romans ruled, He wanted to begin a war of heart redemption, not of violence. etc....

The point being, God's will for us depends on the time, place, culture, people involved, and witness. He's always very concerned about what our lives and actions will say to our neighbours. When the rule of law was violence, He was willing to work within that framework.

I believe there were some New Testament communities for which Jesus' message and plan of no Gentile, no female, no slave, etc. was too hard to handle. Paul recommended these churches remain with what they could handle so as to remain in love and therefore give the best witness to the community. Some NT communities could handle it, so Paul celebrated with them and acknowledged the women who were in leadership of the community. It was also a cold hard fact that women did not have the time in the synagogue that men did, they didn't have the experience (or opportunity) to pour over the Scriptures, nor educate themselves in other ways. I can understand that they needed time before they could 'teach/lead' in order to get their wisdom/knowledge up to speed so to speak.

Today, not only are we 2000 years down the road of hearing Jesus' message, but lots of things have changed. Men were able to keep women out of leadership and education for a long time, but over the last 100 years, women in the West have received the same upbringing. The culture around us in North America now expects and practices equality (on almost all grounds). For us to not practice it, what kind of witness are we showing?

What would God's will be for us? To continue to subjugate women, and by doing so within this context/culture, disrespect and disenfranchise them? I can't imagine that He wants that. In our culture, we deem inequality a form of oppression, tyranny. But why do we stand up for "men being the head of the household and leadership of the church" in an oppressive way? Because it's men who have the power now, and it has to be their decision to see Scripture in a different light and give up that power. That can be hard to do for those who have thought the same way for 50+ years.

So ya, in my mind, men are the head of the family, as Christ is the head of the Church. We need to be an example worthy of following, and be willing to not only take the blame for our family but lay down our lives for them. It doesn't mean we have to or get to make all the decisions unilaterally.

In the church, I believe we should not only practice equality, but also humility. In humbleness, how about we submit to God, ask Him if women should/could be involved in leadership, step forward in faith, and see how He leads us. If He shows us that our moves are wrong (and not just by the strong, conservative men - and their families - leaving the church), and we need to believe that He can make that clear if He desires, then we step back. Move forward with that honest and authentic humbleness to God and each other, everyone knowing you're stepping out in faith. My experience of having women teach (allowed in our church) has been a tremendous blessing and value to our spiritual life. Would God work in this way if He was so against it? Can we move to allow women serve as Elders of the community too (which my church does not allow)?

I have experienced leadership groups with and without women. I personally have seen the tremendous value in having the varied opinions in the room. I believe that men and women's hearts and minds together better represent the heart and mind of God. But I don't have the time to get into that side of the argument...

Change

2009-01-16T13:32:00.001-08:00

I love to create. I do so with many things. But changing those creations can sometimes slip my mind. Do I hate change? I don't think so. I usually feel good about the change once I'm done, so I can't hate it. I think it just slips my mind that I need to change things.

And that is the intro to tell you that I have finally changed my 'About Me' to the left of this page. Just a little. To make it accurate.

Done.

Sexual Innuendos

2009-01-16T13:01:00.000-08:00

You ever wonder why some people have a knack for finding the 'sexual' in everything you say?

I do.

Is it me? Do I just lay them out there too often, knowingly or not, and thus people expect me to say something that has a hidden innuendo behind it? It seems that many youth, youth leaders, and my friends seem to always find things in my words that can be misconstrued. Ya, it can be funny sometimes, but I wonder if I need to check up on something so that I filter the words coming out of my mouth to negate these colourful searchers.

Regardless, I still find nothing inherently wrong with New Direction Ministries and their new campaign for Bridging the Gap (more to follow on these).

Giving Cody Hodgson His Just Desserts

2009-01-06T19:16:00.000-08:00

Just a small note to tell you all how I feel about the recent World Junior Tournament.

First off, Canada won. I'm not only proud, but very happy, and emotionally stable (I wouldn't be if they had lost). I can celebrate all of this.

However, there's one thing I can't celebrate. Canada's John Tavares was named the MVP of the tournament. Now, Tavares is a great player, and had some nice goals. However, after watching every game, I can honestly (and perhaps objectively?) say that Tavares was not the best, nor the most important (or valuable) player on the ice for Canada. In my mind, there were two players at least that topped him. Those that came close were Esposito, Cormier, Benn, and Subban. But those that clearly surpassed him in my mind were Jordan Eberle and Cody Hodgson.

Now Jordan Eberle scored some big goals, one HUGE goal (with 5.4 seconds left in the semis to tie the game against the Russians), and proved playmaking and spirited play the entire tournament. There was never a time when I was disappointed with his play.

The same cannot be said for Tavares. He missed numerous chances on the doorstep (which have been called unmissable by him), some of his goals took little skill, and one in particular he would have missed the net by 3 feet from only two feet away but it bounced off the goaltender and into the net. He did have one of the nicest goals I've EVER seen in the first game, and his shootout goal was also full of skill and confidence (Eberle had scored a nicer one just a minute prior), but overall I was slightly disappointed.

Someone that only disappointed me once, with a bad giveaway after 10 minutes of lacklustre play, was Cody Hodgdson. Other than that 10 minutes, he played a COMPLETE tournament. He controls the puck extremely well, wins faceoffs regularly, is Canada's top penalty killing forward, and provides a classy leadership that does all his teammates well. But more, he also led the tournament in points. Tavares scored more goals, but only a couple. Cody had more points total, and he was the one often setting up the finish of Tavares.

So, to conclude, I'd like to give Cody Hodgson my vote for the Most Valuable Player of the 2009 World Junior Tournament. No offence to Thomas Hickey, but he clearly was the better vote for team Captain as well, and I will be surprised if he doesn't become a point a game player and Captain in the NHL. Although the Canucks are not my favourite team, I'm very excited to see him come play in our neck of woods next year.

So raise your glasses and toast the true captain of Team Canada and just MVP of this year's tournie.

13 In A Row

2009-01-04T16:00:00.001-08:00

Need I say more? Our favourite local team has won 13 straight games. That's right. 13 straight. I mean, 13 stinking straight games! Just ridiculous.

The Victoria Salmon Kings lead the West Division, the National Conference, and the whole ECHL with 50 points, 24 wins, after just 35 games. To say I am pleased, is an understatement. Time the rest of you woke up and joined the run cause it's been a blast and should be a great time come June.

And in case you wondered, my Boston Bruins are leading the NHL as well and just concluded a 10 games winning streak. Hockey is fun for me right now.

My New Years Resolutions

2009-01-02T15:31:00.000-08:00

So it's (again) been awhile since I've visited this blog and pleasured you all (Matty and my wife) with some witty prose. Well, as I let you know some of my New Years Resolutions (which I'm not really in fact making...), you'll see that may start to change.

I've never been one for making too many promises. One reason being that I'm not as good as I want to be at following through. So, I won't be making official resolutions this year, but I do have some thoughts on where I want the next 12 months to go and how things could positively change in my life. Read on...

TIME
I hope to use my time more wisely. I have done fairly well since Leilani has entered the world, but there's still plenty of room for improvement. One of those areas of improvement is in spending less time watching TV. Admittedly, I spend 95% of my time in front of the tube watching sports, which are hard to give up. But they are not the most important thing to me and can often seem that way based on how I spend my time. I hope to change that.

FOLLOW-THROUGH
I hope to keep my word. That's about it.

WRITING
I like writing. Whether I'm good at it or not is besides the point. I enjoy getting stuff out of my head and onto the page. I need to do that more. Through means like this blog, my prayer journal, sermon prep, sports discourse, or whatever, I just want to write more.

EXERCISE
Okay, the classic. But it's true. I'm in the worst shape of my life. Pretty simple to say that I want, and more importantly, NEED, to get back on the gravy train. There have been lots of excuses this year, as an ATV accident led to almost 4 months of inactivity with a torn meniscus and bummed up back. Last month I feel down the stairs with Leilani and saved her by giving up my ankle. That's still causing me to hobble badly and moan and wince every step. But still, I've been working out the last week, and it's feeling good. Hawaii is in 3 months and I don't want to be mistaken for the great white whale.

LOVE
I desire to show more love. To my wife, my daughter, my family, my friends, and to everyone. Regardless of how I do with this, I always can show more.

WORK
I love my job. It's more a life than a job really. And I love my life. But sometimes, I get bogged down by the meaningless. Or by the negative. I want to enjoy my job/life, and excel at it for God's sake. I hop this year I can do that.

And for now, that's all I got. I'll let you know how things go :)

It's Been Long Enough

2008-10-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

Well, to say sorry just wouldn't suffice. I haven't posted here since, well, let's just say forever. I beg your blog-world forgiveness.

So, to appease you all, I am back, with pictures. Here's some to let you know what I've been up to lately.

Our little Leilani moments after birth:

Sleeping with mommy:

Another cute sleeping pic:

And what happens when she wakes up:

One of the best pics ever:

And a pic of my other new baby. Her name (currently) is Ebony:

Here she is chilling with her friends:

And that's all you get for now!

Psalm 128:1

2008-08-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

So here's the follow-up I promised to my little artwork a few posts down. I'm still not going to answer all the questions this stuff may bring up... or just not yet. Anton would be upset if I did.

So the designs were spurred on by my sermon on Psalm 128. My imagination was peaked by the first verse: "Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways." What does this verse say to us? What are we to learn of God through it?

I think this verse tells us of our appropriate relationship and response to God. I spent a good amount of time unpacking what it means to "fear the Lord" in my sermon, so I won't bore you with all that now (if you're interested, you can read it here, or listen to the mp3). But I suggest this fear is not a state of being scared, but rather a proper relationship with God where we respect Him as He is. That means that we have to let God be God.

I think we have a general tendency to only allow God to be who we want Him to be. We only accept or believe or submit to the aspects and characteristics of Him that we can handle. Essentially, we put God inside a box that we create, one with boundaries we can handle. Sadly, this means we are basically serving a God that is made in our image, made by us, instead of the other way around. And if this is the case, we are serving an untrue God.

So, to fear God, is really to accept that God is bigger than we can handle or understand. That is our right relationship with Him. In doing this, we let Him out of our box. It's quite simple to see where my graphic goes. I know, I'm simplistic. But I meditated over this passage and let my imagination take over, so I'm still thankful for what I was able to create (and it's a whole lot better than most of what I did).

Let us look back at the verse: "Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways." I'm not going to get into what kind of 'blessing' I think God desires and provides for those who hold a right relationship with Him (again, listen to the sermon if you desire), but I will say that the 'walk in His ways" is a picture of our appropriate response. The psalmist is using walk God's path as a metaphor of responding to a right relationship with God. You can see my own picture of this.

I think when we contain God within our boundaries, we put ourselves ahead of Him. We say that we're more important. We become bigger than God. When we let God be God, we remove our box and serve the whole and true God, and our only response is surrender and humility toward Him. He is bigger, and much more important than us.

And that's that.

Since You Don't Want to Play...

2008-08-08T10:53:00.001-07:00

Well it seems that only 2 people read this blog. I guess I overestimated with 4.

Since I've received no feedback comments (thanks to Sarah Pee and DLC for their comments) of people attempting their thoughts of my creations, I guess I'll just leave that one and move on to a new subject.

And I do realize that I recently (months ago) put up a post that many asked me to respond to with my own thoughts. I will do that. Sometime.

However, tomorrow (or Sunday :D ) I will put up some thoughts I've been having regarding my own personal and ministry focus on Jesus. It centres around the question of how well I actually know Jesus and how I could possibly bring Him to youth if I don't.

For today, I'm gonna leave it (and this horribly random post) to a congrats going out to our good friends Laura and Curtis Thiessen. Happy Baby-Making!!! Laura and Curt are the proud new parents of little cutie Ryan Matthew Thiessen (ya that's right, named after good ol' Uncle Matty). The baby boy was brought into the world yesterday at about 2:00 PM and weighed an astounding 9lbs 5ounces!! JL and I are so excited for our friends and for our own adventure to come in 4 weeks. And let me just say, we're gonna beat that 9 pound mark too!!

We're praying for you friends.

Gone So Long

2008-07-30T23:16:00.000-07:00

I know, I know.

No one's reading this thing anymore cause no one's writing. Sorry to you all (well, the 4 of you). I have in fact been doing some writing lately, but it's been in the form of sermons instead. I had two back-to-back and it was a bit of a challenge, but it all worked out well in the end.

For one of them, I involved one of my youth in a little 'meditative imagination creation challenge' in which both of us would take two weeks and allow our imaginations to create whatever they wanted as we meditated on the passage I was speaking on (Psalm 128). I was not proud of much that I produced, but the ones I turned out in the middle of the second week made me happy.

I'm not going to write my thoughts on them now. But next week, I will. I'll give you all (well, again, the 4 of you) the chance to have your say and tell me what you think. What was I getting at? Read the Psalm yourself and tell me what you think. Next week I'll respond to some of the comments and tell you a little of what and why I created.

Looking forward to hearing from you. And don't forget to click on the images to get a larger view.

Enjoyed the Chat - Thanks

2008-06-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

Well I just got off the 'phone' (Skype) with two of my favourite people who I miss dearly. JL and I were able to video chat with James and Hil out in the land of the London. They've had some interesting stories already which we got to hear and are settling in nicely in the Kingsley household. Thanks for the chat friends and I can't wait till next time.

One story they told us was about their recent adventure with Malcolm at Canada's Wonderland. I can't wait to go. But here's some video of the ride they went on. I hope you enjoy it. Usually I don't endorse video with bad language but this is both understandable and worth it. Wait for the 1:17 mark. Hilarious. You can also get actual good video of this 'Behemoth' once the video is done and there's similar videos listed.

Some Good Thoughts

2008-06-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

I recently read an article in Relevant magazine that addresses two key things I think about lots. The issue of youth ministry and it's long-term impact on individuals, as well as the idea of Church being something we can 'do' differently as we have attempted at The Place here at Lambrick.

It's a bit long and will take about 5 minutes, but I think it's worth the read.

Read "Faith No More" by Jesse Carey

The Funniest Thing I've Read in a Long Time...

2008-06-06T23:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, so part of the youth ministry here at LPC is a leadership development program called Mission:Unlimited. This year, the group is going on a service trip to Ecuador. In order to raise funds for this trip, we are doing a Gala Dinner in a few weeks (if you're interested in coming, contact me for tickets).

So at this dinner, each youth has a table that is designated as theirs. They'll have their picture on it and a 1-page write-up telling the guests a little about themselves.

This is what Nigel Barry gave us for his write-up. This is his best attempt at selling himself to a group of Christians who will be potentially be sponsoring him to go on this trip. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did:

"Hello, my name is Nigel "The Rifle Rack" Barry. I am 18 years old and am graduating from St. Andrews this year (unless I fail, then I guess I'll be doing it again! lol). Anyways, in my spare time, I like destroying things like ant-hills with illegal explosives imported from eastern Romania. I also enjoy catching fish, then eating them shortly after as it makes me feel like a dinosaur or a cave-man. When I am tired, I simply fall asleep wherever it is that I am. I don't care what people think about me. When I was three years old, I ate a worm.

I'm also quite intrigued by way, but I don't really agree with the whole idea of killing people, so I play video games instead. Imagine if in war, they weren't allowed to use guns, or other shooting projectiles/gasses, and could only throw eggs, baby carrots, and rabbit droppings... Hitler would not be famous.

I have amazing dreams both in colour and in sound where I accomplish great feats, but forget them as soon as I wake up. I once skied my way down from the top of Mount Everest with an injured fellow strapped to my back. I can drive with my eyes closed, I can't stand the sound of people chewing, and I once wrestled an armadillo. I am the reason for the rising price of oil. Once in a while, when I'm feeling frisky, I'll go for a walk in the park wearing nothing but a jock-strap. Light sabers don't faze me. I taught Tiger Woods how to swing a golf club, and Chuck Norris is my daddy. I designed and engineered the Eiffel Tower and the Sistine Chapel in 21 hours before selling the plans to Michelangelo, Maurice Koechlin, & Emile Nouguier for their souls.

I am going to Ecuador to grow as a person and gain self experiences by helping others. I hope this trip will change the whole vision of my future life."

As you can see, I have an amazing pleasure in being able to hang out with some extremely gifted youth.

The Ironman Challenge

2008-06-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

A new challenge. Music to my ears.

Friends of mine work for Young Life, and recently I asked how I could support them in their upcoming fundraising effort. It's the Ironman Invitational Golf Tournament on June 23rd. And even with late notice, they said the best thing I could do was to... well, GOLF! (and no, it's not miniature despite the picture)

They say it's not easy. 100 holes in one day. They say your body will ache. 5.45 rounds in 12 hours. They say it's a challenge to not take lightly.

I say... BRING IT ON!

I am so excited to be able to help support Young Life by being a part of this amazing fundraising opportunity.

However, you might be asking yourself why I, a church Youth Pastor and eager Camp Imadene supporter, would be fundraising for Young Life... Well, there's lots of reasons. So since this is my blog, and I can say whatever I want, and since many of you have been begging for action for awhile, I'm gonna tell you. If you don't care, just skip to the last paragraph.

Reasons why I, Andy, am a strong supporter (and now fundraiser) of Young Life:
1) Young Life is a great ministry. No questions asked. They have a heart to reach teens for Christ, to seek them out in their world, and to lead them to new life. What's not to support?!

2) I have a many good friends who volunteer and work with Young Life. In particular, Rob Priestly and Jon Blaney, both work full time and count on other's support for their entire paycheque and ministry costs. So I want to support them as friends.

3) My church, Lambrick Park, supports Young Life with funds. More than that, we are partners with them in the Lord's ministry. Even more than that, most Young Life Victoria staff and volunteers go to Lambrick Park (the Place) and therefore their work with YL is in many ways a ministry of our church.

4) Taking the previous thought further, I see Young Life as in integral part of my model of youth ministry. I focus most of my energy on churched youth, those who have already realized the reality of what God has done for them. My hope is to walk alongside them as they seek to allow Christ to be the Lord of their lives, as well as walking alongside their parents in supporting and bringing up their children to love and serve God the best they know how.
However, Young Life works in a different way. They aren't looking for church kids. They are seeking out those who do not know God. They go to where the students are (mostly their schools), meet with them, and through the kids friendships start building a relationship that will one day prayerfuly see those individuals change their lives for the sake of Christ.
Young Life and Lambrick work in a partnership of Youth Ministry. Sometimes we send those (young) adults who are interested in outreach-focused ministry to Young Life to serve as leaders. When kids become Christians, they start coming with their friends and leaders to the Place to enter into a community of believers and some start coming to our youth groups or Bible studies or leadership development programs. Basically, it's a wonderful relationship where we can support and help each other and work alongsode each to see God's Kingdom furthered. Who can argue with that!

So that's basically why I'm doing it. Plus, it'll be a great time to hang with some wonderful Young Life staff, leaders, and kids, as well as a time for me to hang with some of my own kids (my caddies).

If you can, I'd love to have you partner with me as I take this 100 hole golf challenge. The point is to raise funds. My friends who work for Young Life have to earn every penny through support that they run their ministry on and get paid by. So every dollar counts and will help me reach my goal of $1500. Please sponsor whatever you can.

You can go to this page to make online donations by credit card. Otherwise you can email me or just drop a toonie in my pocket. Donations over $20 will be receipted for tax purposes.

I'm So Proud

2008-04-12T23:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm in Maui right now and not really able to be on the internet much right now (I've recieved 117 emails and 1352 junk emails in the lat week so I'm not even checking those!), but I just wanted to write a quick note...

The Victoria Salmon Kings, who are our local pro hockey team, are currently in the first round of the playoffs. Not only am I stoked that they are in the playoffs, but even moreso that they are the West Division Champs this year. Sweet work boys!

So, if you were unaware, in minor pro sports, it can be hard to attract a good crowd to a playoff game (especially the early rounds). The league's make the team's pay a certain amount for every ticket sold, so there's no value in padding the attendance stats. Plus, there's no more season tickets and very few deals.

Therefore, I am very stoked to see that we attracted 6500 fans to tonight's game! Including Thursday night's game, we are now averaging 5728 fans over the first two games. That is 1000 more fans than the next place team in the league (just so you know, we averaged almost 4800 fans a game in the regular season, good for 10th in the league). There are two teams that are averaging less than 1000 fans per game.

So, in conclusion, I just wanted to say that I am extremely proud of my city for getting out and supporting our team. Oh, and by the way, Victoria's own Ryan Wade had a hat-trick tonight as we won 4-3!

A Wonderful New Life

2008-03-12T09:27:00.001-07:00

After hiding it from the world for a painful two months, we are now allowed to tell everyone...

That Jennie-Lynne and I are pregnant!!!

We are so excited for this new life adventure. We have no idea what challenges and excitement it will bring, but we are so thankful that we get to walk down this road together. It's going to be so fun!

Already, only 14 weeks in, you can feel life changing. I immediately became a new man, or at least a changed one. I started giving away books and releasing long-collected items in order to make room for the new baby and the mountain of baby stuff we'll collect. I look at the world differently now, knowing that I'll have a baby to protect from it. (confession warning) I am feeling desires to buy and do a number of things before my life completely changes and my freedom and bankbook are inhibited.

But what's most cool is the new emotions and feelings that start stirring inside of you. The pride you feel in your baby-growing wife. The joy of being able to be part of a miracle. The new attraction to a changing pregnant Jennie-Lynne. The parts of your heart awakening for the first time (JL's words) when we heard the heartbeat of our child.

We just can't wait. It is truly an amazing journey that we are on and we want to prematurely thank all those that will be cojourners with us and support us through all the joy and pain of parenthood.

I'm gonna be a daddy!

A Response

2008-03-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm sorry to say that I have not written in awhile. It's hard work keeping a blog going! But to quell this spell, I will make it easy on myself and write an unoriginal but still hopefully funny response to my good friend's recent post on his personal Ten Commandments. You can find Matty's original post here.

THE BING MAN'S TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. Thou shalt learn how to drive a standard transmission properly, which means no clutch riding, clutch jamming, or gear grinding. Proper standard driving is very important to me--my father is the master of clutch saving as he racked up close to 400,000 kms on his '88 Tercel wagon, all on the original clutch. He has passed this passion to me, his oldest and his only son.
Response: I myself have heard Matty brag of his dad's deeds many times before. And for good reason. I personally was taught how to drive by a race-car driver (thanks Bill O'Kell) and therefore do not have the same passion for conserving clutches, but rahter I choose to wear them out as aggresively as possible. Not because I am a poor standard driver, but rather because I like to jump the gun everytime off the line, pass people whenever an opportunity arises, and generally drive like I'm in the Indy 500 regardless of where I am or how much time I have to get somewhere.

2. Thou shalt not cheer for the Ottawa Senators hockey club. Unless they are the last Canadian team in the playoffs.

Sub-commandment a): thou shalt avoid cheering for American hockey teams if at all possible.

Sub-commandment b): thou shalt not like Daniel Alfredsson because he is a wiener.
Response: "Wiener" Hilarious. I personally cheer for the Bruins first, the Avs (or the Quebec franchise as I like to refer to them) second, the Nucks third, and then any and all Canadian teams to follow. I hate Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal whehn they face my B's, but otherwise I am cool with them. However, I will NEVER cheer for the Rangers or Flyers, two of the most hated teams in history.

3. Thou shalt not support any other computer company but Apple because PC's are clearly inferior and don't look as cool.

Qualifying clause a): use of PC's at work is permitted and probably unavoidable, but try not to bring them into the home for personal use.
Response: Amen! I taught Matty the ways of the Apple. To illustrate, I will include a comic. If you cannot read it, then click on it and see a bigger version. Anyone who continues to claim Windows-based PCs are better are simply keeping their head in the sand. Pull it out people.

4. Thou shalt make flossing a daily part of thy oral hygiene regimen. Flossing decreases the risk of gum disease and leads to healthier teeth and gums, as well as improving your breath.
Response: I do not floss. I hate flossing. It hurts. My teeth are too tight together. I once had a dental hygenist put her leg up on me in the chair in order to get better leverage while trying to get the floss in between my teeth. It worked. And it hurt. I beld for 2 days. And it did not turn me on.

5. Thou shalt avoid agreeing with thy best friend, Andrew J. Renton, on as many things as possible.

Sub-commandment a): thou shalt do thy best to provoke Andrew J. Renton as much as possible including the following: making fun of the Victoria Salmon Kings, mocking his taste in movies and music, and refusing to hang out with him when it's really late and you would rather sleep (a sure-fire way to get him calling you hilarious names such as "baby" and "pansy").

Sub-commandment b): thou shalt not feel like you must love Andrew J. Renton's cat, Lily, because you seem be the only to realize that she is not adorable and sweet, but unpredictable, destructive, and psychotic. Thou shalt not be pressured into thinking the cat is awesome.

Subcommandment c): though shalt not equate cats with people because no matter what you are told, cats are cats and people are people. How one treats their cat when they misbehave is not how they will treat their child.
Response: I can attest to this commandment of Matty's. It is obviously my favourite of his commandments. I could pretend he is cruel and that it only goes one way, but then I would be lying to you all. We both hold this commandment for our lives. I too desire to disagree with Matty on all possible occasions and to try and agitate him to no end. It often works. As Jess the Londoner and I have often quipped, Matty's agitation just brings us so much joy. It's like a drug. And I can never have enough.
Subcommandment Response: Lily is amazing. She is a freak, but that's why I like her. I taught her to scratch Matt's balls, so that's why she does it. He just doesn't realize it yet. She is amazingly intelligent and is trained exactly how I want her.

6. Thou shalt not listen to bad music, including almost everything that is played in the Top 40, bands that try and fail to sound like Pearl Jam, boy bands, girl bands, Britney Spears, and all those other no-talent pretty boys/girls who wouldn't know a musical instrument if they were hit over the head with one. This is one of the most sacred of the commandments.
Response: I personally like to listen to all music, to get a good eclectic view. Matty refuses to listen to some, and therefore his judgement on music cannot be trusted. It is overly biased and ill-informed. Even the movie critics have to watch the junk in order to better understand the good and to sometimes have their eyes opened anew. Matty just wants to continue in his ways, never changing, and ranting about his personal opinions of music which have little to no merit.
(please see Commandment 5)

7. Thou shalt not watch reality television shows because they are bogus crap with no inherent value whatsoever.

Sub-commandment a): Thou shalt not watch anything at all involving Howie Mandell because he is a cue-ball headed idiot.
Response: I too cannot stand most reality TV Shows. I used to watch a couple because I found them to be an interesting study in human psychology and sociology. However, they just annoy me now. Most of the shows involve Americans. Most Americans on TV are stupid, greedy, and selfish. I can't stand that. Although I have little problem with the cue-ball headed idiot, his show "Deal or Stupid Person's Decision" is my most-hated show. However, when considering reality TV Shows, I wonder where pro sports falls into the occasion (please see Michelle's great post on sports here.)

8. Thou shalt not have heavy objects above thy bed in case there is an earthquake--this commandment is especially relevant to those of us here in BC who live on a huge-ass faultline.
Response: I have realized that Matty is generally an overly safe pansy who takes few chances in life. Especially concerning personal danger. I myself love to live dangerously and therefore have shelfs and books and glasses and pictures all above my bed. I dream of waking up during an earthquake just in time to catch each and everyone of the falling objects aimed for my head.

9. Thou shalt make sure that your children are readers and outdoor players rather than television/video game zombies who can't spell or write and have no social skills--this is the case with so many children these days, in my opinion.
Response: Again... Amen! My kids will play outside. They will play sports. They will play music and sing. They will read and draw and create. They will do all these things whether they like it or not, because I said so.

10. Thou shalt attempt to develop or further the cause of cool nicknames for thy friends and family. For example, I call my father Billzebub, the Dark Prince of Port Alberni. I also have friends named Jimmy the K (not my original), O-Town, the Deet (again, not mine, but I have furthered the cause), Lynnester the Spinster (she is married to the Deet), CMac, koldenbu, the F-Bomb, and T-Bone. Does this make me idiotic? Probably? Do I care? Absolutely not.
Response: Just so you know, I am the Deet. I hate that name. I hate that Matty calls me that for the sake of bugging me. But I've learned to accept it. I wish he'd call me AJ instead but he laughs at me whe I suggest that. So do other people. That hurts. Even more than flossing.

A True Saint

2008-02-16T00:30:00.000-08:00

This man is one of my mom's favourite's. It is a long video, but it has many bits of wisdom (and some humour too) that I thought valuable to share. Thank you Randy for sharing it with me.

An Intentional Love

2008-02-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

As St. Valentine's holiday invades our lives, I think it reasonable to write about the seeming centre of this day: LOVE.

Prior to this day, I asked myself, "what love language does my wife appreciate the most?" It's been a constant source of conversation in our household as we continually think we have her pegged, but it's never as certain as we want it to be. Because of this, it has allowed me to venture into a thought that I want to share with you all:

The best expression of love, is the intention you put behind it.

As I ponder what makes my wife feel the most loved, it's always been the thought that I put behind something. It's the love and care and time behind the act of service or gift that she most appreciates. It must be evident in the act itself, but pre-thought and consideration will almost always prove your love more than the act.

I'm sure the authors of "The Five Love Languages" and every other relationship book explain this better than myself, but I feel as though this is valuable for us all to hear: it's not what you do for your spouse, it's how you go about doing it. An act of love is only as loving as the intention that goes into it.

A Letter to the Editor

2008-02-06T13:16:00.001-08:00

Because of my recent 35 Under 35 all-Star status (penned by some close friends - goofballs!), I have had the benefit of receiving a complimentary annual subscription to ChristianWeek Magazine. As one of the sponsors for the Canada's 35 Under 35 campaign, I do not wish to slag this magazine and I'm actually quite impressed with some of the writing and pieces that they do. I've also had the opportunity to grow a friendship with Doug Koop, their Editorial Director, whom I admire and promote as a man who embodies God's love and Christ's grace. He's also someone who is always wanting to grow and reach out beyond the current status quo.

That is the reason I want to bring this aritcle to my readers. I won't say more here, but I am preparing a Letter the Editor to question and guard the magazine against such an article. It speaks about the word 'missional' and specifically targets 'missional churches'. As a magazine that wants to build bridges and encourage Christians across Canada, I suggest this article does more to polarize this magazine from many of the forward thinking Christian youth of Canada.

Please take a read for yourself and let me know if I'm off my rocker. I'd love to hear your thoughts, as I may include them in my Letter to the Editor. Or, maybe you can write one yourself.

Daniel Bromley

2008-01-28T12:52:00.000-08:00

Years ago I used to work at Camp Imadene as the Workcrew Supervisor. During that time, I had the chance to meet some amazing youth from around the island. Many astounded me with their maturity, Godly passion, and hard work ethics. One of these was Daniel Bromley (centre in picture).

Both Daniel and his sister Sabina are people I was deeply encouraged by. They had a passion for God that is rare and a maturity that balanced it well. Daniel has recently gone on to do schooling in Sweden, and a few missions trips in Eastern Europe (top picture is his team who traveled to Bosnia in 2007). He is only 19 but whenever I spend time with him or receive an email update from him I am not only encouraged, but also drawn more into the presence of God.

For this relationship, I am eternally thankful to God.

Currently, Daniel is leading up a team of young people in heading to Russia to visit churches and encourage local Christians (team is pictured on left, click for larger image. Daniel is far left). They need some prayer regarding their entry visas, so I invite you to join me in praying for them.

If you want to take 5 minutes to get to know Daniel a bit more, then this video he made should do the trick. It is absolute nonsense but captures Daniel without words.

Thanks for reading.

Mutual Submission

2008-01-26T22:00:00.000-08:00

It's a dirty word among many circles.

Submission has gotten a bad wrap. Two thousand years ago, two men, a famous denier and a zealout, told wives to submit to their husbands and the Church became a marked target for the feminist movement of the 20th century.

But what's so wrong with the idea of submission? Is it that bad? I contend it is not bad at all, but rather one of the key attitudes and habits that should characterize ALL Christians.

To submit means to simply yield. To voluntarily let another's position or path take precedence. It is the act of choosing relationship over opinion. Many choose to think that submission is the act of backing down, surrendering, or caving in. But it doesn't have to be this way.

The desire to not back down or let another get their way is an issue of pride. If we are full of pride, we will always think we are right, and if that's the case then what value would it be to submit to others. We'd be choosing the wrong path. But the right path is the path of mutuality. Of true community. Of submitting to one another out of respect for Christ. The right decisions are not as paramount to God as the way we treat one another.

I believe the heart of true submission is love and humility. As Jesus shared in John 13, we are to love one another, that all people might know we are His by our love. This is the love that compels us to willingly and graciously choose the other person's betterment, preference, or decision over our own. We humbly accept that we may be wrong, or rather that our preference doesn't even matter, and that mutuality should be our priority.

I truly believe that submission is the way of Christ, and I want to follow.

But here's a confession: I can sometimes struggle to submit to others who constantly enforce their seeming authority over others. I love to submit, but when others are not mutual, it hardens me.

So what do you all think of this? And particularly, how can I (and all of us) continue to be submissive (and therefore teachable) to those who do not reflect our habit?

Ash Goldie Goes Platinum

2008-01-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

For those who don't know, I am huge sports fan. It's a key part of my family's life. And, I'm also a huge local advocate.

So, when you put those two things together, you get a rather large proponent of local sports. One such venue for this energy is our local professional hockey team, the Victoria Salmon Kings. Now, without getting too far into it, I just wanted to share something we can all be excited about (in my mind).

The ECHL All-Star break was this week. Going into the break, the Salmon Kings are tied for 1st in our conference. That's awesome enough in my mind. But we also had 3 representatives at the All-Star game. One of those reps was our leading scorer and star right-winger Ash Goldie (on right with brother Wes who also plays for the Kings).

On Tuesday night, during the annual skills competition, he was involved in the accuracy shooting contest. They have to take a pass from a teammate, and shoot at a target about 20 feet away. There are four targets to hit. How many shots did it take Ash Goldie to knock em down? That's right: FOUR! He is the first person in the ECHL to ever hit 4 in 4 shots. Great work Ash! This does not happen all that often in the NHL allstar games (one of my favs Ray Bourque used to be a pro at it).

But, our man was not done. In last night's All-Star game, he came away with 3 assists. Always a good showing to get three points. But wait, he also got.... 3 goals!!! That's 6 points, making him the new record holder of most points in an ECHL all-star game. He rightly so took home the MVP of the game. He also got records for fastest two goals scored by teammates (16 seconds apart with Peter Ferraro), and the fastest goal at the start of a period (22 seconds into the third). That's 4 records he now holds in the ECHL books, in only 2 nights of work.

So that's why I am lifting my hat to our shinging Platinum Star, Ash Goldie, of the Victoria Salmon Kings.

Cindy Davis - Musical Extraordinaire

2008-01-24T10:14:00.000-08:00

I have been enjoying the friendship and musical genius of Cindy Davis for many years now. Recently she released her first actual album, to the fanfare of half the world. She has been written up in the Times Colonist, Vic & Saanich News, appeared on a plethora of radio broadcasts including CBC Radio, and has graced our TV screens through Shaw Daily.

I am very excited for this rising star, but when it comes to musical reviews, I have to leave that to my gifted friend, Matt Bingham. So without further adieu, here is his writeup:
The Bing Dynasty: Cindy Davis live @ Metro Studio Theatre--Jan. 20, 2008

Not Deep, But Still Important to Me

2008-01-23T23:06:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I haven't written in awhile. It turns out December was not as busy as January has been and I don't have time.

So, although many will not care, I want to share something. Somewhat in the vein of my good friend Matty B I will be allowing you to share in my world and realize that a big part of me revolves around sports. So here goes:

Although they are still doing very well and have a great record (30-12), the Phoenix Suns (of the NBA) have dominated most teams the last few seasons and still struggled to go far in the playoffs. This year has been up and down and they have lost to some very poor teams. What will happen come playoff time this year?

Case in point tonight...
The Suns, first in the conference, were facing the Timberwolves, last in the league. Final score... 117-107. For the Wolves!!!!

Minnesota shot 50% from the field, 30% from behind the arc, and an amazing 64% from the free throw line. How did they win?!?! Well, in the battle of the big guys my friends. The Timberwolves managed to pull down 48 rebounds, compared to the Suns measly 26. The offensive boards were even more lopsided: 22 to 3! 3 offensive rebounds? What?! How is that possible?!?

Well, everyone is allowed a bad game, and the Suns are still leading the conference, but I am struggling to see how these types of performances will keep you there. Please boys, prove me wrong and bring us that long awaited for championship (I've been a Suns fan since the KJ days of my early teens).

Thanks for reading. For those who have gotten this far, I promise more tomorrow. Maybe even two posts ;)

I Can't Do More!

2008-01-11T14:30:00.000-08:00

It was screaming through my head.

As our church entered into the conversation of what to do after the resignation (fairly positive) of our Lead Pastor and my good friend Don Crawford, I could not ignore it.

We are being asked to see how we can fill the holes left by this vacancy. The impossibility of this I will not get into.

"I can't do more!"

It just got louder and louder.

I eventually had to write it down on paper. After I did, my pen kept moving. I knew I brought a pen and pad of paper into that meeting for a reason. All of the things I currently do (or at least the things that came out in a 5 minute spew) were scribbled down. Regularly scheduled, infrequently gotten to, often forgotten, always urgent, really important... everything I could think of.

As I reached the capacity of the paper, I realized it was more than just "I can't do more."

I realized I can't do what I'm doing. Or rather, I shouldn't.

Looking over the vast list I realized how many of the things I am doing poorly. Most. If not all.

Can I admit this to myself? Should I admit it to others? Will I write it down? Will I say it out loud?

I flipped over the page. Began a new one.

I admitted to myself what has been circling in my head for so long. I am doing too much, and often doing the wrong things, and am doing it all poorly. I wrote it down. Over the next couple days I admitted it to others. Now I'm taking it to the international network. What am I doing?

This is not to say I am ready to stop. This is not to say I need to quit or be fired. This is not to say I am having an early-career crisis.

But it is to say something is wrong. I have been spending time listening to others and listening to God and feel sure that things need to change. I need to change.

Part of that change is to admit to myself:

I am failing in my spiritual life and ministry vocation.

What does that mean? I'm not sure.

But I said it.

My Friend the Low-Key Prophet

2007-12-28T21:41:00.000-08:00

I got to be honest... I have great friends. The people that surround me are straight-up amazing. Quality exudes from within them all.

One of these friends of mine is gifted in many areas. He never has a harsh word for anyone and is always positive. He has a knack for encouraging others to become better at what they do, and loves to connect people (is he starting to realize I'm talking about him?). He desires to make things look good (he definitely knows it's him now) and can be found here.

But the thing I have realized most about James Kingsley these last years is that he has an uncanny ability to look down the road and see where the Church and society in general is going. Though he would never think this about himself, he is very much a prophet for us at Lambrick/the Place.

Many of the things that are cropping up in today's world Jimmy has been talking about for years. A number of the changes and moves my wife and I have made in our lives have been the result of conversations started by this great guy.

If you are interested in some of his thoughts, then I suggest you check out his blog (which is forever linked in my sidebar to the left). In particular, you should check out his recent post where he discusses his predictions for the new year. Though some are on the not-as-serious side, many are short write-ups of thoughts movements Jimmy K has seen making the move in Western society. I most appreciate his thoughts recorded in points 2-4 and am excited about the idea of fruit trees (useful) becoming the new ornamental trees used by municipalities/cities everywhere.

In a season where toasts are common, I want to lift my glass to my good friend, and unsung prophet of Victoria... the one, the only, Mr. James Kingsley. Thanks for bringing us the word.

Chink.

This is Where I'm Called...

2007-12-18T00:27:00.000-08:00

3:16 AM

The phone is ringing.

I jump awake, looking at the clock, and it hits me.

Dread. Fear. Anxiety.

"God, help me."

There's only a few reasons why the phone rings at 3:16 AM.

The voice I hear confirms my fears. Pain and sorrow come pouring through the earpiece. As real as the tears being shed on the other side of the line. As real as the tears which begin to stream down my face.

One of my youth is in the hospital. They have tried to take their life. We don't know how serious it is. Their family needs help.

This is the reality of my job. The pain our world's teenagers face everyday is making them question whether life is worth living. And it's not just the odd one or two that are asking these questions. It's the vast majority. Trust me, I have the 'privilege' of bearing this burden.

Why?!?

"Why does it have to be like this? Why does it hurt so much?" I pound the carpeted floor as I pray early this morning. "God, why do you let this happen? Don't you care about us? Why do you let us hurt so much? I thought you loved us?! Are you even there?!! Please help!!!"

I thank God I am able to cry out to Him. Our hurting world, and even many Christians, don't know how to cry out to God. They often have no one to cry out to. They take their cries to a bottle of pills. They're not intended to be that type of pain reliever.

This is a reality for so many of today's teenagers. No one will understand. No one can feel what I feel. It hurts so much. Why bother?

I get to help hurting teens. This is both a privilege and a burden. So painful, but so necessary. I thank God He has asked me to do this. I thank God He helps me do this.

This is my life. This is where I'm called.

Farmer Roy

2007-12-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

On October 24, 2007, a true saint passed away.

He was one who invested in others like few I've known. Because of this, he blessed Victoria in numberous ways. The farming community especially will never be the same without him. I had the privilege of knowing him through the work of Camp Imadene.

His name is Roy Hawes, and you can find his story written here. This article appeared in newspapers across Canada.

Please take the time to read and enjoy the blessing of knowing a little bit about this great man. May his story encourage and inspire you, as it has for me.

Why I Post

2007-12-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

I began writing here because I feel there are a lot of things continually rolling around in my head that I want to get out. In the past it has resulted in me saying way too much in communal settings, or ranting in other people's forums. Basically, I've spewed in appropriate places (like the sink, instead of the toilet).

So, by writing here, I can throw down my thoughts, feel as though I'm still communicating them, and hopefully control my verbal and/or written outbursts in other venues. As an added bonus, I can come back to my thoughts later (I'm big on journaling, but the onset of email and internet in my life in the past 4 years has limited this practice unfortunately) and see where I've been.

In that light, I want to point out that I in know way believe my thoughts here are the exhaustive truth on whatever topic I may be writing. I am putting thoughts on paper (am I really?) for the sake of churning them over. If you want to enter into that, then I would be honoured. To churn together would be a delight. But I am sure you will see some topics and thoughts turned over and over as we journey together toward greater understanding of life and truth.

For the posts that proceed and follow, I ask for grace, as I will certainly need it.

Batteries (the Heart) Included

2007-12-09T16:14:00.000-08:00

Life has been tough lately. A lot of it has been political type stuff that would not be appropriate to get into here. However, one of the things I have more fully realized through all of it is the importance and value of sharing your heart with others.

Many people believe that you should leave your emotions at the door when it comes to business/public encounters, but I am learning this can do more harm than good. I was challenged recently (by Tim Bailey, teaching pastor at Wortley Baptist Church, London, Ont) that putting a good face on and hiding some of our unglier side in order to be nice and gracious with others actually is a remarkably selfish thing to do(Get his book here). As humans (and especially as Christians), one of our greatest challenges and blessings is to accept people as they are, being gracious with their faults, and loving them regardless. By hiding some of our ugliness and faults, we actually limit other's ability to practice grace with us and therefore grow into better beings themselves. We are limiting their potential growth. Of course this isn't our aim, but it is an end result.

By leaving our emotions out of the equation, and putting a happy smily face on in all our public interactions, we do harm not only to ourselves but also to those around us. For ourselves, we practice a fakeness than can become habit and extremely devastating. We are learning hypocrisy. For others, we disable their ability to be gracious with us. But more than that, we end up not fully connecting with those around us and our interactions become fake in themselves.

Board meetings, social gatherings, business encounters, church services... these are places where we often practice fakeness. Now I don't think it appropriate to always lay out our whole story when we meet a new person. But we do need to realize the value in allowing our emotions and heart to be a part of who we are. God created us this way. We are emotional beings. We hurt sometimes. The Western corporate beast is criticized for being heartless. Is this what we want for ourselves too?

Jim Brown, an author and Board consultant on the East Coast, suggests that the majority of Boards are dysfunctional primarily because those involved do not know one another. How can we spend hours together on a regular basis and not know one another? It's because we so often keep our hearts out of the equation and keep purely to business as usual.

I'm not suggesting all meetings and interactions become primarily emotional sob-fests. However, let's take the challenge to allow our hearts to be present in us wherever we go and whatever we do.

Social & Individual Healing through Communal Connection

2007-12-07T18:10:00.000-08:00

If you know me well, then you know I am passionate about social injustice. Something that strikes me hard is the plight of those living within the street community.

I have long believed that the heart of the problem lies in broken hearts. Community programs, social assistance, low-income housing, needle-exchange, education, etc are all very important but not the answer in themselves. The true pain is in the limitation and brokenness of our relationships, and therefore the secret lies with human touch. Healing on an relational level through the growth of real and true communion between hurting individuals.

I look to the example of Jesus. How did He reach out to those forced to the outskirts of His society. He went to them, He invited them, He ate with them, He touched them. As the Christians of my generation have accepted relational evangelism, so I believe we need to accept relational service and social outreach.

During a recent visit to Vancouver, I was able to meet and interact with many individuals who do life out on the streets. I made a point of relating to each one as a new person, not lumping them into a group as a whole. Sometimes I can be guilty of this. Each of us is an individual created in God's image, and therefore in need of communion with others just as God Himself finds Communion within the Trinity and with us. I talked with all, offered smiles as I do to all people, supported some with their need for coin, and tried to offer God's love in the short interactions I had.

It was delightful to experience the joy within most of these individuals. Spending the time talking with them was not simply an act of service, but actually a time for me to be blessed.

What if each of us who seem to care about poverty and the issues that face those living on the streets actually set out to meet, grow a relationship with, and support even just one person living in extreme poverty in our cities? Would there be enough of the downtrodden to go around? I don't think so. Each person currently living on the streets would soon have at least a few individuals who care where they are each night and what they are struggling with. If this is genuine attention, then a communion between these people will grow and I truly believe some of the struggles of their lives will soon be alleviated. And also some of the struggles of our lives will be too.

I believe our deepest need is to connect with others in a way that is positively indescribable. This connection must be with God, but through others. This connection is the essence of reconciliation. Some of us have this connection. Some don't.

To reach out and connect with other individuals allows us to receive healing for many of the social and individual ills we face. This will not 'fix' the issue of poverty ("the poor you will always have"), but I believe it is the key to bringing healing to those we meet who are livin lives of pain on our streets.

I welcome your comments.

It's True, I Like To Rant

2007-12-07T17:57:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons I have finally started this thing up is that I like to rant. I have a hard time not being passionate about things. If I actually give (have) the energy to care about something, I always care hard. It's like falling in love. If you're going to fall, you might as well fall hard. Ask my friends, I've always been a 'fall hard' type of guy when it comes to everything: sports, politics, love, faith, friendships, hobbies, etc.

So, after spending the last years saving my rants for other comments on other people's blogs, I figure it's time to leave my friends alone and start up my own. Now there's a place for people to fight back. I welcome the interaction.

I hope to fill these pages (?) with notes about things I truly care about, though the mundane and irreverent will no doubt slip in. I ask that you choose your time well in reading and viewing what may come. Much of it will probably rot your brain so please don't read it all. And everyone knows I'm longwinded so stop reading a post at anytime. Like right now. Cause I may just carry on forever...........

Well, thanks for making your way here and I hope you enjoy the visit.

God bless,
AJ

Andy Hits the Blog Zone

2007-12-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

Well, after years of waiting, and managing many others sites, I think it may finally be time to enter the world of a personal blog. Now that the blog fad is over and everyone's on Facebook (which I'm sure will soon also be fading into the land of has-been), I feel it appropriate for me to jump in and voice my thoughts to online ear.

It may take a bit to develop, so sit tight (not that any of you really care), and don't fret. My desire is basically to use this as a place to drop lines about the things I care about, the things that cross my mind, and the people I wish to draw attention to. If you have something you wish me to profile or write about, then let me know. Not that anyone will actually be reading these musings...

Till I return, peace friends.

AJ