homework

I have about 30 seconds before I have to catch the bus to school. So, read this, and we'll talk about it later.

5 Things I am thankful to God for today:

1) Keeping me safe on the bus/skytrain/bus

2) Helping me keep my sanity throughout the last 3 days. Already I have done more studying/homework than in my first 2 years of high school. By Monday, I expect it will top the entire gambit of homework done in all of high school. With two more weeks to go.

3) Giving me the confidence to get up every day, knowing that there is a big 300lb boxer that I paid to wait for me everyday called "EMR-100"

4) Keeping Vanessa and the kids sane while I am absent in the mornings.

5) The thought that I can actually still go to freedom session tonight and get my homework done.

Bonus reason: forgiving me for not doing any bible study so far this week.

10 seconds away from studying

1) Tight jeans are NOT back in style. Please, please, no...especially on dudes.
2) Low rise jeans, thong underwear, and floor activities for EMR class DO NOT MIX!
3) If you don't have anything productive to say, or a useful question, SHHHHHHHH!

Thank you, come again.

the need for self discipline

It is great that I came across this passage the day before I start the intense 3 week EMR course.

Short and sweet, it's to the point. Run to get the prize at the end, not for an Earthly crown but for a crown that will last forever.

"Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize"

I think the key message here is that we need to be disciplined in the way that God wants us to be. Spend time with him every day. The closer we get to God, the more He will be able to work through us. The more we let Him work through us, the more we will be blessed.

note to self

when you work at a restaurant near the beach and not actually at the beach, people don't come to visit you on the Friday before a long weekend when it's 28 C outside.

the power of Jesus

The story of Lazarus is a fairly popular one, but I've never really studied it until today. It tells of how Lazarus is sick, yet Jesus takes his time in going to see him, 2 days in fact, before he leaves.
Lazarus dies before Jesus gets there, but with God's power he is able to raise Lazarus to life again.

Worth a read, for sure, as we get a glimpse of just how powerful Jesus is. My favorite quote from this chapter is

"I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die."

This really in itself is cause to let go of any worry or fear that we may have. Most of us see the worst possible outcome of a situation as death; this goes to show that if you are walking with Jesus, then you do not need to fear death, since you will have eternal life. So why worry?

after happily ever after

Last night my beautiful wife and I went to the Focus on the Family marriage conference. It was definitely interesting, funny, and had some good insights into what makes a marriage last. Well, not just last, but thrive for decades.

Part of how we ended up going was that we volunteered, and helped at the bookstore during the pre-show and intermission. It was easy work, and it gave us a chance to scan the crowds for anyone we knew.

Because of this event though, I wasn't able to do any studies yesterday. This is ok though, because at the event there was some good teaching. One of the important bits of teaching that spoke to me was all about affirming your spouse. Now this isn't rocket science, and I think that we all understand how important it is to affirm your wife, but have a read of this passage, and tell me if you don't think that your wife would be appreciative of hearing this on a daily basis.

He kept calling, and calling

The day after Mother's day. I still haven't quite recovered from yesterday. It isn't that it went badly. In fact, it went amazingly well. We did almost the same amount of sales as the Langley store did last year, and we are 1/3 the size. And the kitchen pumped out the food like nobody's business. I mean nobody's.

It was EPIC. (yes, worth the capitals)

Alas, today begins a new week. A week full of it's own tasks and challenges, important and urgent things to be done.

Tonight I was reading this out of the book of 1 Samuel. What really struck me as special was the fact that God kept calling to Samuel, even though Samuel didn't know it was Him calling. What makes it stand out is this:

"Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him."

Instead of getting angry, or giving up, God patiently calls until he finally Samuel figures out that it's God.

The fact that God loves us enough to just keep calling, keep inviting us in to his life, even when we are completely oblivious to it gives so much hope for us all. There is a popular christian song out right now and in the chorus there is a line that asks the question "Is there hope for every man?"

Absolutely.

how I stay sane

Happy Mother's day baby! Insert clever and witty dialogue {here}... I really don't have the words to say how awesome you are, how great it is to have you around everyday, and how blessed I am that you are here to stick it out to the end with me.

knowing our weakness'

To start, I think that everyone in South Surrey thought today was Sunday, instead of Saturday, because we were that busy. Add that to everyone and their dog phoning for a reservation for tomorrow (Mother's day, the SuperBowl of all days in restaurant land) and it was non-stop all day.

A bit of quiet time at home, and I have looked up today's passage.

I see this as a very uplifting bit of scripture. It points out that our Saviour lived life on this Earth, and had to live through the same temptations that we are faced with every day. Well, maybe not every temptation, I'm sure there were no Porche 911 twin turbo's or 52 inch LCD HDTV with Gold Plated Inputs and 1080pi. (is that even a real feature, 1080pi?) I'm sure there was the equivalant though, and I'm sure that he knows how much we might want these toys. The point is, he went through it. Sure, he was able to live a sinless life, but he was the Son of God, so we can't be expected to live up to those standards. God wants us to, and we need to try as much as we can to be sinless, but God knows as well as we do that it is impossible, that is why Jesus came to save us.

"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need". (Heb 4:16)

An we are all in a time of need, and all we need to do is ask Him for help.

urgency

Last night I read an article (Tyranny of the Urgent, by Charles E. Hummel) about our busy lives and taking the time for God. It talked about doing the urgent things in our lives versus the important things, and how we get caught up with stuff. Even if we had more hours in a day, we wouldn't get everything accomplished.

To me, this means that I need to take the time for daily learning and interaction with God. It's funny how this ties in with what was revealed to me on our weekend retreat, even though the two were not really planned to tie together. (isn't God smart, planning these things out)

This morning's bible reading (philippians 3:7-11) talks about the gains of this world versus the gains of a life in Christ. "I have lost everything for Him. And I think of these things as worth nothing so that I can have Christ." So much of our time and energy is spent trying to get "stuff". Bigger house, faster car, flat screen tv's that take up half the wall in the living room, flashy jewels. In fact, we spend so much time trying to get these things to impress the world, to comfort ourselves, that we lose touch with why God has given us time on Earth. We forget our purpose, and start focusing on the urgent yet eternally meaningless tasks instead of focusing our attention on what is important in life, and important to God.

Do you know your purpose yet?

on tithing

Overhearing a conversation this weekend caused me to look up this verse. It's definitely worth having a look at, and worth having a look at finances to see where the priorities really are.

taking a turn

I spent last weekend at a camp just outside of Cultas Lake, in Chilliwack B.C. Besides being one of the most beautiful places to spend a weekend, it was an amazing experience for me.

While there, I was surrounded by over a hundred fellow men from my church, looking to spend a weekend getting closer to God, bonding with men, and having some quiet time.

What we got was an experience of a lifetime, I can not even begin to explain here what an impact this weekends teaching and worship time had on my life. I felt God working in me, and I know that there was not a single man there that wasn't feeling the same spirit moving in him.

I will be taking a bit of a turn here with what I blog about, making it more of a journal and a place to record what I come across as I read the Bible, and the truths that come to me. I will still post the witty anecdote and tale of life as a Dad, soon to be a Dad who is taking an EMR program so he can change professions soon, but that will not be the main focus.

I can only hope that what I write will touch someone out there, possibly open some eyes, ease some pain, answer some questions, or make you laugh. If you feel particularly touched about something that you read here, please leave a comment, as I would love to hear about it.