Internationally Known

This blog has MOVED!

2008-06-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

I felt it was time for a change...
i actually want to become a consistent blogger from now on... So i Need a New beginning!
The new address is: www.jordanmc.wordpress.com
Come visit and leave a note! Thanks Y'all!

Straight up!

2008-05-14T08:51:00.001-07:00

Is what describes this picture... this is me and Nic at Niagara Falls standing beside a statue of the tallest man on record to live (Robert Wadlow). I knew i was short, but this is a real shot to the ego... ok maybe not so much, but definitely neat to see...

We are back home after a great trip with our group to Youth Convention in Winnipeg and a nice week in Toronto for my fellowships General Conference! It was good to take some time away from the office and "work" and get out... Spring is my favorite season and so therefore, also my favorite time to be on holidays! Not that this was a holiday or anything, i mean i was still working as my Church sent me... right...

Youth Convention was a hoot this year... great speakers, music and i know our group had a blast... General Conference was also interesting... Getting to sit in a room and hear people from the fellowship debate and discuss issues was an interesting experience... not to mention the time in Toronto was great... Go to take in a Blue Jays game, went to Niagara Falls and tried to experience everything, had dinner with my former leaders and people i still love and look up to, read some good books, drank a lot of coffee, caught up with other leaders, and best of all spent time with my beautiful wife! Although, i think i was a bit grumpy from time to time... living on 5-6 hours of sleep per night, can only go so long!

I guess what is on my heart today and over the last week is the whole idea of how we as humans make decisions that we argue are based on the scriptures! I wonder how often we bring our feelings/pre-conceived beliefs into the process and whether this waters down the impact that scripture should have in our decision making? How do we let the scriptures and our emotions help us in making decisions that we believe are God centered? There was a bit of a controversial resolution passed at our conference this past week and i'm totally not saying it should've or shouldn't have been passed (i'm not an ordained minister yet, so i refrain from getting to vote... i know... perhaps i''ll get the added anointing soon)... It was passed and i support our fellowship... But what i'm contemplating now is how much of 'me' do i allow in judging what is 'biblical'?

Take Capital Punishment for instance... I've heard one of my favorite speakers/authors Tony Campolo, once say that it is impossible to read the Sermon on The Mount and not come out against Capital Punishment! I have to agree with Tony... Jesus preaches a Gospel of love, hope, grace, mercy, forgiveness and especially Justice! YET, our human hearts often desire to see JUSTICE be played out... in the ways we deem fit... and so many would reason that Capital Punishment is a legitimite Biblical and Christian response to evil, even though the scriptures may not overly agree with our passionate desire to see justice prevail through these 'means'... and often times, speak very contrary to the way we use them to back up our 'beliefs'...

I guess as humans we are very emotional people and often issues hit close to home... are we prepared to let the scriptures have final say in what we do? Or do we allow culture and our heart's desire lead the way? Just some thoughts... It's a tough battle to wrestle out sometime, but needed nonetheless... It's tough when the scripture goes contrary to my nature and natural beliefs... It takes humility, to accept it's truth at times!

If I could've voted at Conference i honestly don't know how i would've voted on these difficult issues... One thing i now know, is that a vote isn't something to be done carelessly... I think deep study of the scripture and much prayer should go into any decision we make... especially when the truth of scripture is the deciding factor and what we are claiming our decisions are based on... you wrestle with this much? Those are my thoughts today, i'm working on a couple of sermons and listening to the new Death Cab disc... hope you're having a great day!

People along the way.

2008-04-15T11:35:00.001-07:00

It's amazing, the impact of spending a couple of days with people whom you have never met, can have on you! This past weekend i was leading the services at our church as our Senior Pastor was away. Thankfully, and I only say this because I was already very busy on the weekend, we had booked a missionary couple to come in and speak at both services!
This couple is on their way to Mozambique and have a passion for seeing the world, in the land in which they were born and raised come to know Jesus! I dropped them off at the airport yesterday morning and feel better for the time I was able to spend with them!
In the morning service the man spoke about Jesus washing His disciples feet. He asked the question, "If Jesus were to walk in here this morning, would you let Him wash your feet?" He presented a lot of background info during his lecture and it really caused me to think about the whole story much deeper. I don't know if i'd be so open to letting Jesus wash my feet! As God, I look up to Him and worship Him and to think if He physically came into our sanctuary, how could I not just bow facedown to the ground and worship? The idea of this man coming to wash an ordinary sinful man like me... Washing my feet??? It seems scandalous and rude to even consider, doesn't it?
And yet, another man named Peter once thought the same thing and vowed that God would never wash His feet... And yet, Jesus responded to him, saying that unless He does, Peter can have no part of Him! In this act of Humility, Jesus cleanses us and not just us, but our feet.... and I'm inclined to believe that He did this, so that we will be fit for the journey that is ahead for us here on earth!
This missionary couple were so humble, friendly and the love of Jesus was very evident in them... I feel like I learned something by just having dinner with them... I feel like i may be missing something and that I need to look to Jesus all the more, everyday... The way they interacted with our Church and people was impressive... They encouraged us in the faith and challenged us to take hope and joy in our cause: The Gospel! They motivated me to run harder in the race and as far as i'm concerned that is the role of a minister! And the best part about them, was that they would probably be the kind of people who would get down, pull out the cloth/water and wash our feet as well!
Just some weekend thoughts...

Check these guys out...

2008-04-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

Sittin around the office preparing some messages for the weekend and thought i'd stop and inform anyone who reads about my new favorite band of the last couple weeks: The New Frontiers!

I heard about this album through online reviews a few weeks back and was intrigued by all the positive press, except for one bad review. Ironically, I think it was that negative review that actually got me interested in them in the first place. I guess the saying rings true again: No press is bad press!

I don't know how to describe them... At first i thought a little like Wilco, Coldplay and Copeland... at least hints of each... At first i thought it was ok, average at best... but now at least 15 listens later, i have to admit it is one of the best discs i have bought in a long time! It took me a little while to get into... i even had to work at it... but wow did it ever pay off in the end! Very releaxing, peaceful, and allows one to think! Good lyrics are a must in any good music for me. You can actually tell that the singer cares about what he's singing. Kind of a rare thing these days.... As far as i know you can only order the disc through their site, but you can download it on itunes... I recommend you all give them a listen! Check them out at :www.myspace.com/thenewfrontiers

Words of a preacher...

2008-03-28T12:25:00.000-07:00

"He who lives without prayer, he who lives with little prayer, he who seldom reads the Word, and he who seldom looks up to heaven for a fresh influence from on high-

He will be the man whose heart will become dry and barren."

- C.H. Spurgeon

... I think that about sums things up for today!

Into The Wild- Review

2008-03-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

Ever since i first heard about this movie on Oprah last fall, i've been intrigued by the story line and have wanted to watch it. Sean Penn is the director behind this movie that tells the story about a young man named Christopher McCandless, whom after graduating college decides that a society focused on materialism, isn't how life was meant to be lived. To make a long story short, he decides to give away his savings ($24000) to charity, Rip up all his credit cards, ID, and basically get rid of 90% of his possessions and go on a hike through America and up to Alaska. His desire was to live in the wild and discover a life different than the typical "American dream."

I tried watching this movie back in January in Edmonton with my bud Joe, But we started it very late at night and with a length of 2.5 hours, let's just say after the first 45 minutes we were both sleeping. This left me a little skeptical, to try watching it again, but i am sure glad that i did! This movie caused me to think. Some things that raced through my mind were thoughts such as : How much security do i get from my possessions? Could i actually survive a day in silence and being alone for a full 24 hours, never-mind months or years? How much do i depend on 'noise' to keep me from truth? The things that i value in this world, are they worthwhile and lasting pursuits?

You cannot watch a movie like this without pondering a lot about life. And in the end, though i am not going to spoil it for you, the one thing that was re-affirmed, is that i really value community and relationships! Most of life doesn't make sense without them! The filming of this movie is absolutely beautiful and helps you to enjoy the planet even more! It is a movie about survival, dealing with your frustrations, finding out what is really meaningful, and remembering the power of love! I highly recommend that you rent this movie! I must warn that there is a sketchy scene when he encounters a couple nude Europeans and this lasts about 2-3 minutes. So use your own discretion. But this movie will cause you to be frustrated with McCandless at times and at other times admire his courage and focus. It'll cause you to see the great divide between rich and poor in our society and just may move people to some form of action! I must also mention that the soundtrack is absolutely brilliant! I've owned it since it's release in September and it is all done by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder! Many have been waiting for some solo work from Vedder and look no further than my friend Evan (biggest Pearl Jam fan that i know of and possibly living) to tell you how great of a songwriter this man is!

I'm glad that i took a second chance on this flick and it definately goes down in my top 5 movies of 2007. My Rating: 4.5/5!

We begin where we end!

2008-03-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

I've had to speak twice in the last 3 days on the Cross. It's interesting but it seems that these are the toughest talks for me to prepare for. It seems that there has become patterns/formulas for how we present the Gospel during the Easter Season and i was trying to make my talk more interesting and with different perspective, rather than something people have heard many times before!

I was trying to figure out how do i tell my youth group or a group of adults about the cross and resurrection so that it becomes more personal for them? And I was hit with a realization of how you need to start at the beginning before you can fully comprehend the end. What do i mean by this? Well, for example, it's neat that many Churches hand out copies of the Bible to people who don't have their own copy. This is what a Church should do. But what has always made me interested and lately very uncomfortable is that many Churches will hand out copies that consist of the New Testament and Perhaps Psalms... without introducing people to the scriptures of the Old Testament! When you read a book do you start in the middle or the beginning? And perhaps, there's a reason why you start at the beginning so that you don't miss out on very important details that will actually help the story make more sense to you!

Anyways, I decided and felt in my heart that if people don't understand the 3rd chapter of Genesis and fully grasp this in their hearts, they will never FULLY understand the cross! In Genesis 2 we learn that man was made perfect, innocent and in perfect relationship with God. Fast forward to chapter 3 and we read about what has become known to us, as the Fall of Man. We see how a perfect relationship was broken. We see how Man first noticed that he was naked and was ashamed, hiding and began covering up (and we still do today). We learn that sin has entered our world and that things would forever change between God and Man. And we learn of a greater problem = Death!

Now i don't know about you, but this is no minor detail that could be left out of the story. This is the reason for the Cross, this is why Jesus came, why He died and why He rose to life! He came to bring freedom from the wreckage of the fall and reconcile man and God! It's one thing for us to tell people about Jesus, the cross, the resurrection... yet, i wonder how many people ask themselves after hearing about him... but why? I believe that the reason is found in Genesis 3... and if we don't understand our beginnings, we can't truly appreciate the end (John 19:30)!

Perhaps, we assume that people know why Jesus came. But do they really? Do they know about the garden and do they know or believe that ALL of life has become tainted and broken because of an act of betrayal? Perhaps we have to spend some time pondering the garden, before we can actually comprehend and appreciate the NEED for the cross! Anyhow, both sermons went good... I felt like i struggled last night while speaking at a gathering of the Churches in Thompson... but apparently people recieved something through it and God's Word touched their hearts again... The scriptures have a tendency to do this... I must never doubt it and know that it's not about me... These have been my Easter thoughts in the last little while... However, I also learned this past weekend a valuable lesson in how to better communicate a message...

Lesson 1: When talking to a group of youth (predominantly Jr. High)... Make sure that you prounounce and order your sentences well... Make sure that when you want to say "Adam and Eve were working in the Garden" that you say that... and say it just like that...don't say what i ended up saying... "And Adam and Eve were working IT, back in the Garden".... This may cause a lot of laughter, turn a few faces red and cause you to have to laugh along and pause to refocus on the message!

Bless you and have a great day!

The difficulty of conversation.

2008-03-13T08:38:00.001-07:00

This is my first blog in over 6 months, things have been interesting since then. I have now been the Assistant Pastor in our church in Thompson for about 10 months now. I emphasize assistant, because I have finally accepted that it involves far more than youth ministry. Which has it's up's and down sides! It's hard to believe how quickly time flies. During this period we've been able to launch the youth ministry that has been going good and preach A Lot, among other things!

I guess that's what has been on my mind in the last couple of months or so. I have developed a great appreciation for pastor's who bring forth a word of hope and truth to their communities week after week. Up until Thompson i was more of a guest speaker whenever i got the chance to speak in Church. In Saskatoon my job was to lead a discipleship group with the youth and i did this weekly, but i approached it as more of time a of teaching and discussion. I miss being called upon to preach once every 3 months, because I found that it was so easy to stay focused and just give ALL that you have into that talk. I now actually preach about 6 times a month, and have been finding that you have to really be connected to God and His word in order to consistently do this. I have taken a more teaching/questioning/sharing, approach in my speaking and realize that all sermons can't be based around fun one-liners and dropping all your good sayings weekly... Shucks eh... I have always loved the preaching of evangelists and always will, but have recognized that it takes true commitment to be in the word week after week, year after year! Perhaps, this is why Paul was so convinced that a leaders' main priority is to be devoted to prayer and the teaching of the scriptures (Acts 6:4)...

There's a new book out by authors Frank Viola and George Barna called "Pagan Christianity." It is causing a lot of controversy for Church leaders and is attempting to re-define the role of how we do church and pastor them. From reviews I have read, many find the book to be dangerous and full of error. However, I have also read that it may win an award for the book that got many reviews last year, without anyone actually reading it first. I found that funny. It's funny how people rally against certain books, movies and ideas etc... without actually taking time to learn and look into what it is that they oppose. I took a class with Chris Seay in Edmonton this past January and he talked about how "Christians Boycotting" certain books, movies, etc... only hurts the situation more. Why not rather look into it and use these contorversial things as a way of entering into a conversation and being able to discuss and support your views rather than just ASSuming that you are right! You just may begin to see them as a help because they start a conversation for you, in which you can Passionately defend your take! Starting conversations is diffcult, so maybe sometimes we just need to tune into the discssuion that is already happening... Thanks to these folks that annoy, offend and distract us... They may be exactly what we need to have a voice... who knows... I for one will check it out because of the buzz alone. Apparently, it has good material about taking the role of a pastor biblically and really grasping what is at stake... Perhaps, past the disagreements it can still teach, challenge and cause me to Meditate more upon the scriptures and become more of who I am to be.

Anyways, life has been great and it appears that the weather may brighten up in this Northern City sooner or later. For the first time in 6 years i changed my clock back the other day (In Saskatchewan we never did this) and I realized how much i appreciate daylight savings time. It kinda changed my outlook on the day, now that we don't get dark until 8:15 or so. I feel more motivated! Things are only going to get more busy and so i patiently await summer. I love the change of season, especially spring (My Fave, particularly in 'Toon). Something about change is good and yet difficult. Before i stop typing... One quick weird addition to my life this year is... I actually watch American idol and kind of like it... Scary Stuff.... Anyhow, if you read let me know how you are doing and what's new in your life...

Give Yourself Away...

2007-08-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

This is the new album by the Robbie Seay Band. I've heard a lot of good talk and reviews about their music, but have never really listened to any of it until last week. Relevant Magazine had a promo on this past weekend, that if you signed up for their newsletter and for the bands newsletter than you could download their album for free, before it was released... Which so happens to be today!

I've only listened through the album twice, but am already sold on the band's message and music. The song "New Day", put me in tears the other day and continues to be a song of hope in my cd player. The title of the album, was of great interest to me. The whole idea of "Giving yourself away!"... is in my mind really the call of the gospel. Jesus bids a man, come and die and follow Him. In that we really give our lives to him, and present ourselves as living SACRIFICES to be used for His glory (see. Matt. 16:24-28; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 12:1-2). The gospel message is all about giving ourselves away to be used for Greater purposes, Eternal ones...

I've been reading a book lately by author Matthew Paul Turner... it's called Provocative faith and in the book he challenges us the readers, with the teachings of Jesus' message that say: the last on this earth will indeed be first later on (see. Matt. 19:30), that giving ourselves away is the best way to honor Jesus' teaching and that our human wisdom definately ain't the wisdom of God. It's a good book and i recommend you read it and check out his other stuff. In the books final chapter, he teaches on Jesus' words found in Matthew 6:19-21 that say, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth... but store up treasures in heaven... for where your treasure is, there your ehart will be also."

That's the Jordan mcLellan condensed version of the scripture... but he really challenged me in wondering how often does my life really revolve around the almighty ME? If the gospel, shows us a Lord who gave Himself away and we as believers are called to do the same thing, then either we work toward that path or disobey...right? Matthew poses the question regarding the scriptures, he says, "Do we HONESTLY believe what Jesus said in these verses to be true -- that creating treasures here on earth is a waste of time?"... do we believe this?... What a challenging question and if we do believe this, then our treasure must be where His is and that isn't easy... Needless to say, i've been challenged and see so often, especially in the last month or so when the attention was on me for my new marriage, new job, etc... that i so often choose for me, rather than giving myself away for others... the call of the gospel is to give ourselves away and it wars with a cultural mindset that says: look out for yourself and get all you can while you can... I think of some of our most popular teaching in the church today about prosperity and as Joel Osteen's new book is titled, "Becoming a better you!" and I wonder was it ever really about me?... Don't these mind sets contradict the message of giving ourselves away as living sacrifices found in Romans 12?.... and shouldn't the book titles be more about focusing on making Jesus look better in this world?... I've fought with this for years and will probably continue to do so... that is life... and these are my thoughts today... but i've been challenged and know that God is calling me to live for Him and in that also for others (see: Matt 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27)... But if you get a chance, give the cd a listen and check out this interview that Matthew Paul Turner did with them at: relevant magazine.com...

And it Finally happened....

2007-08-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

We got married on July 28, 2007. Well most of you know that we got married a few weeks back and i must say life has been great! LOVING our new home, new job, new ministry appointment, and my beautiful wife!

We are back in Thompson now... The honeymoon was great...we enjoyed various places and fancy rooms across Alberta and Saskatchewan! And a nice stop to our friends Terrin & Brett's wedding! It's good to be home though... I just finished preaching my first Sunday Morning in Church and my message is really where I am at right now... God has led us here on the journey and it's neat. I'm thankful He's here with us! At first i was afraid to come back to Thompson, as it's been 5.5 years and i find myself to be a complete larger city guy... But i now see it as a little adventerous and look forward to the upcoming year!

I doubt many people will read this, as blogging has kinda been lost for facebook and myspace, but I think i need to blog a little being that I am a little isolated from friends, other cities etc.... Ah well, i've got a great wife, church, youth group, and newly opened Starbucks, so i'm set! Remember friends: When God opens a door, He opens a Starbucks!!!!

Anyhow... This will be my spot where i ramble, update, do book/music reviews and post thoughts for the year... look to hear from you friends!!!! Grace!

Line.

2007-02-22T18:37:00.000-08:00

I couldn't believe it when i saw that this site actually existed and that it was true... I thought is it actually possible for Christians to squeeze out any more good marketing gimmick's that would surprise me?... Working part-time at a Christian bookstore has opened my eyes to a lot of "ministry minded products" (no hint of sarcasm on my voice i promise?)...Insoles for your shoes with scripture verses on them to show that you are always standing on the Word of God is one thing... Scripture mints quite another... but this takes the whole bakery... As Johnny Cash once talked about walking the line, i think this product crosses it even further! T-shirts with sayings written on them in tongues... that have meanings to them... I'm not kidding... Wish i was!
Check it out: http://www.holyghosttees.com/

Journey!

2007-02-06T14:54:00.000-08:00

Well this is my first time blogging for the New Year! I don't really know why i haven't blogged much... maybe it's because it seems that the idea is dying out abit all around... maybe because myspace kinda stole my heart for the last while... maybe because i lacked inspiration... or maybe i'm just too plain out lazy?... = Probably a mix of each!

This New Year has been going quickly... I can hardly believe that we are already in February... It's been a productive year so far however... I've had the opportunity to do some reading and studying... I've had the opportunity to preach/speak at church a couple of times.. I've watched the last of this year's NFL season... I've worked a lot... I've started eating a little bit better (New Year's kind-of resolution)... and i've tried to enjoy life more!

"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to COMPLETION until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6

Lately, i've noticed that life isn't something that you master or make right once and for all but that it really is a journey! (Thank you Matthew Paul Turner)... I think i've missed the mark a lot in my faith due to failing to comprehend this truth. When faith is thought of as a destination rather than a journey it assumes that you are to somehow ARRIVE at a certain point and never waiver again. I wish life were this simple. I wish spiritual growth in my life can be seen as a straight line that only moves upwards... unfortunately it looks more like a squiggley line that is all over the place, up and down with not much consistency! I think the way i grew up gave me the assumption that faith was a destination. I was almost taught from various people, churches etc... that faith changes you and takes care of everything problem free!!! When the problems started to come however, i would quickly get discouraged and write my faith off as maybe fake, too weak or pathetic on my part. The problems always came whether it was trial in the form of illness etc... or struggle with sin, behaviors etc... Problems seem to be the one consistent part of life... they always come... and we always have to deal with them.

Christian faith was presented to me as the ticket to problem free life, and i'm beginning to see that maybe this type of Christianity isn't Christianity at all. As i search the sciptures and see what the heroes of our faith had to go through and deal with, I see that faith is full of twists and turns... some great and some barely able to bear! But that's what TRUE faith entails. And Jesus has promised to be WITH us throughout it all.

I'm learning that there is NO such thing as ARRIVING in areas of our faith. Whatever growth we may have, we are still weak/imperfect people who depend on the grace of God and Holy Spirit's strengthening to maintian that growth... and in an instant we can easily move 2 steps forward or Backwards on the journey... and that's ok. Making mistakes isn't so much an indication of lack of faith, as it is more of proving that we are indeed human. We are on a journey and not all journeys go problem free... What matters is that we learn lessons on the journey, that we change as we go and that we enjoy the ride... Paul says that he is confident that Christ will CONTINUE the work that He had started in the people at Philppi! I believe that he will do the same in us... We just have to stay the course and remember that perfection isn't a possible goal. We must aim for it, but we won't ever arrive to the destination of perfection while on earth, but rather we can journey with Christ and leaning on His Grace/Strength we can become a little more like Him in the day to day until we reach our Final Destination and that is in Heaven! God's been showing me to realize that I need not expect perfection, He just expects me to FULLY lean on Him and Fully give my life, plans, desires, goals etc... to HIM! He'll do the rest of the work... This isn't a NEW revelation so to say, as i've known it to be true for a while, but knowing and embracing are 2 different things... Here's to enjoying and enduring the journey in 2007... Jesus help me!

Feeling "Invincible"

2006-12-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

In the last couple of days i've been thinking about a great movie that i watched this past summer/fall... so great a movie that i've seen it 5 times in the cineplex... $50 later (not including popcorn/drinks)... and wow! I'd go see it again if it was in theatres still...alas it comes out on DVD on December 19th, so that'll be a Christmas gift to myself i guess... This movie obviously centers around football...it's called "INVINCIBLE"... it's about a man named "Vince Papale", who was a bar tender and layed-off school teacher in Philadelphia... His wife left him and things looked fairly bleak... Until his dreams came alive and eventually to pass... The NFL team the Philadelphia eagles decided to have "open" try-outs one summer, meaning anyone, literally ANYONE can have a tryout with the team... This was really a HYPE gimmick, but turned out real interesting when one man against the odds made the cut and was invited to camp... Mr.papale, went on to make the team, played well and the picture i posted was one of him running in his first touchdown (which nicole literally had to keep me on my chair in the theatre when he was running it in, i was little to excited)... He made Philadelphia which was going thru tough times proud, made his friends proud, in an emotional scence made his father proud, and this true story is inspiring people today.... the fact that Mark Wahlberg played his character was an added bonus... he's my favorite actor..
... I'll quit talking about the movie and recommend you go watch it... heck i'll watch it with you... Vince Papale had a dream that he never would've thought possible, but after hard work, determination and persistency...it became a reality... I'm a sucker for these types of stories and movies... the fact that it's about NFL Football, well that's icing to the cake!... I think the reason this movie affected me more though was because this guy attained his goal... That's a rare thing these days... not only did he attain his goal but he did in the toughest times of his life, with opposition and doubt all around, even within himself... If we even have goals, how determined are we to reach them???.... And for Christians, there are even greater questions... Are our goals in line with what God would have us accomplish?
... I've often wondered, and forgive me for being this honest, i know we don't normally talk like this in Christian circles, but the old saying, "God told me to do this"... Ive wondered, How do we determine what God really told us to do? How do we know it's His will and not our desires/logic? I know i have a set of principles when determining/gaeging this, but i just wonder if i've ever pulled out the "God told me to" card when in reality i just wanted my own way? I know God will lead and guide us, I just wonder how authentic it is all the time? If we want to be led by the Spirit, i guess we really have to be in step with the spirit... would you agree??? I wonder how many decisions/following the leading i've made, where i really just follow my own wishes and desires???
... Vince papale didn't have much to live for at the beginning of this movie, but he accomplished so much and especially what he lived for and that was football... I know that i'd just love to be that guy running that ball into the end zone... i can't even imagine the rush i'd feel when getting into the end zone on an NFL field... with the crowd cheering... that'd be so aweosme, and yet how awesome is that really in the full scope of life in it's full, meaning ETERNITY? Do i have my priorities in check and am i following the goals God has for me to accomplish? I guess i'm more just having some self-evaluation time, which is GOOD! I recommend you do it often as well... I'm so happy with where i live, where i'm pastoring, etc... But I need to keep my focus on the BIG PICTURE in life, so i too can run in that TOUCH DOWN one day and know that i did what had to be done to get there...
... Vince Papale you've inspired me... (and Josh too lol)... i just need to be channeling that inspiration into important things... and recognizing that i'm to follow God's direction and not my preferences to get there... Lord help me do this well! With all odds stacking against us at times, it's easy to quit or "take another path"... I hope to find out what the Real path is for me and follow it... and then maybe i'll know what that END ZONE really feels like... better get my dance prepared... anyways... just some random thoughts, from a guy who's been encouraged to dream and to dream dreams that are bigger than mine... Feeling a little "invincible" sounds good....

Ignorance is bliss...

2006-11-15T17:18:00.000-08:00

Alright so Starbucks has had me thinking again lately... I tell ya, not only does the place serve a great cup of coffee, but it relaxes me, enhances my football knowledge/enthusiasm (Thanks Josh), and it makes me ponder things... For those of you who don't frequent the coffee palace, each cup usually has a saying on it called "The way i see it!".... These are quotes from some well known people and lesser known people, but there are statements nonetheless, that make you ponder life and all that comes with it... Of course now that Christmas time is rolling around the new cups are all Christmas looking and have no sayings... all is well though and this may be a little meant to be, becuz we all need a break from deep thought lol... Here's a quote entitled, "The way I see it #142":

"With childhood comes a brief grace period of ignorant bliss -- when you're not aware of the pain around you. That is the most special, truly unique time. It is the core of adult lament." - Barry Privett (Singer)

When i read this, i thought wow, how true is that? The world we live in is full of many distractions, threats, deadlines, things that cause us to rush and live unrealistic schedules, threats of war, violence, etc... When i was a child i was ignorant to most of this stuff... There was nothing like going to school, having fun and going home to watch TV... Going to the fair and just LOVING IT... getting some cotton candy and being thankful for it... Getting 2 Dollars and feeling like you're rich... Not having to work or provide, but just live... Just waking up and heading to the Playground and enjoying the ride of life...
When adulthood comes, it's like a lot of this disappears... In reality it's still there to some extent, but we don't take the time, nor allow ourselves mentally to enjoy the ride anymore... Life has become busy and uncomfortable... The threat of war and violence is constant in the world and we are now AWARE of... It kinda changes things... I was a little guy when Desert Storm happened and didn't think twice about it.... I'm not writing this to sound paranoid or to say i dislike life, in fact quite the opposite... I love my life and what God has given to me and where he's placed me... But there are just somedays where in the words of P. Jason, "I long for my sandbox", to play in and explore... As an adult, exploring never happens anymore, i guess because i know everything right???... Anyhow, just to say i agree with this quote to some extent... but there is that whole other side of adult life that i am so thankful for and see the NEED to move on... But Mr. Privett nailed a lot of it right on in his quote... He's actually challenged me to maybe start viewing life more like a child again... And start enjoying more of this everyday journey that we are all so blessed to have... I at times wish i could head back to the playground for one last slide... but realize things move on and God has bigger plans for our lives and the results are eternal... Still it's not a bad thing to long for that ignorance occasionally... it kinda free's the mind... Let's Keep on LIVING!

Tea: Relaxing Therapy

2006-10-18T21:57:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a while since i have last posted, things have been busy, a little more than i like... Tonight i actually made the time to have a nice relaxing night and to my suprise...it's just what i needed... It all went down at McNally Robinson's Bistro... where i enjoyed a great cup of tea and a good book, with my girlfriend and a good buddy... Pastor John lately has been talking lots about tea... He's convinced that people who drink tea live longer... to support his case, he points to the fact that his wife Donna's family, lives long... They all live to their late 90's, even 100's of life and he feels that tea drinking has something to do with it because they're all tea drinkers... he talked about how tea is a relaxing drink, that you sip slowly and enjoy each sip of the hot beverage... He feels that their tea drinking, has brought them lots of time for relaxation and rest that most people never take the time to experience... Tea can make you live longer...
... Now i'm not totally sure if i agree with that and i'm also not totally sure if he 100% agrees with that or just likes to speculate about it.. but tonight i put his thesis into practice and much to my amazement, it was just what i needed... a nice hot glass of tea that came with a really nice looking pot... a GREAT book, ("The Great Ommission" by Dallas Willard) for all you book guru's, by it right now, it's pivotal... and a nice atmosphere with my girlfriend and buddy... Im not quite totally convinced these types of experiences will guarantee that i live longer, but i do know one thing, and that is that i need more of them... In Willard's book, he argues that the neglect of the sabbath, especially in the lives of ministers, is what leads to unsatisfaction, failure and the lack of God's presence in our ministries... I won't talk too much about the book, but he spends a good amount of time talking about spiritual disciplines... he also discusses the need for times of rest and relaxing... I think we do ourselves well when we make time for these things, obviously McNally Robinson isn't the best place to do this, but tonight was a great start... a good book, and a nice cup of tea really did me some good tonight and i look forward to my many more future times around the tea table... Check it out for yourself sometime, and let the relaxing begin... we all probably need more of it, i'm thankful for the leading of tea in bringing me to these much needed points of rest and relaxation... yes, i'd like more hot water....

Change is good?

2006-09-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

Ok... So i've been thinking a little lately about change, marketing, promoting etc... Not for any particular reason at all, just because i guess you could say... I've been pondering the statement often used (and especially in the Church) that change is good... So in thinking about this i was led to the music world where everything that is known is promoted very heavily and i observed a few things...
... First of all you take an artist like Christina Aguilera... How in the world did this girl last past one album, never mind the amount of attention she is getting 6 years into her music career... I'll tell you one big observation i've seen with Mrs. Aguilera and that is that she is never the same. If you look at all 3 of her albums you will notice a different style of music in each disc... but that's only a minor part of it... Her look has taken drastic changes each time around, her image is never the same for any album, and her attitudes etc.. are ever changing in the press... Maybe people like change and this is proof of that... Her first album portrayed her as a pretty inocent teenage girl with some pop flavour... then came the drastic, excuse me for saying skanky image, with her second album which featured a different tempo of music and many trashy lyrics... now we see Christina as a Marilyn Munroe/Madonna wannabee and you know what?.... it's working... isn't it?... Her popularity is getting larger and people in the music industry are taking her more serious and giving her more respect album by album... Whoever is running this show is doing something right... Each change is not only shocking and inviting to the public, but is renewing her and people are almost seeing her as a new artist every time... Is Change a good thing?...Can this be proof that people get tired of the same old all the time and they need something new?.... Can we as ministers and family of the Church learn from this at all???... is it blasphemous that i suggest we learn something form the music world?.... Continued under next heading...

Change is Overrated?

2006-09-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

Alright so at the above article we looked at how change is doing wonders for one artist in the music world and it seems to paint a pretty convincing case that people get tired of same old- same old, and that we need to be always changing and reinventing ourselves... Take one look at this picture and you will know where i am going with this...
Alright! For those of you who don't know these guys, you may be lucky or un-lucky... depending on how you see them, but they are a well known band known as Nickelback!. Nickelback in my mind have defied the odds to an extent... They are the poster boys for we won't change... We will keep doing the same thing over and over...our look, music, our lyrics, will always be the same and sound the same... And much to my amazement it has worked... Every album they put out gains at least 3 well known singles... Everyone knows them... Their concerts sell big... and being a "Rolling Stone" guru that i am, the magazine that is, apparently their latest album "All The Right Reasons", which features the single "Photograph" and now has a new single "Savin Me" has sold better than past albums and they keep climbing... Nickelback hasn't lost fans by offering the same thing everytime, rather their fan base has continued to grow and they get more exposure each time they drop something new... While people like me cringe at the uncreativity and simpleness, if not lameness, lol, of Nickelback, I have to admit, I always find myself enjoying their singles at first, they're always very catchy, and i know the lyrics to all their singles immediatley upon being on radio....
Whatever they do, they're doing it right and it appears that they are offering people familiarity, something that most people, groups etc... don't offer very often... While most people push "Change" and lot of time is very successful (See Above Post), or at times "Alienating", Nickelback pushes "familiarity" and does just as well, if not better.... I wonder why this is?.... Is there something to familiarity that people enjoy? Is it a good thing? Can we as the Church learn anything from it, or is familiarity and lack of change the Churches problem???.... Or are maybe some things meant not to change? Does trying to impose change on everything ruin something? No matter how cool or spooky it seems?? These are just some thoughts i've been having lately... I won't answer them i'll just pose them (I kinda sound like a guy ranting against something lol)... What i will say is that I'm starting to like change more and more as time goes by and see the benefit of it... but part of me thinks that some things don't need to change... and should remain the same... What do you think? Do we always have to be changing everything and insist that we're doing everything wrong... or is there something to simplicity and familiarity?... What's with our fascination with new?

A thought from a coffee shop...

2006-09-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

The Way I See It #148...
Great teachers should be paid like doctors or corporate attorneys. I worry about what will happen to our economy and our democracy if we don't start to take teachers' jobs seriously. - Ninive Clements Calegari (Author)

Agree/Disagree??

CD Review- John Mayer "Continuum"

2006-09-26T19:44:00.000-07:00

One of my most anticipated new releases of the year finally hit shelves on September 12, 2006 and to my surprise i was left with mixed thoughts... I knew everyone would be quick to call this an awesome album from the get-go, but i for one have done that too many times, only too regret those statements months later lol...

The first song and single "waiting on the world to change"is absolute brilliance and genius... I didn't like this song the first time that i'd heard it but it grew on me and is constantly in my head... Thanks go to starbucks for faithfully playing it... The lyrics in the song are brilliant... Song 2 (I don't trust myself) is probably the weirdest song on the album... It's very Eric Clapton-ish... Probably my least favorite on the disc so far but heck he took a risk... other standouts are "belief", "gravity", and "dreaming with a broken heart"...

This album is very mellow and though i'll always miss the "Room for squares" days, i'll gladly welcome this new Mayer music...My two favorite tracks on the album are "Vultures" and "In Repair"... "Vultures" was featured on his last album with his band "The John Mayer Trio" and though i liked it on that album it's even better sounding under the studio with crisp production... The lyrics talk about facing trials, adversity and pressure from the world and i can easily relate with them as can most people... My other favorite track is song 11, "In repair"... it's got a sweet melody and the lyrics are phenomenal... John Mayer always gets me thinking in his songs and not many artists period can do that... The lyrics really describe life, about how we aren't perfect and never will be but that we're always making improvments and adjustments as we move along life...Other standout tracks include his cover of Jimi hendrix "Bold as love" and "The Heart of Life" shows a nice side to this disc... All in all this is a great album... very mellow but relaxing... Expect awesome guitar playing and amazing vocals... this album will remain in the cd player for a long time... I recommend you check it out, but be prepared to expect the unexpected because this one's a little different from his previous studio efforts... John Mayer saves fall music releases once again and i for one am thankful...

FINAL RATING: 4/5!

Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk...

2006-09-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

I thought this picture summed up a lot of how i was feeling quite often lately... For those of you who know me well, you know that i'm not one for backing down to reading or listening to "hard teaching"... To challenging messages and truths from God's word... I'm all for Preacher's and writer's who deliver these truths with boldness, so long as they are making the honest effort to live out what they preach... and i enjoy a good Spiritual Butt-Kicking every now n' then lol... However i think with constantly feeding yourself tough teaching can come a feeling of inadequacy... Sometimes i really look at myself and i think i'm the worst christian ever... You guys ever feel that way? Sometimes after reading a good message on prayer, fasting, living with eternity in mind, or straight out risking and being Sold-Out for the Gospel, i walk away thinking wow am i so far from the mark...i better get myself there and quickly...

I found myself feeling that way last week... That i was so far from where i want to be and it didn't feel hopeless, but it did feel very lonely... And then God showed me once again that we don't have to change ourselves to stand before Him and that we will always fall short on our own... But that He wants to change each of us and make us more and more like Him as we seek Him... So I've decided as good as "Hard teaching" is and i will continue to read it and take from it... That I cannot change myself, but only God can change me... Wow can this creep up on you at odd times lol...Feeling hopeless of measuring up before God on your own, is kind of like crying over spilled milk... It happens and it will get cleaned up eventually... it really isn't so bad and we have a God who is commited to us and who is so faithful (See Sanctification)... So Lord please continue that sanctification process in our lives... and help me keep my confidence in more than myself (which is hopeless), but in You! Where ALL HOPE is found! And I will quit crying over spilled milk... Cuz it's really not that bad and will get cleaned up....eventually....

(This blog was a little therapeutic for me, thanks for reading... i know it's such a simple truth, but it's awesome when it's revealed to you all over again... we really are never beyond any truth in the Word... we must keep re-learning it and living it day in, day out)

Bling Bling!... From the King?

2006-09-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

"The idea that God wants everybody to be wealthy? he snorts. "there is a word for that: baloney. It's creating a false idol. You don't measure your self-worth by your net worth. I can show you millions of faithful followers of Christ who live in poverty. Why isn't everyone in the church a millionaire?"
-Rick Warren
"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"
- Jesus
"But for a growing number of Christians like George Adams, the question is better restated, "Why not gain the whole world, PLUS my soul?"
- Time Article

So this is the cover of this week's Time Magazine and so obviously it sparked my interest and i went out and bought a copy. After reading the article i am left with thoughts that go in every direction... They don't necessarily all fall in the same camp or go together...

Rich: of great value or worth; valuable...

The article showed two sides of the argument of whether God wants believer's to be rich... One side you have well known and respected guys like Rick Warren and Ron Sider...The other side shows other well known and popular people like Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, and Creflo Dollar... Does God want us to be rich is the question at hand... My thoughts after reading this article have me frustrated, hopeful and sad... Sad because issues like this can kind of portray Christians who are "fighting" to the rest of the world... In Corinthians Paul talks about believer's settling disputes among themselves and not going to the world...I hear that loud and clear, but is this a dispute that will only be settled before the world and to possibly HELP people see the True Gospel? Is this a fight worth fighting for the Lord???... Im not going to answer those questions, i'll just let you think about that...
... I was frustrated by this article because i find the "Prosperity" side way too "individualistic". Christianity is never meant to be a "Me first" faith, but focusing on getting rich and prosperous can only lead a person that way, even if they try to deny it... Christianity isn't about us, it's about Jesus and loving others...I used to fight ALOT about how much i disagree with "Prosperity Gospel".. one look at the third world poverty in which believers live in puts a serious end to the argument, if we choose not to be ignorant... But as someone has said and this is also true of me, this type of fighting about this doctrine with others only ended in using the Bible as a weapon to prove my points and caused further division... My final comments here is that if we really look at what Jesus had to say about money, we would most likely become very uncomfortable... and we'd live to give... "Prosperity" is very popular here in North america because we live in a prosperous place and this Gospel can make us feel good as we get rich and neglect some of Jesus' teachings about the poor etc... This gospel can even be very attractive to people in need... "Read what you believe or believe what you read?" Each time we read the bible we must ask ourselves whether we are reading the truth afresh, or putting our beliefs that may have been taught to us by our culture into the reading of the text... The Bible surpasses all culture and is Final Truth and we must not read our own agendas and wants into it's message, Lord help me to never do that...
... And finally i was left feeling a little hopeful, because i came to an answer to the question "Does God want you to be rich?" and that answer i believe is yes (with a little bit of no lol)... I truly believe God wants us to be rich in love, rich in giving, rich in sacrifice, rich in relationships, rich in outreach, rich in that unselfish giving love that Jesus came and gave to all of us... I think Jesus is less concerned about our pocket books , than He is about lost souls who may face eternal consequences... I believe the material world should be enjoyed to an extent, but is never our reason for living here and isn't our first priority as followers of Christ... I'd hate the site of getting to judgment day (Hebrews 9:27) and saying" look at all my nice stuff God, my bank account is LOADED." Are we living to be Rich in the areas that really matter to God? The article ends with talking about one pastor who overseen a building project for people to live in and that if God does wants us to be rich in this life, it's this richness of spirit that he is most eager for us to have... I won't so much end by fighting against "Prosperity Gospel" so much as i'll just say, What matters most to Jesus? and What are your priorities in this life? Interesting article by Time and it was actually fair to all sides, check it out if you get a chance... until then keep being Rich in the spirit of love, I'd think God wants that for us... and be BLESSED!

Was There Ever Any Doubt???

2006-09-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

Well one of my favorite shows of the summer (I only watch two) has just come to an end and I am very pleased with the outcome. As soon as the First episode of Rockstar:Supernova began i picked Lukas Rossi to win... Many people doubted that choice but i KNEW all along that he would win, there was just never a doubt... His look immediately reaked of "Rockstar", his new clothes and attitude gave off that vibe even more, His determination was a "First place or your last" mentality kinda like good old Ricky Bobby and He was a great singer... In an odd way, the way he carried himself and his determination was kind of inspiring to some extent.. He almost had a "nice arrogance" if you can say such a thing? He was confident in his abilities and it's what brought him to the end... I'm not gonna say he had the best "Voice" per say out of the bunch, but C'mon Rockstar isn't American idol and "Voice" plays a role but not the whole role of the front man of a band...Lukas possessed "Front Man" Qualities, right off the get go and heck he did an amazing "Radiohead"...
I think he will make a great front man and almost guarantees that i will be purchasing Supernova's Album when it hits stores on November 14. I find it kinda odd however how both years that Rockstar has been going that Canadians have won both times...Kinda cool though... Anyways here's a post, a kind of tribute and congrats to Mr.rossi, I knew you'd do it!

"It's the most wonderful time of the year...."

2006-09-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

Well the time has FINALLY come! A new NFL season... a new New York Jets season... another chance for Chad Pennington to regain his QB form and show up the critics... Another time for Terrel owens to get kicked off his team... another time to see if Brett Favre really should have retired... A new beginning for New Orleans and Reggie Bush... Another 16 game season... With playoffs in January... Another season of fantasy football... What will Ricky williams do even when he's not in the league lol... Who will be the suprise player and playoff team... Will the Steeler's repeat as Super Bowl champions... Will i be disappointed again come mid-October... AHHH the possibilities..

As you can tell I am pumped for the NFL season to begin, it truly is my favorite sport... Kickoff is tonight at 6:30 and I'm at work...Ah well though, all the action really kicks off on Sunday... I predict the dolphins beat the Steeler's tonite...Should be a good season... I raise my cup to the New York jets, my boys since the beginning and say *cheers*.... For anyone who cares or shares this same love... Enjoy the season... Win, lose, or draw...It's gonna be fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crocodile Man!

2006-09-07T16:29:00.000-07:00

I'm sure many of you have heard the news throughout the media reports about the man whom we have come to know as "The Crocodile hunter", Steve Irwin. He passed away this week much to the amazement of many. Irwin had always lived what i would like to call an adventerous life. His job was what i would call high risk work and i remember shaking my head while watching his show looking at some of the things he was doing, with dangerous animals and in dangerous lands/waters. His life was definately fast paced and lived looking risk in the face and laughing at it. The cause of his death was that he got stung by a sting ray, which makes him the the third person to ever die this way in history. I heard on the radio that the odds of being stung by a sting ray are compared to: Walking out your front door and getting struck by lightning in broad daylight! I'd say those odds aren't very good and am very suprised how he got through so many other big risks and this little risk was the one that cost the most.
Anyways, after thinking about and hearing about his death this past week, i was struck with the thought that this man did "His Thing", so to say. He knew what he was passionate about and what he enjoyed, what drove his life and he lived in and out of that place day in, day out, defying the risks that come with it... People often laughed, criticized, mocked, ridiculed, and passed judgment on his lifestyle, but in the face of all this, his passion and what he cared about outweighed any of this and he lived for what he chose was most important to him... I think there is a big lesson in there for me... Does my passion and purpose outweight the crticisms, mocking and judgment of this world??? Is living fully for Christ really worth it to us??? And will we follow no matter what others say, or what risks lie ahead??? ...
One thing i know is Steve Irwin chose the way of his heart and lived it out fully and for that he lived for what he cared for... It'd be cool to look back on my life and have others look at my life and hopefully see that i lived passionately and without wavering for what was important to me... There are lots of cool things in life like entertainment (see above NFL Post), work etc... but what is it that is going to drive me or us above all? And are we making the effort to be there... Mr.Irwin you have been an unexpected inspiration...

School time already???

2006-08-31T19:09:00.000-07:00

3 Rules for going back to school:
1) Don't miss your orientation... I'm absolutely telling you if you miss this...then that's it... you've basically failed.. it's true! (O.K. Maybe not all that true, i seemed to fair well)
2) Wear your new "cool" outfit! Like really you gotta be HIP to go to school, so make sure you're wearing something new! (and make it blatantly obvious like a high school student that this exactly what you're doing lol)
3) Enjoy the day before school starts because after that day you have officially entered the danger zone of tests, assignments, stress, long lectures, and early mornings... let the crying begin on day 1...

Ok, so i'm obviously being a little silly with the above comments... It's hard to believe that four months has already past since the last college semester.. But this is an odd time of year for me because unlike the past four years, I am NOT returning to school for the fall. And to tell you the truth, i'm for the most part pretty happy and content with that... I must admit that I will miss meeting new people and the whole first couple weeks of school hype, but beyond that i'm just going to enjoy no tests, assignments and deadlines for academics for a while. It is a very different feeling though... and to tell you the honest truth, i think i've done more studying and reading since i've been out of school then when i was in school..
I find it kind of odd.. Maybe it's because i now get to choose what to read or study.. Or maybe it's just that my human nature reacts differently towards studying..What do i mean you ask??? Well, in school for the most part i enjoyed a lot of my studying and assignments, but there's just something about HAVING to do something with a deadline in tact, than just doing it because you want to... Am i making sense? Learning is taking on a different meaning for me.. It's no longer so much to pass tests and get good marks, but it's so that i am better educated in this life for daily living etc.. (I never had a problem memorizing a bunch of stuff and writing it out all out again.. i'd just forget most of it a week later)... Maybe that's the way i should have always looked at learning but i guess i didn't... and so i'm kind of enjoying education right now...it just costs less and is becoming very efficient... Books, magazines (Rolling Stone, Time), Newspapers, Television is all really good learning right now.. I do however miss the atmosphere of a classroom at times but more often than none, I find that i learn best with a book in front of me and a Starbucks coffee on the side.. Anyways for all who are going back to school, i TRULY hope you have an awesome year and enjoy your study's and making new friends etc... and mid terms that are now officially in 5 and a half weeks lol... ok that was a little uncalled for... but have fun, make the most of it and the money you pour into it... Don't let that side of us that's lazy and sluggish get the best of ya (I could... will... learn from this)...Later!