Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Surviving the Fire


You may have seen the recent story about the painting of Jesus that somehow survived a massive fire that destroyed a church.  The structure was completely wrecked and the only thing to make it through the destruction was the painting.  It was pretty much untouched by the fire.

It seems like a cheesy story right?  But listen to what one of the church members said about the whole thing...

"I'm personally taking it as a sign and a reminder that the Jesus, the Christ that we serve is still alive and even though our church building is gone our church is here and the God we serve is still here," said Maria Kakalowski, a parishioner of the church,

Think about that!  You're point of view on the bad things that happen in your life make a huge difference.  It can either fill you with doubts and fear or it can remind you of the things that really last.

Jesus said something I have always found to be encouraging...

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.  Matthew 24:35 King James Version (KJV)

It's a pretty big claim to say things like that!  If you trust what He said then , no matter what you can lean on the things that are eternal, because they will outlast any fire or disaster or tragedy that comes along!

When bad times hit, what do you trust in?

Monday, October 22, 2018

Come With Me If You Want To Love Junk!

Photo by Felipe Belluco on Unsplash

One of the things that gives me a little boost of joy is to wander around a flea market of an antiques mall in a town that is new!  I love the smells, I love the thrill of scanning for a treasure that may be hiding under a box or a shelf!

Maybe I'm just getting older and the things that interest me are changing, I don't know.

I like the flea markets because you never know what you are going to find.

If you go to a big box store, you pretty much know what to expect.

If you go to an antiques mall, you have no clue what you might find or what memories you may discover there.

One time in Sarnia, I planned to have a quick stop at a local store packed with "junk" to look around.  The half hour I thought it would take to walk through ended up being almost two hours!  I was on the hunt for something very specific and I stumbled upon a couple of clues that suggested I should not leave there without a meticulous search.  I opened boxes, moved items around and even asked if I could go behind a display case.  There was just enough room to squeeze in and open a box or two in my quest for this object.  The owner said he did not want to let me back there, but when he was outside, I did it anyway!  I heard him come back in briefly so I froze, hoping he would think I was a mannequin!  Once the coast was clear, I resumed my search!

I did not find the thing I was looking for, but I had a very entertaining time seeing the contents of the "shop" and digging through rooms and rooms of fascinating old curiosities!  I was about to leave and I thought, it would be rude to not buy anything after practically rearranging the store so I grabbed a small action figure of The Terminator that had caught my eye earlier.

The Terminator figure I know own.

I brought it outside to where the owner was arranging a sidewalk display and asked him "How much"?

"Five dollars."

I was a little shocked because I expected a dollar or two would be the going rate for an old action figure that was quite dirty!

I said "Five dollars?"

"Yup, that's what they go for!".

I considered for a moment, and thought about how he knew that grime covered Terminator action figure were going for five bucks a pop.  Where do you get that information?

I was about to question him and try and bargain for the robot assassin from the future, but in the end I decided, it was worth it.

I said "You know what, I had a great time poking around and seeing your stuff, is there more?"

He said " I have another whole sea-crate full, I just don't have room to put it in the store right now.  I'll put it out in the next couple months."

I gave him two toonies and a loonie and said...

"I'll be back."

Monday, October 15, 2018

Royal, Baby!

The proud parents-to-be!
I think it would be odd to be a "Royal".

It would be the strangest thing to be celebrated for something you are rather than something you have done.

In the normal world, where most people's heads are crown-free, we have to do something important to receive any accolade.  We have to save someone's life or donate a million dollars to charity. 

That activity makes the headlines.  (Hopefully.  Some other antics can capture the media attention unfortunately, like balancing champagne glasses on your butt.)

If you are a "Royal", you are born into a famous family.  Celebrity is pretty much guaranteed.

Paparazzi are happy for you, they get job security for another 30 years!  They get to snap baby pictures, first day of school, and drunk party pictures to feed tabloids.  It's a happy occasion!

I was thinking about the scriptures that describe the believer in Jesus as a royal person.

How in the world do you qualify for that?

Being born!  Same way!

Remember the scripture about being "born again"?  Same deal!  It's a new life!

It's not about any "good" you do.  It's about the family you are a part of!

That's a better deal than being "Royal" in the sense of the British Royal family!

Less paparazzi to!


Tuesday, October 9, 2018

TV or not TV?

Photo by Tina Rataj-Berard on Unsplash

We don't have a cable or satellite television service anymore.  Not for a few years.

Over the holidays, we were visiting family and the tube was on. 

We were sort of half watching a movie and it was on a network, so there were commercials. 

Not being used to the interruptions, I found the ads VERY annoying...and STUPID!

I have been away from the world of commercials for longer than I thought!  What's happened?

I felt myself getting dumber the more I watched! 

Then as the time got to be after midnight, the movie STILL was not over because of the amount of ads!

The ads stretched a two hour movie into almost three!

Since it was after midnight, the tone of the ads changed to very sexual!  Wow!  Awkward!

I don't think I will be signing up for cable anytime soon, but it's got me thinking.

When you leave something for a while then try and come back to it,  it's always different.

I used to take my coffee with two sugars for years, but for the last  five or six, I have done just cream.

I was recently at the coffee shop and they got my order wrong and put sugar!  YUCK!

It was so bad!  I don't know how I could have had that much sweetness before!

But I did!

Maybe there is something you need to spend time away from, in order to discover the benefits of NOT having it!

It could be TV or it could be social media, or YOUR PHONE!  Only you know!

Monday, October 1, 2018

Death Obsession

Photo by Valeria Almaraz on Unsplash
This is the time of year when we discover how obsessed with death we are.

If you go to any department store, you will find a section with fake blood and costumes that reveal our fascination with all things morbid!

It's such a big deal, it seems that Christmas is just a side note!

I admit, it's an interesting time of the year, but it's got me thinking about something really different right now.

I was reading about dead things in the bible, specifically about this man called Abram.

He wanted kids.  He wanted a family legacy.  It wasn't happening.  His wife was well past the age of having any children so it looked like that dream was dead.

The something happened.

God stepped in and said "I know it looks like death.  I know it looks like it's final.  I know you have all but given up, BUT nothing is impossible!"

And wouldn't you know it, out of the dead situation, a new birth happened!

Maybe for you, you have all but given up on your marriage.
Maybe you have given up on getting freedom from an addiction.
Maybe you think your relationship with your kids is dead.

Don't let death be your obsession!

God says, I know what you want and I can bring life to it!

When the news came to Abram and his wife, they laughed!  They thought it was funny that God would joke around with them like that!

We think we know better, we think we know what God can and cannot do!

Think again!

(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. — Romans 4:17

Monday, September 17, 2018

Over-BLOWN!


Wow, it's blowing like crazy...or is it?

The two guys in the back seem OK with it...
Have you see this recent video?

It's pretty amusing how this weather reporter seems to be struggling to stand upright, while two other people casually stroll through the background of the scene.  One of them is even doing something on his smart phone!   It seems that the severity of the situation at the moment was a bit over stated by the well meaning weather man who was trying to convey a sense of urgency in his report from the field.

No doubt that the hurricane is a serious situation, as the viewer, I hope we are smart enough to figure out that a storm like Florence is not a laughing matter.  Lives have been lost and homes flooded.  We get it, no need to go to this kind of theatrics to achieve the drama needed for common human compassion!  It's windy.  What else would it be?  It's a hurricane!

The whole thing got me thinking about how think we need to sensationalize some issues in order to generate a reaction.  It's probably because we are SO saturated with fearful news, that in order to rise above the collective dismal state of mind, a news story has to be EXTRA imperative in order to keep your eyes focused on the screen long enough to make the commercial sponsor happy.

If you watched that video, how did it make you feel?  Did you not get the sense that you were being manipulated?  Did you feel cheated in some way?  Did it make you lose faith in the reporting?  I hope it made you think about how you view media.  I know the whole "fake news" thing is an easy way to brush this off, but there is something to be said for how take in the reported stories of the day.

Further than that, how does this apply to the way we share our faith?  Do we engage in questionable tactics like what we saw in the video, or just present the gospel and trust that it will do it's work?

I know this is a touchy subject because the Good News is desperately needed and time is of the essence, but let's not be guilty of this type of hype!  The Gospel is what it is, it needs none of our theatrics.  It needs to be presented clearly with respect to the listener, then trusted to achieve it's intended result!

(P.S. You could also include fundraising in this discussion.  I'll let you take it from there.)

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Green, Green Grass...and Prayer.

Photo by Adam Frazier on Unsplash

This summer we had a stump removed from our front yard. 

Our tree had suffered through high wind and ice storms and had to be chopped down. 

Our yard sat with an empty spot for about a year. 

The stump left behind was not huge and was usually covered by a patch of yellow day lilies. 

I would mow around the whole thing and try and pretend it wasn't there, but it was.

We made our plans and 2018 was the summer it was going to go! 

We called around for a few estimates on what it would cost to remove and finally settled on a company to come do it.  We happened to be out of town when they came so it was a bit of a shock to arrive in our driveway to see this barren patch of earth in the middle of our front yard!  I almost want the lilies back!

I had not though of what would have to come next! 

We would need to blend the area back into the lawn so it looked like there was never a stump there!

I realized this meant I would have to plant seeds and be committed to water them!  Horrors!

I bought a bag of seed and went to town preparing the ground and scattering the seeds.  It all seemed oddly familiar!  It hit me like a wheelbarrow coming down a garden path!  I'm doing what I read in the bible!  I did not even research much on the interweb!  (It's own weed filled playground of information!)

I was following the parable of the "sower"!  I had done everything it said to do!  Cast the seed on good ground after weeds and rocks were removed!  Wow!  How practical is the bible?

The only thing I did not, or could not do was make the stuff grow!

I did what I could and the rest followed.  I now have lush green grass growing where there used to be a patch of empty ground! 

My brain gets overloaded with the hundreds of ways this story applies to everything in life! 

It's almost a hidden key to all our issues!

Want good things?  Plant goods seeds in good ground!  Speak kind words, consider others first...the list is endless!

And the best part...it works! 

Here's where the story is in the bible...Matthew chapter 13.  It's the first book of the New Testament, easy to find.

Here is a passage that helps us be hopeful, even when we don't seem to see the results...Galatians chapter 6 and verse 9.  That's a little further into the New Testament, after the four gospels.

I have had such success, I have planted more grass and business is booming!

It's not any greener on the other side of the fence now!

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

ToddTrek - September 3, 2018


ToddTrek in Barrie!




Here's something new I am going to try on this blog!

A video!

We had a bike ride on Labour Day in Barrie, Ontario!

Come along...

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Fail!

Is God really disappointed?

So I messed up today on the air.  It happens.  Normally I can spin a bad moment into a fun one, but this time I couldn't.  What happened does not matter, it's what happened after.  Here's the pattern of events that I have noticed after a screw-up, maybe you can relate to it.

You mess up, then you get upset that you messed up and you mess up something else.  The pattern repeats until you have what we call a "bad day".  Then you find yourself eating an entire tub of ice cream in front of the TV.  You know the spot on the couch, you're picturing it right now and thinking about your favorite spoon.  (The big one.)

It all started with your reaction to the first incident.

What if we could stop the spiral before it happens?  What is the key?

It has to be linked to our reaction immediately following the initial event!

Mistakes are a given, our reactions are going to be the thing that will turn things around.

OK, so here's some things I try and do.

1.  Realize that the earth kept on turning!  Everyone has moved on to other things and it's OK.

2.  Let yourself feel bad, but only for a moment.  If you can write the whole thing on a paper and toss it away, do it.  It's over.

3.  Join the club!  Anyone you can think of who you admire has gone through something similar.

4.  Keep going.  Get back on the horse and ride!  Learn from that error and get stronger!

5.  Talk to someone about it.  (Be careful here!)

SIDE NOTE:  If you know there is someone who wants to make you feel bad because of that mistake, and use it against you, they are a jerk.  Walk away from them and find someone who believes in you and will help you through the pain and not bring up your mistakes or talk about you behind your back.  You're asking for trouble by opening up to that type of person.  (They have their own issues to deal with, but usually don't.)

"Bad days" can pile up.  Don't let them!

Each day is new, each HOUR is new! 

Live it!

Monday, August 20, 2018

Belly Laughs

At Ben's Kitchen and Bar in Brantford.
So I'm up for trying new things, and it usually works out for the good!

I was asked to come and perform as part of a comedy show in Brantford recently.

It's a two hour drive from, Barrie so I carefully considered why I would do it.

  • It's a chance to practice a new bit.
  • It's a different audience.
  • It's a chance to have an adventure with my wife.
  • It's a chance to meet new people.
  • It's a chance to go out for dinner.
  • It's a chance to enjoy giving the gift of laughter.
  • It was a chance to learn from other comedians.

It was NOT a chance to make a lot of money, none in fact!  I was out of pocket for the night for gas money and spicy pad-thai. 

One fellow who performed shot toilet paper at an audience member with a leaf blower!

What is happening?
Ya, it was a wild night!

I had never performed in a restaurant before, so I was unsure what to expect. 

The people that were there had a great time and I think the night went well.

I guess if there is a lesson to learn, it would be this:

Do things for the sheer experience!

Monday, August 13, 2018

Cracked and Owned

Photo by Ali Abdul Rahman on Unsplash
I was driving down a street in my neighborhood and passed by what looked like a smartphone case lying in the road.  I turned the car around and went back to investigate and it was a full size smartphone, face down and screen shattered.  I pushed the power button and the screen lit up!  I had discovered a lost phone.

I pulled my car into a side street to figure out what to do.  The phone was not locked so I was able to call up some phone numbers and I sent a text to one called "Office Phone".

I figured that the owner would soon realize it was missing and check for messages.  The text read "I found your phone."  That's it!  I decided to wait till I got home to do anything else.  It wasn't but a few minutes before the phone rang!

Me:  Hello, I found your phone on the road.

Male Voice:  Where did I lose it?

(I told him)

Male voice:  Oh man!  I am on my way.

Me:  Sure, I'll wait.  Sorry, but the screen is really busted.  It landed face down.

Male Voice:  OK!

A few minutes later, the man pulled beside me and I gave him the phone back.  He was really thankful, we shook hands and said goodbye.

It felt really good to be able to help someone that day but it also got me thinking about something else.

Even though the phone glass was smashed and ugly, he was really glad to have it back.  The phone meant something to him, it was part of his life.  There were plans to be made on it and memories to share with it.

Isn't that like our lives?  We can get lost and broken to.  Through a series of unfortunate events, we can find ourselves laying in the middle of the road of life, getting run over and at the mercy of the elements.  Helpless.  Our purpose and future are in doubt.  We could find ourselves in the hands of someone with less than honorable intentions for us!  We're ugly because of the trauma we've gone through.

This is where Jesus finds us.  He says, "I can get you back to your owner."

We say, but I'm broken, damaged, ugly.

He says, "Let's take what's left and build the future.  Let's look back at your memories, even through a shattered screen, we'll do it together!"

It's one thing to be broken, another to be broken and back in the hands of your Owner.

God can take what's been cracked and abused and make something beautiful.

Luke 15:11-32

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Why Do You Go To Church?


Photo by Carolina Jacomin on Unsplash
According to the research I link to below, here is why most people go to church.

It's probably the reason you assume, but think with me for a second.

Going to church on a Sunday can be a huge undertaking.  Young families have to pack up kids and their related accessories and get out the door in time and then try and get the tots to sit still for more than five minutes!  Busy schedules demand down time for professionals, and Sunday can be a well needed day to catch up on family time.  Seniors may feel physically drained and rather stay home.

So why do people still make all the effort and get out to a church service on a Sunday or even a week night?

To get closer to God!

Here's the interesting thing.  God is everywhere.  He's just as much at church as He is anywhere else.  When you enter the church doors, He's not there to greet you and find you a good seat, not too close to the speakers, cause those kids on the worship team play too loud! 

No! 

He's wherever YOU are right now!

We go to church to get closer to God because that's where other people who want to get closer to God are!  We gain a more intimate relationship with the Almighty through our shared experiences with other people who have the same goals!  We are comforted by the shared triumphs and failures we all encounter on the pathway to discovering all we can about life as a believer.  It takes other people to help us get closer to God!

Think about it!

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2018/july/church-attendance-top-reasons-go-or-stay-home-pew.html

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Interesting Stats


Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

Here's an encouraging statistic from a big survey done recently about reading the Bible. 

85% of people surveyed said they believe the Bible has resulted in their willingness to engage in their faith more and show more loving behavior toward others!

Isn't that interesting, given the world we live in? 

Sometimes, maybe too often, you see the very opposite! 

Lots of fights and arguments are played out in social media and in government when it comes to things written in the bible.  Leading to confusion and a general distrust of the scriptures.

What do you think is going on there? 

We know the result of what Jesus said were always to direct us to love people, forgive them and to serve others.

That's what s SHOULD happen.  We need more of that.

It is encouraging to see that percentage number so high, maybe we just don't hear enough about the good results! 

When you read the bible, how does it affect YOUR life?

Here is the link to the study...

https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2018/07/the-state-of-the-bible-2018-most-americans-want-to-read-the-bible/












Saturday, July 14, 2018

Christianity and Dinosaurs. We Live In A Jurassic World.


I recently saw the movie "Jurassic World-Fallen Kingdom" and I have been thinking a lot about the whole idea of mankind trying to bring back the dinosaurs.

I think the "fallen kingdom" in the title is OURS!  Our kingdom has fallen and I will explain as the blog rolls along, stay with me!

I also got this sweet tyrannosaurus pendant at a yard sale!  I like it because it reminds me of a very important truth that is reflected in the movie. One about the illusion of control and the freedom of the believer in Jesus.

Let's start with today.  At this point in history, dinosaurs are just a bunch of bones.  We found them buried in the dirt and we have been trying to figure out what happened to them and what they may have looked like with actual muscles, skin and internal organs.

We are guessing at a lot of things because we were not around to take selfies with the brachiosaurs of the Jurassic period, so not much evidence as to what they may have looked like on Instagram.

We just have the bones, scattered around and in a general state of disarray.  Something bad happened and  they are all gone.  It looks like it was quick, so they didn't suffer, that should bring comfort to ancient animal rights activists.

It's not good enough for us to just look at the bones. 

We want them back again, so we turn to science. 

Science needs money, money comes from rich people, rich people attach an agenda to their money and so research becomes corrupted and the next thing you know, you are running for your life with a patch of your skinny jeans ripped off your butt, wondering why you wanted to post a #dinoselfie in the first place!

It all went wrong, but why?  The illusion of control and vice of greed.

Let's connect this with the Bible, specifically to the New Testament, our time, our own Jurassic period you might say!

Christianity finds it's basis in the bible.  The scriptures, written over many years by various authors with diverse backgrounds, hang ups and perspectives.  All of the writing in the scriptures points to the Messiah, Jesus.  For thousands of years, the scriptures provided the "bones".  Bones are the structure on which the body is built.  Similar to the dinosaurs, none of us were around during the bible events like parting of the Red Sea, feeding the 5000 and the battle between David and Goliath.  All epic stories that have been preached about and put into movies with cheesy special effects.

On these "bones" we have built our beliefs and have a pretty good general outline of what it's all about.  Just like paleontology, the finer details can be fuzzy and just a guess.  Sometimes they can be the subject of all out division among dehydrated, dusty archaeologists.

Christian people fall into the same situation when we disagree over finer details that we are all just guessing on.  You can fill in your favorite controversy here, everyone has one.  As time marches on, more things written in the bible about future events become clearer and clearer, and truths that were penned in the years before TMZ prove themselves to be reliable again and again.

Here's my main point.

When we think we have a handle on spirituality, God, the Bible, Jesus, faith...etc, that's where we are in for a rude awakening.  When we want to take something that is wild and un-tameable and put in a box for OUR OWN purposes, get ready to run, cause it will eat you alive!

Remember the scene in Jurassic Park where the T-Rex was not showing up for the main characters?  They were all in two vehicles in front of the paddock but the Rex was a no show.  The park then put a goat in the paddock to coax it out of hiding.  At this point Dr. Grant says "T-Rex does not want to be fed, it wants to HUNT!"

Yummy!

It's such an important truth to remember!  The whole plan of God is meant to be wild and spread over all the earth!  It can't be contained and merchandised for entertainment!  It's way bigger and more awesome than anything we could dream up!  When we think we have God all sorted out, something huge will happen to blow our minds!  The Good News of the gospel is not the property of a select few.  It's for everybody.  It's wild.

Working in Christian radio, I see this a lot!  We broadcast songs and messages filled with God's word, it goes out and we don't know who's listening, we have NO CONTROL over who tunes in and when, all we know is what Jesus said, "The seed is The Word of God."  We get it out there, it runs wild and instead of causing chaos, like the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, it causes people to have hope and faith!

It's wild!

It breaks loose and chases down those who are on the run!

It's meant to be free!

We need that perspective in our churches, small groups, families and nation!

When we invest in organizations putting out God's Word, that's what's happening!

It's way bigger than us, it's not meant to be caged up, quantified or regulated and it will never be!

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Roller Coaster Ride of LIFE!

So Father's Day was a cool one for me.  I learned something!  It was great!  I got to spend time with my kids.  They are all in their 20's and live up North, so anytime we can get together it's fun!  We were at Canada's Wonderland for Wonderjam 2018 and we ended up spending most of the day on rides.
I am not really a thrill ride guy, but this was about to change and a life lesson was coming my way!
We all did something a little out of the ordinary.  We got something called a FastPass.  It is super expensive, but worth it!  You get to skip the line and get on way more things than you would normally due to the long line ups for some of the more popular rides.

I was given the pass without any real notice, so guess what?  I am now on the hook to ride with my kids as much as possible on the scariest rides!  They love all the big drops and now, like it or not, so do I!

We lined up for Leviathan, which is the biggest drop of any roller coaster in the park.  My coaster experience is to encounter sheer terror as soon as the train leaves the station!  The ride is going to happen and you cannot stop it.  You can't wish it away or pretend it isn't happening.  You are about to drop 300ft and go weightless.  I generally think, this is the ONE time the machine will fail!  It will be my car that goes over the edge and off the rails.  The ride gets to the top and then is a white knuckle few minutes of checking my faith and praying to not die.

Then it's over.  That's when you go and get back in line, because you have a FastPass!  You go and do it again!  This is what is expected!  OK so now, I am a little more prepared.  I know the general ride, but the whole thing is still fresh.  We get locked in and here we go.  I loosen up a little and enjoy a few spots.  Then it's over again.  Then it's back in line again.  Now I am a veteran!  I know exactly where to put my hands in the air and just go with it.  You know what?  NOW I'm having fun!


Take a minute or two and watch the ride.  Would you do it?  Depends on how daring you are, but I think, depending on your health, you should try it once.

Here's what I learned.

Life is full of things that you are going to experience whether you like it or not.  When you are born, you are strapped or buckled in and the lap bar has come down.  Off you go!  Here comes the "Heartache Hill".  You hold on through the "Death of a Loved One" curve.  It's a wild ride through the "Bankruptcy Dip".  Oh and then there are times when the whole thing goes upside down!  These are things that either thrill you or terrify you, but they happen to people ALL THE TIME.  After a few times around, life gets a little easier as you learn to trust the ride and know that you are going to make it!  You may not know what bumps and twists are coming but you will be confident enough to know that if you just hold on, it will be OK.

Enjoy the ride!


Thursday, May 31, 2018

Smoking

Photo by Ravi Roshan on Unsplash
It always makes me a bit sad when I drive by a school and see a group of teens standing just off school property, smoking.

Part of me wishes they wouldn't get trapped so early into such a habit, but part of me also wonders how it happened.

Here's something fascinating. 

Tobacco companies are not allowed to advertise their products.  Cigarettes are only available by asking for them from behind a hidden shelf in a convenience store.  The companies who make cigarettes are not allowed to buy internet ads.  You don't see smoking on TV or in movies.

What is drawing in new smokers?  Why are teens choosing to light up and affect the rest of their life?  What pushed them in that direction?

In a word...influence.

I think there is a lesson in here somewhere. 

Not many businesses could survive by having a 0% advertising budget.  (Aside from Costco!) 
Think about this, someone could be steered to begin a lifelong habit that will shorten their life and decrease the quality of their health, simply by the influence of others.

Let's turn it around.

EVERYTHING works this way!

I believe the good things people do to change their lives happen because of an unseen influence.

No one likes to be bossed around or admit that they are copying someone, but nonetheless it's true.

For good or bad we are influencing everyone around us ALL THE TIME!

Jesus Christ had crowds follow Him everywhere, His message spread through those HE influence by His life.  It's still going today!

What would you say were your influences and how do you think you're influencing your world now?


Friday, April 27, 2018

You Can Do What You Want



Here's a bible verse you can remember easily because of the numbers...

John 6:66

Ya, LOOK AT IT!  It's got 666 in it!  The Mark of the Beast, right?

Here's the verse:

"From that time, many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, "Will ye also go away?"

Some people made a decision to "walk no more" with Jesus. 

It's not talking about them getting tired of walking everywhere! 

They did cover a lot of real estate!

 It's talking about learning from Him as a teacher.  The lessons He was teaching them got to be a little too much for some of them and they said "We're done, goodbye."

Here's the interesting part...Jesus LET THEM GO!

He recognized that not everyone was going to follow Him at that time and it did not hurt His ego one bit!  I bet you He didn't write a nasty post on Facebook or spread a rumor about their "lukewarmness".  He also was not dismissive.  Their "club membership" was not revoked.  They were free to come and go whenever they wanted.

Jesus never manipulated anyone into doing anything.  There was no pressure to be part of the gang.

There was only an invitation, then unconditional love and commitment!

Remember the time Peter denied Jesus?  That must have hurt...a lot.

Jesus never gave up on Peter...NEVER!  I am sure of it.

He also never gave up on those people who walked away that day.

He won't ever give up on YOU!

Friday, April 6, 2018

My Precioussssss!

Precious
Our family has had several cats.

They had odd names and quirky personalities.

Names like, "Baby", "Oreo", "Sherman", "Hurley", "Sparta", "Small Eyes", "Saving Private Ryan" and "Tigger".

They all came and went.  But ONE stuck around.  For a lifetime.

He was born on Canada Day 2004 in an house on Regina Street in North Bay.

The owner of the house was a fellow who was doing some work for me and happened to be in jail for drunk and disorderly conduct.  (I guess that's another story in itself.)

He mentioned in one of his phone calls from the slammer, that no one was looking after his house and his cat had kittens and would be hungry.

He was concerned, so out of the goodness of my heart, I went over to his place to have a look.

He had mentioned that the kittens were almost ready to leave momma and be "adopted" if I wanted one.

We discussed it, and thought we would see if one stood out to us as a missing member of the family.

As we expected, the kittens were a bit wild, not having much to do in a virtually abandoned house.

They were all cute, but one had these special ears.

They were big and a little floppy, like they were too big for his head.

He had a bright face and was lively.

Right away I thought, if he's the one, we'll call him Yoda, because of the ears.

I told the family about him and we went and had another meeting.  He was irresistible.

We took him home and decided together on a permanent name.

The big movies at the box office at the time were The Lord Of The Rings films, so in a nod to the ring itself, we called him "Precious"!

For a boy cat, it seemed a little bit feminine, but it really fit.  He was "Presh" for short.

During his first few days at our place we discovered that he must have had to fight his brothers and sisters for any scrap of food he could get.

He ate his own kitten food, but, if any bit of anything fell from our dinner table, he pounced!

He would also jump up on the table and help himself!

He was so quick, that we could hardly grab him before he devoured our human food.

We decided, we need to teach him as lesson early that our food is not for him.

We took some Cayenne pepper and put it on a scrap of food and dropped it on purpose.

That was the last time he came lurking under the table!

His whole life he would squint when anything spicy came near him!

We had him get his proper shots, get neutered and also de-clawed.

He grew and grew.  He was orange and fluffy.  He did not really have much of a voice.

He would sort of cackle.  He also barely purred.  You had to listen very close.

The only time he would really speak up was when someone was doing the dishes!

He found the clattering of plates and silverware very ANNOYING!

He loved the sun.
We knew he was happy, because he was pretty chill.

He chased many laser pointer dots over the years.

He came with us when we moved to Sudbury in 2008.

He adjusted to new surroundings in 6 new places.

He never liked the outdoors.  He was an indoor cat, seldom touching his paws to earth or grass.

He DID like to eat grass like most cats!

He loved being under blankets.

He loved head scratches and rubs under the chin.

He loved lunch meat, popcorn, fruit, bacon and chicken nuggets.

Precious has been living with my daughter, Victoria in Sudbury.

She has taken care of him and taken him to the vet.  Over the last few years he'd been slowing down.

He was on medication.  We knew his time was coming.

In March of this year, he began to act oddly.  He would seek solitude.  The signs of the end.

Just days before...
After 14 years of furry snuggling and bringing joy to our hearts, he passed peacefully in my daughter, Jasmines arms.

We are all sad.

We miss him a lot.

We're comforted by a gang of new cats, "Graham", "Kylo", Gizmo" and the latest..."Jango".

Precious and Jango Christmas 2018

Precious, you were a good kitty.





Monday, March 26, 2018

Haircuts and Fathers


I got a haircut last Saturday...and I got a huge lesson in fathering!

I had to prepare for a comedy show that night, so I wanted to look like at least cared a little about my appearance. 

When I arrived at the barber shop, there were three other people ahead of me and there were only two people doing the cutting and they both had someone in the chair. 

I felt a little impatient because I had other things to do that day that were going to be way more productive than sitting and waiting for a haircut!

I remembered that I had several games on my phone that I could play AND the salon had big screen TV's with my favorite shows on, Pawn Stars and American Pickers.

I settled in to relax while I waited for my turn.

That's when THEY came in!

A young man and his little son.

(I am assuming they were father and son, that's what it seemed like to me as you will discover from the upcoming events.)

In they walked and took off their coats and sat down.

I will say that this little guy was about 5 years old or younger.

He was what I will call "chatty"!

For a human with only a limited number of years under his belt, he had a lot to say!
It wasn't annoying, it was just there was a LOT of talking going on!
This is where the dad in me though about how I would have handled this situation.

When our kids were small, there was no such thing as a smart phone, so that was not an option for distraction while waiting for life to happen.
You had to go to a magazine or something like that.

Here is where I became impressed by this fellows dad skills
.
The whole time his toddler was speaking, he maintained eye contact and had his head and body in the little guys direction.

THE WHOLE TIME!

That kid has his FULL attention!

I watched to see if the guy even had a phone in his hand.  I did not see one.
The tot talked and talked right up until it was time for his haircut.
I was in the chair by this time and I was keeping an eye on what was going on.
The father put the child in the chair and then I saw that he DID have a phone!
He took it out of his pocket to show the barber the cut he wanted for his son.
He then went back and sat down in the little waiting area.

Did he take that time to play a game on his phone?  Update his Facebook?  Tweet?

NO!

He kept the phone off and watched his son get a haircut!  Smiling the whole time!
The kid could look in the mirror and see his dad watching everything going on!
At this point the little guy was not as chatty!
I suspect he was sitting secure in knowing his pop was right there watching.

Wow.

It was not something you see very often and as a father, it reminded me of all times I should have been more attentive to my children.

Thanks buddy, you are a great example to fathers everywhere!

Good Job!

Photo by Tommy van Kessel on Unsplash

Monday, March 5, 2018

Living Water


You never know where you are going to learn something spiritual!

I was in the Water Depot on the weekend, getting our jug filled with alkaline water.

Just a regular thing to do on a Saturday.

I was standing by my jug watching the level rise, when an older man approached me and started a conversation.
He asked me about my choice of alkaline water over reverse osmosis.
I remarked on how there were many health benefits to alkaline water.
He responded by telling me about how he had 4 bouts with cancer and that, cancer cannot grow in your body if you are alkaline.
I was amazed that he looked so good for having overcome cancer!
He said the radiation left him hard of hearing and with some vision issues, but other than that, he felt great!
I told him he looked good, he said he was 80 years old!
I gave him a pat on the shoulder for being a fighter and wished him a great weekend.
I capped my bottle and was on my way.

Here's what I learned.  (It happens.)

This man was a stranger yet he initiated a conversation with enthusiasm.  
He was excited to talk about something he had experienced that was wonderful and horrible at the same time.
He captured my attention.
He shared with an authenticity that drew me in.
I left with something added to my life,  an appreciation of alkaline water and living a healthy life plus inspiration from having encountered someone who went through something very difficult and had a positive attitude.

As a radio host and as a Christian person, there are many lessons here!

1.  Be ready to use any and all situations to be an encouragement and a positive influence. 

Sometimes we just want to get things done or get where we are going and forget about the people we encounter along the way.  The cashier, the other driver, the man on the street playing road hockey with his kids.  They are in your path for a reason.  Be open to taking time to say hello or give them a shout out.

2.  Share your passion.

Excitement cannot be faked.  If you don't believe in something, no one else will believe you when you tell them about it.  This man's word had the ring of experience behind them.  He left a mark on me, and probably the next guy in line behind me!

3.  Your story is worth sharing.

We all have a story.  My grandma watched a lot of TV, and she always called a show "a story".  She would shout "Put a story on!!"  We watch stories on TV, hear about them in the news and read stories in books.  You have one.  More than that, you can write your own ending!  The man I met wrote a different ending to his story than what the doctors told him!

4.  Leave people with something good!

You may meet someone once in your life and never encounter them again.  Think about that!  They may chat with seven negative people before they get to you, you can disrupt the pattern with enthusiasm and joy!

I got more than water that day, I got a refreshing drink of optimism!

How about you?

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

3 Ways You Get Yourself Into Deep Water (And How To Avoid Them)


You did it again!  You're in over your head and you don't know how it happened!

"How did this relationship get so distorted?" 
"Why am I a part of this group?"
"How do I get out of this terrible commitment?"

I believe some of the answers can be found in this story.

A group of people were driving somewhere and they followed a GPS app on their phone to guide them.  The car ended up in a frozen lake because the app told them to drive out on to it.  

As crazy as that sounds, there are reasons why we humans do such silly things.

It could be the same reason YOU find yourself involved in things you wish you weren't!

1.  You take things to literally.

Just like the driver who thought they were doing the right thing by driving out on a frozen lake, we can become blind to our surroundings by letting someone or some thing tell us what we should be doing.  Sometimes the rules and the instructions can only serve as guidelines at best.  I build model kits and sometimes the instructions have a few different options on how to put two pieces together.  Sometimes those pieces are poorly made and don't fit!  You have to be flexible.

2.  You don't plan.

If you don't have a plan for your life, someone else does.  These folks didn't bother to look over their route and spot the obvious problem.  Life can either happen to you or you can make it happen.  Being proactive and talking about your goals is a bit of work.  You have to think!  You have to let go of the things that hold you back, make tough choices about how you spend your money.  Take time to figure out what YOU want to do and everything else will line up.

3.  You ignore that little voice inside.

Call it intuition, call it a nudge, call it the voice of God.  It's there for a reason.  If there are alarm bells, don't drive into the lake!  Take a pause and listen to the inner voice that's saying to you "Hold up!"  There have been people that gave me that feeling right away, but I ignored it.  There have been groups that I should have been more cautious about, but I wasn't.  Just like anything, you have to learn what that little voice sounds like and how to tune it in!

These poor folks had to get their Jeep hauled out of the water and then explain to their insurance company, why they did what they did.

YOU don't have to get into deep water.  You can avoid it.

Stay warm and dry!

Monday, January 29, 2018

Nine Minutes Times Five Days



Another Upstanding Comedy Tour is in the books and it was a great one!
You may remember from a previous blog that I learned an important lesson last tour!
I do comedy for the fun of it and as a ministry.  It's an activity that helps me be better on the radio.
I had the opportunity to travel and perform with Upstanding Comedy-The Circuit again.

5 shows!  Barrie, Sarnia, Chatham, Guelph and Brantford.  I do a set that's about 9 minutes.

The headlining performer was Leland Klassen!  We've been fans of his as a family since we discovered him on a DVD from our local bible bookstore in North Bay!  Probably 10 years!
I've met him a few times and the chance to perform with him was a thrill!

SHOW #1 BARRIE - The Community Wholeness Center


Leland Klassen
The Barrie show is easy for me, because I live here!  The venue is downtown.
The LIFE Street team was on hand to!
About 25 people showed up who were ready to laugh!
My comedy buddy Wil Twynstra got to do some time at this show.
Wil Twynstra
He's been unable to perform much lately so it was great to see him up on stage again!
My set went well.
I talk about the oddness of the marriage relationship and my misadventures with a Shop-Vac.
It's the first time for the set and it felt good!
Leland was in fine form and the crowd loved him!
I learned a comedy secret at this show.  Keep the house lights off.
When it's dark, people let go more with laughter.  In the light, they can become self conscious.
We want you to have the best experience possible, so dark it is!

SHOW #2 SARNIA - The Rock Family Church


After work, Rose and I hopped into our reliable Ford Focus and scoot down the 400 to the 407 then to the 401 and 402.  We end up in Sarnia for the second stop on my tour experience.  (The tour actually starts in, Sterling ON, but it's a 3 hour drive from Barrie, so I skip that one!)
The Rock is a church that loves comedy!  Sometimes they don't show that love DURING the show.
It's a different experience in Sarnia.  You learn to trust the material, even though you might not get the feedback you want!  It's about THEM after all!  There were about 60 people that night and they all had a great time.  The Sarnia people are great.
After the show, pastor Al ordered us pizza and Global Donuts!
Global Donuts are a Sarnia institution!  They provide free donuts for the show and we love to plug them!  They are delicious!
Every tour, Timmy Boyle, the creator of The Circuit, records a video with the headlining comedian to promote the donuts.  This time, Leland pretended to be eating 15 donuts and stuck out his belly at the end of the video.  This sent Timmy into a laughing fit that turned into coughing, that turned in to vomiting!  It's great!  View it HERE.

SHOW #3 CHATHAM - Living Faith Church



Chatham is only a stones throw from Wallaceburg.  I grew up in Wallaceburg.  I left there for North Bay to follow my broadcasting dreams.  Chatham was the place to go in my childhood.  We always got excited to go to Chatham!  They had a McDonalds!  They had a Woolco!  They had a movie theater!
The Chatham show was great!  I would say there were about 80 people there.  I like the stage and I like the church!
Also appearing at the Chatham show was Christian Picard.  He is a young man who is confined to a wheel chair.  He uses the chair as a source of comedy and he does a great job!
The other performer besides me was James Mac Neil.
James Mac Neil
James has been doing comedy for a long time and his day job is an undertaker!  He runs an alternative business which is really cool!  It's called Life Transitions.  He brought hats!  Funeral business hats!  Check out his video with Leland HERE.
We were challenged to put a DC Comics reference into all our sets that night.  I think only me and Leland took it seriously!  That was a challenge!

SHOW #4 GUELPH - Parkwood Gardens Church



The crowds keep growing!  Guelph is one of the shows on the tour that really gets a lot of people out.  There were 200 and the energy was fantastic!  I love the Guelph crowd!
Making the trip to Guelph from Brantford were two other comedians, Robert Beckham and Alex Bouman.  These guys are great.  Robert told a story about holding the TV antenna in the rain so his grand dad could watch Maple Leaf Wrestling!  Alex strums the ukulele while quoting hilarious one-liners!  Very entertaining!
The Guelph crow is usually the biggest, but that was about to change!

SHOW #5 BRANTFORD - Evangel Church


Holy cow!  A packed house!  About 220!  The biggest crowd yet for the final night!
Brantford Crowd
I really liked the main auditorium of this place and the fullness made it electric!  I decided to really have fun with this one and just let it all go!  It felt wonderful to get the reactions from the crowd!
Robert and Alex also performed along with a newcomer...President Trump!
Robert Beckham

Alex Bouman
Trump!
He's actually a fellow named, Glenn!  He had us going with his dead-on impressions, which also included Robert DeNiro and Dr. Evil!  Cool!

Tour Wrap Up Photo!
EPILOGUE

The Circuit is expanding!  There are more cities being added!
I urge you to come to a show if you can.  A comedy experience is unlike any other!  For the latest tour info, click HERE.

Timmy Boyle Welcomes you to The Circuit!