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.)

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!

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...

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!

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!

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

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