Revelations From The Gym - Part Three: Odd Activities

I have been going to the gym and I have been getting spiritual understanding from the physical activities there.

The last one I want to share is the fact that, at the gym, we do things that seem to make no sense, but there is a purpose behind it.

We pick things up...then put them back down in the exact same spot.  Repeatedly.

We pull wires that raise black disks off the ground, only to return them to their original position.

We run, walk and bike but never move from the spot we started in.

We say we are building muscle but we leave the building in much the same way we came in. 

This would seem almost insane to anyone who did not understand the long term purpose of exercise.

I wonder if people think the same thing about those of us who attend church, sing, clap, shout, read our bibles, pray and share our faith!

It must look ridiculous!

Why do we do it?

For much the same reason as physical exercise!  We are building long term spiritual strength and health.

The activities themselves only serve the greater purpose of growth and development, otherwise, why bother?

When I go to the gym, I have a clear purpose.  

It's NOT to look good, show off or meet people. (I often don't speak to anyone!)

I have a goal of physical development and health, building a strong heart and losing excess weight.

It's my hope that the people who are employed there and who have experience in physical health will share that wisdom with me when I ask, and encourage me to be better and excel!

I think if we understood the reasons why we do Christian activity it would go a long way towards putting more meaning and energy behind what we do, and in the end, the benefits will be evident, both to ourselves and those around us!

Revelations From The Gym - Part Two: The Mirror

As I continue to observe the spiritual aspects of going to the gym, one has stood out.

The mirror is not a workout machine, but it gets a lot of use none the less.

I see in the bible that James compared the word of God to a mirror. (James 1:22-25 for you Bible nerds like me.)

If that's true, then something else I have noticed is also true...

The mirror is a also a source of PRIDE, depending on how you look at it.

At the gym, especially in the locker room, there is a lot of posing and selfie activity.

I watched one day as a guy flexed with one hand and snapped a picture of himself with his phone in the other!

The same thing happens out on the work out floor, people admire their progress regularly in the huge wall to wall mirrors.

This can be true of the bible.

There is a danger that we read the bible and look at our lives and think, wow, I am doing so good, way better than others!  I've got it all together man, what is wrong with you other people?

Instead of looking at the mirror to see an honest reflection of who we are and what needs improving, we use that as a measuring stick for how better we are than others.

Do you agree?

Revelations from The Gym - Part One: Come As You Are

I have been going to the gym now for a while.  

I mostly use the treadmill because I want to see a thinner shadow when the sun finally decides to melt the snow.

While I am on the treadmill, many thoughts pass through my mind.  Some are even very deep!

Like the other day, I realized three distinct things about church and spiritual growth.

I am going to lay them out in separate blogs.

The first is about the types of people who stroll into the gym, and by extension, into church.

This though came to me as I began to notice that, there are some people who come to the gym like it's a fashion show.  They have the best workout clothes and even have makeup on!  They look like the gym is the last place they need to be right now.  They have it all together.

Then there are people who, like me, need a lot of work!  They are not the super-fit or the most healthy, they are there to turn into the other people who seem to be perpetually ripped.

These are the people I like most.  Because I can relate.

I think the gym should be filled with folks who are in need of better health.  Good for them for coming in!

It can be intimidating to come and work out because of all the "perfect" people there.

Church is like that that.

The more we can get those in the worse shape in the doors the better.  That's what it's for.

Some gyms advertise that they are a place of "no judgement", and I say AMEN.

Bless you for even coming through the doors, you are now on a journey of transformation.

Get ready to sweat and be encouraged to be better...you can do it!

The Case For Grace

Just about done this book.

Whew!

Lee Strobel is a former atheist journalist, who discovered the grace of God in his own life and then sought to tell the stories of others who have discovered the same thing.

The book is a collection of interviews Lee has done, with people who should be outcasts, but have found that God is bigger than their situations.

Lee also shares his own personal journey that started with the words of his father, telling him he did not have enough love for him to fill his little finger.  Wow.

The first chapter can be read here.   It's about an orphan...have a tissue ready.

To listen to our interview with, Lee on LIFE...click here.

One aspect of grace I have discovered from the book is that the grace of God always works over a period of TIME.  It's always an illustration of his patience. 

Thank God for His grace.  I need it every day.

How about you?

You're On! (Whether you like it or not!)

What if these guys followed you around?

I recently read this article that quoted one of the stars of Duck Dynasty.    Jessica Robertson is married to, Jep Robertson.  She was interviewed by Christianity Today and was quoted as saying that she does not mind being on Reality TV because it gives her and her family an opportunity to share their faith.

“The more Christian shows out there, the more good influence we have, the better...You’re giving away a huge portion of your time and your life. You have to know it’s not just a 9-to-5 job. It is somewhat of a sacrifice, but God has a plan and he has something bigger,”

The Duck Dynasty wives.

Anytime we can peek into the lives of real people, there can be good and bad.

Some of it is entertaining, some of it is shocking, some of it is funny.  

The everyday stuff would be boring.

The majority of us will never have our lives play out on TV before millions of people.

BUT...this got me thinking...what if we realized, we are on a sort of show? 

We are being watched by a number of people every day! 

The amount of influence we have just by being alive and doing our daily boring stuff is huge!

Let's face it, daily stuff isn't exciting.  There are moments, but for the most part it's routine.

But remember, there are many eyes on you every day, whatever you are doing.

It's almost the same opportunity as being on TV, only on a smaller scale.

But the influence of how you do your groceries, get gas, pay your bills, though not thrilling, is STILL a chance to touch the lives of the people you encounter!

So, see you on the set of your life!

My Odd Sense Of Humor

Humor is a funny thing.

I'll just let that statement sink in for a moment...

Okay?  Got it?  Moving on...

I think I have an odd sense of humor.  Some of the strangest things make me smile.

Over the years I have enjoyed reading comic strips.

Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, For Better or Worse, Dilbert and more...

As a kid, I would hit the library before coming home from school and read comic strip books.

I have had many in my possession as an adult.

They have come and gone because they got worn out by multiple readings.

An example of one of my well worn comic strip books.

I think comics are great because they tell a story and make me smile very quickly.

They get to the point and leave me with a bit of happiness!

Sometimes, though, the oddest ones become my favorites.

An example...

The Far Side® and the Larson® signature are registered trademarks of FarWorks, Inc.
Copyright © 2007 FarWorks, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

This stuff just gets me.

A ridiculous set up story for a silly slapstick moment.

Classic!

I know that others may not get why this is so funny to me,

I don't either.

But it's hilarious!

I Wanted To Get To Know Him More...

This weekend I was saddened to learn of the sudden death of Jim Leek, morning show host and music director at JOY1250 in Oakville.

I had only met him twice and had heard about him before that in only the most glowing of terms.  I had heard he loved God with a passion, loved Christian music, had a long tradition of supporting Christian radio.  I heard he had never married, had tragically lost a brother who was a fire fighter and that, Jim was steadfast in his faith.  A true example of a godly man.  I am sad that he died at such a young age, 58.

I so much wanted to get to know him a bit more.

That got me thinking...

There have been a few people in my radio life like that, that I have wanted to meet and dig deeper into their knowledge.

Back when I was starting out in, North Bay, I knew of a guy named, Dean Belanger.  He was the solo morning show guy at CKAT and I heard he was a dedicated Christian guy.  I thought, how can a Christian play country music?  How can he keep his spiritual life together in that atmosphere?  He did it though, and had the respect of his peers.  Then I heard he wrote a short movie script and actually filmed it!   Wow!  Then, someone told me he was a trekkie!  I thought, if I ever meet this guy, I will pick his brain like crazy!

Me and Dean Belanger in North Bay.  We are using our "happy" faces.

Dean, gearing up for a Sharathon!

Dean is now the station manager at KFM, the Christian station in North Bay and has helped it grow so much that they are about to open a new location that is three times the size of the former studio!  I have had the honor of working with, Dean and learning from his many years in the biz.  We still keep in contact and the education continues.

Another guy I wondered if I would ever meet is Scott Jackson, station manager of LIFE 100.3. 
I heard of him while working in Sudbury.  I started reading his blog and was impressed with his straight forward, no-nonsense writing style.  He was not afraid to be open and honest about his struggles in life.  Through the blog I also found out that he was a radio guy because he loved it.  He had been in the field since very young, and had become a Christian and had been turned on to Christian music.  He shared the story of starting LIFE in, Barrie and I could tell that he carried they same drive from his career in secular radio, over into Christian radio.

LIFE is never dull with Scott and Janice!

I started tuning in to LIFE online.  Everything sounded so...good!  Wow!  This guy knows his stuff!  Would I ever get to meet this dude?  Would there ever be a chance to actually let any of the excellence rub off?

I did eventually get to meet, Scott and his wife, Janice.  We got to tour the studio.  We got to have pizza together!  Fun!

Now I "work" at LIFE.  Now, there is a whole team to learn from!  Maybe they can learn something from me and my experience to.

Back to, Jim.

Jim was one of those guys I was looking forward to sharing radio experience with.

We met briefly at, Scott's place on two occasions and we were Facebook friends.  I had planned to visit JOY in the future and get him to show me around.

Top left corner, me chatting with Jim Leek and Steve Jones. PD at LIFE.

Now he is gone from this world and into the next.

Here is the lesson I guess;  for whatever reasons, people die before what we think is their time.

They are here one minute and it seems, gone the next.
 
Rarely are we prepared for it.

Learn what you can from the people who are in your life. 

See every relationship as a situation you can grow from and help contribute to someone else's growth.

Realize that we never really know when life will change.

Amen.

Another shot of, Steve Jones and I talking with , Jim Leek at Scott Jackson's place. (We are in the center, around the fireplace.)

Jim loved ALL kinds of Christian music!  Including AFT!