Wow.

Pretty boring title I know, but it's all I can manage to spit out at the moment in terms of creativity. The boringness of the title certainly does not reflect the excitement level that I am feeling right now and the excitement level of today's event and today's post. All I can say is that I am in awe and what the what??? Simply blown away. Now you are asking me to spit it out and must be wondering why if you do not already know. Most of you probably do because I am not able to keep secrets well when I get excited and to say that I am excited right now would be an understatement. Here we go. I am blessed that I will have had opportunities to participate in 3 different ministries in our city in the near future. The newest one that is possibly happening real soon is getting on board with our local Christian radio station Joy FM. http://www.joyfm.ca/ The other is one that I have mentioned recently and am currently raising my support for and that is Boaz Ministries http://www.boazministries.com/ The third of course is my position at Morning Gate Church as their youth pastor. This has been a blessing to me and I have learned a ton. Sometimes I have had to learn some things the hard way, but the youth in this group have blessed me over and over as I've attempted to give leadership to them in this role. That being said a couple of months ago I felt lead to start talking about baptism to them as a number of them had made commitments to Christ in the last year or so. Many of them stepped up at different times and in different ways, yet all who stepped up to take this next step in their faith did it in their own way, in their own timing, doing it for themselves and not because someone else was. All in all in our youth group (which has peaked at 20 since I've come on) had 15-17 young people step up and say that this is what they wanted to do. This has boggled my mind as we also have a number in our group who have already been baptized or did not step up as they were away this summer or not there yet spiritually. I have been very much challenged in this equation to not try and figure out God's economy because I am not God so why would I try. So today is the day. A number of our students could not make today's baptism so we planned on doing who could be done today and then we will have to plan a day for the rest. As we came into service today we had 7 for sure that wanted to be baptized with one more that I thought may show up, but I was not 100%. We began our service and it was a very encouraging crowd (in terms of size and enthusiasm) and the weather was very cooperative despite it looking like it might rain on us. We carried on in our service and Pastor Scott shared a great word before we got to the main event of baptizing our 8 young people plus a couple who came through one of our families as well as a 6 year old girl who told her Nanny and Grampy (from our church) that she wanted to be baptized. So 7 or 8 turned into 11. After we celebrated with those who planned and did not plan, but stepped out in obedience we asked if anyone else wanted to step out. One man did. What a blessing!!! (12) We prayed and then carried on with our meal and BBQ and began to enjoy sharing a meal together as church family. While we ate it was brought to mine and others attentions that there were two more young people (brother and sister) that wanted to be baptized, but were not able to as their mother was not there and she would not have wanted to miss it. I then celebrated that we would be having more added to those who want to be baptized our next time we do a service. Shortly after this was mentioned their mother arrived and the young people decided today was their day. Amazing!!! (14) An amazing addition to this part of the story is that the mother of the brother and sister also decided that she was going to proclaim God’s place and plan in her life also this day by being baptized with her children. (15) Also while we ate a gentleman arrived and asked some of our people what we were doing and was told we were having our church service and having a baptism. He was so surprised as he and his wife had been praying for an opportunity for her to be baptized as she was leaving the country for a time and wanted to be baptized before she left. They then asked if we could baptize her and we gladly did this. Amazing how God sets things up that are so much bigger than us and beyond our comprehension. (16) Last but not least as we were out of the water again, one of our teens who has been a leader in our group shyly mentioned that she would like to be baptized too. She did not have a change of clothes or a towel but this did not matter to her. She knew today was her day. This was a big deal as this teen is very near and dear to our Sr. Pastor. (17) All and all what an amazing day. We had plans and were pumped about what we thought God had in store for today. Little did we know what God was going to do was so much bigger than what we imagined. I don’t say this to brag on numbers or suggest that our success of today was about number, but every time someone steps up and says publically in this manner that they want to live for, follow and serve Jesus I have to believe that God is honored and way more pumped than we could ever be. The challenge now is this… For those who made that commitment today we must uphold them in prayer and come along side and celebrate, lift up and bless them as they continue to walk life in its good times and bad… For we know that God has big things for them yet life is still tough.. Fortunately we serve a God who is bigger than life and it’s tough moments.. ;) What a day!!! What a God!!! Wow…

Faith, Fear, Facebook and Finances

Today's post is going to be one of those "post as you go" type of blogs.  I have had a bunch of random thoughts running around in my head this morning and I am hoping that by the end of this they will have worked themselves into a coherant group of thoughts. 

I woke up this morning and the main thought that was buzzing in my head was "Faith vs. Fear".  As many (of the thousands and thousand who read this.. lol) of you know I have recently taken a step of faith in my life regarding employment.  I am embarassed to say that I feel it has been a long time since I have stepped out into the realm of faith as I perhaps should have.  Bills, responsibilities and safety took over my thinking and I lost a boldness that was part of who I am and was made to be.  The "practical" became common place in my thinking.  Not that there is a problem with practical as I believe God has given us a brain in our heads to use, but if practical gets in the way of obedience to God then it is problematic.  So hear I am.  Trying to seek out God as I believe He's directed me to step out.  In this step I am feeling a great excitement as I reach out to some amazing people and do what I can do to bless them and be in life with them.  This also excites me as I realize that if God directs there is a need for the ministry of BOAZ in any community so if God called me to move someday this career does not change.  Yet as I feel all this excitement I regret to say that I feel anxiety and fear.  I know I should not, but if I'm honest I do.  The only thing that causes this is the big "F"... finances.  Before you start throwing awesome quotes and Scripture at me, I know.  :P
God is bigger... He has not given me a spirit of fear... He cares for the birds, so He cares for me... If it's the King's will, it's the King's bill... what God wants, God pays for or provides for..

I wrestle with this even as I type it.  I know what I know and yet I still feel what I feel.  I ask myself how this lines up.  Perhaps it doesn't and I need an alignment.. again.  Yet I just take the next step.  I've shared with many over this past year that we need to be a people who when God asks us to step out we do it even though we don't know where our foot may land.  Guess I need to live out what I speak.  So again, here I am. 

One thing I do see happening on an increased level is some amazing conversations where fellow believers challenge me at the core of who I am.  Admittedly I spend too much time on facebook and need to tone it down, but as of late God seems to be redeeming my conversations on fb and people have blessed me with their words as they challenge me with my faith, patience and other areas.  For this I am grateful. 

So as I end this post today I have to admit that I am a bit annoyed that I can't seem to tie it up in a neat little bow as I would like to, but here is where my heart is.  I want to live in the place God wants me to... today and tomorrow and the future will be awesome when they arrive.  I am praying for crazy blessings that I could never accomplish living on my own means.  I want to increase the amount of people (believers and non believers) that I am in community with to bless, challenge and help come to know God better daily.  I want to be an awesome man of God, dad, husband, step dad, brother, servant, and many other things as God leads me.  May my legacy be that I was obedient even if I looked crazy.  ;)

I want to leave this song.  It's by John Waller.  I've been searching through more of his music as I am getting excited about the concert that Jo is putting on in Woodstock and I found this gem.  It speaks to where my heart is.  Yes I have my personal dreams and desires that I would someday like to see, but ulitmately I want to do something so big in this life that if God doesn't show up I'm in trouble. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HiS-Aj2-7U

Blessings all,

A bicycle built for two or tow???

Good morning all...
Two days in a row posting a blog??? Unheard of... I know right??? ;)

As I was driving to work today I was crossing the bridge and saw an image that resonated with me immediately.  It was simply a father and son riding their bike across the bridge.  What's the big deal right?  Here is a little more specific description of how this was playing out.  The father was riding his bike across the bridge and there was a bar extended from the back of his bike and it connected to a make shift bike type of thing that his son was sitting on.  It had handle bars.  It had a seat.  It had pedals.  It def appeared like it was a bike by how it looked, but the son was not controlling where and how fast they were going.  It was actually cute because the son was pedalling as if what he was doing was making a difference, but in reality it did not.

As I observed this (while keeping my eyes on road of course) the thought dawned on me, "Isn't this like our walk with God?"  We pedal and pedal and pedal and yet without our Father's guidance, it is hard to say what kind of trouble we'd get ourselves in.  We plan, we strive, we push... we get tired.

God says, "Hop on, let me pedal and get you where you need to go."  "I love you and I am sufficient for you."  Yes He blesses along the way with amazing experiences, people, and gifts that we are so unworthy of, but ultimately He is our source of strength and our well of living water that causes us to thirst no more.

As I drove by the image of this boy realizing he wasn't doing much came to mind.  I could just picture him saying, "Wait a second.  I can do more. I can do better.  Let me up there dad."  I picture the son trying to climb across the bar off of his bike to His dad's bike that is clearly way too big for the son and not to mention IS STILL MOVING.  What kind of disaster could this of ended up turning into?  How much pain would this have caused?  Don't we do that though? 
"Hey God.  I know you're God and stuff, but if you could just do this a little different that would be swell."

I can almost picture God saying, "That's cute son.  Why don't you stay on your bike and let me lead you?  For I know what's best for you. I know where you need to go and my ways are best for you."

So for today.  Are we letting our Father lead us or are we trying to do more than our "bike" will allow us to do.  Admittedly the future is hard to not plan for.  We do it everyday with our everyday actions (dating, saving money for various things, etc), but have we decided to let God lead.  I had this conversation last night and my comment was that I am in a place where I am doing what God wants... today.. The person I spoke with called me out on this then put it in perspective a bit.  This quote stuck with me.

You believe in the future. You've just given up control.

You're willing to go anywhere.. but you do have an idea of what you think your future will look like.



So do I/we willingly stay on our bikes and allow our Father to lead us or do we try and do better?  It's my prayer that I will be found faithful to go where God wants me to go, to be where He wants me to be and that I would stay in my proper position and keep God in His so that I can follow His lead daily. 

Anything else is just spinning my tires... (groan.. )  ;)

Blessings,

"The Almost..."

In today's post from the mind of Scottie (terrifying thought I know) I want to quickly touch on something that I wrestle with often.  This often seems to be the case with what I write, but hey it's how I roll I guess.  I hope that people are ok with me being human and being honest with that.  If not, another website is just a mouse click away.  :P

I titled this post "The Almost".  As I read that it kind of sounds like the name for a band, but that isn't quite what I am going for.  Though if I ever was in a band again I may use that.  Squirell!!!  What I mean by saying "the almost" is that in my life there are many areas where I have some potentially exciting things around the bend so I and others have called them "almost" moments.  Again if you've known me for more than 5 minutes you recognize that I may be a touch high strung at times (though I am learning how to relax and love it!!!) and tend to wrestle with my focus.  All this to say God's blessings to come are awesome, but we/I must not allow ourselves to be so consumed by the blessings of tomorrow that we forget about how God has blessed us yesterday and is probably in process of blessing us right now.  In my lack of focus sometimes I allow myself to get discouraged while I wait for tomorrow's blessings in spite of the fact that I may be possibly sitting in the midst of God's favor today.  This is fact for me.  God has great things in store that I need to be thanking Him in advance for, but I must also be grateful for what He offers right now and obediently be walking in that blessing. 

It is easy to slip into an ungrateful attitude of impatience while waiting for God's blessings to come all the while what God is doing in the now is enough to knock our socks off.  This is such a subtle thing that the enemy can use to redirect our minds from being grateful to God in the now.  Ultimately this has the ability to shift our focus to an ungrateful, entitled attitude which could even result in our "almosts" that are to come disappearing.  It's a common sentiment, but it's true when people say to us that we need to be grateful for what we have and not mourn what we do not.  We do in fact live in a blessed society that is pretty spoiled and it is easy to get entitled, but my prayer is this. 

~Lord makes me grateful for how You've blessed and protected me in the past.  Lord make me grateful for Your blessings and opportunities today and Lord make me grateful for the "almost" moments of blessing that are to come.~

Don't let the "almost" moments overtake and distract us from God's blessings today.  Each day is a blessing and each day is filled with opportunities to bless the one who gave us this day as well as others around us who are in dire need of being blessed.
 
Two links to share.  The first one is a song that speaks to where my/our hearts need to be as we walk day by day.  "While I'm waiting."  Amen!!!  In fact, if you want to see this artist in concert he will be in Woodstock, New Brunswick on Friday, September 21st, 2012.  Call (506) 325-0109 to inquire about tickets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-M7oGrOa2I

The second one is a link about a video I watched last night and it spoke to me big time.  I don't know how many days I have left, but that's not what it's about.  It's about what I do with what I have left.
This is a 5 part video that can also be located at the phone number I gave you.  Check it out and be challenged.  Ed's Story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tHKbIO6XHg

Don't miss out.  Good things are happening and good things are to come.  Thank God!     ;)
Blessings y'all!!!