Give Me Your Eyes

It has been a while since I have blogged... and this could be interesting... I am tired, but I want to get my thoughts out so that I don't keep putting it off and forget what is on my heart right now!

I have had lots to say, but have been so busy that I haven't had the time to sit down and get it onto paper... hopefully I will get some time to reflect over the next couple of weeks! It has been a pretty great last four months, I have grown quite a bit, and look forward to see what God has in store for my future. I will take some time over the Christmas to explore my options for come the end of April, when my contract ends. I have some really encouraging ideas! Now to see where God wants me.

Anyway, I got a Christmas card from a really good friend who I went to the University of Regina with, a friend from Nova Scotia, who now plays basketball for Windsor University. As long as I have known Emily we have shared music with each other. When she moved to Regina I started to get to know her and I showed her some of my music that inspired me, some worship music, etc. After that she would make me mix CDs of her favourite worship songs, etc. And when she moved to Windsor I made her a mix of some of my favourite goodbye songs (I know, cheesy, but it was fun). Well, with her Christmas card to me she included a CD of worship songs. This Christmas season I have been pondering a lot about how I can make a difference for Christ in this world. There is so much materialism, and even amongst family and friends and the Christian community. I find Christmas to be so shallow and commercialised sometimes. So, I was thinking of how to make it different and I started talking to my family about doing something else instead of presents this year. We are exploring ideas, I think we are going to give to World Vision or something instead of gifts this year.

But, when I was listening to the CD from Emily I heard the song "Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath. I can't stop listening to this song! Such an amazing message. Exactly what my heart is saying and what my prayer is for this season. I see so much pain and different feelings as I walk around malls at Christmas time. It is a joyous time for many people, but at the same time it is a very hard time for so many people. Christmas time can be the loneliest and most painful time for so many people. I want eyes like Christ for the people who are hurting. I don't want to just walk by people and ignore them and rush to where I am going to. I want to see people for who they really are, and help them. I want to see them through Christ's eyes and have Christ's heart for them. I don't want to be able to walk by and ignore the pain... but, see who the people really are and help them.

That is my prayer for this Christmas season, and for the rest of my life!

Anyway, here are the lyrics (and the link to the video clip):

Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black tile
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
Are those people going somewhere?
Why have I never cared?

Chorus
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the once forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
yeah .. yeah .. yeah .. yeah

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide whats underneath
There’s a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
To ashamed to tell his wife
He’s out of work
He’s buying time
Are those people going somewhere?
Why have I never cared?

Chorus
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the once forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
yeah .. yeah .. yeah .. yeah

I’ve been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all alone

Chorus
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the once forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
yeah .. yeah .. yeah .. yeah

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the once forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
yeah .. yeah .. yeah .. yeah

Working out my Faith and more on this obsession

I heard someone recently talk about working out, how people get obsessed with working out and they love it and it becomes a passion and obsession and they take it to excess. I know that at first the working out was a struggle for even these people. The first little while it feels like there are no results, just pain and soreness, but then results start showing up from being disciplined and one starts to love the workout high or runners high, or just the feeling of getting the adrenaline going, being physically active and seeing one’s body get stronger and look better!

This can be compared with our spiritual disciplines. I have heard people the last couple of years start to shy away from disciplines, it almost seems like the “in” thing to just follow the spirit and throw out the disciplines. But, as the old term goes “don’t throw the baby out with the bath water!” (I couldn’t resist using that phrase!) I am all for the spirit leading us, but we still need spiritual disciplines in our lives. It is the same as this physically training, at first it is difficult, but as we train and push through the hard times God rewards us… and eventually we will break through the proverbial wall and feel Christ’s presence in a new and incredible way!

We don’t need to be afraid of disciplines, they don’t remove the spirit from our lives, but they help us. They give us another avenue to hear Christ’s voice. I pray that as we train and keep moving forward as Christ’s disciples that we will fall more and more in love with Him each day. That we will become obsessed with Him and want to know Him more and more deeply every day. That the obsession that people have for working out, for music, for drama, for their significant other, that those obsessions will be dwarfed next to our obsession with our Creator!

As was shared with me recently (I find it amazing that a thought will be in my head and then I will hear several people in the same day share something that reinforces my thoughts and prayers!), “Prayer is not the purpose of the Christian life, neither are any of the vital disciplines that Jesus modeled for us. The disciplines, however, set into motion a mysterious transformation as we deepen our intimacy with God. Transformation then is set into motion by our heart’s desire to follow Jesus and in humility submit ourselves to the practice of the disciplines in community. We allow others to help us keep our commitments to God. A discipline will join a new order of life, a life of discipline and accountability, to be transformed into the image of Christ. There is a new way of saying this that I have found very helpful. We should train to be godly, instead of trying to be godly” (p.19-20, Bill Hull, Jesus Christ Disciplemaker).

I pray that I will fall in love with Christ and that the disciplines that can be used to draw closer to him will become a passion rather than a chore. That I will never be satisfied with doing my "15 minutes a day", but will constantly be wanting more of Him, in anyway that I can get to know Him!

My Obsession!

While reading this I think you should listen to “You are Mine” by Mute Math, or “Obsession” by David Crowder Band or Delirious?. I have been listening to these two songs a lot lately. On Friday for coffee break I turned out the lights in my office and just sat back and listened to the lyrics and worshiped God.

So, I have seen people change a lot when they fall for that "special" guy or girl; suddenly they like different types of music, or bands, or even suddenly have a passion for music, sports, etc for the first time! Wouldn't that be incredible if we fell in love with Christ in this same way! We would love what He loves and do what He does! Think about that, the way that a "liking," "crush," or even "love" for a person on this earth and how that changes who we are. Please don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that there is really anything wrong with this change, these relationships should change both people involved in a positive way, closer to Christ and be mutually helping the person grow. We should look for relationships and build into people and be built into for change in both parties, and more so in the close, tight relationships, and then more so again in a marriage relationship.

But, I digress! Think about how these relationships change us and how much a relationship with our creator can change us! I was listening to a Vineyard song called "Beautiful" and I want to sing this love song to Christ above all else in this World. I want to fall in love with Him in such a tight and intimate way! I want Him to love me (as He does more than I can ever comprehend) and cause me to love Him so deeply that I am obsessed with Him and want to be like Him and want to do what He loves and be where He is, and have His heart! I want to be obsessed with Him and like what He likes and be passionate about what He is passionate about. I want to become like Him!

We become the person who we emulate. This could mean something small, like being Wayne Gretzky or Alexander Ovechkin whenever playing street hockey. We try to reenact their moves, or have their style or dress like them. Or we try to sing like our favorite singer. We start to have the same sense of humour, or have the same mannerisms, or little quirks of our friends, the people we look up to, or our significant others. The people we study or spend a lot of time with we start to become! We see this so often with couples, they start to become the same person in many ways. Suddenly the guy doesn't mind chick flicks, or the girl starts to cheer hard for the Canucks... or even little things like they both start to do that little biting of their lip when they find something humorous, or say that little inside joke. When people look at the couples they start to see each person in the other.

I want to emulate Christ! I want to have His interests become so much a part of me that I do not even know that I am doing them! I want to become so much more like Him that when people see me they see Him. I want to have His little quirks and passions!

I want the desire of a lover for Christ! You know that obsession where the significant other is on your mind at all times!? When you go to bed the last thought is of that person you care for, and the first thought when you wake up is of that special person. I want my last thought as I go to bed to be that of Christ and the first thought as I wake up to be Him! I want the little pauses in my day to be filled with Him and how much I love Him and how He loves me! I want to desire to know Him more, to have a desire to talk to Him and to hear from Him!

I hear of newly married (or even long time married) couples where one leaves on business or a short vacation with the guys or girls. Everyone jokes about how the one left behind now has freedom and is "Batching it" and must be loving being single again. But, the honest response is always that they miss their partner almost as soon as they leave! And this missing isn't because the guy now has to make the meal! It is because he feels that part of him is missing, he does not feel complete without his partner. This same thing is said about the person who is away; they want to share their experiences with their significant other. She sees things that her husband would be fired up to see or he sees things that he knows that his wife and he could enjoy together. They do not feel the enjoyment apart that they would together. I want this to be the same as my love for Christ! I want to share my moments with Him! I want to learn from Him and to include Him in every aspect of my life! I pray that my experiences will feel hollow without His involvement in them!

I yearn to be OBSESSED!

My Calling in music!

OK, so here is some of what I really want to share!

As I was driving back to Hepburn from visiting my brothers for Thanksgiving I was listening to some amazing music that got me thinking!

As I was listening to music I thought about how much God loves us! There is a song by Jacob and Lily, called "Child of the King," that shows how valuable and loved we are. The song talks about just being in Christ’s presence and how we are Christ’s treasure! We are children of the King and are so precious to Him. We are His prized possession! I want to be in Christ and just abide in Him!

The next song that I heard spoke of how Chris has redeemed us (“Embracing Accusations” by Shane and Shane). Each of us is so lost, and there is no way that we can possibly ever live the lives that we have been called to, we can not earn our way to Heaven. But, the amazing thing is that it does not end there! It does not end with our failure, because He has redeemed us. No matter how many times we fail or fall into the same pit over and over again, he is there to accept and save us! We can’t do it on our own, but only through Christ! He has defeated death and sin and has redeemed us!

The next song spoke of how we are to have the same heart as Christ (“Tears of the Saints” by Leeland). I yearn to have the same heart as Christ! That I will be so moved by the pain that I see in the World! Christ is crying for the lost and hurting in this World! I pray that Christ will move in my heart, and that I will never be the same! I am loved and redeemed by Him, and I pray that I will have His eyes and Heart!

OK, I have to leave for hockey practice now… I will get to the brunt of my thoughts soon! This is crazy… I haven’t even gotten to my real thoughts yet! I keep thinking of more that I want to say, and it makes it longer and longer!

More than "just" content to drive these lonely highways with my random thoughts and God

Well, I drove home for thanksgiving this weekend (well, not really home... it was a weird Thanksgiving. I went to Eston to visit my brother, and we stayed at my Aunt's house for the weekend, and she wasn't even there! She was in Regina for the weekend. We had grilled cheese sandwiches on Sunday, and popcorn chicken on Monday!) and for once I really enjoyed the drive by myself. I didn't start to crazy, but instead had some time to just think and listen to music, and most importantly I was able to take some time to listen to what God had to say to me. It has been quite a while since I have felt God's presence or felt Him impress something on my heart that I felt like writing down and sharing. After my drive back to Hepburn I quickly ran to my computer to get some of my thoughts out! It has been really neat to feel Christ encouraging me and speaking to me in this way... As I was going to sleep on Monday I had to get up and write up some more, and then first thing in the morning I had some more to say. I am not saying that it is that profound, but it is really encouraging to me! It will take a few blogs maybe, so that you don't get too confused by all of my thoughts!

To start off with, some non-inspirational insights. There are some really poor drivers out there! I get a kick/feeling of fear from drivers... from those who drive waay too slow (like 20 km below the limit)... to drivers who don't signal (I want to turn left, but am not am waiting for the next car, and then they signal at the last second and turn! I could have went, but now have to wait for the next light)... or people driving waaaay too fast and being impatient/getting cut off. It was crazy, I almost got in like three head on collisions because people tried passing when they shouldn't have! And finally, people following waay too close on the highway. I think that many people do not know how to drive on the highway. If I can't see the following cars headlights then what will happen if a deer jumps out and I hit the brakes? We are not driving in a city at 50 km/hr, but 100 km/hr!

This is getting long already, so I will process my thoughts a bit more before sharing them! I need to figure out the right way to break my thoughts up into more concise thoughts.

But, one thought I have had for a while is the way that many of us tend to pray! I have heard many people when making a request or just praying in general say the word “just,” as in “Lord, just do this for us”, or “I just pray that this event will run smoothly,” or “I pray that you will just heal this person of their sickness if it is your will.”

God is a God of more than “just!” He is beyond “just” and “if!” I am watching how I pray, I want to pray in anticipation and faith! I know that God will go beyond “just” and can and will blow my socks off! I want to see Him go WAY beyond just and do the miracles that He wants to in my life! I am watching how I pray, I pray that even in the little things that God will go beyond “just” as He yearns to do and does continually!

What an adventure to go beyond “Just!”

The Unknown God

I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. Acts 17:23

I recently read of an interview from a few years ago with the Portuguese player Luis Vidigal about his team-mate, Figo. What is so special about Figo, was asked, of someone who had the opportunity to study him at close quarters.

Vidigal replied, "Figo has something special in his feet. He thinks and acts very fast. He is extremely difficult to stop. He is really blessed, without a doubt. Although he doesn't recognize that that blessing comes from the Lord".

Many sportspeople fall into that category – they are blessed by God with a body that works well. In many cases they have a special talent that sets them apart from others. But often they do not recognize God as the source of the talent.

Writing to the Romans, Paul says that there is no excuse for not recognizing that their talent is from God: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse". Romans 1:20

As we represent Christ in the world of sport (or whatever we do in life) it is our task to help our team-mates, fellow committee members etc to see and recognize the God who is present with them, albeit unknown to them.

As we play with them and seek to share something of our experience of God, we need to pray for them, that they will be open to see and experience the God who loves them.

My way or the high way

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? James 4:1

We live in a culture that seems to say, if I want it, I will take it by force. There have been more wars in the 20th century than in any century before it. We may be technologically advanced but not in character. The world is full of tyrants and dictators who rule for their own gain, not the good of their people.

And it is not just in governments that you find tyrants. Many of us have played under coaches who were bullies, who always had to be right, who humiliated players who dared to disagree with them. Some of us may have experienced similar types of leadership in the church.

The Christian should have no part of this. In the following verses the key words that James uses are "humble, submit, purify". We are to choose God’s way not the world’s. We are to take our example from Jesus who "being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!" (Phil 2:6-8).

As we represent Christ in the world of sport, let us aim to do so in a spirit of humility – not pushing for our own position but acting in the interests of others.

Expectations

Jesus answered, "If I want him[John] to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." John 21:22

Shortly after the Beijing Olympics I was told of a conversation that a colleague had on the telephone with South African swimming legend Penny Heyns. They were talking about the pressure of the Olympics and how other people’s expectations and the fear of letting them down can add to the pressure.

Stuart described the conversation in the following way.

Then Penny said: “As Christians we need to remember that we perform for an audience of one and not be weighed down by other people's expectations. I know that is not easy”. So simple yet so profound.

As we walk off the field, step out of the pool, can we honestly say we have given it our all and sought to give glory to God? If so, we have been successful. In sport – as in all walks of life – it is easy to be caught up in what other people think of us.

In the verse at the top Jesus reminds Peter that his energy should be concentrated on following Jesus, not on what happens to John. The challenge to concentrate on what Jesus wants us to do, regardless of what others may think or what others may do, is a timely reminder to many of us.

An Update of sorts

OK,
OK,I know I owe many people emails... and I will reply... soon! my weeks are shot without internet access (I live for the weekends), but the last few weekends I have not had much time on any sort of internet... but soon!
This is an email that I am planning to send out soon (once I have enough time on the internet to type in all of the email addresses and press send!). So, some who read this may get this in email form in the next couple of weeks. But, for now here is an update for those who notice and read this blog type thing!
So, my contract with Bethany College as the Interim Athletic Director ended at the conclusion of April. But, I have continued to live out in Hepburn, in the same house that I have lived in for the year. Let me say that it was an incredible year at Bethany, and I grew a lot. It is a great College and I will be keeping my eyes on the happenings for years to come. It will be kept close to my heart for sure. Great student body, great faculty and staff and it was so neat to be a part of it for a year. God is working on that campus.
I knew it was a nine month contract, which I knew would be a very short time, but wow did it ever fly by! Seemed like it just started and then suddenly all the students are gone!
So, I have been continuing to look for work in Athletics for the last few months. I really love college and university athletics, and pray that I will find the right fit for me. I have found that I really love getting to know this age group and trying to come alongside them and helping them integrate their faith into sport. I am still trying to explore different options and discern what that will look like for my future! Whether I should just work towards being part of an University Athletic Department, or if I should be joining Athletes In Action as full time staff. I want to be where God wants me.
But, as I look for the right job I figured I should be making some money, so I have started working construction with Henry Janzen Steel Buildings. I am still not sure what job I will have there, but I will hopefully be put on a crew soon and start learning! It feels like all I do is work, eat and sleep each weekday, as I start at 6:30 am and am not done the day until after 5:00pm (which is why I have fallen behind on my correspondence!), but I should make lots of money and it is pretty close to where I live. This past week I did some framing, which I really enjoyed... it was neat to learn stuff, after just cleaning the yard for the last couple of weeks.
I kind of wish that I had moved into Saskatoon for the summer (I feel kind of alone out here sometimes), but I did not want to move and then two weeks later get a job where I have to move again. So, I will be out in Hepburn till mid-August likely... and then see where God takes me on this journey.
Well, I said I would keep this short... Hmmm, I think that might be it,
Hope you are all doing well... I will update you when I figure out the next step in this adventure of mine called life! It has been good seeing some of you in Saskatoon this past month, always encourages me to see friends, longtime and new!
Peace,
Jadon
PS. OK, two quick stories:
I have realized that I have entered a new phase in my life- Now people ask me if I am married! That seems to be the first question that is asked to me when I meet someone new at work, church, etc. I almost break into laughter everytime... it seems like an overnight change!
Also, I was cleaning garbage at the yard where I work, just cleaning up all the stuff that got blown into the trees, etc. Well, I stopped for coffee and saw this thing crawling on my arm, a wood tick! Man, do I ever hate ticks! I was paranoid the rest of the day! But, the song by Brad Paisley kept going through my head, "I want to check you for ticks!" haha

Compete as a Christian or don’t compete at all

This was something I read by Stuart Wier, I thought it was worth passing on:

Scott Reavily in his MPhil thesis on competition, came to the conclusion that for the Christian: "the case against competition is more compelling than the case for it". If he is right, then Christians had better get out of sport.

If he is right Christians need not only to stop playing sport but also to stop doing business or entering politics as they will be obliged to allow their opponents to win every time! It is our view that Christians can and must stay in sport and face the tensions head on.

I believe, however, that the challenge for the Christian competitor is to bring a higher quality of competition into sport. That is the crux of the issue we are addressing. Christians are to take God’s world of sport and regain it for his glory. The world of sport, in Calvin’s phrase should become a "theatre of God’s glory". Christians are to be fully engaged in competitive sport, using their God-given talents to the full, giving 100% commitment to the contest. At the same time that commitment is to be given in a spirit of loving one’s neighbour as oneself.

There have been many examples of treating one’s opponent with love in the history of sport. For example, Eugenio Monte removing the bolt from his own bob and giving it to the UK team whose bolt had broken in the 1964 Winter Olympics – ultimately sacrificing his own gold medal chance; or tennis player Nduka Odizor lending an opponent a pair of his grass court shoes before playing him in a tournament.

I suggest that the Christian is to compete with three attitudes:

that competitive sport, like everything else for the Christian should be an act of worship;

that we are to love our neighbour (ie our team mate, opponent and the officials) as ourselves; and

that as Christ’s representatives we must play Christianly.

What better arena is there in which to exhibit the love of Christ than sport, as players love team mates as themselves, as they care for each other and make sacrifices for each other?

Accepting defeat as not the end of the world, and being content to have given 100% for God, may be a radical concept. It is also how Christians need to express their Christian faith amidst the challenges of professional sport.

Embracing Accusation

I feel like such a failure sometimes. I feel like I keep failing Christ, sometimes it really gets me down. There is a passage in Galatians 3 that states that if we do not follow the instructions in the Bible then we are damned, we are cursed! But, the passage does not end there, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by being a curse for us! I thought this was such a good reminded when I read this. There are so many times when I wonder where the heck my life is going. I feel like I am wandering aimlessly, and am not being of any use to anyone, let alone God, I fail and fall so often!

Then I went to the Shane & Shane concert and bought one of their CDs, I have been listening to one song in particular, "Embracing Accusation." This is such an amazing song. It starts with the devil preaching over the singer, saying that we are cursed and are hopeless. But, this is the beginning of the gospel! We are hopeless, we are cursed, we can not save ourselves, we are failures. But, that is not the end (as the end of the song is Christ singing the rest of the gospel message, louder and more powerful than the devil's accusation), Christ has saved us! This is such a powerful song... send shivers down my back each time!

When we feel useless and hopeless, these accusations from the devil that we can not gain our salvation, think about how this is the beginning of the glorious message from Christ! That it is Christ who saves us, there is nothing that we can do, it is all Christ!

Christ wants to use us as broken people, He wants to redeem us and use us for His glory!

The devil preaches the beginning of the gospel over us, that we are failures. But, he leaves out the refrain of the gospel, that JESUS SAVES!!!!

Our Value Part IV- We are Christ's Ambassadors

Well, I figured I could start this last installment with a bit of an update. So, as I stated earlier in these blogs... I am unemployed right now, and just trying to get my house in order again.
I will probably just work construction for the summer (while continuing to apply for jobs and seek direction for the fall), and get involved in a church in Saskatoon. I am excited to pick a church and get involved! I miss having that kind of community. It was an awesome year here though, I definitely grew a ton and learned a lot about myself, in some ways that I had not expected to! It was really cool to have the community here... but, now it is gone and I do not know where I fit. Feels really strange, to go from having so many people around and having that community and basically my whole life was wrapped up in this little college. And now it is gone and I need to kind of figure out my life again, figure out where I belong. Very strange feeling. I hope that I can find a community of sorts this summer... or else it could be a long, lonely summer... maybe I should have found a place to live in Saskatoon!

Well, I had a good evening last night. I went to the Starfield concert... I really enjoyed Shane & Shane. They were incredible! I wish that they would have been the headliners, I didn't want their set to end. I bought a few of their CDs, and DVDs came with the CDs, so my music DVD collection is starting to really grow, which I enjoy. I really enjoyed the worship experience. It was nice to see so many people at the concert who I knew as well. A few of us went out for something to eat after, which was nice. I have had some really cool times the last while just listening to music and reading my Bible... so needed. I will have more insights in the next while from what God has been speaking to me about in what I have been reading.

But, the last of this series of mine... haha. I must say that many of my thoughts were inspired from what I learned at Athletes In Action's National Training Camp a few years ago... really changed my life in many ways!

We are Christ’s ambassadors! (2 Chor. 5:20- We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.)

The definition of ambassador is:

1: an official envoy; especially : a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment

2 a: an authorized representative or messenger b: an unofficial representative

This is an honour, we are the personal ambassador of Christ (His representatives!)

You can have confidence to go into any room, with any group of people and not feel small. It is their privilege to have you in their lives, because you were sent by the King of this Universe!

He will send us prepared if we are His ambassadors! (2 Chor. 3:5-6- Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.)

We are already able to deliver, He has made us competent!

We often feel inadequate, but Christ has made us adequate as His ambassadors to do what He has called us to do!

So, I would like to finish off this set of blogs to affirm our value in Christ.

Here are a few things that highlight who/what we are in Christ (I remembered this list from Athletes In Action National Training Camp a few years ago and keep it as a reminder for me daily.):

1) I am Alive with Christ – no longer dead!

2) I am Set Free from Sin – no longer a slave

3) I am a Child of God – no longer an enemy

4) I am Privileged – no longer a stranger

5) I am a Citizen of God’s Household and an Heir – no longer separate from Christ

6) I am an Ambassador of Christ

7) I am a new Creation

8) I am Worth the Blood of His Son

9) I am Not Worthy… But am Not Worthless… I am Loved!

10) In Christ I am an MVP… Most Valued Person (couldn't resist a sports one!)

The theme at our Youth Retreat here at Bethany this year was "Unboxed and Dreaming big," sometimes we view ourselves as so unworthy, and not worth as much as we are in Christ. We are Christ’s ambassadors! He has given us these dreams, and will equip us for them!

If anyone actually reads this I would love to get responses of what your dreams are! He has given us each big dreams, and we often think they are impossible, but nothing is impossible in Him and He has given you your dreams for a reason. I think verbalizing it is an important step! Some of us have verbalized our dream, but we need to remember the commitments we made to Christ!

Share your dreams with someone and encourage others to share their dreams with you. And then affirm those dreams in each other. Christ values us so much and His plans for out lives are so much grander than we could ever comprehend!

Lets affirm each other in our abilities and dreams…

Our Value Part III- A bit of a frustrated rant

Well, I mentioned that I had an unexpected visit last night. My brother, Byron, pulled in at about 11:30 pm last night. We talked till about 1:30am, and I got to sleep at about 2:30 am... let me tell you that waking up to have breakfast with him before he continued his journey was difficult, 7:30am felt like 5:00am! I am not used to late nights anymore. But, it was really nice to see him again... I hadn't seen him since Christmas, December 27th to be exact! He went to the Philippines to do missions, and just got back on the 16th of April. I am definitely praying for him, for wisdom, strength and direction. I wish I would of taken a picture to commemorate the visit!
Anyway, part three of my four part series! haha

I mentioned my singleness earlier. It has been interesting seeing how people have treated me as a single man in my mid 20s, especially as I have moved around from place to place the last few years. It has been kind of frustrating, because every time I move to a new place, like when I went to Bible College, then to Regina, then to work at camp, then to Trinity Western and finally here, every time I moved people would say, “Jadon, I am so excited for you. I have this feeling that you are going to find the woman of your dreams in Regina or Langley, etc.” In the Christian culture I find that people are led to believe that they are not as valuable if they are single! This is such a lie! You even look in churches. There is a Young Adults group until 23 years old, and then young marrieds, and then singles who are above 30 years old… what about those of us who are still single at 25… we do not fit and everyone is trying to find someone for us, or feels bad for us!

There is nothing wrong with being single! God has a plan for each one of us, and we are so valuable, whether single or not! I wonder if I would have went to Regina if I had met a woman at FGBI, or to Trinity if I had met someone in Regina or here now! I hate this concept of, “You’ll be OK, Jadon, you will find someone and then will be complete.” We are given the impression that we are complete when we find that special someone. I am more than OK if I am single, my value is found in Christ! Don’t get me wrong, I pray that God will bring the right woman into my life, but that cannot be where my value is found! I want to encourage you all, no matter where you are at relationally, not to put your value in relationships, but in Christ.

You are absolutely complete in Christ and have the power to walk in His truth by faith!

2 Chor 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

Nothing can increase or deplete our value!

Our Value Part II- We are so Valuable in Christ

OK, so I had an interesting... quite productive day... back in November I had my car recalled. I guess the cruise control could start my car on fire. Well, they didn't have the part, so they just uninstalled it. And finally today I figured I had a free work day to get that fixed (since I do not have a job now!). So, I have cruise control now! I love it!
Then I went into the city and dropped my guitar off to get serviced. When I bought it there was a package where I could get it serviced once this year. So, I am guitarless for the next week. Then I went and got my oil in my car changed, and then went across the street and got my cell phone looked at. The screen on the outside stopped working. So, they are sending it off to get looked at and gave me a loaner. I definitely like my phone a lot better than this loaned one! At least I had the presence of mind to get my contacts transferred before they took it from me! Funny is, I had been texting my brother for a while before that, and I handed my phone to the young gal, and I guess while she was looking at it he had texted me the following message, "I love you!" haha, so she had been smiling at me lots the whole time and kind of shifted a bit then. When I looked at it to turn off all my alarms I checked the messages and saw that one from him... I explained it to her and she laughed and said, "Close loving family eh!"
Then I went to Parables bookstore and bought several CDs (some that I had wanted for a while... the new Kevin Max CD "Blood" and some cheap ones that brought back memories Paul Wright and Bleach) and two tickets to the Shane and Shane concert (I want to see them more than the headliners, Starfield).
And now my other brother, Byron is going to stay over night tonight on his round about way to visit friends.
I should probably go back to the house and see if he is there yet, but here is the next part of my talk about value:

A question that I think needs to be asked is Where is our value found?

Let me get a little vulnerable with you guys.

I grew up in an amazing, loving Christian family. But, looking back, I can see that my value was not based on Christ, and I still struggle with this.

One example is how I would often base it on things like trying to get the best marks. If I didn’t get 100% on a math exam I would be so mad at myself.

Or if I struck out in baseball or missed a breakaway in hockey or a serve in volleyball I would rip myself apart. My play would just plummet and my belief in my own value would be awful. My basis for doing stuff was often to prove others wrong and to show them that I was good at something!

Or, as many of you know, I have been single for 25 years. There have been times where I wondered if there was something wrong with me. Like if I am not good looking enough, or muscular enough, or if my personality just bugs people! I think I put my value in people liking me and I was often not myself. I would try to be the jokester, the storyteller and try to be friends with everyone, but as I moved around I noticed that I haven’t had very many strong friendships that endured. It bothers me that I do not have many people who I have kept in contact with.

But, a few years ago I went to AIA National Training Camp and they spoke about the value we have in Christ. It hit me so hard! This concept is something that I knew, but hadn’t hit my heart until this point and it has freed me up in so many ways… I definitely still struggle with my value and with confidence in who I am, but I am constantly reminded of where my value truly lies.

I want to encourage you all that you are invaluable! There is nothing on this earth that is as valuable as you! Think about that, there is no amount of money, or gold, or silver or diamonds that can be used to purchase you or determine your value! You were bought at the highest price possible, with Christ’s blood! Let that sink in. Nothing that you do can make you more valuable, because you are the most valuable thing on this earth! And nothing you do can make you decrease in value, because Christ has paid for you, and in His eyes nothing can decrease His love for you, you are still His beloved and nothing can take away your value. He paid for you with His blood! That is the ultimate price.

To put this into context. Think of the most famous musician in the World, for instance Bono from U2. He is no more valuable than a person like me who is plucking away at the guitar and am happy if I can tune it properly! Or the greatest athlete who, in the championship game of his or her respective sport almost single handedly wins the championship. Or even a person who does all the right things in church and in the community, the person who looks like the perfect Christian. He or she has not gained in value by their performance.

Or from the other perspective, say you have an audition with a dance or music team, and you just bomb it, or you have an opportunity to win the big game for your team and blow it, or you finally get the nerve to talk to that hansom guy or beautiful woman and you get shut down hardcore! Or even the sins that we have committed, no matter how bad they are, Christ has paid for them. Your value has not been decreased, because it cannot be decreased! You are still the most valuable thing on this earth.

Our Value Part I- The Prodigal Son

Well, as of today, I am unemployed, my contract with Bethany College ended as the month ended, so I started thinking about what God has taught me this year... it is hard for me to really pin point exactly how I have grown and matured. I think I have just been stretched in many ways this year. Many of the ways were ways that I had not expected to be stretched in. I think I grew and better learned where my passions, strengths and weaknesses are. Just like our muscles need to be stretched and broken to grow stronger, there were times this year where I was broken and at the time it felt awful, but looking back I can see that I am stronger now, and am more of a man of God than I would be otherwise.

But, I think one thing that was reinforced to me and that if I could share one thing with the students at Bethany it was the following, that even when I messed up or just didn't do as good of a job as I thought I should have done that my value in Christ had not depleted. This is something I had to come back to several times this year, when I felt like a failure, lonely, rejected, or like I had just not accomplished something to the quality that I had hoped. The next couple blogs that I will be doing are based on what Christ taught me this year... I spoke in chapel and I think I would like to share what I said on my blog the next couple times.

I have been thinking about the truths that God has spoken into and about our lives a lot lately. I think we should praise God for these truths that are found in the Bible! I want to talk about one of these truths that has really been on my heart a lot the last while.

I find it amazing how God confirms things in our lives, a passage that has been going through my mind since I started thinking about speaking in chapel was the story of the Prodigal son. Then the Sunday before I spoke I went to a church in Saskatoon (West Portal) and saw our drama ministry team (Players) do a really neat depiction of the parable and then Bethany College's President, Rick Schellenberg, mentioned the same parable on the Monday before I spoke. It seems like God has really been trying to speak to me through this lately. Rick speaks often using this parable, it never loses its power.

When I was asked to speak in chapel back in January I started to think about what to say, and God kept saying the same thing to me. It seems so elementary on so many levels. I am sure many of you have heard the basics of what I am going to say on several occasions. But, I feel like it is something that we all need to be reminded of.

For background on the story of the prodigal son read Luke 15:11-32. The son requests his half of his fathers inheritance and turns his back on his family. After the son had squandered all of his money and was left desolate he came back to his father, to beg to become one of his father's servants. The father ran to his son and raised him to a place of honour, back to where he was before he turned his back on his father! Just think about how the father took the son back as if nothing happened and raised him back to where he was before he left. This is what God does with us. Keep that in mind as I share.

I want to key in on a few verses, 20 and 31.

20So he got up and went to his father.
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

31" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.

These verses show that God pursues us- there is no one in this world like God; He will accept us and run to us, no matter what we have done!

God Kisses you with the kiss of love- How do we let God do this? I think in my own life when I think of letting God kiss me I tend to feel dirty and won't let Him. I can imagine this is quite similar to how the son must have felt. The son had been working with pigs, they wouldn't even let him eat the pigs slop, I am sure they wouldn't have let him wash up either. God Loves us no matter what, through our filthiness and all!

God Gives to you- We don’t earn it. He just gives to us because we are His children. His love sets us free.

Loving your neighbour in the heat of the battle

Love your neighbour as yourself. Matthew 22:39

In writing up his interview with Jason Robinson, (England rugby player and Christian) a sports journalist, Paul Kimmage, imagined the team talk before the game: “Put your bodies on the line. Put your mind on the line! There’s nothing else after this. When that whistle is gone at the end, there is nothing else! They’re arrogant. They think they’re going to win. We’ll take them down.” The writer then imagines Jason thinking “What about ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself’? What about ‘Do unto others as you would have others do unto you’?”

The irony is that Kimmage in his light-hearted, tongue in cheek, article has expressed the dilemma exactly. The Christian player must put his body on the line and be as competitive as the rest of the team but, at the same time, love his neighbour. That is the essence of being a Christian in the cauldron of competitive sport.

If Christian sportspeople see opponents, not as the enemy but as neighbours, and moreover a neighbour whom Jesus tells them to love as themselves, it certainly affects the attitude to the opponent. It is about treating the opponent in the way that we want to be treated: with respect. It is about wanting a fair game, a good contest. It is about wanting the opponent to push us to perform at our best. People often think that being loving and being competitive is an “either or” but, in this setting, love means being competitive!

With that understanding perhaps the way to love one’s neighbour is to give them the hardest tackle one’s body can produce – fairly and within the rules. By doing that one is forcing them to be the best player they can be. Similarly I need the opponent to nail me when I get the ball and to play the most brilliant tactical game they can so that I have to take my gifts and use them to the best of my ability against them. That is to love my opponent in the heat of the competition. It is wanting the best for your opponent, in order to get the best out of yourself. It is playing hard but not seeking an unfair advantage.

Donuts

This story made me think:

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States .

Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course his freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery.

Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going on to seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. 'How many push-ups can you do?'

Steve said, 'I do about 200 every night.' '200?

That's pretty good, Steve, ' Dr. Christianson said.
'Do you think you could do 300?'

Steve replied, 'I don't know.... I've never done 300 at a time.'

'Do you think you could?' again asked Dr. Christianson.

'Well, I can try,' said Steve.

'Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it,' said the professor.

Steve said, 'Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it.'
Dr. Christianson said, 'Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind.'

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, 'Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?'

Cynthia said, 'Yes.'

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, 'Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?'

'Sure!' Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, 'Joe, do you want a donut?'

Joe said, 'Yes.'

Dr. Christianson asked, 'Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?'

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut.

Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship.

When the professor asked, 'Scott do you want a donut?'

Scott's reply was, 'Well, can I do my own push-ups?'

Dr. Christianson said, 'No, Steve has to do them.'

Then Scott said, 'Well, I don't want one then.'

Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, 'Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?'

With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups.

Sc ott said, 'HEY! I said I didn't want one!'

Dr. Christianson said, 'Look!, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it.' And he put a donut on Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his
brow.

Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.

Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, 'Jenny, do you want a donut?'

Sternly, Jenny said, 'No.'

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, 'Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?'

Steve did ten....Jenny got a donut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say, 'No!' and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.

Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.

Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Dr. Christianson, 'Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?'


Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, 'Well, they're your pushups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want.' And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, 'NO! Don't come in! Stay out!' Jason didn't know what was going on.

Steve picked up his head and said, 'No, let him come.'

Professor Christianson said, 'You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?'

Steve said, 'Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut.'

Dr. Christianson said, 'Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?'

Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. 'Yes,' he said, 'give me a donut.' 'Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a
donut?'

Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was hande d a donut and sat down.

Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular.

Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, 'Linda, do you want a donut?'

Linda said, very sadly, 'No, thank you.'

Professor Christianson quietly asked, 'Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?'

Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.

Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. 'Susan, do you want a donut?'

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. 'Dr. Christianson,why can't I help him?'

Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, 'No, Steve has to do it alone; I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book.
Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes.'

'Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?'

As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, 'And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'Into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten.'

Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.

'Well done, good and faithful servant,' said the professor, adding, 'Not all sermons are preached in words.'

Turning to his class, the professor said, 'My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not His only Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid.'

'Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?'

All good things come to an end... starting my reflections

It has been a while since I have done a real blog, and I do have a few thoughts.
Life has been busy the last month or so, so I have really neglected writing in my journal and blogging my thoughts the last while. I do not know if I had much wisdom anyway! And I am feeling pretty tired today... so, not sure how much I will say.
But, today saw the last few students from Bethany off and I really do feel like my year is done and that this stage of my life is over. Wow, did this year ever go fast! I know that I grew and learned a ton this year in my role as Athletic Director. I am still not sure where God is taking me next... hopefully I will get some direction on a few of my options in the next couple of days!
I will say more on my reflections of my year in the next couple of days, and tell the story of the weekend... we went from beautiful short weather to a snow storm in like 24 hours! Saskatchewan in April... I should have taken pictures!
But, today I want to just talk about a frustration I have with myself and I want to grow in.
The two ministry teams (our musical group "Point of Impact" are doing a tour of Ontario, and a few Manitoba stops and our drama group "Players" are doing a tour of Manitoba and some Saskatchewan and Alberta) left Bethany this morning at 5:30am. I did not say goodbye to these students on Sunday when everyone else left because I figured I had another day to say goodbye. Well, Monday night I was busy until later in the evening, so I decided that I would wake up at 5:00 am to see them off at 5:30 am. When my alarm went off at 5:00 am I kind of questioned myself. My thinking is kind of strange sometimes, and I wondered if I would be the only non-ministry team staff member there and if the students would think I am the creepy staff member who got up early to see them off!
But, I decided I would go, and I was so encouraged to say goodbye to all of them. It brought some real closure to my year in many ways... some great men and women who I have grown to appreciate so much. I came as they were praying before hitting the road, and I could see on their faces that they were happy and surprised to see me. It made my whole year seem worthwhile to see that I had a positive impact even a little bit on their lives!
And to think that I almost didn't go to see them off!
But, my weird mind kept being silly and when they thanked me for coming out I said that I was up to go to the bathroom already anyway! This was partly true because when I woke up I did go to the bathroom before walking to the school, but why did I have to downplay my coming to see them off?
I have enjoyed supporting the teams all year when they did their Sunday deputations, why couldn't I just make them feel special by admitting that I had woken up early to see them off?
Why do we downplay stuff like this? Maybe other people don't do that, but I do anyway... and it drives me nuts! Why can't I just support people and try to bring joy into people's lives without making excuses or downplaying it? What could it have hurt to just say, "Yeah, I appreciate you guys and got up early to show that I care about you!"
I need to work on this area of my life I guess... just love people and not care if they misunderstand where I am coming from! I just want to encourage and love people, and pray that they see my heart and don't second guess my motives!
OK, I will write more in the coming week... as I reflect on my year, figure out where my future is leading me (at least for the summer) and talk about a few verses that have been brewing in my mind for the last month or so!

Matthais replaces Judas

I know that Easter was last weekend, but this past weekend was still Orthodox Easter I believe. Anyway, I came across this song by Showbread featuring Reese Roper. It is such a passionate song that I can't help but be moved. And then I saw these video clips from "The Passion of the Christ" and it made it all the more moving.

Age and West Virginia!

I have a few funny stories from this past weekend.
We had a basketball tournament here this weekend! I was pretty stressed out before it started. I was afraid that I was forgetting something. But, once it started it seemed to go quite well. It was a fun weekend. The last game went right down to the wire! Bethany beat Millar by 3 points in the men's final! Our hockey team, that I coach, also had games, both Friday and Saturday nights! So, it was a hectic weekend.
But, I had a couple old friends come, who were playing for a rival team. It was fun to visit with them. The one is attending the school, and the other is teaching high school history. The teacher was a ringer because they were short players. We had some funny chats about relationships. You will have to ask me in person about that story, not sure if it should be shared on the Internet! It isn't a bad story, just funny. These two mid 20's friends of mine, saying how old they feel, and how the teacher can't date any of the high school girls there or freshmen because they are too young and it would be illegal, because he signed a contract, but it would be OK for his friend because he is still a college student. OK I guess I told the story already, and you likely had to be there to hear the way he said it!
Then I came to work today and there was a message on my phone from a guy claiming I owed him money for a basketball game that he officiated February 6th. I looked at my calendar and realized it was a Wednesday, two days after our big youth retreat! This didn't make any sense at all.
I listened to the message again and noticed his phone number had a really strange area code. So, I was about to look up where it was from through a reverse number thing, when he called again! He was really mad and demanding his money. Nothing made sense and I tried to explain to him that he was mistaken. I asked who had played and that I didn't recall there being a game that day. He just kept getting mad at me and told me that we were playing "Teal" or something like that and that Aaron had said we would pay them within a week, and kept telling me all the officials names. I asked him if maybe it was a high school game and finally asked who Aaron was. he told me Aaron is my head coach, blond crew cut! I told him we didn't have a coach by that name, and described our coach. He then demanded to talk to him! I asked him where this game had been played (our coaches have other jobs, coaching is just part time). He said, "At your gym!!" I said, what town. We are located in Saskatchewan. He kept interrupting me and said "Bethany College in West Virginia!!!!!" I kept trying to tell him we are in Canada. Finally I got through his hollering at me.
What a Monday experience!!! Made me laugh anyway!

Lyrics to Crown

Here are the lyrics to the song "Crown" by Collective Soul. I mentioned this song in my last blog and figured I could provide the lyrics. They talk about being lost and of going their own way. Who is (or wears) the crown in our lives? That is a really good question. Such Biblical lyrics of being lost like the prodigal son. We wander on our own for a bit and God is waiting for us to come back home and to make Him the centre of our lives again and put the crown of our lives back where it belongs, on his head... I will let you read the lyrics for yourself:

Who's gonna be my savior
now that I've learned to believe
Who's gonna be the answer
To all of my questioning
Well I hope I'm not lost
But I think that hope is now distracting
And the words that secure a thought
Are now faint whisperings

Who's gonna wear my crown
I don't know I just might alone
Who's gonna wear my crown
I don't know I've just got to go my way

Who's gonna be my partner
Now that I stand here alone
Who's gonna be the shepherd
To lead this poor boy back home
Well I hope I'm not lost
But I think that hope is now distracting
And the words that secure a thought
Are now faint whisperings

Church, parents, my car and Collective Soul

My travels home this week were quite interesting. The weather the last week was awful, so cold! But, on Friday it was suddenly beautiful. Well, I decided to travel home on Saturday for the weekend. It was so nice out, but basically from Saskatoon to Kindersley the roads were awful! It was strange, +2 out and clear skies, yet the roads were covered in snow, slippery, and icey. It was crazy, it was some of the worst road conditions I have ever been in. But, I made it home safely. Now will see what I do for the next few days. I think I will go visit my friend in Eston at some point, then head back to Hepburn tomorrow, so I have Tuesday off to just relax and do some cleaning, etc.
It was weird going to a different church today... so used to coming home to go to the church in Eatonia, but went to Kindersley today! It feels strange to not have our church in Eatonia anymore.

Last Thursday I went to a Collective Soul concert in Saskatoon. The team at Bethany that I coach had a hockey game on the Friday night, which I had bought tickets for the concert that night. I felt really bad about that, didn't think it would be a good excuse to miss a game for. Well, I was driving to church a few Sundays before and decided to sell my tickets, then I turned on the radio (which I never do), and they were advertising that Collective Soul was doing a second show on the Thursday! I was so pumped.
Anyway, back to the show. It was unbelievable on so many different levels... awful venue, but awesome concert and a sweet experience with a good ol' friend of mine. Because I sold my tickets I had to go to the concert alone. Well, when I got there I got my ticket and stood in line. Then two people stood behind me in the line who I knew from Hepburn. Then later on one of my camp friends came in, followed by his sister who is my age! So, I had some people to sit with... it is awkward trying to save 4 seats at a concert though! I hadn't seen them in several years, so it was nice to reconnect with them.
The set up was quite awful. There was a low stage, then a dance floor and then a raised floor (about two steps up) where tables were. When Collective Soul was playing if I was sitting I could just see their heads. Then I stood up by a pillar and I could see their shoulders. I would have liked to have watched them play their instruments, but it was a good environment and awesome music. It didn't seem long enough to me though, I wish CS could have played twice as many songs. There were so many songs I would have liked to have heard!
Some funny stories. When I sat down at the table I got a text from one of my best friends growing up. He was at the concert. So, I found him and chatted with him for about an hour, then went to my seat for a few minutes, then found him again and we chatted throughout the opening band, then again after the show. It was so good to chat with him. It had been such a long time since I saw him last, we had such awesome chats... so good to see him again! I will have to make a point to visit with him more.
Actually, when I was talking to him the first time, one of the girls he went to high school with came up and starting chatting. Her friend started talking to me and kept following me around the rest of the night. It was kind of strange, even gave me a big hug at the end of the night! I left the dance floor because some of these girls started grinding... AWKWARD!
So, I was then standing up by the tables and there were two girls standing behind me who kept flirting with me. They started yelling to the band, "Take your shirt off!" I thought it would be funny, so I started taking my shirt off! I thought it was hilarious because I knew they meant the band... I think they thought it was funny?!? Don't worry I didn't actually take it off!
Fun concert anyway!

My parents came for some appointments in Saskatoon this past week, so they decided to stay with me. We had a pretty good time I think. I even watched the CS Atlanta Symphony Orchestra DVD with them Thursday night! haha I love that DVD! I have been trying to learn guitar so I had a few chord charts that a friend gave me for a few Collective Soul songs. The lyrics were on the chord charts, so I showed them to my parents, so they could follow along... they were for softer songs like, "Satellite" and "How Do You Love."
I played the song "Crown"for them and showed them the lyrics. This song has such incredible meaning if you know some of their background and see the emotion as the lead singer, Ed Roland, sings. And then after seeing his brother, Dean, give him a hug. Their father passed away a few years before this concert, and the song was dedicated to him. He was a pastor and I know had a huge influence on his children. Listening to the song I can just imagine how their father prayed for them and tried to demonstrate to them how to live. In the song it is so evident that they both know how they should be living their lives for Christ, but love the lifestyle that they have and can't quite let go. It is like one of my old high school classmates said to me before high school grad, "I will turn out OK Jadon, keep praying for me." They know what they believe and how they should be living, and I can totally see their lives coming back to God... they just can't quite do it yet. My friend is on fire for God now, and I can see them doing the same eventually. It is so evident in the lyrics and passion of the song! I had a good chat with my parents about this after.

One more story, I lent my car to a student last weekend, Nate. Well I gave him my keys and then started playing some card games in the school. Then 20 minutes later he ran into the school saying he had gotten my car stuck and then locked the keys into the car! Good thing I have a key pad on my car, so I could just type it in and get it unstuck. I just rocked it and got it out. I had forgotten that I had my house keys on my car keys, so at about midnight I couldn't get into my house. So, instead I hopped on Nate's bed and slept until he came in for the night! I could hear him asking people if they had seen me and then, "I bet he is in my bed!" I jumped up when he opened the door!

My Jesus (Todd Agnew)

I have been thinking quite a bit lately about who Jesus is, what He would do if He was on earth right now and how that should be affecting me and how that should affect the way that I behave, act and live. I heard this song quite a few years ago. I kind of forgot about it until today. It is such a powerful song! I have had it on repeat all afternoon... I want to be like my Jesus!
Listen to the song by clicking on the song title:

My Jesus (Todd Agnew)

Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ,
Then why do you look so much like the world?
Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant
So which one do you want to be?
Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be bless me with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sands
Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich
So which one do you want to be?
Who is this that You follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side
Or fall down and worship at His holy feet
Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we’d recognize Him
Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?
Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet might stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despises the proud
I think He’d prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud
I want to be like my Jesus
Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus
You see I’m tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus but I’m not sure what that means to be like You Jesus
Cause You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me
Can I be like You Jesus?
I want to be like My Jesus

Henry Bekkering

I keep hearing about this guy from Taber, Alberta. He has incredible hops!
I met him when I was in Thailand for the World University Games. He was playing for team Canada and we ended up on the same bus transporter thing as him and had a cool conversation about sportsmanship and stuff.
Watch his dunks!
This video just reached 1,000,000 hits the other day!

The Human Body

I thought this was good, by Stuart Wier!

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own’ (1 Corinthians 6:19).

It would be impossible to play sport if you did not have a body! The human body is important. It is part of God’s creation. The human body has been further dignified by the incarnation, when God became man and took flesh and blood. The theory of dualism – that the spirit is good and the body bad - finds no support in the Bible.

Understanding this should have a profound influence on how we view our bodies and on how we use them. A fit, trained body can and should bring glory to God. Equally we cannot deny that there have been many abuses of the body in the name of sport. Drugs, doping, playing through serious injury have left many retired athletes physically wrecked. Others have seen their career ended by a reckless tackle by an opponent.

Paul drew a parallel between the athlete and the Christian in 1 Corinthians. “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” 1 Corinthians 9:24–27. The 100 metres gold medal at the Olympics is decided in less than 10 seconds. But how many hours of “beating their bodies” will the medallists have spent in the previous 4 years, how much iron pumped, how many reps completed in the gym?

As sportspeople we must thank God for our body. We are obliged to work hard to get it in shape. We must also remember that it is the temple of the Holy Spirit and keep that in focus and our sport in perspective.

"Unboxed and Dreaming Big"

As I have thought about the Youth Advance theme this year, “Unboxed,” and been involved with the process of planning YA I have thought about how amazing God’s plans are for us and how our dreams are nothing compared to His dreams for us. That He has this plan for our lives that is so beyond the box that we put Him and ourselves in. I kind of envision it as getting this huge gift (where it is given in parts) and opening a bit of it at a time… and wondering what in the World it is… as we open parts and start putting it together we get confused, or excited. We will not see the whole gift until His timing. But, it is still exciting! Or one could compare it to a puzzle or kinder surprise, where no picture is given, just directions for each step.

A verse that comes to mind is Jeremiah 29:11-12

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

I think about how amazing God’s plans are. I remember going to attend the University of Regina and not having a clue what I wanted to take. I decided to go into pharmacy, not because it really appealed to me, but because I didn’t know what to go into. I knew that it wasn’t really where God wanted me, but I trusted that God would show me where He wanted me.

I remember in my second year I took two Kinesiology classes for electives, and loved them. It was incredible, I prayed the morning of that first class that God would give me a divine appointment. And He did not disappoint. Every class I sat in I would meet a varsity athlete and really connect and speak into their lives! I have always had a passion for sport and for those that don’t know Christ, and to just love them. I was really involved with Athletes In Action at the UofR and I would mention that to these athletes and a few weeks later I would see them at a meeting, as several other people had also invited them out!

God has continued to put me places where I can grow and change, and see a little bit of what His plan for my life is. From FGBI, to the UofR, to Trinity Western, and even some of the summer jobs that I have had, and now Bethany.

I do not know where even the next destination is for me at this point, and that scares me, but I do know that God’s plan, dream and vision for my life is bigger than I could ever imagine. He is putting a dream in my heart and will show me how it will be used for His kingdom, whether that is through AIA or just working in a sport setting and loving people!

My dream scares me to share in some ways. I feel so inadequate for my dream, but, that is why it is such an awesome dream! I could never do it without God beside me, without His strength and guidance! I need to rely on Him!

I love University Athletics. I have this passion for these young athletes. They are idolized by so many people, and it is such a messy scene in so many ways! Guys are being pursued by women and women are being pursued by men… often sexually. I dream to come alongside them and love them as people. They have such a hard tough shell where they act like they have it all together and don’t need God, but deep down I think they are seeking and feel so lost. Everyone looks up to them, so if they start seeking they feel like they are weak!

I want to come alongside these young men and women and just love them as people, as God’s sons and daughters! This is a very hard task, but I have had the opportunity in the past, and God keeps setting up divine appointments for me in so many ways over the years! It has been so cool and encouraging to see Him use a measly vessel like me to love these people! It has been amazing to see their tough shells break as they see how much God loves them and His love shining through me in a pure way. In a way that they have never seen before! Where I am talking to them as a person who cares, not a fan who worships them!

Adventures in church hockey

Well, this past weekend we had an adventure in church hockey!
So, I figured I would chronicle it... it made for a very eventful Saturday evening!
The team that we were playing against is always quite chippy (or one could say dirty). There ended up being quite a few penalties in the third period, which I was thankful for because it keeps some control in the game.
There was one guy in particular on the other team who was playing particularly dirty. If there was ever a scrum he was in there to "break it up" as in to give our guys a shove and was always complaining to the ref and at our players.
Well, with 5:19 left in the 3rd period this player had an altercation with a player from Bethany.
I asked our player how it happened and he said that the two of them were jostling in front of the net. This opposing player (lets call him Brett) claimed that our player (lets call him D) speared him in the groin. I asked D about this and he said that if he did, it was an accident. He said that they were jostling and then Brett went nuts and attacked him.
These kinds of things happen in the game, but what concerns me is what happened after. Brett received a penalty and D did not, which says something. Brett was crying blue murder and then looked at me and said, "If you don't take number 3 off the ice, he will come off bloody." The ref then ejected him from the game. The refs didn't hear what he said, but, his own players said to send him to the showers.
Then when Bethany was leaving the ice after the game, Brett was standing by the gate that Bethany comes off the ice at. There was a commotion as I was the last one off the ice and he was arguing with some of our players and spectators. He said that he was waiting to finish what he started with that little something or other or something to that effect...
I told the players and spectators to go inside and asked Brett how old he was. He said that that has nothing to do with it. He is a big guy, like 250 lbs minimum and the guy he was jostling with is like 5' 7". I then told Brett that these are young 18 year olds and he is much older, so he should move on and be mature. He then threatened to give me a black eye. Or as he put it, "A black eye to match the one you already have!" (I got hit with a stick in the eye with a stick a few weeks ago in a game of shinny... well, actually right under the eye, but my eye turned really black!)
He also threatened to fight one of the fans. This fan was not a younger college age fan, but was an adult who has a 21 year old son. I think the spectator was trying to tell Brett to stop beaking at our players and to move on. Brett said, "why don't you leave and mind your own business!" But when he was told to leave he said, "I am allowed to be here, it is public property!"
Brett was yelling at our players and complaining to the ref all game. This I can take, but I do not think there is any need to threaten my players, me or the spectators. D was afraid that Brett would be waiting for him outside the arena.
Anyway, it was quite the gong show to say the least! I wondered if I had said the wrong thing, but everyone told me I handled it very well. I guess he said that we were bunch of Grade 11s... well these Grade 11s beat you 9-3!
Good old church hockey eh!

Crazy!

I don't know if this is relevant to anyone... but, I was given a box of Turtles for Christmas, and usually I am very careful to check what kinds of nuts are in them, because I am very allergic to Brazil and Hazel nuts. Well, the person who gave me this box of chocolates knows about my allergies, so I never thought about it. So, the last week I have been eating a few a night. I noticed that they tasted different and my mouth tingled a tiny, tiny bit. I never thought anything of it, because I am slightly allergic to almost all nuts.
Well, last night I noticed that the box said "Hazel nuts" on it! So, I am very thankful that I did not go into anaphylactic shock! I guess I have started to grow out of my allergies... although I am not going to test it anymore, and gave the box of turtles to my brother. I am not going to try Brazil nuts anyway, because I think they might be quite a bit worse!

I am starting to look for jobs now... am going to apply for one in Ontario this weekend (although I would feel like a trader if I took it... Argos!) and one for a job in Africa! So, will see where God leads me... it will be hard to leave Bethany at the end of April, I do know that... it will get harder all the time!

God is good and He has led me where He has wanted me in the past. It is always so neat to look back after going somewhere and seeing how I was meant to be there for that time in my life, either for growth or to get the right contacts for future involvements or even just for the divine appointments that I was able to have while in that season and place. God has such an amazing plan for me! It is just hard right now, the transition phases are the worst... I look forward to settling down eventually!