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!