What is Wrong with the Occupy Wall Street and elsewhere Demonstrations?

Lots of people have been talking about the Occupy movement, and it just didn't quite sit well with me. I understand where they are coming from. Something needs to change. But, I felt that they were directing their protests at the symptoms, rather than the root of the problem. Adizes makes a very good argument here about what he believes the root of the problem is. Personally, I feel that the root is greed, selfishness and most of all sin, but I also really like what he is saying.

What he says will not really be adored by Business or Economics Schools, but I believe he is correct... and that is coming from a person who just completed his MBA! Personally I just can't buy in to the notion of profits being the end-goal while neglecting the heart and caring about the people who make, supply and purchase the products! People are more important than profits!

The HEART and LOVE are more important than anything else! When you die what will you want to be remembered for? And what will be most important to you as you near death? Trying to make more profits, or connecting with people and giving them, and yourself meaning?

Okay, enough of me talking, read it for yourself!

What is Wrong with “Occupy Wall Street and elsewhere” Demonstrations?

True justice

I am reading a book called "Bent Hope" by Tim Huff. He works with homeless youth in Toronto and the book tells many of the stories of the youth that he has worked with. The book breaks a person's heart, while at the same time gives hope for the young boys, girls, men and women that live on the streets around the World. Reading the book is an odd experience, it is both easy to read (he writes each story in a simple and poetic way), yet at the same time is very hard to read (each story brings me to tears in one way or another). I would recommend that everyone read this book. It challenges the way that person thinks about the hurting in the World. We all have our story and things that shape who we are and where we are, and in reality we are not that different from each other in many ways, whether we grew up in prosperity or on the street. I see the homeless in a new light, and in many of the stories I am humbled at the generosity, love and humility that the young men and women show to others. Through most of the stories I am humbled to see how much more they demonstrate how I want to live than how I am living in reality!

I have had a heart for the hurting and homeless within Canada and the World for years. While pursuing my Undergraduate at the University of Regina I helped every week with a children's ministry within the core of Regina, just playing basketball with the older kids and then just sitting with the younger kids and playing with their toys. I then led week-long missions teams into inner-city Calgary while working at Bethany College, and then while pursuing my MBA I was assigned the task of organizing opportunities for my fellow students to volunteer with the homeless in Edmonton.

Though God has spoken to me repeatedly over the years telling me that I need to love the homeless and hurting, I always seem to lose track of His voice and forget that He has put that passion in my heart. Everywhere I go God directs my path to help in this way, and then I move to a new location and forget about that passion until He puts another opportunity in my path again!

God has really been speaking to me lately about how all Christians are called to seek Biblical Social Justice in every area of their lives. That could mean something as simple as ensuring that people at work are treated fairly and with respect. But, that also means not turning a blind eye to the calling that God has for all Christians to serve and help the homeless, widow and orphan in this World. I have been reminded of this over and over again this summer and fall. I can not turn a blind eye to the starving and dying in this World, whether they are in my backyard, or across the Ocean. I must feel Christ's compassion for the hurting in this World, and that compassion must not freeze me, but must lead me to action to bring justice, restoration and reconciliation where ever I see this injustice.

People are homeless for many different reasons, and through what I have been reading, watching and listening to, as well as what God has been revealing to me through prayer and reading the Bible, I have come to realize more and more that I am called to love people where they are at, no matter what they are going through or have went through. I am called to truly love the orphans, widows and homeless of this World, even if that hurts!

Yes, I am called to share my resources, but most of all I am called to share my life, time, and love with people. This must come to the point of sacrifice and pain in order to bring true Biblical Social Justice!

I do not know where this will lead me or what it will look like, but I do not want to forget this call, but want God's call to lead me, whether that is to my next door neighbour, the homeless person I walk by on my way to work or church, or clear across the World to help end human trafficking in Asia or love the rescued child soldier in the DR Congo!

I have heard His call...

I have been changed...

And I will not be the same!

Tim Huff wrote a revised version of Matthew 25:35-36,40 in his book, and I think it says more than anything else I have said:

For when I was hungry-you understood that the sustenance of food is just a start, and that the ache for the nutrition of education, work, play and a sense of home-you gave me something to eat.

For when I was thirsty-thirsting for joy and the opportunity to feel good about who I am and who God made me-you gave me something to drink.

I was a stranger-a stranger to innocence, tenderness and mercy-you invited me in.

I needed clothes-to be clothed in safety and peace and rest-and you clothed me.

I was sick-sick of running and living in depression, sick of never belonging or fitting in-and you looked after me.

I was in prison-the horrific prison of addiction and all the terrors that brought me to that place-and you came to visit me.

... I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these...you did for me"

"Justice as a gift, not as a punishment. Justice as life-giving, not as a consequence. Justice 'enlivened by grace,' not born of fear. And most of all, justice for the desperate, abused, hurting, addicts, homeless and scared, long before they are forced to run for their lives.

Justice that has nothing to do with judges or juries. The kind of justice that opens hearts wide enough to know for sure that this story is not about (violence) at all."

An Open Letter to the Canadian Government

I have had multiple conversations with friends and family about politics the last few years. I have noticed that people have moved one of three directions. They either blindly vote the way that they have always voted and wholeheartedly vote that way, they are disenchanted with the regular political parties and have started voting for new parties, or they have completely given up on paying attention to politics altogether.

I think we need to move away from all of these directions and do something different. I think we need to analyse what is important and tell our politicians what they need to stand up for in order to not only get our vote, but our support as well. And this must be independent of the political party we have always voted for. If we don't tell politicians what is important to us then they will not know what we want them to do, and will take us for granted.

So, I am writing this letter to Prime Minister Harper, and my local MP, and then will send an amended version to leaders of the other political parties in Canada. I encourage each of you to do the same:

Good evening Prime Minister Harper,

I have always voted Reform Party/Conservative, because I felt that they best aligned with my moral or ethical views. However, my support has been declining with some of the government decisions that have been made recently. I am starting to become more open to other options that are available. Right now, the best that you will get out of me is a vote, and that may soon disappear if I do not see changes soon! If I see changes, that vote could transition to financial, physical and time support.

I feel that the Christian vote is being taken for granted by the Conservative Party. I will be vocal to Christians when talking about politics; I will urge them to become informed about issues and make voting decisions accordingly.

Before I get too far into this letter, I know that there are many issues that you need to balance, and I have defended your party on many fronts. An example is how you focus so much on the economy. Some people see that to mean that you care more about the economy than the people. I have reminded them how important the economy is in order to then in turn support the people. This also extends to the military. We cannot forget about the military.

Okay, now my thoughts:

I have been very disillusioned with the way that MP Trost has been left high and dry! An MP should be able to be true to who they are and the ethics and morals that they stand by. They should not be shut down and muzzled, as he has been. That is partly why people voted for MP Trost, because they agree with what he is saying.

I want a government which is brave and willing to make statements and decisions that may not be popular, but are the best decisions for this country in the long-term. So many decisions in politics in North America appear to be made with a short-term view in mind, so that one can be elected for the next term. I think many long-term decisions may cost more in the short-term, but in the long-term they will be more beneficial, both for creating change and for the benefit of the country financially. An example of this is how the homeless and criminals are being handled. I think we need to focus more on rehabilitation than incarceration, and more on creating a home and a new life than giving a house. There is a difference. An example of this is the methadone program. This is horrible! Methadone kills these people and just replaces their one addiction with a new one! This program just puts money into the doctors' pockets who supply the methadone to the patients until they finally die! There are other programs out there that may cost more initially, but long-term, can break the addiction, and then the government will not need to pay for the drugs but will have a person who can be a positive addition to society. These other programs may cost more short-term, but less long-term, and will bring healing!

I am looking for a government that truly cares about the people of this nation, from conception until death. People are the greatest asset we have and we need to truly support them. I am looking for a government that takes a stance on abortion and the life of the not yet born. I am looking for a government that will support people until death. This means that people who are struggling with unemployment or disabilities will be helped to change their lives and become productive members of society. This doesn't mean creating programs and giving them money, but investing in them and helping them develop life skills in order to be involved in society. This may be a large investment in the short-term, but then results in changed lives and less of a drain in the long-term. This includes the homeless, as I stated before. Programs are okay, but we need to invest and help them actually succeed and change their lives. This also includes caring for the elderly in our society. Many are forgotten, and do not end their lives well. They have contributed greatly in building our society for years, and now that they don't bring money or resources in, they are pushed aside. This is not right!

This long-sighted view that I am looking for includes the environment. We need to take steps for the environment for future generations. The environment may not fall apart during our lifetime, but we NEED to care about it and for it for the sake of future generations.

I am looking for a government that is not selfish, but is selfless.

I am also looking for a government that takes a stance globally! It is amazing how a little money can go a long way in this world, such as building wells to help end the famine and poverty in Africa. A little money can build many wells and help millions of people! Two other examples are what is happening in the Congo and in human trafficking. The kidnapping and use of children in the Congo as child soldiers needs to end. There is a call for a true and fair election in the Congo and Canada needs to be involved with this to ensure that the election happens fairly. I have seen Western countries do this before, but mostly only when it benefits them financially, such as with Iraq and their oil.

Human trafficking concerns me as deeply as the issues in the Congo. There may not be a benefit to Canada financially to step in, but it is the right thing to do. There are children in Thailand as young as a year old who are being prostituted and many of the "johns" are from the western world, including Canada! This is disgusting and countries such as Thailand need to be pressured to make this end. This issues includes boys and girls being bought in these countries and shipped over to the western world, including Canada, and used as prostitutes here! This is on our own soil and MUST BE STOPPED!!!

I am looking for a government that is not selfish, but is selfless, willing to work with members of other parties in parliament. I have seen time again, one party will come up with an idea and the other party will shoot it down, and then times change and another party takes power and ends up with the same idea they shot down before, and the party who originally thought of it shuts it down because it isn't their bill. This needs to change!

If you and your party address these issues with honesty and integrity I will support you, and the more you align with my views, the more support you will receive from me. I will not continue to support you blindly! These issues are very important to me and must not be ignored!

Sincerely,

Jadon Frank

I heard a podcast by Mike Huckabee that talked about this same subject! He is a pastor in Arkansas and then got involved in politics and ran for the leadership of the Republican Party. His take on how to vote is VERY refreshing. He doesn't tell people to vote for a particular party, but to vote according to one's convictions, and let the politicians know what these convictions are. Listen to the podcast at: http://www.catalystspace.com/content/podcast/catalyst_podcast_episode_55/

The challenge to pray

I love how God works and tells you what you need to hear, when you need to hear it, repeatedly! That has been happening for me a lot lately!

We have been talking about prayer in church this last month, and I've also been trying to focus more on prayer in my life this last while. Trying to start and end my day in prayer and reading God's word. There are so many anxieties and stressed in life and I have been reminded that God is control of all of them!

I continually remind myself of this fact as I have transitioned from being a student to working life, and by transition I mean I am still looking for work! I have found that by starting and ending my day in prayer about all of my worries helps relieve my anxiety and reminds me that God is in control and will work everything out for His good! Praying continually throughout the day helps me let go of my worries and allows God to take them and work them out.

Whether it is worrying about a job, or about a relative or friend who is sick, or anything else that comes to mind, God is in control and there is nothing I can do but trust Him as He works out those details. I should just keep walking forward and yearning to be more like Him and grow closer to Him, and to follow His will for my life and He will work out these details that I can't control.

I came across this thought from Stuart Weir and wanted to share it with you today:

"As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. 1 Samuel 12:23

Most of us would agree that prayer is important so why is our prayer life not what it should be? If we truly understand the privilege that bringing our concerns to God is, then prayer would be a delight. In reality, prayer often seems to be a chore. In the busyness of life, taking time out to pray – when we could be working – is a challenge.

Don Carson says that “one of the basic demonstrations that we know God is prayer – spiritual, persistent, biblically minded prayer”. If we want to take the task of representing Christ in sport seriously, we cannot do it without praying.

Helmfried Riecker suggests reasons why we don’t pray
I don’t think I need to;
I am too tired.
God does not answer
It achieves nothing.
I can decide for myself without any help.
I cannot pray; I am too sinful.
I can’t pray about such trivial things when there are so many problems in the world.
God knows what I need, so why waste time praying.

St. Francis de Sales (1567 - 1622) former Bishop of Geneva was once asked how much one should pray. He replied that you should pray a half hour each day, unless you’re busy. If you’re busy, you should pray an hour.

Sometimes we feel too “spiritually dry” or far from God to pray. Ironically it is on those days, more than any other that we need to pray!

Keep a prayer journal where you note who you prayed for and what you prayed for. It can be a great encouragement to look back and see how God has been at work and also a challenge to keep investing in and praying for people and not giving up on them."

I have started this prayer journal idea and have also taken up the idea of actually praying for people! We often say "I'll pray for you," and then either say a quick prayer in our minds later, or plan to pray and then in the busyness of the day we forget. I have decided to not just say it but to actually stop what I am doing and audibly pray for people right then and there (of course asking them if it is okay), or else send them an email with the words of the prayer that I have prayed! I think this can be so powerful. It doesn't need to take long or be extravagant, but actually audibly pray for each other! And God will do the work!

A Story of Redemption, Restoration and Grace

Philippians 2:1-4 (New Living Translation)

"1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

3 Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too."

I had an incredible experience on Wednesday night, and I want to share it because it encouraged me so much. I pray that it encourages you as much as it encouraged me. There is so much I want to say, but it is so hard to put it all into words! I'll do my best to explain everything.

I just finished my MBA in Edmonton, and not knowing where I am going for work, and planning to go to Quebec to learn french through the Explore program (Government pays room and board and tuition, as long as you are a student!), so figured I would move back to the farm until I find a job... no rent while at home! haha

I'll go back to the beginning:

I had a really hard time growing up in small town Saskatchewan, and was picked on a lot. I felt all alone, but had my family and my faith in God. I did my best to love my classmates, and prayed for them every night before I went to bed. It is a tradition during high school grad to give gifts to everyone in the class. I felt that God was calling me to give each of my classmates a gift of more value, so I gave each of them the New Testament in The Message translation. I wrote a little personal note in the cover of each, just saying that I was praying for them and knew that God has a plan for their lives. Growing up I was your typical Christian geek in many ways. I had never tasted alcohol, nor smoked a cigarette, and only went to a couple of parties (hockey parties or grad parties). I was very conservative in my approach and tried to argue topics such as evolution, abortion and homosexuality. A few years out of high school I started to look back and cringed at how I acted. I knew that my heart was in the right place, but my approach was off and I wondered if I should have done things differently.

Well, I have come to realize several times over the last ten years that God uses us and works through our feeble attempts to love people. I don't think my approach was the best way, but God used me in several people's live through those years and since! It seriously amazed me every time I see how God used me!

Last night was one of those nights. I heard that one of my high school classmates had moved back to town after his wedding in late 2009 and that God had gotten a hold of his life and transformed him. I hadn't seen him since a year or two out of high school and I felt that it was important to re-connect with him and meet his wife. I have felt the last couple of years that it is important to connect with old teammates, classmates and friends when I come back home. Unfortunately, I haven't done a very good job of that due to living fairly far away and only ever being back to the farm for short periods at a time. But, I found Todd's company email and got a hold of him.

Todd and his wife invited me over for barbecue steak and I had a really awesome visit with the two of them. It was so awesome to share our stories of how God has been working in our lives since high school and just a real time of fellowship and encouragement. I shared my feelings from growing up, and how I kind of regretted the way that I did some of the things that I did. I barely had the words out of my mouth and Ashley said that I was completely wrong and shared with me how much Todd has talked about me over the years and how much of an impact God had had on Todd's life through my life in school! Todd told me about how he kept The Message that I gave him by his bed for years after high school grad, and when life kind of crashed he started reading it and then met Ashley and the two of them journeyed together to finding God, and he had mentioned my name to Ashley many times. He mentioned my name so often that when they met my brother and his wife her ears perked up and she wondered if he was my brother!

It was so cool to hear their story of how they pushed each other to find God and to see how they are pursuing Him now!

One thing that stood out to me in our conversation was how Todd talked about how about a year out of high school we saw each other at a senior mens hockey game and I approached him and asked how he was doing. He expected me to resent him for how he treated me in school and instead I cared about how he was doing and didn't seem to even acknowledge what had happened before. He said this rattled him for quite a while! He asked me how I could possibly not resent him. I told him that I prayed for my classmates every night and I knew that it wasn't a personal thing, I was just the person that everyone picked on growing up. I knew that they didn't have a relationship with Jesus, so didn't know any better. How could I resent someone when I prayed for them very night!?

We had some amazing conversations about the struggles of being a Christian in a small town, Ashley is from Edmonton, and I reiterated several times that I am glad that I stayed in Eatonia for high school, and didn't take off to a Christian high school in another town. I admitted that it was very difficult to live in Eatonia, but I do not regret it at all! When I see how God used me as part of the process to change lives of some of my classmates and teammates, such as Todd, it makes it all worth it!

Ashley wrote a blog after, and I think it sums up a lot of what happened over the night. We often don't know how God uses us and how much the simple act of re-connecting can mean for someone. I never realized how important it would be for me to talk to Todd and show him that he was forgiven and that I didn't harbor any ill feelings. I was so encouraged during the evening. Really wish that it didn't have to end. Such a great couple and wish that I lived closer so that we could spend more time just talking about life together! Amazing how quickly we got past the introductions and got deep in our conversation... I think I saw about a minute of the Bruins-Flyers game that we were "watching!" haha:

Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;

all day long an attacker oppresses me;

my enemies trample on me all day long;

for many attack me proudly.

When I am afraid,

I put my trust in you.

In God whose word I praise,

in God I trust ; I shall not be afraid.

What can flesh do to me?

~Psalm 56: 1-4

My 2nd feature in my "28 DAYS OF OTHERS" I had the pleasure of meeting just last night. Some may find it strange that I have chosen a person I've known less than 24 hours but the decision for me was without question the obvious choice. JADON FRANK grew up with Todd in Eatonia and over the past five years of being with Todd I've heard his name plenty of times. As most of you know, and without going into every detail Todd and I did our Faith walk together a few years ago. Along our spiritual journey we found struggles and barriers, pain and guilt in our past and a comforting light and strength in our future. One of the people that remained on Todd's heart was Jadon. His influence on Todd had been so impacting on his life in a positive way and yet Todd's reflection on how he was to Jadon left him feeling broken, embarrassed and ashamed. We prayed about it over the years but I understood last night that when Todd announced Jadon was coming for supper that it was finally time to heal. When I met Jadon it was wasn't like shaking the hand of a stranger. I meet people all the time through my work but this time was different. Having Jadon here was like having an old friend from the past that we could laugh, tell stories and be 100% real with. Jadon just finished his MBA and along with his intelligence his character proves strong, forgiving, driven, and compassionate.

To Jadon: In the hours that you were here you taught me so much about life and only strengthened my relationship with God. Your perspective is unique and your testimony should be told time and time again. You're truly a man after God's own heart and we are so thankful you were put in our lives. We wish you all our blessings in Quebec and can't wait to have you back again,

Ashley

Seriously, reading that had such an impact on me. Brought a tear to my eye and really moved me. It was such a spirit filled evening!

The biggest things that I am trying to say in this is that God works through us and uses us even when we don't feel like He is! God is so powerful and changes people, and it is such an honor that He uses our efforts, even when they sometimes feel like they are not done well!

It is also amazing how much just talking to a person can mean so much! I had no idea that my talking to Todd at the hockey game would mean so much, or that Todd had been harboring feelings of guilt and brokenness for all of these years. I am encouraged just to re-connect with people and trust that God will use that time how He wants, whether that means just showing that I do care about them, or going deeper and encouraging each other in our faith walk!

And I feel so blessed to have re-connected with Todd and met Ashley. It was such an encouraging time and I am just in awe of how it felt like we were old friends, even though I had only just met Ashley and hadn't talked to Todd in almost a decade! The fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ! It is an incredible thing!

The Glory of God is...

"The glory of God is man fully alive!" - Irenaeus

Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life, and have it to the full."

So, having a full life fulfills what Jesus wanted for us! He wants us to have a full life. If we are created in the image of God, then being fully alive is being more fully like God!

This is really cool. That the glory of God in us would be us fully alive! Not people settling for circumstances- "I'm here, just because this is how things worked out." NO, we are to do the one thing that God created us and asked us to do. To live this day fully loving Him, loving people, giving of our lives, giving our stuff away, and coming alive today.

It is not about doing stuff, or doing great things, but coming alive in Him today and being fully alive!

This is what it means to glorify God!