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!

A lesson from Padraig Harrington

I was thinking about the whole concept of "Audience of One" and then I was reminded of this story of Padraig Harrington... thought I could pass it on to you...

Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." Galatians 4:6

One of my abiding memories of the sports year 2007 was Padraig Harrington’s Open Championship win. For those of you who are not familiar with the circumstances, Harrington was in command of the golf tournament, certain to win, when he reached the final hole. He then hit his ball into water with successive shots and seemed to have blown his chances. In the end he finished joint first and won the play-off.

As Harrington walked of the final hole in despair, thinking he had blown his chance to win, his young son came running over to him, Harrington picked him up and hugged him. Afterwards he said that the encounter had helped him get life in perspective: “My son didn’t care if I won or lost. I was still his daddy and he wanted to hug me”.

Harrington was winning his first major before a global TV audience of millions but in that moment he was focused on an audience of one – his young son who loved him unconditionally. What a picture of God who loves us when we win or when we lose, when we place with grace and when we don’t.

As we play our sport, we need to keep reminding ourselves that our identity is not in our success or our performance but in who we are as people, made in the image of the God, who loves us just as we are.

My Christmas Adventures

Christmas was quite the adventure this year! Some good and some bad, but lots of stories anyway… I figured I could share a few of the stories anyway!

I had a good time at home with my family before I left for my friend’s stag on the 27th. Was good just to relax with family and catch up on some reading and emailing… and snowboarding. I find it trying to be at home sometimes… I start to make my home in a new place, and my heart is there. Even though I have only live in Hepburn for 5 months, it still is starting to feel like home. So, it may be hard to leave in April!

So, I MCed my friend’s wedding, so that was a new experience, but I really enjoyed it, and I have been told that I did a good job to! I was going to get a T-shirt made that said “always an usher” on the front and then “never a groom” on the back, but I guess now I will have to get “and MC” on the side now! It was such an awesome wedding, one of those weddings that just seems right! They are both awesome, Godly people! It was so cool to see Erin go down the aisle to a song with the words, “If you love me, you must first love Jesus in me.” Those might not be the exact words, but you get the gist!

So, I just relaxed in Regina and caught up with people until New Years. I usually would try to sleep in and then do stuff with my good friend, Mike Johnston in the afternoons and evenings. And did some more reading. I bought a stand for my guitar and a capo. Now my bro, Nathan, won’t have to worry about stepping on my guitar because of me leaving it out! Now, just to learn how to play it!

I saw my friends who play pro hockey in the Czech Republic, awesome, godly women! So cool to hear the stories of how God is using them there! And my good friend VT, haven’t seen him since my convocation in June, but was able to visit with him 3 times in 2 days! Such a blessing! Even went to an authentic Vietnamese restaurant on Sunday.

And a few cool stories. I went to church on Sunday morning and it seemed like a lot of my friends were not around anymore, some have moved away or went home for the break or something. Well, I talked to a few friends who had just graduated from nursing and asked them what they were going to do for work. Well, there was one young lady who I know but have rarely talked to. I saw her standing there and I started asking her about her plans. She told me that she has her nursing practicum left, and is going to India January 5th. I told her that Bethany College 3rd year students are going there for missions January 5th. She got really excited and ran around the pews to be closer. She said that she got a visa from a Bethany student. I guess the government had sent my friend, Janell’s visa to Amanda… I don’t know how they mess that up! Anyway, Amanda looked Janell up on facebook and they were able to exchange stories and pray together. Small world! Who would think that Janell’s Visa and Passport would go to a person who I know, and that I would say more to Amanda than I ever have before! haha

Then, on New Years Eve my brother, Nathan, called my cell phone to tell me his car had started on fire an exploded! I guess he smelled smoke as he drove to the Wal-Mart in Kindersley but thought it was just a bon fire or something. He went into Wal-Mart and 5 minutes later there was a red alert for a white Mustang! There was a flame under the hood and everyone told him not to go near it. Everyone was running to their cars and driving away like it was a terrorist attack or something! He phoned the fire department, but by the time they got there it was a huge fire and his car is totaled! He was able to get his stuff out from inside, just not the trunk.

I even got to see the Saskatoon Blades defeat that Regina Pats 2-1 and was able to have a chat with a few Christian guys on the Blades!

There were many other adventures… but those are the ones I can talk about! Haha!

Snowboarding in Saskatchewan- that is not a mountain!

Well this is a simple instalment for my blog.
I went snowboarding at Table Mountain yesterday with my youngest brother, Nathan.
I must say that after snowboarding at Mount Baker in Washington State when I lived in Langley last winter that Table Mountain does not quite do it for me anymore. Nathan and I got bored very fast! Basically every run is the same, except for a novice run that we could go up onto the side and go out of bounds with a bit.
I also must say that it is a lot more fun when I can snowboard with a group of friends, it was nice to have Nathan, but when on a hill such as Table Mountain, the visiting with friends is almost more important than the boarding. I am stubborn though, and after driving 2.5 hours I wasn’t about to turn around and go home after only an hour, like Nathan suggested!
And then I got frost bite on my big toe again! It was a cold day, and we stopped to warm up after an hour and then lunch after two hours, but my feet felt pretty good the rest of the day. So, I was shocked when they were still sore this morning! I guess I need to be careful after my experience of having that toe turn blue and losing the toe nail a few years ago! It was on my foot that was strapped in to the bindings… maybe I should switch feet part way through the day, or not make my bindings so tight! haha
But, it was nice to see some results in my snowboarding ability! It was nice that my brain finally kicked in and I didn’t have to think when boarding. My body just knew how to recover when taking a jump or hitting a rut and losing control a bit. That felt pretty neat, it is so psychological when taking jumps and stuff!
So, I want to buy new snowboard boots and I think it is important for me to get goggles and a snowboard helmet as well. Sunglasses kept getting fogged up and they just don’t do the job. And I can’t convince myself to take risks and take jumps properly, which is probably my wisdom kicking in, so I think I really do need to buy a helmet! Then watch out! haha
Then we were driving through Unity and I was like, “why don‘t we visit the Riesses?!” So, Nathan texted our friend Sheldon and he had just gotten home from Calgary for the holidays! It was really nice to see him and his parents again. It had been about 2 years since I had visited with Ken and Anne. They are such an amazing couple and I always feel so encouraged growing up and visiting with them. Even the first time that I stayed at their house I felt so comfortable and almost enjoyed visiting with them more than my friends who I was visiting! Ken always tried to give us relational advice!
Ended up being a good day if only I hadn’t got the frost bite on my toe!
Does frost bite in toes create bad dreams? I had an awful night last night! haha

Music... such a blessing!

Well, I made it safely to my parent's farm outside of Eatonia today, what a intense, treacherous drive... so foggy! There were times when I could see like 20 feet in front of me... but, at the same time it was a really good trip, has some good music and some really good time just talking with God... I needed that time, helped refresh me! I had some things that I needed to vent about, and other things that I just needed to give to Him and trust Him and others where I can just praise God for how good He has been to me!

But, to the point of this blog...

I know I often write in this blog about sports, there is so much that one can learn and apply from sport, but today I was thinking about music. As I drove back to Eatonia to visit my parents over the Christmas break I was listening to some really great music. Some of it was Christmas music, but not your regular Christmas songs, I love so many of the traditional songs, such as "Oh Holy Night," but some of these newer ones really spoke to my heart today!

An example is "A Christmas Song For All Year Round" by Aaron Sprinkle:

"I wonder if this Christmas
They'll begin to understand
That Jesus that they celebrate
Is much more than a man

The way the world is I can't see
how people can deny
The only way to save us
Was for Jesus Christ to die

And I know that if St. Nicolas was here he would agree
That Jesus gave the greatest gift of all to you and me
They led him to the slaughter on a hill called Calvary
And mankind was forgiven when they nailed him to a tree

But most of all the children
They're the ones I hope will learn
That Jesus is our savior>
And he's going to return

And Christmas isn't just a day
And all days aren't the same
Perhaps they'll think about the word
And see that it spells his name

And I know that if St. Nicolas was here he would agree
That Jesus gave the greatest gift of all to you and me
They led him to the slaughter on a hill called Calvary
And mankind was forgiven
We were all forgiven when they nailed him to a tree

So merry Christmas"

This song is a good reminder of the real meaning behind Christmas. If we look past all the hype and presents we must look to the gift that was Christ. This gift was Christ coming from heaven and being made flesh, so that He could then die on the cross to pay for our sins, so that we could be forgiven! This is often forgotten, but it is good to remember that during the Christmas season.

I was listening to this song on the drive to my parent's house today, I would recommend you listen to it. It doesn't have as much meaning when reading it as it does when listening... I think that is what makes music so special... one can hear a person's heart in the song and it has so much more meaning!

Music is such a gift from God, it is amazing how music and lyrics can really speak to one's soul in such an amazing way! I find that I will be feeling emotions, good or bad, and I can't figure out quite how to express them properly. But, music can express the exact emotions that I am feeling in such a meaningful way! It is amazing to just worship God in the car and just talk to Him about what is on my heart, whether I am excited about something, nervous about the next step, mad at the World, hurting... Whatever the case may be, God can take it, and it amazes me how music can help get that emotion out!

I am so thankful for the spiritual element in music and how it can speak to our souls in such amazing and meaningful ways! God wants us to tell Him what is on our hearts, whether joy, or hurt, and music helps us express that!

God definitely has a sense of humour!

A good story that I got from a friend today.
My friend and coworker, Rosemary, flew to Fort Lauderdale a few weeks ago with her husband for a conference. Well today in prayer meeting she asked that we pray for her luggage. Her luggage never made it from Winnipeg to Florida, and she has been talking to the airline to figure out where her $2,800 worth of clothes etc would be. They keep telling her that it will come tomorrow.
Well, just after we were done praying her husband phoned. It was in Iowa! A lady who had been missing her luggage for a year had a suitcase delivered by hand to her house today. It had been hand delivered from a Carnival cruise!
The Iowa lady said that it didn’t look like hers, but wondered if it was her stuff inside. What the Iowa lady found was Rosy’s stuff, including her Bible sitting on top! The receipt from Parable’s Christian Store was still in the Bible so the Iowa lady phoned them and they in turn phoned Rosy’s husband! How does the luggage end up in Iowa or on a Carnival Cruise is my question!
And another funny thing, the woman from Iowa, her husband helped run the conference that Rosy went to in Florida!God answers prayers… in funny ways sometimes… thought that was a funny story you would all appreciate!

Time for Reflection

I don’t know if anyone ever actually reads my blogs, but I figured I could get a bit more personal on this newest installment. The students all left on Wednesday, so Hepburn has become way too quiet for me liking. This means I will get a ton of work done, but with my brother gone for the weekend it leaves me feeling like I am in the middle of no where all alone. As many of you know, when I have a ton of free time on my hands and time to think my mind starts to spin like one wouldn’t believe. I start to think WAY too much, and can get myself in trouble as I get contemplative and sentimental, etc.

Anyway, I figured that a good way to focus my time would be to do some reading, and reflect on what God has taught me, and also be silent and listen to what He has been trying to say to me all semester!

As I look back on the semester God has been good to me, He keeps reminding me of that. This past semester has been a really interesting one. I have learned a ton, that is for sure, in ways that I was definitely not looking for and did not expect in coming here to the small town of Hepburn to work at Bethany College! I came here thinking in many ways like it was just a simple stepping stone to where God wants me to be in the future, I was looking past this year a lot. I quickly realized that God had other things in mind for me. There are amazing students, faculty and staff here who have built into my life in so many ways. I have really learned how geared I am toward other people. If all I did was my work and then went home and did my own thing, without interacting with the students I would feel so incomplete. But, on the other extreme, this has made me quite unbalanced. I feel like I have been trying to do so many things for other people, working all day and then coaching hockey late in the evening, and trying to hangout a bit with my brother each night before he goes to bed, etc, etc! I want to get re-focused and make some time for myself where I can just sit back and listen for what God is trying to teach me, and to talk to Him. I do not do this close to enough. I have been trying to stay in shape by going to the gym at least three times a week, and this has really fallen by the wayside. And even one of my big focuses has fallen down, visiting with the guys in the dorms! I was in the dorm the other day and a guy made a comment that he was surprised to see me in there! I don’t know how best to find this balance in the busy life at Bethany, but I pray that God will help show me where my focuses need to be and how to combine some of them… anyway, here is what God has spoken to me about lately:

Luke 11:5-13

5-6Then he said, "Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don't have a thing on hand.'

7"The friend answers from his bed, 'Don't bother me. The door's locked; my children are all down for the night; I can't get up to give you anything.'

8"But let me tell you, even if he won't get up because he's a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he'll finally get up and get you whatever you need.

9"Here's what I'm saying:

Ask and you'll get;
Seek and you'll find;
Knock and the door will open.

10-13"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing—you're at least decent to your own children. And don't you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?"

A practical example of this is using basketball… I am not a three point shooter at all, but I told myself that I would keep attempting them today until I made one… usually I can make like one out of five or six, but today I could not hit one if my life depended on it, but I kept pushing at it and finally I made one! That felt so good! I decided to keep shooting until I missed (risky for me, because I am stubborn and like to end on a good note). Well, I made the next four. It just clicked! As soon as I released the ball I knew the ball was in the net. This is a good analogy, because sometimes no matter how hard we try life just doesn’t seem to work the way we want it to, but finally it clicks and just feels right. We need to be persistent in following God’s will for our lives and praying consistently and persistently. He knows what is best for us, and sometimes that is a no, or a wait. These answers are hard, but they make us stronger, and when we finally get a yes it feels so good and right, just like when I finally made a 3-pointer. If I had made the first one then it wouldn’t have felt even close to as good as when I finally made one after so many attempts!

God will grant us our prayers, we must be diligent in our prayers. He has our best in mind though. I am so thankful that some of my prayers were answered with a no, instead of a yes right away. There are others where I still don’t know what the answer is, perhaps it is just, wait. I find that one to be the hardest one of all. I think it is one that I have been learning the last couple of years, but in particular this year. I feel in so many ways like my life is in a hiatus. I am in an interim athletic director role until April and then have no idea where I will be after that. Right now I try not to think about that. God has it in control, but at the same time it is kind of scary. I have moved a lot the last few years, from Eatonia, to Eston, to Regina, to Langley and finally Hepburn. Each place has helped me grow on this journey and I have learned something new and different!

God has His timing, and I know it is right… sometimes it is “wait.” I am not very good at waiting, I want to figure out a solution all of the time.

But, when God finally gives a yes to each of my continuous prayers I know it will be sooo right! He knows what the perfect job is for me, and where I will be of the best service for His kingdom… that could be in Saskatoon, Regina, Alberta, or maybe even a province I have never lived in like Ontario! I want to be open to His guiding! There are always factors that enter in to decisions, but God has continuously put a peace in my heart when he says "Yes" or "Go."

That is all for now…
Jadon "The Rambler" Frank