TSN personalities and me...

Okay, I want to write this down before I forget the details... was a pretty "interesting" experience.
So, every year Athletes In Action holds a Grey Cup Breakfast on Grey Cup Saturday. This year the Grey Cup was in Calgary, and since it is in Edmonton next year a whole crew of us from the U of A AIA went down to Calgary on the Friday night (this way we know what is expected of us for next year!). It was the Friday night where there was that crazy weather (a bunch of multi-car pile ups between Red Deer and Calgary). I will get to the story soon here, just gotta lay down the background and foundation.
We were at the Hyatt in Calgary at 5:30 am in the morning, and most of us were assigned around the Telus and Hyatt to direct people where to go for the breakfast. Well, Colin and I got directed quite far away from where the breakfast was being held and were told by the head honcho to stand at the top of the escalators and he would be back in a few minutes to show Colin what was expected of him. Across the room was a room with walls that were all glass, and two sets of glass sliding doors. It looked like TSN had made that area their headquarters. Sure enough a few minutes later Rodd Smith, Dave Hodges and a high strung young lady walked up to the glass doors and tried to get in, but the doors were locked. Colin and I just observed from across the room and tried to remember the Dave and Rodd’s names!
The next thing we knew this lady was walking towards us in a very determined, purposeful manner! (Please note that it was probably about 6:45 am at this point and because of the snow storm I only got to bed at midnight and had to wake up 4.5 hours later… getting driven in a friend’s RCMP Uncle’s new 4x4 from Red Deer to Calgary Friday night was sweet, but that is another story and still made a long night!)
This lady was about halfway towards us and Colin and I both stiffened up because we knew we were in for a rude awakening! She blurted out, “how do we get in there… let us in there… we need to be in there and on the air in 15 minutes!” I tried to explain to her that we were just volunteers, but could only stammer out, “We… don’t… know… how… volunteers” between her aggressive demands. She demanded, “someone hired you, so let us in.” I tried to explain that we were just volunteers for the Grey Cup breakfast, but, could only say “Volunteers… Grey Cup… Breakfast” between more of her rants before she said, “I DON’T CARE what you are here for!!! SOMEONE hired you, so let us in!”
Colin and I were both getting very frustrated, but I once again tried to calmly say, “we are volunteers for the… Grey Cup Breakfast… the person who is in charge… will be back in a few minutes.” But, she kept cutting us off and then stormed off! It was incredible!
She stormed back to Rodd and Dave and a few minutes later a security guard came along and she told him off before he let them in through a side door.
The rest of the day was awesome though. Darren Dutchyshen came along about 10 minutes later so I called him over and showed him the back door in, and he was nice. Then Dave Hodges came out and chatted with me for a few minutes and asked me to let another guy in through the side door. So, I got to help TSN a bit in the end and talk to Darren and Dave!
Oh, and I have SO MUCH respect for Henry Burris (I know Rider fans may jump on this, but it is true), and “Pinball” Clemons. Seriously, such AMAZING men, and such good examples. All the CFL players came by with security guards surrounding them, the Als and Riders specifically, well Hank came strolling in by himself and stopped to shake my hand and ask me how I was doing. This was 7:30 am in the morning, and he genuinely cared to hear how I was! Solid guy! And “Pinball,” after the breakfast he stood and signed autographs for a probably a solid 1.5-2 hours, and I observed him as he signed, and each person was treated so special, like they were his best friends for years, gave every young kid a huge, and meaningful hug. Gave every person so much respect and love!
So, was a good and memorable morning!
Crazy TSN lady and all!

The Advent Conspiracy

Will Smith's Secret to Success | Guideposts

Will Smith's Secret to Success | Guideposts

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Intoxicating

I talked in the fall about how I want to be obsessed with God. That I wanted him to consume my mind and be in love with him more than anything in this World. Well, I came across this song by "The David Crowder Band" the other day called "Intoxicating." I have heard lots of David Crowder and am a huge fan, but never heard this song before! Wow, this song hit home in so many ways for what I want to feel like towards God! So awesome! Especially the last lines of the song,

"If I'm out of my mind it's You, You
'Cause I'm crazy in love with You, You
Inebriated by You, You
'Cause I'm head over heels with You, You"

I want to be intoxicated with God, obsessed with God, so in love with God that He consumes my mind, and that no matter what I am doing that he is in the back of my mind... Just as when I love someone I don't care what people think of my actions to show my love, I want this to be even moreso with Christ, I want to do what He wants from me, no matter if some may think I am crazy!
I want to be able to truly sing this song! I want this to be my prayer!

So, here is the whole song:

"Intoxicating" by The David Crowder Band


Intoxicating You are to me
Illuminating You are to see
Truly breathtaking You are to breathe
Sending my head spinning You are, You see

And I've lost my mind, I'm sure to find
Need to apologize for my
Lack of inhibition, for my belligerent condition
But with You this near I'm dizzy

Inebriating You are to me
Completely captivating You are yo see
Sending my world spinning You are, You see

And now I find a blurry line
Here between You and I
Raise the cup, drink 'til I'm full
Sing 'til I can't, 'til my voice is gone
And my head is spinning

CHORUS:
La, la dee da
La dee da, dee da
Dee da da da
Hey la, la dee da
La dee da, dee da
Dee da da da

Illuminating You are to see
Truly breathtaking You are to breathe
Sending my head spinning You are, You see

And now I find a blurry line
Here between you and I
Raise the cup, drink 'til I'm full
Sing 'til I can't, 'til my voice is gone
And my head is spinning dizzy

If I'm out of my mind it's You, You
'Cause I'm crazy in love with You, You
Inebriated by You, You
'Cause I'm head over heels with You, You

Uncle Stan Paulson- the loss of a Hero

My Uncle Stan Paulson passed away after a two year fight with ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease) on Wednesday. As soon as I heard of his passing, thoughts flooded my mind about how much he impacted my life and the lives of everyone around him through his 74 years on this earth. As these thoughts entered my mind I knew I had to get them out and onto paper, and that I wanted to share the story of my Uncle Stan, from my perspective of course, as soon as I could!
I began to think of this incredible man of God, who I am sure would have made it to healthily into his 90’s if not for the terrible disease gradually destroying the muscles in his body!
This past weekend I went to Grande Prairie for the funeral and I was reminded again about the amazing man that this world has lost!
So, here is how I remember my Uncle Stan! I find it hard to narrow down all of these thoughts that are swirling around my head and make it into a cohesive writing, but I will do my best.
In the fall my Uncle Stan was starting to feel the effects of ALS more and more and he started to chat with a man who was dying of cancer, George, at church every Sunday. They would reflect on life and would compare notes and guess who would get to heaven first. Well George made it there in November, and now Uncle Stan is there as well.
After the church in Sexsmith had a healing prayer meeting for my Uncle Stan one evening, my Uncle was talking to his son, Duane's Father-in-law about the prayer service and had the following insight: "David, do you remember how we used to order from the Simpson's and Eaton's catalogues back in the day, and if they didn't have what we ordered they would give you something better in it's place. I think that is what happens with requests to God. If he doesn't give us what we ask for He gives us an upgrade, something much better than our request! If God does not answer our request, and I am not healed, then He will give me an upgrade, something much better!"
Right until the end Stan was making an impact on lives. I heard stories at the family get together about the last few days of Uncle Stan's life. He had an impact on people right until the end. Nurses were drawn to serve Uncle in ways that are not normal. The story that shows this more than anything else is how one particular nurse served him for only two days, the Monday and Tuesday before he passed away. The nurse came to talk to Uncle before she left her last shift and asked if she could kiss him in the forehead. She said that he had impacted her life in ways that she had not been impacted in before. The way that he was not bitter, but showed love to those around him. The way that they could see peace in his life. Uncle Stan could not really talk at all the last few weeks of his life, but a few days before his passing he was still making an incredible impact on lives of those around him! That is totally God, and shows you a glimpse of how God worked in Uncle's life!
Uncle Stan was like a grandpa to me, he was more than your normal uncle, especially since he was an Uncle through my Dad's sister, Hilda, who passed away in 1993! And the crazy thing about this is that the way that he treated my brothers and I was not an exception. He treated all of his nephews and nieces, and I know also other people who he got to know, in this same way as if they were special, and like they were his favourite! All the nephews and nieces, and even great nephews and nieces had memories of things that he did for us that showed Christ’s love for us. We all thought that we were his favourite nephew or niece!
My Uncle was such a servant! And he inspires me to this day. I want to be half the servant of God that he was! When he retired from working for the school division he started coming out to our farm to help with seeding and harvest and he would work harder than any of us. And Uncle Stan would not just come for a few weeks, he would come right when seeding or harvest started and would not leave until it was over! And when there was ever a break due to weather, or anything else he wouldn’t just sit back and read a book, no, he would get out some paint and start painting the sheds bins, etc. He was always finding ways to serve us and fix up our farm! And I know that between seeding and harvest he would be helping his children, or his other relatives! And every winter he would go on a trip doing missions for a few months in countries like Ethiopia, Korea, Columbia or China! He would help fix up schools, or help fill a teaching role for a semester, or I am sure whatever else needed doing! He had such an impact on the people who he met in these countries that several of them even came to Grande Prairie to go to College and stayed in his house! One of these young men from Ethiopia, Anyo, even flew from Toronto for the funeral and was an usher with my brother and I!
Uncle had the whole funeral planned out, and it was just the way he would have liked it to be, about family, friends, fellowship and fun! And most of all about Christ's love!
I remember every time he came to our farm for seeding he would bring pictures of his expeditions over the winter for us to see how God was working in other parts of the world, and he would always bring coins, and ties and other types of trinkets for all of his nieces and nephews and their children.
Or I think of the letters that he would send me in the mail that were written on birch bark.
Uncle Stan would always be looking for ways to help us, like if he knew we needed a car or that we were interested in something he would get us magazines about it.
Or I think of my cars that I have owned, how am I ever going to buy another car again without him to assist me? He would let me drive his car at such a young age. The first car I ever owned was his old car, and he let me pay for it in installments, so that it wouldn’t hurt my budget heading off to University!
Even the newest car I got. I was in Thailand on a missions trip and Uncle Stan had heard that my old car was starting to fall apart, so he emailed me to come up through Grande Prairie to buy his car. But, in the meantime he had found a car which would probably better suit me, more in my price range. So, he recommended me to buy that car and did all the paperwork for me. I am so glad I had that 4 days with him, while we figured out all the paper work to get it into Saskatchewan! It was hard to see the first stages of ALS at that point.
I have so many memories of Uncle, from him taking us moose hunting, or of us putting coins on the railroad tracks behind his house and seeing how they had been squished by the train!
The last few weeks before Stan's passing he was heard saying several times, "I am ready to go home, I want to go home." One of the requests he had was that his children (Twyla, Sharlene and Duane), and grandchildren (Brady, Brian and Hannah) would live their lives for Christ, so that after he sees Christ, his wife, and parents and the rest of his family already in heaven, that he will wait to greet his family to heaven. He said that the most important reminder for us is to love our family first and then to love others. The most important thing in life is love! And that love flows from Christ!
The World has lost an amazing man this past week, a man of God, and the world was a better place with Stan Paulson in it and is not as good of a place without Him. As my younger brother stated, when Uncle Stan arrived in Heaven, I know that God said, "Welcome home Stan, you have done well, my good and faithful servant!"
Uncle Stan was not given the temporary healing that we wanted for him on this earth, but instead was given the greatest gift of Ultimate healing in Heaven!
I miss him, and I know I always will while I am on Earth, but I know I will see him soon, and I will always be inspired to be like my Uncle Stan. I know that if I come even close to being the man he was that I will make an amazing impact on this world!

Two of my heroes in the faith and men who have had a Huge impact on my life, Uncle Miles and Uncle Stan. This was taken at our 2008 family reunion, and the last time I saw Stan.