The Ministry Of Living

Wanting to get ready!

2007-01-16T14:09:00.000-08:00

Took a look at Mark Cuban's blog for the first time since creation and stumbled on a significant piece of wisdom that the business maverick picked up from infamous college basketball coach Bobby Knight.

"Everyone has got the will to win; it's only those with the will to prepare that do win."

Classic. Simply perfect. No question.

i'm taking this one to heart, since i like preparing, but don't have the will to do it. i wanna develop that. Cuban says that these are "words for every athlete and those of us who partake in the Sport of Business to live by", but i think it goes further and applies to all those who are in the game of Life. And for us who are in the Christian race? Or in the work of ministry? And don't start talking about the application of getting ready for Heaven.....

The will to prepare. My next prayer request.

Resolve to pronounce my name correctly- it's eee-en!

2007-01-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

Most people are back to work/school already, but today is my personal first day of anything this year. Yes, school started last week Tuesday, but i didn’t get in until Thursday, and didn’t leave my bed until 11:00 am Friday, so i have a delayed start. It’s all good – really! And i’m marking the occasion with a blog entry.

Over the holidays, i visited the happening bachelor pad of master-of-all-trades Jay Chai. His repertoire of skills includes writing and blogging, and he's been holding himself to 5 minute entries for the last little while. i'm going to try the same - hopefully, it leads to more frequent posts!

Pray for my Palm Pilot, my Christmas gift from my girlfriend that decided to stop functioning last Friday night. i've tried the soft reset, i've tried recharging it, i began the hard reset - but chickened out; there are SO MANY CONTACTS in there already! Included are several people i want to call to encourage, and my new birthday registry - so please pray that it starts up again.

For those who caught the 2-hour opening of 24 last night, did you nearly die laughing with me when Scott finds out how close he and his Muslim neighbour really are? "Ahmed? We're friends," Scott says plaintively as he looks at the gun pointed towards his abdomen. Years of pent-up frustration are released. "Really?"Ahmed spits out. "You can't even pronounce my name right. It's not 'ah-med' - it’s ‘arc-med’." Pure comedy.

Names are big to me - full names, middle names, meaning of names. And proper pronounciation is crucial. i was blessed with an easy-enough-to-pronounce name, but that doesn't keep me from ensuring that i get everybody elses straight. To me, anything less is disrespect. And i don't understand people who don't at least try to make the same effort. i've read anecdote after anecdote of immigrants who go by "Jimmy" or "Sammy" simply because someone at their workplace couldn't be bothered to learn to pronounce their name properly. How inconsiderate is that?

Similarly, i'm disappointed by the complacency of "Jimmy" and "Sammy" - you gotta stand up and make sure people get it right. i have two friends who have lovely names of African origin. Although their names both begin with the same letter (N), they don't know each other, and are from different countries (Nigeria and the Sudan). In both cases, for months after we were introduced, i thought i was saying their names right, since they answered when i spoke. Then i heard others refer to them with alternate pronounciations. i stepped in to correct the offenders, only to realize i'd been ignorant for so long. When i asked why they hadn't corrected me to begin with, they explained it was just easier to go by the mispronounciation, since it happened so often.

i can understand the explanation - i just don't like it. Your name is worth saying properly. And you're worth enough that we who respect you will get it straight over time. So Ahmeds of the world, hold us accountable. Educate us. And don't let anger over our ignorance build up. i never want to be at the business end of a gun for want of a couple of syllables!

Toothful Testimony

2006-08-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

Can i testify quickly today? My back tooth had been giving me pain on and off for the past eight months, but i hadn't been able to do anything about it without cash money, and the pain got progressively worse (that's what poverty does to you!).

Tuesday night i went to bed at midnight and woke up at 2 am with a roiling pain in that tooth, such that i couldn't return to bed. i knew something had to happen, but i was as broke as a joke. i prayed to God for provision and direction.

As soon as business hours got started, i called a dentist in Lacombe, and managed to get an emergency appointment for 8:30 am the next day. i inquired about the cost - $100. A bill that i didn't have. "God," i prayed, "you have to come through." i called one friend whom i though might be able to help, and waited on the return call, but heard nothing. Still, i refused to fret and let the hours of the day tick away.

Then at about 8:00 pm, something told me to just check my bank account. Mind you, i had no reason to, since i knew i'd emptied it. But i just went to see what was there. When i found that Mom had deposited $100 in my account on Monday, before i'd even had the toothache, i just lifted my hands in worship.

Coincidence? Stroke of luck? A fluke occurence? Isaiah 65:24 says, "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear." i won't take all day to list the 14.7 billion possible things that led to that miracle taking place just when it did; i just know that i've had way too many occasions like this to chalk it up to a fateful event. i'll just claim it a blessing, thank you very much!

The verdict is a broken wisdom tooth that has developed an abcess, which means i can only chew on the right side of my mouth, since biting down too hard on the left brings an intense pain and a visceral reaction (watch me while i eat; it's probably kinda fun to watch). It also means i'll have to have my first extraction (yay). i've booked the appointment for Wednesday, September 7. Is there any money? Of course not.

But there will be!

The Height of Fear - Pt. 2

2006-08-09T15:57:00.000-07:00

(continued from previous post)

Years ago, the Ex had a ride, sponsored by Beckers', that consisted of a cart/trolley travelling all the way across the grounds. You got a lovely aerial view of the park. It was a nice way to take a breather during the day. At least i thought so. i say this because i never got to ride the thing - when i went as a kid to the Ex, it was always because we were attending a Blue Jays game, and having put out for Jays tickets and transportation, Mom and Dad weren't about to entertain the thought of paying for rides. But i'd always wanted to ride it. However, by the time i returned to the Ex as an adult, the ride had been taken down.

Imagine my joy when i arrived at the Stampede and found the same ride existed out west. i decided that i wouldn't let this opportunity pass me by. So after wandering the park, tossing the boys on the aforementioned crickety rides, walking through the Dream Home (another Stampede must-see i'd been advised of), and looking at the 50-50 lottery prizes (are these contests big in Toronto at all? Did i just happen to miss them? Because they're HUGE out here - they ran them at an Eskimos football game, for crying out loud), i confidently led our crew to the ride and turned over our six tickets apiece. Mahalia rode with Javar in the first "thingy". i wasn't sure what to call it until Rashaun and i got in the following one and rose off the ground. Then i realized the name.

It was a deathtrap.

i'm not scared of heights, but i am respectful of them. And i've found that the amusement rides that i've found least amusing are the ones where there is nothing preceding me should i fall. Back seats of roller coasters are right up my alley, because i can lean forward and brace myself, knowing that there are six or eight people in front of me, and i won't be the first to crash. But Drop Zone at Wonderland? Bad idea. Those mega swings? Just as bad. A Ferris wheel? Another ride i'd wanted to try forever and still regret. This trolley thingy enters the lexicon of my experience under "fear-inducing".

Things were complicated by the prescence of seven-year-old Rashaun. i didn't want my fear to freak him out. More importantly, i didn't want my fear to embarass me. So i clamped my lips shut, tremblingly but firmly grasped his shoulder, and held on with my other hand to the seat i was in for dear life, letting go only long enough to snap this picture. He, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy himself immensely, second only to his brother Javar. The four-year-old brother kept turning around to look at us and wave, and i returned his gesture with the weakest of hand movements, quickly grasping the seat as soon as possible. Thankfully, Javar's sneaker slippers, which couldn't stay on his feet while i had him on my shoulders, miraculously didn't come off for the duration of the ride, as i'd expected them to.

The slowest four minutes of my life passed by with mind-numbing fright, peaking when the ride moved up while approaching a pole and then slid down at slightly faster speed. All the while, i made impressive use of Paul's commandment concerning prayer and looked forward, hoping for the end. You can believe i refused to look straight down.

i guess some things are meant to be experienced and appreciated during childhood...and once childhood passes, some aren't!

The Height of Fear - Pt. 1

2006-08-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

Summer of 2006 has seen some interesting moments and memories. i'd expected to be excited, encouraged, and a little miserable this summer, but i had never thought i would be scared. Until i was about to leave the 2006 Calgary Stampede.

A big of background. The Stampede is the biggest thing about Calgary, besides the money people are making in the city these days. Whenever i asked people about what there is to do in Calgary, they'd say "The Stampede", and that was about it. No other real events or amazing destinations ("Have you been to the Market Mall?"). i'm concluding that people tend to work in Calgary, not live in Calgary. However, the city has a few more weeks to get me to change my mind...

But i should give the city a break, because Calgarians really go out of their way to make it a big thing. For weeks beforehand, displays of the farming/cowboy type appeared in malls and office lobbies. Downtown buildings permitted artists to decorate their windows with Stampede-related drawings. Posters went up announcing free Stampede breakfasts of sausages and pancakes at various locations throughout the week. Clubs and bars had sold-out parties booked far in advance (what seems, by the way, to be the real attraction). People began walking around town in full cowboy regalia. On the Friday that the Stampede began, i thought it was cute that everyone wore their hats and blue jeans, even though few attended the downtown parade. But i was caught off guard the following Monday, when everybody did the same thing again...and again...and every day for the rest of the Stampede, just in the office, and not on the grounds. This city takes the function seriously.

With all this hoopla and promotion, i made sure i reached the Stampede. Accompanied by superstar Mahalia Peters (who tried on the cowboy hat i bought for the event, and left with it on because she looked so much better in it than i did), and my adopted younger brothers Rashaun and Javar Baldeo, i booked off work early and reached the location of the "Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth". i was ready to be shocked, startled, staggered...

...and found myself simply struck by the familiarity of it all. After walking around and seeing the cash-grubbing midway, over-priced food stands, and unsafe-looking rides, i realized that the world-famous Stampede was pretty much Toronto's Ex with cowboy gear. Mind you, i didn't get to all the rodeos and chuckwagon races - with two overexcited boys in tow who wouldn't have sat still for them, it would have been a waste of precious dollars. But walking around Calgary's premier tourist attraction, i couldn't help thinking, "I've been here!"

There were a couple of attractions that i hadn't encountered previously. The Superdogs, a bunch of well-trained canines performing tricks, came highly pre-recommended and were indeed fun to watch (thanks, Christine). And another interesting event was the children's tractor pull, where kids got into a mini-tractor and tried to pedal with weights of varying sizes added to their load. But the one attraction that drew me the most was the one that nearly made me toss up my strawberry lemonade.

(check the next post for the rest!)

The First Annual Cheap, Quick, and Easy Vegetarian Recipie Contest

2006-07-26T22:17:00.000-07:00

This summer is another exercise in discipline as i wade into the waters of vegetarianism. i've flirted with the concept on and off for several years now. Last summer, i took a serious plunge and ate virtually no meat for four months. The results were great - i didn't necessarily feel healthier (for better or for worse, i don't really know what a healthy feeling is; i'm gonna assume it's how i normally feel), but i lost several pounds and went down a couple of waist sizes!

However, the pants purchased during that time no longer fit, so we're trying again. Summer 2005 was simpler because either Mom was cooking, or i was choosing foods from the menu at the Alakara Hotel in Kenya, which had a decent vegetarian menu (Spanish omlettes, curry, and fresh pineapple - breakfast of champions and hott evangelists). This summer, those options aren't open. i have amazing hosts (thanks, Baldeos and Bishops!) who provide free room and board, but i want to be as responsible as possible for my costs. For the last few weeks, either i eat Subway sandwiches every day for lunch, or i cook. And even though they're sandwich artists, there are only so many ways the kids at Subway can prepare the veggie delight sandwich.

Yes, i could look online and pick off recipies, but i don't want to play hit and miss; i'd rather work with your tried and tested suggestions. So i am introducing the First Annual Cheap Quick and Easy Vegetarian Recipie Contest, solicitng contributions from my dear friends and readers. Only three criteria need to met:

a) it needs to be Cheap - remember, student budget; otherwise, i'd be at home eating Mom's cooking and losing weight
b) it needs to be Quick - you saw the list of things i have to do for tomorrow at the top of the blog. As a beginning chef, i'm willing to take a while to prepare my food, but not eons longer than it will take to eat
c) it needs to be Easy - Israel and Lebanon are better at achieving peace than i am at preparing a meal. Assume i know nothing about the cooking, and direct me from there

(i would have added "it needs to be Vegetarian", but i figured that was clear enough from the content of this entry. If that was a question, then you're off the team.)

The contest will be open until the official end of summer, Labour Day. At that time, i will emerge from my kitchen(s, since i'll be staying at least three different places over the next six weeks),and declare a winner, who will receive my undying gratitude, love and support. Not like you wouldn't have it already, but still......

My body is a temple; let's add some new bricks to the structure!

A Proud Great Uncle

2006-06-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

i was eleven years old when my sister gave birth to her first child, my nephew Dean. My friends in Grade 5 were taken aback by the concept of me as an uncle, and i was renamed Uncle Ian for the duration of the year on the playground. Seeing as Dean's birthday is in September, it easily could have been a tiresome year. However, i didn't mind; i was proud to be an uncle. And i don't know if i've been the best uncle, but i've done the best i could to be a good role model to Dean, to leave him room to grow and to be himself, and, every now and then, to educate when i think it might do some good.

Last December, i talked to my nephew Dean and found out that he was going to be a father, with his girlfriend Ashley. And on June 5, his tenure as a father began, with Isaiah Joseph Irish. Cutie, isn't he?

As is my practice, i guess i'll just be the best uncle - or great uncle i can be. i've already had experience.....

Loyalty Can Be Tough....

2006-06-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

There is a strong sense of irony that the two teams i'm hoping will win their respective championships both started out by losing their first two games. i don't know what to say 'cept this must be some kind of strange omen...?

Anyways, i won't pull a Vince Carter, but will stay loyal. Edmonton for the Canadian content and the possibility of being close to a championship city for the first time since the Jays in '92/'93; and Miami for the Shaquille redemption, plus a reward for defeating the NJ Nets (cursed by the presence of Vince Carter) and the overdog Detroit Pistons. Picked my guns, and i'm sticking to them.

Just hope i don't shoot my loyalty in the foot....

Confirmation of Expectation, Pt. II

2006-06-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

Just needed to share what God pushed for me last week.

You read about my story in the previous blogs - my situation and God's solution. What i hadn't seen yet was the rent for the next month, for June. My financial situation hadn't changed any, and i couldn't afford to miss another rent date. So i had to rely solely on God again.

And for some stupid reason, that was kinda difficult to do. i mean, i'd just seen God come through in a HUGE and amazing way, and yet still, to figure out how to directly depend on Him again...i guess i figured i should be go to go this time on my own, or something. Minister Michaela Lawrence wrote a blog post that references thinking we should able to do things on our own apart from our parents, and that's the mindset i stupidly adopted.

Anyways, i tried knocking on Mom's bank account again, but it was empty. And i didn't know where or who else to turn to, and i just got more and more miserable about the situation. i'd think back to the previous victory, and then think, "Well, things can't work out that way this time...what are you going to do, God?"

And i was extra frustrated because it involved my roommates. i didn't want them to be tossed out, or to be annoyed with me because i was putting them in jeopardy. i have a decent relationship with Tall and Dave (and CJ when he was with us), and i didn't want it busted up over a couple of dollars. Someday i'll blog about how i think this aspect of life, having faith in issues that can negatively affect other people, is another area that God wants to strengthen me in (cuz when i have a church, and we step out in faith, and they wanna step back, i'll have to know how to help them hold the line....)

Anyways, i should have been praying, but instead i was complaining and fretting and not seeing anything accomplished. And i dreaded calling my boys without an answer to the problem, and so i waited. The first of the month came, and i waited, thinking, "Maybe the landlord will collect rent tomorrow." June 2 came, and i waited, saying "Maybe he won't do it today because it's almost the weekend." The weekend came, and i waited, thinking "Well, he could wait until Monday..."

Monday came, and i ran out of excuses. i phoned the apartment with a heavy heart, dreading the news that a final eviction notice had been served.

Instead, i got the news that our rent had been reduced, since i wasn't going to be there over the summer, and my boys only had to pay the regular rent they'd been paying all along.

God had worked things out, and i'd been too frustrated, faithless and fearful to realize it.

sigh.

Here's to not doing that again...! Paul told us that about the spirit God gave us , and it's not of fear! i'm embarassed that i was so stupid, but i'm glad that i'm so blessed. And i am going to watch God carefully this summer....some more funky blessings are about to take place - i can just feel it!

Confirmation of Expectation

2006-05-26T00:08:00.000-07:00

Not like we doubted God would come through....but He did!

When i called, the rental company lady was very gracious, and said she'd take the $200 i had on hand, with the promise of more to come. Hooray! Not only that, but when i called home, Dad said that he'd found $200 to contribute. Guess i should have looked for SuperMAN, not Superwoman. Finally, my friend Laura delivered a late birthday present: the final $125. All in one hour. Wow!

As each successive step took place, i just felt the burden on my heart lifting, getting lighter and lighter. It was SO good to see God come through, just like He had over and over and over again! My faith has been validated once more!

Mind you, the rental guys are saying that if we are late with our rent once more, they're gonna toss us. So i need to put together an 11-month streak of perfect payments. Guess that means i might go a little hungry some months!

But God has obviously got my back - i'm not gonna fret the details. i'll just put my choir ahead of my army and praise Him in advance!

Praise of Expectation

2006-05-24T07:58:00.000-07:00

Feeling a little bit antsy 'cuz i'm short just over half of last month's rent. And the landlord, understandably impatient, says the locks are gonna switch if i don't get it in by the deadline. That's not just my apartment, y'understand...it's me and my three roommates. Ulp!

Been here before (sigh), so i tell him i hear what he's saying, and i'll put it together. The rent deal is always a little interesting since i'm not employed, you understand. i come up with my rent each month on a wing and a prayer. i leave it wtih God. And it always works out. One time i was even further behind (two months?) and an angel from Fort McMurray made an emergency loan (Keisha, you're a princess!). So i'm relatively confident something will come together.

Call up my usual source of emergency funding, and Mom says she's strapped like a psycho patient in an asylum. More broke than ever. Mom never says these things; she always has a rabbit in a hat somewhere. My stomach takes a small lurch.

Talk to a benefactor back at home who has always been in my corner. A couple days later, an envelope from Mrs. Stewart arrives. i peek inside and see a cheque for $100.00 inside. Excellent - $425 to go!

But that's it. Nothing else. No other miracles just yet. Instead of hearing God cry out, "Here you go, My child!", the only sounds are crickets chirping and my stomach churning. Not used to this. My roommates make occasional, respectful inquiries ("You gonna be okay?" "Don't forget, it's due."), and i'm cool with that. After all, they made their payments. They didn't ask for a deadbeat for a roommate.

Walk into a bank the day before things are due. Decide to deposit the cheque from Mrs. Stewart. Open the envelope to find TWO cheques for $100.00! Woo-hee! That's why she's on the team!

Rack my brain about possible sources for the $325 remaining. Call home again. Make an off-hand remark about facing eviction in 14 hours. A half-asleep Mom repeats her statement...."never been more broke in my life" and mumbles another four minutes of conversation before i put her out of her misery. Superwoman will not be saving this day.

Rise from my bed at the unholy hour of 4 am, a combination of enthusiasm, a raging toothache, and nerves over the debt. Where is God coming from this time? What's going to happen? Why hasn't He shown up? Have i been that sinful that He can't hook me up?

Aware it's just the nerves talking. Decide to shut them up by listing and reviewing Biblical stories where God did the impossible, or came in just before the deadline when all seemed lost. You know the sort - the Red Sea and Jordan crossings, David and Goliath, Hezekiah getting 15 more years, Jericho falling, etc.

Rolled up on my favourite. 2 Chronicles chapter 20. Three nations are rolling towards Judah, ready to wipe them off the face of the earth. King Jehoshaphat (we don't name our kids like we used to, do we?) roars into action....by seeking direction from God and calling for a fast and nationwide day of prayer. Drops a heartfelt prayer of God's previous provision and request for success in this instance. A prophet shows up and says God's got it; just roll out with your army towards the three-nation enemy.

J decides to make things interesting. He claims the victory by placing a choir in front of the army to sing praises to God...before they win the fight, before they're even on the battlefield. That's how confident he is that God'll come through.

And the Bible says that when they started praising, God made a move and set the enemy armies against each other. Maybe they disagreed on strategy. Maybe they were too antsy for fighting. Maybe they didn't like each other's outfits. In any case, Judah arrived on the scene to find every single member of the enemy armies dead. There was enough riches and jewels on the bodies of the fighters (compare to today's army outfits!) that it took Judah three days to carry away the spoil!

The clincher for me? That they were praising ahead of time. i haven't quite pushed that in this situation yet. Or haven't until now. You're reading my praise.

i don't know if God'll calm the landlord down, or if He'll have a friend call up and put things together, or if i'll find $325 flying around downtown Calgary. All i know is that i've never seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread (or housing). And Rom. 1:17 and 3:22 say i'm righteous. So there!

2.5 hours until Due Time. God, here's my choir. Counting on You to come through. Praise the Lord!

Watch for the update.....

Time to Enjoy the Filling

2006-05-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

Everyone likes the middle of food. The sauce and veggies or meat in lasagna, the fruit inside pies, the cream filling between the crusty cookies of an Oreo - these are the parts with taste, the elements that give the most satisfaction.

Yet i'm finding that i don't like the middle of life, and it's a bit of a concern. i ain't talking about a mid-life crisis. i'm not scheduled for one for another ten, fifteen years. And, incidentally, the best thing i'm finding about getting older is that it's a lot more interesting and fun than i'd been given reason to expect. So a mid-life breakdown isn't on the horizon just yet.

No, i'm realizing that i like beginning proejcts and i love ending projects, but i don't have the same passion for the body of projects. i get bogged down in the details and bored with the minutae, and before i know it, things are disorganized and messy and empty. Usually, i manage to bring things together to pull it off, but i always am stuck thinking about what might have been.

Doesn't matter if it's for school or for work, for something personal or spiritual - handling the details in the middle hasn't grasped me for a while. What's frustrating is that i find it incredibly fulfilling the few occasions that i do follow through, like when i dust off my brain and type what i'm thinking onto this blog.

Anyways, i want to conquer this complacency. Over the summer of 2006, i want to push through on what i'm out to accomplish. Shortly (seriously), i'll be posting a little something about what i wanna do this summer, and i'm hoping my dear readers will help keep me accountable for pulling it off.

i want to give everything i've got for as long as it takes to get where i want to go. i want to look back in September and be well pleased. i want to lick the filling - and enjoy it!

Fishing For Emails

2006-03-14T14:12:00.000-08:00

Realized my dependence on email when our school's firewall/site blocker thingy decided to block Gmail for reasons still unknown. My heart dropped Sunday nite when i realized this. At first i thought Gmail had been taken over and used for some undercover porn network, but then i decided it was probably just a mistake on some computer's part. And that mistake was resolved. Yes, it took all of Monday and part of Tuesday morning before it was fixed, but it was resolved. Thx to Computer Services for handling that!

The weird part is, of the sixteen emails that came in since Friday nite, when i last checked (i know, i'm not that popular), only one was a "delicious" email - one of original content and sizeable length that i enjoyed reading! (Thx, X!) Couple bits of advertising, some forwards, a daily Bible verse from Minister Sharon Cumberbatch....a little disappointing. My heart actually dropped again, although not as far.

i'd complain more, but i rarely send the kind of emails i like to receive myself! Which is why i will make sure that today i send five emails of the quality i'd like to get back. People, get ready! The Golden Rule, in this version, and and in this version, are in full effect. And i'm claiming this result!

The Victory of Wile E. Coyote

2006-03-04T21:08:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of the rest of the life of a close friend of mine who discovered big things this week. Much like Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner, this friend went chasing their life purpose with the help of a Max Lucado book, some childhood memories and a piece of serious introspection. The difference between my friend and Wile E. is that they caught their Road Runner, and now they're working to fulfill that purpose. Praise God!

It blows my mind the way things change when a person determines what God wants him or her to do. Life is more focused, direction is more clear, days are more meaningful. It is like driving in a car for sixteen hours, and then getting out for a break only to realize that the windows of the car are tinted, and things are so much brighter than you had first imagined.

You ever noticed how, when a friend of yours enters into a relationship, he or she is much more likely to encourage you to find a partner? "How about [person X]? Do you think you'd get along with [person Y]? I think you and [person Z] would make a great couple! What do you think about [person AA]?" Once i found my purpose, i started asking others about their purpose too, simply because i found life was so great with one. Couldn't help it. It just blows the mind when you realize God's built you for something special. And He's created you to be something you'd enjoy! He wouldn't condemn you to a life of drudgery. He's only got good things in store for you.

i've got another friend now who knows the purpose God's intended for them. i want to encourage you to do the same, and to diligently ask Him what yours is, if you haven't already. It might be a challenge, but you don't have to do it alone. It might take you getting rid of previous misconceptions, but you'll find you're better off without them. And it might take a while, but it won't be too long. After all, Road Runner isn't any faster than God.

Cyber Prayer

2006-02-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

Just a thanks in advance to all who will remember me in prayer on Tuesday, February 21st. A combination of freak scheduling and lite procrastination has created a hellish lineup of responsibilities and due assignments tomorrow. They include:

- a sermon for mid week service here at school
- a major presentation in my Crisis Intervention Psychology class,
- a Greek mid-term exam
- two book reports (no, neither book is read, though they've both been selected)
- two minor assignments

Should be an interesting day. So please pray! Thx...

Happy Valentine's Day....to my Significant Other!

2006-02-14T13:38:00.000-08:00

i think Valentine's Day must be the most hated holiday of all. Easter and Victoria Day/Memorial Day always lend themselves to a long weekend, and Canada Day/Independence Day is the hott way to kick off the summer. No matter which country you're in, Thanksgiving means food, so that's good. Some people are anti-Christmas because they're anti-family, and some people are anti-New Years' because they think they have to have someone to kiss in the New Year with.

But Valentines' Day.....well, if you enter the day with the right person but in the wrong mood (like you're having a fight or a disagreement), the day's shot; and if you begin the day with the wrong person, it doesn't matter what mood you're in, the day's shot.

And Heaven forbid if your partner doesn't commemorate the day the way you'd like, with the appropriate gift or celebration! i think this ruins most people's Valentine's Day.

However, the general idea is that no matter how bad Valentine's Day can be with someone, it's even worse if you don't have anyone to spend it with. Right now, all across the Western world, millions of individuals are holding pity parties, or complaining to (not so loved ones), or sending themselves flowers (apparently, 15% of women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day, which is okay as long as you're not fronting that someone else gave 'em to you) because they have no one to spend this day with. Definitely the world's most miserable holiday.

But i don't see why it has to be, and i refuse to spend it that way. This year, i am one of those millions, and my potential for misery this year is heightened by the fact that my three roommates each have girlfriends to spend the day with (i'm probably not going back to the apartment until really late). However, i have found someone special to celebrate the day with. Any guesses? Here's a couple of hints: name starts with I, ends with N, has an A in the middle....

Always when reflecting on God's love, i have to sit amazed at how He manages to love me: consistent screwup, diligent procrastinator, hater-of-others. The list of things i manage to do backwards is extensive. If i was God, i couldn't be bothered with loving me! Yet He thinks i'm the best thing since sliced bread, and is simply desperate for my companionship. It's hard not to love Somone who loves like He does, through everything and anything, like Romans 8:38 & 39 says.

But my Christian walk took a hop, skip, and jump when i realized that loving God entails loving all those who He loves. Not only does that mean loving my enemies, detractors and bill collectors, but it also means loving myself. The same myself with all those negative characteristics i'm so familiar with. It almost seems easier to love the individuals drunk on Haterade.

Yet once i put on God's rose-tinted glasses and take a look in the mirror, i see that all those crazy characteristics aren't irreversible but overcomeable; they're not fatal flaws but conquerable challenges. i am a work in progress - nice to look at now, and getting better! That changes the whole outlook. And once i can see my perfect imperfections that way, it's easier to see them that way for the unlovely ones in my life. Even for the bill collectors....

So here's to me: the apple of God's eye, and now the apple of my own. It ain't conceitedness, it's confidence, baby - and i'm lovin' it. Mwah! Happy Valentines!

Random Post-Holiday Brain Dump

2006-01-09T21:36:00.005-08:00

- The movie from the previous post has been completed and come to a decent ending; i hung out with Colleen and her boys for most of the break, and then moved Friday to spend the weekend with my parents' friends the Bishops. Weird twist in the film, but happy ending. Wish there was a car chase, embarssing moment, unpredictable romantic development or mistaken arrest to make the plot more interesting, but that's it. Something i did learn, though: The Co-op grocery store is prohibitively expensive. Am i the only one opposed to paying three bucks for 2 lbs of sugar?

- Happy birthday to Lady Rhondine Lightbody, who turned 19 going on 30 on Friday. i could embarass her with tales about how i remember when she was six years old and wore frilly dresses and how she loved it when i picked her up off the ground and all of that....but i won't. Hope today is a celebration of you in every way Rhondine, and i hope this year is better than all the rest combined!

- Amazing Rose Bowl game Wednesday night. i missed the first 40 minutes to lead out in prayer meeting at Garden Road SDA, and i held up my host from watching a movie in order to watch the last 20 - but i'm so glad i got to see those 20 minutes! Thoughts:
- Texas really shut down Reggie Bush
- Vince Young scrambled effortlessly; it was like USC wasn't even covering him. However, the offensive lines in the NFL are a lot tougher to crack, and that throwing motion is worse than mine.
- i feel for my roommate Dave, Canada's biggest USC fan. He predicted the game would take place before the season started; he just missed predicting the outcome. Dave, i hope you can rectify things on Playstation....

- And this vacation time presented me with the opportunity to watch the daytime TV show Ellen. Many are disturbed by her implicit endorsement of the lesbian lifestyle. i'm more concerning with her lousy dancing. It is beyond words; i can't describe it. All i know is that i can't watch it for more than five seconds at a time. i'd insist that she stop, but i guess this is the perogative of successful people: when you're this famous, you get to do what you like. Examples include Kirk Franklin singing, Donald Trump's hairstyle, and most people dresssing...

- i don't think i've felt as good about a year as i do about 2006 in a long time!

The First Post - Starting Again for the First Time

2006-01-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

Most people reading this blog know me personally. But i noted that most of the blogs i read are published by people i have never and will probably never will meet. So i thought that, for this first blog of 2006, i'd share a bit about me. i hope i include everything pertinent; people who know me, let me know what i forgot....

IAN ANDRE HOWELL BRAMBLE

Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario
Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec
Current Location: Lacombe, Alberta
Age: i hit thirty this year (i should be using numerals, but it's so much more stark in real digits)
Mission Statement 1.0: to become who and what God wants me to be, to do whatever God wants me to do, and to go whever God wants to to go. i find leaving things up to God is a lot more fulfilling, fun, worthwhile, and ultimately easier than running things on my own
Occupation: Student; in the third year of a theology program at Canadian University College in Lacombe (if you're wondering why it's a university college, the best answer i can give you is that we're trying to be all things to all people)
Career goal: i'm going to be a Seventh-day Adventist pastor when i grow up
Background: my parents are from Montserrat, a tiny, lightly populated island in the Carribean near to Antigua. Right now, among the features of the island is an active volcano, so the island is even less populated
Family: my two superstar parents; my older sister Adele, and my younger brother Ray; and my sister's family, with her husband Boysie, and children Dean and Desiree. And i have a grand niece/nephew on the way
SuperFriends: my people from Mississauga SDA Church, and the GTA Adventist Community; my fellow ministers in music from the University of Toronto Gospel Choir, led by Lisa Toussaint; the kids from New College, otherwise known as OMC; and my fellow students toiling away at CUC
History: lived in Mississauga since four; completed high school; did a couple of years at U of T (New College forever!) and George Brown College before i realized i didn't know what i really wanted to do with my life. Worked for a couple of years as an administrative assistant in Toronto. Finally listened to God calling and decided to enter into ministry. Started studying at CUC in 2003
How to put a smile on my face: communicate, open up, affirm me, and send money
How to turn my stomach: lie, disrespect me and those close to me, decide that your opinions are worth more than everyone else's, and root against my teams in playoff games just to annoy me
Interests: God, music, writing, how people think
Relatively Arrogant Reason why you should read this blog: i'm interesting - one of the more interesting people i know (yes, i do say so myself). i'm even more interesting in print than in person. And i'm getting better in print. So save this link

Based On A True Story

2005-12-29T14:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Belated Christmas, and Merry Advanced New Year's!

A sincere apology to my four readers concerning the two week pause between posts. i thought i'd devote a couple of days to ensuring that i didn't fail my final exams or miss handing in some crucial assignments (for those interested, mission accomplished). And then i came to Calgary to spend the break, and i didn't know exactly where to find a computer with Internet access, until my friend Mahalia told me i was staying a two-minute walk from a public library that had computers. So i haven't had a chance to post. Please forgive.

Question to the masses: am i the only one bothered when i have to pay directly for Internet? After having unlimited broadband at home, and then being able to pig out on access at CUC (now that's high speed - one of the best features of the school, to be honest), i guess i've been spoiled, because the Calgary Public Library system is charging me two bucks to type this post to you now. As you can imagine, i'm not pleased.

You've probably noticed how many lousy movies there are out there - i know you have, because you stopped attending them: movie grosses are down for like the fifth year in a row. So i've decided to make a difference by writing my own screenplay. Here's the pitch: upstanding, lovely young man does a friend a favour by taking care of her house while she is on vacation. Young man looks forward to two weeks of isolated bliss and enjoys himself immensely - until the friend returns early with her two kids! With no way home, what happens to the young man and his friend?!

You know, reading that pitch, i probably even wouldn't bother to see the movie. It doesn't read like a plot that's super interesting - it just sounds like a weird, unsettling situation. Which is what i'm in, as the star of the above plot.

i called my friend Colleen in Calgary the night before she took off to California for her Christmas vacation, and it turned out she was looking for someone to house-sit for her. Since i had decided to stay in Calgary for the break, but hadn't exactly figured out where, this was an arrangement straight from heaven. i got into the city a couple of days later, picked up the keys from her parents, and prepared to chill without a care in the world for two weeks. Cable TV, a big huge bed to sleep in, freedom to use the phone - it was very close to gravy.

i spent Christmas Eve with the Bishops, old friends of my parents (you know, i really can't do anything "bad", because my parents know somebody everywhere i go), and the evening of Christmas Day with the Higgins, a couple that i became familiar with when i moved to Alberta.

Boxing Day night (weird name, but would you have caught me if i'd said Boxing Night), the phone rang. The operator said it was a collect call, and i was about to cuss her off until she said it was Colleen calling. i wondered why, since she'd been using a long distance card to call me from California. Turned out she called collect because she wasn't calling from California - she was calling from Seattle, on her way home early. She and the boys would be home by noon the next day.

So the last couple of days have been different - sleeping on the couch (okay), towelling off in the bathroom instead of the living room (not so okay, but whatever), and realizing that caring for and raising children isn't as difficult as it looks - it's actually a lot tougher. This holiday was already going to be noteable for being the first that i spent away from my family. Now, i'm creating some more firsts - first spent housesitting, first spent in a different city, first being told "shut up" by a three year old...

The movie continues.....

It's Always Hardest On The Ones Left Behind....

2005-12-13T13:42:00.001-08:00

The Exodus has begun here at school.

Kids are finishing up exams, handing in final assignments, and gunning it out of town. The first person i know who left was Mark Johnson, who was off to Norway to meet with Travis, a student missionary (who might as well be a full missionary - this is his third year out there) and preach for a Week of Prayer out there. i only know Mark was leaving because we were the only two people here in the computer lab at quarter to midnight last night. His flight took off at 4 this morning.

Most kids, including roommates Dave and CJ, are flying out on Thursday; by Friday evening, the place will be a ghost town. As i speak, however, Ruby and Sophie are flying to T.O., and that's a bit closer to home, in more ways than one. The girls live down the hall, so it's gonna be weird with them gone. And last year, Sophie stuck around for Christmas, so we all said bye to her.

This year, i'm the one saying bye....because i'm planning to stay out here for the holidays.

The reasons? i want to do more practicum work at Garden Road SDA Church in Calgary, and it's tres difficile to do Bible study and visitation on Sabbath afternoons. i'm also hoping to get a little job in the city, which should be easier than getting a job in Toronto (at least, i had a devil of a time trying to get a job over Christmas break last year). And i'm saving the Bramble family the plane fare of a trip home - though to Mom's credit, it is an expense she would have gladly slit her wrists for.

i remember gunning it out of here first year, finishing my exams on Thursday afternoon and catching the first flight just after midnight Friday morning. And second year, i moved an exam so that i could suprise everybody, arriving three days earlier than announced. i tricked Laura into picking me up at the airport (luring her there by asking her to collect a friend of mine), and walking into Prayer Meeting and sitting behind Mom and Dad for a good five minutes before they realized i was there. Classic moments.

And not (likely) to be repeated this year. i can already feel the mental withdrawl of my system as my brain realizes that it won't get its regular dose of family and friends, of culture and concrete that it's used to at this time of year. i'm counting on my people who are sticking around - namely Nyater, Patriece, Kris, Jillian and the Morris family - plus the Garden Road church family, to make things worthwhile.

If only the weather would co-operate - and yet, as i type, i can hear the wind howling outside, and i remember the flurries predicted for tonite.

i wonder if Air Canada has any cheap flights left...

When You're Not Looking....

2005-12-12T22:37:00.000-08:00

(is this how writing works -- you think something, and it sticks in your mind, and a little voice says, "That belongs in print"? Does that voice ever stop speaking?)

Does anyone feel like, as soon as you turn your back on a situation, all hell breaks loose?

Thanks, Brenton, for the hook-up tonight; one day, you'll catch how essential that was.

And arrivederci to my brother Ray, who leaves tomorrow with the world-renown Howard Gospel Choir to tour Italy for three weeks. i'd say i was jealous, but i've been to Sweden, Norway, England, Kenya....it's about time he got to cross the pond. Enjoy yourself, star, and don't skimp on the photos.

More Windows, More Light - right?

2005-12-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

(ooh! First time i'm posting twice in a day...!)

The premier distraction from completing assignments is surfing the Internet. And i love my Internet. What i hate is losing something: losing a possibly important piece of paper, or a CD of songs that i didn't really want - or access to a website that i'm looking at and might wanna look at again.

Fortunately, retaining Internet access is easier than keeping track of stacks of paper, or spindles of CDs. i don't close browser windows; i open new ones. Simple, right?

But is there a "normal" number of windows to keep open? Apparently there is. The last few days, people who stop by me in the computer lab express surprise at the number of windows i have open. "Ian, what's going on? What are you doing? Blah blah blah blah....." etc.

All i'm doing is visiting a bunch of sites and keeing everything open so i can refer to it again if i want to. People, tell me: would having 20 Explorer windows open scare you? Is that just "too many"? Why is it a problem to have "too many" windows open???

Listening....

What is Today?

2005-12-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

Blog envy. i really want to know how long it takes the big bloggers to come up with their posts. i start writing and it takes forever; there've been a couple of posts that i had to shelve as drafts, because it was taking too long to put 'em together. Do these other people have jobs? They seem to effortlessly put out hott blogs; i waste away at a keyboard and put together hott garbage....

Anyways, today is my cousin Jacquie's birthday, although as i type this, her day is done, because she's seven hours ahead of my time, over in London. i would've called, but by the time i got a chance to see a phone, it was after 11 pm in England, and i think Auntie Charlotte wouldn't have been as glad to hear my voice. But it's the thought that counts. An amazing lass (do they still say "lass" in England?), and one of my favorite cousins. The Queen could take lessons. Happy birthday, Jacquie!

Today is the day after a wonderful convo with Laura, who God always uses to lift me up. Down the road, we're all going to be hearing about her, and what she's doing, and where she's at, and you will be able to say, "Hey - i read about her on the Internet!" i remember reading about hip-hop superstars Biggie Smalls and The Fugees and Outkast before they got ridiculously popular. Consider this post your introduction to Laura. Maybe i'll do a shout-out post later on....

Today is also the day i'm celebrating the murking of my Greek exam ("murk": slang for "kill", or "did well at". A term i've only heard here at CUC; if anyone has knowledge of another place of origin, please fill me in). Superstar-at-everything Laura emailed me today and dropped this gem of knowledge: "you will be rewarded, NOT because you deserve it, but because God is just faithful like that."

Although she was talking about a different issue, it ended up linking to Greek. i could've studied a lot more for the exam, but my soul was tired. However, i tore through it - locked all the parsing, and just about pulled off the translation. Either a) it was ridiculously easy, b) i'm better at Greek than i thought i was, or c) God decided to hook me up. Which answer do you think i'm concluding with?

And today is one of the few days that i'm truly grateful for Alberta weather. Maybe the last day. It was comfortably above 0 C today; i could've walked around in a sweater and been warm (i walked around in a Duke University jersey to celebrate the spanking of Texas yesterday, and was a little chilly). This was really interesting, since at home it began to get stupidly cold. i'm not gloating, though; CBC says temperatures are dropping already, and we might get flurries tonite.

Oh well....at least i had today...

What It Really Means to Serve Students

2005-12-08T21:48:00.000-08:00

Since i am who i am, i love getting things free; as a student, it's more inviting, because there's less money floating around. However, as a stone-cold broke student, free food isn't just a novelty, it's a necessity. Hence my regular visits to Student Services.

This department attempts to handle everything that the Registry and Finance doesn't. i'd say they cover "student life", but that doesn't quite describe things. If you run afoul of the general student rules, you have to visit Vice-President of Student Services Diane Pearson, but i don't get in trouble -- or i don't get caught ;) (although i kinda wish i was leading a life wild enough to warrant that last statement). Student Services also includes the Chaplain Wes Szamko, and Ladies O'Neil and Trenchuck, who run the office.

Anyways, most of my visits to SS are for the free candy they hand out. Usually, they're just serving Smarties, which i can give or take. But during November, they put out Bazooka Joe bubble gum, with the stupid little comics. Then the Christmas season brought the introduction of a little tree, under which can be found mini packages of Fuzzy Peaches, Hershey's Kisses, or Oh!Henry bars. i instantly began to visit three or four times daily. After that, i discovered they'd replaced Bazooka Joe with packages of Rainblo gumballs. Maybe you remember these from your childhood, at the local corner store. Ten cents apiece, five balls to a package? Each produces an instant burst of flavour - short, but intense.

And then came the ugly winter season, where temperatures began to drop to -20 Celsius, and the wind began to blow. Some day i'll blog about Alberta weather, but lemme share this brief note: walking out your door into an Alberta morning cold is like walking into a walk-in freezer - and staying there. The cold just hits you - or, more specifically, you just hit the cold.

Anyways, in order to live up to their name, Student Services serves hot drinks when it's crazy cold outside. Tea is okay, although i'm usually just feeling that in the morning. Usually, i'd be after the hot chocolate, but my favourite beverage is the most delightful apple cider. Two packages of that and hot water, and my tastebuds are dancing. When i grow up, i'm gonna purchase this stuff, and guzzle it in my home.

With all these goodies, and with my empty pockets, it's near impossible to stay out of Student Services these days. It's a good thing me and Mrs. O'Neil and Trenchuck are on good terms, or else i'd feel tres uncomfortable showing up six to seven times a day. Yes, my tuition and mandatory fees pay for stuff like this, but that rationalization doesn't always float, especially when these two ladies see me returning time after time. i'm almost ashamed to admit it, but one of the primary factors driving me out of my apartment this morning was to make sure i got to school before the office closed for lunch, so that i could get my fix. Isn't that sad?

Maybe not as sad as my rejoicing over today's discovery: This year, Student Services leaves the hot beverage table open during lunch.

Hallelujah!

A Wide Spectrum Of Opinions

2005-12-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

No, the work from yesterday is not yet completed, but it almost is. Really. What matters just now is that i am driven to do something, which is to post to this blog. Motivation - catch it!

Still figuring out how to write this stuff up. i think i probably post too long, and in blocks that are too large. i'm trying to alter my style so that it'll play online.

With the emailing of this address to Lady Janice yesterday, i guess this site is really open for business. Planning to mention it to a couple of others in the next few hours....hopefully, that'll drive me to increased blogging frequency, and maybe even blogging excellence.

Today, i spent a couple of hours reading an Adventist magazine that does not always toe the party line. Spectrum is the magazine of Adventist Forums (what's an Adventist Forum). i'd never heard of it before a moment spent in the library trying to avoid doing an Abnormal Psychology test (y'know, i bet some of the most amazing things have been developed or realized at a time when the inventor was bored or distracted). i knew i was on to something interesting when i realized they were covering a story about scandal and leadership change in the Lake Region Conference. Controversial story, reported fully and thoroughly just like a real (maybe "secular" is a better word, but i'm leaving "real" in there) magazine would. Most issues like that would be left undercover and unreported, the talk of urban Adventist legend (like Prince telling the kids from Oakwood to leave his concert). Adventist Review, this ain't.

Reading some back issues that i stole from the library (don't worry, i'll put 'em back), i realized the need for open and frank discussion in the Adventist community. It doesn’t always seem like you can ask the big controversial questions without having them ignored, or looking like an upstart. It's reassuring to know that somebody not only has different opinions, but is sharing them in an appropriate way. We all know about people who run around spouting off at potlucks or at business meetings, not having any facts lined up or established, not having any train of thought. Disagreement is cool - but in context.

I just hope i have the brainpower to ask the hott questions one day. Until then, i'll let these guys ask 'em.... www.spectrummagazine.org

Perfection and Procrastination

2005-12-06T20:33:00.000-08:00

i love reading good writing. It blows my mind when a writer comes up with an amazing analogy or metaphor, or puts together a neat turn of phrase, or describes something in a way i'd never thought of before. The way so many New Yorker writers begin their articles in left field on one topic, bring it around to center for the duration of the article, and then end with a terse piece of dialogue gives me shivers. And it delights me when a writer makes me care about a topic i would have otherwise found irrelevant. i take reading writing seriously.

i think (hope) this explains why i find it hard to write sometimes. Simply put, i feel like i have to knock it out of the box each time with something unique and interesting, something i'd like to read. i'm not really interested in trying halfway at a project, or assignment, or a post (!!!) and calling it writing. There's no goodness in that!

This is a lovely personal standard, but it has its downfalls. For one thing, this blog doesn't get half the attention from me that it deserves. For another thing, it makes school a challenge. i have something like four written assignment due by the end of school. However, school ends tomorrow. And i just don't have the drive to turn in work i'll be proud of....which means i don't have the drive to turn in anything at all!

Sigh. My drive HAS to pick up. Maybe it will during House, which is on tonite in twenty minutes; it might be a rerun, but i'm looking forward to it anyways. And i'm also slightly cheered by the fact that the Raptors forced their game with the Wizards to overtime tonight, even though they lost. The Leafs lost too. But the Jays' signing of A.J. Burnett may make up for the other losses in T.O. tonite.

Hopefully i'll get inspired enough to avoid me losing my grades as well!

Origins

2005-11-29T21:10:00.000-08:00

No comment on how badly i've been keeping up with this blog. Just a renewal of the drive to do it properly. i'm actually posting tonight because i'm procrastinating on something else, and this is the outlet for my personal frustration. Make sense to you? It makes sense to me.....

Of the 14.7 billion things i could write about (the upcoming Canadian federal election; the Colts' drive for perfection this season; the lousy things about this semester; what i want for Christmas; shout-outs to a dozen true friends; the number of emails i owe those dozen friends; why i rarely miss "House" - you get the drill), i think i'll take this opportunity to write about the name of the blog.

The people respected most often are people who are real. You NEVER hear someone saying, "That girl/guy fakes it SO well!" Those who are who they are as often as possible meet the first qualifications for admiration.

Then there's the standard you live your life to. If you're a real person but a certified slacker, people aren't going to respect you as much as they'd respect you if you set goals and pushed yourself. Excellence in some area of life, even just ONE area of life, earns respect. If you can push it in more than one area, you're big things.

Finally, you can be real and hold high standards for yourself. But when you can do that, and still relate to people around you like they're real people, by exhibiting real caring and concern for others - maybe even, dare we say it, a spirit of love - well, then you're in the upper echelon of humanity.

i might be missing a step here, but whatever. i think this is why those who are clearly true to the tenets of their faith garner respect from others. We see religious fakers every day, people who will claim to be members of a faith, but in name only. There are those legalistically minded individuals who not only hold themselves to high standards, but won't be comfortable until you too have drunk the Kool-Aid. Muslim fanatics are definitely committed to what they believe, but i find it hard to believe they love the people they're killing and blowing up. Let me not just cuss the Islamic fakers. Millions of people have died in the name of religion. And billions have been hurt in the same name - maybe not physically, but emotionally.

No wonder people don't want to bother with God/faith/religion. My friend Sabrina, who always inspires me to think on a next level, prompted me this summer to come up with this statement: "God has a PR problem, and it's us." After all, if we who claim to follow Him are supposed to be His witnesses....

So it's not just enough for me to rep God when i'm talking about Him to someone, or taking part in a church program, or leading out in song service, or when i'm preaching. Naw, star - i gotta be doing that every single minute of every single day. There can't be a second that goes by when my life doesn't characterize what it means to be a follower of Him. i'm to be ministering for Christ not just on Sabbaths, or during special occaisions, but all the time.

And, since this website is supposed to be a journal of what it means to be me, i thought i'd title it by what i want to be doing all the time. Minstering for Christ. With my life. Hence the title.

i like it.

Where Your Blessing At?

2005-11-11T22:23:00.000-08:00

Raptorsblog blogger Scott Carefoot quoted Tony Pierece at his blog saying that the best way to get better at blogging/writing is to do it daily. i have to get into that. So even though i badly want to go to bed, and need to be on the road at 7:00 tomorrow morning, i'm posting away.

'Course i've returned from the Saskatchewan trip (for the record, i was ready long before everyone else was ready to bounce), and i really enjoyed myself. Even though the trip was long, and the weather got a little dangerous (we actually stopped to try and drag someone out of the snow on the way up), i had a good time. Fact of the matter is i expected to have a good time worshipping with the Prince Albert saints. i knew i would. i think's that's a large part of why things were so good. i knew the style of service and certain things would be different, and they were. i haven't been in a church so small or so predominantly white in a couple of years, and i haven't been to a potluck where the food was so hard to identify! But our host, Sandra, was so nice, and prepared for us so well, and every member of the congregation went out of their way to welcome us, and the potluck food was good. And i received a blessing from just being there.

i was talking with my friend Fernelle tonight about this topic, the differences between churches. And we both agreed that there is a lot to appreciate about diversity in churches (mind you, Fernelle and i agree about a lot -that's cuz we're both superstars). She talked about bouncing from a largely Caucasian American service, to her regular Caucasian/African Canadian service and West Indian Canadian service, and being blessed at each one. i've experienced the same thing. And it's not a challenge; it's just the mindset you bring to the sanctuary: that you're here to worship with God's people. It ain't even just about the color of your skin, or where you're from. There are at least twenty churches in the Greater Toronto Area that are generally composed of West Indian Canadians. Yet each church has its own style, its own way of doing things, its own culture. And there's something to appreciate about each one.

Sure, you can have your favourite. But to say you can't get a blessing from a church service? i can't stand when people say that - "i don't go to that church because i can't get anything out of it". It bugs me so much because what you get from a service depends on the mindset you attend the service with, and the blessing you're prepared to give. Too often we roll into church expecting something, and leave unsatisfied and miserable. You almost expect pastors and worship leaders to raise their hands in frustration after the benediction, amid the mumblings of discontent, and,like Russell Crowe in Gladiator, scream out, "Are you not entertained?"

Anyways, tomorrow's Sabbath. And wherever i end up at service, i KNOW i'll be blessed. Hope you will too.

On The Road Again

2005-11-04T08:56:00.000-08:00

i am off to Saskatchewan in a few hours. Our association of ministerial students, the Theology Club, was invited to Prince Albert to do the Sabbath Service. The catch is that a lot of the Theology majors who can actively make presentations from the front are otherwise involved this weekend. So C.J. is preaching, his girlfriend Tamari is singing and doing Scripture reading, and Mat and i are doing everything else. For both Sabbath School and Divine Service. Should be interesting.

As always, the get-away component of the trip is the most involved. i have to do a couple of loads of laundry, finish my contribution to our Abnormal Psychology study group, make phone calls to my two supervising pastors and my pastor ending his series in Edmonton, and get into town to cash a cheque (thank you so much, Mrs. Stewart). And pack. All before 2:00 pm. Sounds like fun....

Snow Equals Blog

2005-11-03T21:04:00.000-08:00

Sometimes small things set off big things. i think this is one of those things.

The small thing is that on Tuesday, November 1st, it snowed.

This would generally not be signficant - i mean, i live in Alberta; snow and cold is part of the package. But i found a reason to praise God out of it, because of the three autumns i've spent here, this is the latest it's snowed. Coming in, i figured i could expect snow any time after Thanksgiving. And i remember being actively angry when, on September 16th, 2003, i awoke to find flurries flying outside my window. Never mind that it melted in two days and didn't snow again for four weeks. It shouldn't have snowed in the first place. So i praised God for the delayed snow.

It was also significant because i realized that the school year is marching to a close. There are only six weeks until exams are completed. Wonderful news, except i had promised myself that there were a couple of things i would do this year (i'll share the list in a later post), and i hadn't really handled any of them. Starting a blog is one of them.

And so, in a roundabout kind of way, ice crystals falling from the sky has led to this posting. i've been thinking about it for at least six months. i spent time over the summer choosing blog names. i even posted something online in April (and then promptly forgot the username and web address). But it took the advent of my least favorite season to push me to start putting my thoughts online.

Sometimes small things set off big things. i hope this blog becomes one of those things.

Big things.