Sunday, December 31, 2006

And these are a few of my favorite things.



Well Christmas is over and tonight is New Years, which means I will stay up late while my kids sleep and they will wake me up early and I will want to sleep. It just aint fair. Whoever invented the New Year celebration didn't have an infant. My household will just have mandatory nap time tomorrow afternoon.

Here are a few things that as I look back on I am grateful for this Christmas season.

1. I am grateful that Amy is a good cook, I am ok, but she is great. She made these butter tarts. Oh man, they are good and tasty.

2. I am grateful that we were able to give our kids, mostly Emma a fun Christmas. She got gifts from family here and in Canada. She was realy excited about all her gifts. In that, I am excited to teach her how to give as well. We have some friends going to Thailand and Africa for their DTS outreach and Emma is giving away some of her toy's and books to kids who have none.

3. I am grateful for friends. On Christmas eve we got together at Zach's house with his family and a few other friends who we love so much. It was great to just be together and eat good food.

4. I am grateful for the skull and crossbones shirt that Emma picked out for me as a present.

5. I am grateful that I didn't get socks and underwear this year, sad as it ended a 34 year long tradition, but grateful.

6. I am grateful that we got to watch Home Alone with Chrissie for her 20th+ time and Emma’s first.

7. I am grateful that my mom was with family and not on her own.

8. I am grateful for music. There was always music on in the house. It is a beautiful creation of God.

9. I am grateful for Jesus, my savior, my king and my friend. Thank you for coming and bringing hope.

10. I am grateful that it is over and life can get back to normal.

Finally, I am grateful for spell check as I spelled grateful wrong 10 times and would have felt real dumb if I had posted that.

Amen.

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Stop The Traffik


On January 7 YWAM Seattle starting a monthly gathering called Digital Liturgy. It is going to be a night of digital worship with a focus on the world, specifically social injustice in the world. On Jan. 7 we will be focussing on human trafficking. Most of the information that we will be pulling from comes from a site that Daniel Bedingfield helped put together called Stop The Traffik.

-Human Trafficking is a $7 Billion a year black market industry
-It is the fastest growing of the top three illegal world trades, alongside arms & drugs
-Parents sell children for as little as $30
-Trafficking supplies forced prostitution, child soldiers and sweat shops
Click here for more info.

One of the things we are trying to see happen through the Digital Liturgy is for people getting a heart for the world. We want to people to realize that there is a need, and they can help meet that need. Whether it is poverty, HIV/AIDS, child labor or human trafficking, we can make a difference. We want people to fall in love with Jesus and commit their lives to the cause of bringing justice to the world. We want people to become doctors, lawyers, politicians and the list goes on for the cause of bringing freedom and justice.

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

It has finally happened.



I am so excited and here is why. My good friend from Vancouver P. Wade Pallister just started a cooking blog. This is not your ordinary Martha Stewart or Yan Can Cook, but an amazingly delicious out of the ordinary cooking blog. His first post was on how to make a Turducken with Roasted Garlic, Bacon, and 2 Types of Mushroom Stuffing. I am sad that I got this the day after Christmas, but the froze hen that we had was pretty good too.

Wade and I have been friends since we met in 96. As long as I have known him he has cooked with excellence. I have had many a gourmet bowl of top ramen made by his hands. He has inspired many of my friends to eat well and to be creative in their cooking. He has also challenged me and others to shop well for our food. You don't need to buy everything at one store (Safeway) just because it is convenient, kinda like buying your coffee from Starbucks because it is there. This is an expensive way to do it. There are so many more options for all of us who live in the city besides giant food supermarkets. Buy your meat at one place, your veggies at another and your bread, well make it yourself. Wade has supported many small food businesses by shopping urban and paying less money.

Now I am not chef, but I do value food and the creating of meals more now that I know Wade. I am not afraid to put extra ingredients in my meals, or substitute the required ones. My wife on the other hand, she is a little afraid to eat the food that I make, even though most of the time it tastes great, well good. I hope you enjoy visiting Wades site and that you eat well.

Happy Holidays.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Merry Christmas Coppers



So this morning I woke up early to take my friend Billy to the airport. We got to SeaTac and since I was only dropping Billy off I decided not to pull into the loading/unloading zone, but just stay in the traffic lane, get out quick for a goodbye and drive off. It would take 20 seconds max. So after the hug I put my hand on the door handle and all the doors automatically lock on me, with the keys in the ignition and the van running. What is the word I am looking for here to describe my feelings? Oh yea, I can't put it here as it would most definitely offend.

So, as soon as I realize I am locked out and Billy stops laughing the cops come over. I told him what happened and he told me that he was going to have to toe the van. There is that word again. Thankfully I have AAA so I get free unlocks, but unfortunately it takes up to 60 minutes for them to arrive and the cop wants me gone in 10. So I beg and plead with the guy and he gives me some time. They pulled a car up to redirect traffic as I was doing a good job of blocking it and we waited for the tow truck.

25 minutes later the AAA guy came out and got me in. During the wait I got into a good conversation with the cop about where I live, Christmas shopping and mall renovations. Good times. I am grateful to the cop for cutting me some slack on Christmas eve and I am grateful that I didn't have to shell out $50+ for a tow. Anyway, the rest of my Christmas eve ruled, I hope yours was good too. Sleep well.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Change



Lately I have felt compelled to change my blog up a little bit. I work in Seattle with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) which is a missions organization. I have been convicted lately that I am not spending enought time thinking about the nations. Sure I think about Seattle a lot and how we can change our city, but I want to think more about places outside my culture and home.

The reason that I got involved with YWAM in 1993 was because I wanted to be a Missionary to the nations. I wasn't sure how that looked for me, I just knew that I had a call. Lately that call has been burning in me again. I want the world to know that they are not forgotten. I want people in America (Canada included) to know that they are not the center of the world. I feel like I am beginning an increadable journey that will lead me to seing Gods heart and hope for the nations of the world. How do you and I fit into that? Well I have a few faint ideas, not to be shared now, but hopefully through this I can figure it out more clearly.

So to start I want to look at Countries and injustices around the world and make awareness. I hope that through this I will learn how to respond in prayer and action more strategically to bring change. Man, sounds like a lot a big thing but for me, I just need to start doing something.

Thanks

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Long Day



So this is my 3:19am post. I just got Abby down after her 3am snack and figured I could either sleep or post, so here I am. It will be quick though as the house is cold and my bed is warm. So yesterday was my 35th birthday. Good times. It was spent at home looking after my sick family. Now the only person in my immediate family who was sick was Amy, but for the last week our family has been added to 9. Our friends John and Jen Megaw, one of the three couples who helped launch YWAM Seattle, have been staying with us. I guess Toby, their 4 year old threw up 15 times yesterday. Ellie, their 2 year old was not far behind. And Jen and Amy threw ups 6 or more times each.

The song that kept ringing in my head was "Highway To The Danger Zone" by Kenny Logins. Yep, that right. I just linked you to Kenny Loggins web page. Man, he is getting old. Anyway, my house was a festival of people throwing up, kids running around, clutter everywhere and Mario Kart racer was played for a minimum of 8 hours. WOW! What a birthday. I kept thinking that it was cool that I got to stay at home and serve my family on my birthday. I am glad that John wasn't sick too, we were able to escape a couple of times to buy saltines and go to Arby's.

Anyway, I think that things are getting back to normal as there has been no sign of puke since last night. Thanks to all of you who gave me a call or text and for those of you who forgot, well I probably forgot your birthday once too. We will get each other next year.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Mabel



Today I was walking into my house and saw Mabel, one of my neighbors. Mabel lives two houses down from us and is a sweet 70+ year old lady who lives by herself. I usually see her in the morning walking with her dog. I have never talked to Mabel, but this morning I stopped to say hello. I found out that she has been in the hospital for the last 7 weeks as she was in a car accident and broke her neck and 7 ribs. She told me that she is glad to be home and able to walk outside with her dog again.

I am glad that Mabel and I talked for a bit today. I have lived near her for the last year and a half and I have never taken the time for her. I want to be a better neighbor. I want to care for those around me. I want to know what is going on in their lives, and somehow be involved. This is, I believe the best way to show the gospel to people, just knowing them and loving them and being a good neighbor. I hope that I continue to have conversations with Mabel and the other neigbors on my street. If anyone has any thoughts or ways that they have been involved in the lives of their neighbors please pass them on my way.

Thanks and have a great day.

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Hot Chocolate is good



This week we have a team in from Vanguard University in California. There are 7 of them in the city and my friends Marcus and Erin are hosting them with me. Tonight we went down to Pioneer Square and Courthouse Park to give out hot chocolate. If you are following the news you know that it has been cold, wet, windy and nasty in Seattle, so to be on the streets has not been kind. Tonight Erin, Dominica and myself met Foster. He is a 39 year old man who was just sitting in the park by himself. We asked him if he wanted some hot chocolate and sat down with him for the next 20 minutes or so.

Foster kept asking us why we were downtown giving out hot chocolate in the cold to homeless people when we could be at home watching TV in front of a fire. This was an interesting question. I guess the answer is that there are more important things to do than sit at home and watch TV sometimes. That was it. We chose to do something tonight for someone else instead of take care of ourselves and our own comforts. I know that God is not any happier with me because I did this, but I also know that Foster had a good night as a result of us thinking of others.

I have seen this a lot lately in Seattle over the last few day's. People are reaching out to help others. I was listening to the radio tonight and this lady called in and said that if anyone in her area needed a place to stay because of the power outages that they could stay with her as she had power. She said she could house up to 10 people. I have seen my city come together and think of others, it is very beautiful.

It is the Christmas season. I want to challenge all of us to think of someone other than ourselves who we can bless. Someone that we can give to. Someone undeserving that we can bless. We are all undeserving of what we have, why not share it.

Thanks

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Friendship



I have been thinking a lot lately about friendship. This may be a bit of a scattered post, but I just need to start it. What is friendship? Is it shown in the spending of your time with another person? Is it shown by just being who you are and letting your life be an example and model for others around you to follow? Is it keeping someone accountable or calling them on things even if it risks the friendship? Maybe it is one or all of the above.

Lately I have been wondering about friendship. I work with Youth With A Mission, (YWAM) which is a non-profit Christian mission organization. We are a pretty relational mission, at least us in Seattle are. I wonder if friendship is measured by the amount of time that you spend with someone. By this I mean that in my life I feel guilty because I don't spend nearly enought time with the people who I call my friends. But that is another issue, is time the only thing that measures friendship? I don't think so. I think that it is quality of time. The tension with that is that if you haven't spent a lot of time with a friend, the time that you do spend with them is spent catching up, or just messing around and not getting real deep.

Along with that, is friendship only when you go deep with someone? Do we alway's need to be asking the probing, deep questions in our friendships to be a good friend? What did Jesus do as a friend. That would be an interesting study. It seems to me that He had a good balance in His friendships. He spent a lot of time with His friends, but He wasn't afraid to go off into the wilderness to do what was of utmost importance, spend time with the Father. I wonder if this was a greater sign of friendship than the time He spent with the disciples, His friends? I mean, they knew that the Father was more important to Him than them. They saw His example of withdrawing from them for Him.

I think that it is a good balance of both. Friendship is in spending time and in living by example your convictions even if it means not spending time with people. I need God to speak to me more in this area of friendship. I want to pray for my friends more. I want to spent more time with my friends. And I also want to be a good friend by living out of the convictions that God has put in my life which are discipline, spending time with Him, working hard and being a good husband and father. These things can't get done if I am spending all my time hanging out with people. It is still hard, but I think it is right.

Friday, December 08, 2006

In Memory of James Kim



For the last few days the family of James Kim has been on my mind constantly. He was a father, a son, a husband and a friend to many it seems. Over thanksgiving he was driving with his family and their car got stuck and they were stranded. After 6 days of him and his wife keeping their children alive he went off on his own to find help. 2 day's later his family were found alive and well. 3 day's after that James was found dead.

What was going on in his head and his families head when he left to go for help? Were they scared? Were they hopefull? Did they wonder if this was going to be the last time they would see each other? It has been haunting me lately. I have been praying for his wife and children as what they are going through must be almost unbearable. I also wonder if they knew the Lord. Is there hope in their loss? Do they know if they will see their beloved husband and daddy again?

The other reason that it is on my mind is that I am the same age as James. My children are also the same age. What would I do in that situation? I assume whatever I could to save my family. That is what he did. I wonder if he knew he was going to die in the forest would he still have went? I am sure he would if he knew it would save his family. He must have been so scared. I pray that God gives healing to this family. I pray that God gives life and hope.

Amen

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Trans-Siberian Orchestra



So yesterday was my Nephew Stevens 18th birthday. He didn't want to get wasted drunk in Winnipeg with his friends as that was their plan for him, so he came out to seattle to hang with his Uncle. I picked him up at 4:20, at 5:30 we were eating dinner at home, Amy baked a chocolate cake, and at 7:20 we were down at Key Arena scalping tickets to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra Within 15 minutes we recieved two free tickets and proceded inside with no idea what we were about to experience next.

So, the Trans-Siberian orchestra is the most Metal experience I have ever been a part of. Yes, more than Metallica, Maiden and GNR. I am not sure how to describe it, so I will link a clip here. But all I can say is that these long haired rockers in tuxedos played christmas music with an orchestra and and electric violinist and the best light/laser/pirotecnics show I have ever seen. I truly worship and met with Jesus. The excellence in the show was beyond that of any I have ever been a part of. At the same time, it was a little cheesy, but in a beautiful to much metal for one hand sort of way. Also, Jeff Tate from Queensryche sang on a sone, which is also real metal.

Enjoy

Monday, December 04, 2006

Good Friends, sleepless nights and Motley Crue



So I am sitting at one of my favorite coffee shops, Cloud City Cafe. $1 drip any size with a free refill and free wi-fi. Today they chose to play Motley Crue's Shout At The Devil album in it's entierty. Now I have to say that this is one of the greatest rock albums of all time. I remember when I was 16 in 87 listening to this album on a daily basis. It is funny that the other day this cafe was playing Sigaros and today they are playing the crue, but both fit. Way to go Cloud City Cafe. I just want to jump on the table, down my 16oz coffee and play the H out of the air guitar.

Now onto other things. The other day my friend Lars was in town. He stopped by my house with Daniell, his wife and took Amy and I out for desert. I just want to talk to Lars for a bit, so bare with me. It was great to see you Lars. You are a good friend who I am blessed to have in my life. I like the fact that you knew my house by the snowman that I posted in my blog. I like that you read my blog. Thanks for caring for me.

Finally, we have had a bunch of sleepless nights lately as Abby has been sick. I am up approx. 4 times a night putting her suther or pacifier in to get her back to sleep. I am tired and snappy. Tired because of Abby, snappy because I am a jerk. Pray for me that I would be a nicer man to my girls and Amy and pray for Amy and I that we would get to sleep again one day soon.

Thanks.

Friday, December 01, 2006

World AIDS Day



Matthew 25: 40: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

Today is world AIDS Day. Please take time throughout the day to pray. Pray for those who are sick with AIDS and pray for those fighting to prevent this life taking disease. Ask God to bring the subject of AIDS to your mind throughout the day so that you can pray. Fight today by praying with millions of others who are fighting with AIDS as there sickness or fighting to prevent it from continuing. Here are some stats from World Vision.
AIDS Facts:

40 million people worldwide are living with HIV.
25 million people have died as a result of AIDS since the disease was identified.
15.2 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents as a result of AIDS

There is more information below:
World Vision World AIDS day
Blood Water Mission
World AIDS Day

Thanks, your prayers and action make a difference.