Leap Of Faith...

Have you ever found yourself at that point where you are standing at the edge and you get the urge just to step back and take a flying leap into the air and the unknown? Have you ever felt that feeling that acompanies the rush of air past your ears, the feeling of nothingness beneath your feet, and the thought of "I'm Flying." Have you ever taken that leap of faith knowing that there was something else out in front of you, knowing that you could do it, dispite whatever "it" was. Have you ever taken that leap into space? Have you ever knowen what it was like to throw caution to the wind and trust that God would keep you from falling? Have you ever found yourself there? There is no other feeling like it... It's almost addicting, an adreniline rush that puts all other feelings to shame.

Unfortunatly like most great feelings its all to short lived, and as reality hits and we realise that we are about to fall, terror often strikes. We fall, arms flailing, legs churning, grasping the air for anything to help break the fall, anything to keep the enevidable from taking place. It is here that our heart stops dead, pain grabs your chest as you know the bottom is coming up and that the unyielding ground is going to bring you to a sudden stop and that it will hurt.

It's funny that that whole sequence can take place in a few short seconds, It's nice to know that I have a Father that is always there and able to catch me....

Ramdom Stuff and paintballing

I can't believe that my inturnship is almost over, only a month left and then I have a week off, then its BackTo School yay!!!! I am actually looking forward to getting back to school. This was my first summer in 6 to not be in CFB Shilo working with the army so its been really different to have a summer without a sargent breathing down my neck, and not haveing to live in a building that has a average temperature of 35 degrees C. I kinda like it to tell the truth. I mean I work in an air conditioned building, live in a basment suite that averages only 22 degrees and best of all I have a loveing wife to keep me company instead of a nasty sargent... so ya things are going pretty good. But no matter how good it is it is still kinda wierd not working for the army in the summer so getting back to school and some sort of normalicy will be nice.

On to another topic I am for the first time really late in handing in an assignment. Its the last one so I guess its not all that bad. I got the rest in close to or on the date they were soppost to be in... and if any of you know Dr. K then you know a couple days isn't a big deal... its just that this one is a total of 26 days late right now!!! I know its bad but I have some really Good Excusses... Honest... Ok I wont get into them or why there is no good excuse, or how I had time but didn't use it right etc.... ya I know its my fault but whatever... its almost done now, and should be done by the end of today.

If you haven't noticed this is just kind of a radom blog, nothing spacific just me rambling... hey it beats talking to myself.... ok maybe it doesn't but its something different at least.


So I went paintballing last week with the youth.... It was fun... actually I put the whole thing togeather and ran it all.... thats right I was the big cheese on that run... even Pastor Jason admitted it... (talk about a cool guy to intern under) but as with anything that you are a leader of it comes with its stresses and stuff, but hey it was fun and no one got seriosly hurt so I'm counting it as a success.

on to something else... hmmmm.... ok I cant think of anything else so I guess I'll go.... bye....

Leadership...

Everyone seems to have a pet topic of some sort that they like to read about, or do research on. It's different for each person and are often topics that are slightly off the wall, or that other people would consider looking into if it was only homework for some class. For me this topic is leadership. I don't really know why but ever sense my Pastor back home in Portage gave me John Maxwell's "the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership" to read I've been hooked. I don't really know why but it could be because I have seen and had to work with so many different types of leadership. Working in churches provides one type of leadership style, while being in the Army provides a totally different type. Yet on that point it surprises me on how many principles of leadership are the same between the two. They take different approaches but they work out the same.

Now one of the things I have found while reading numerous books and articles on this topic is something that I actually first realized while preparing a Bible study on servant hood. Leadership is in fact one of the truest forms of servant hood. I mean if you think about it when someone is leading others they not only have influence over them, they are working for them! True leaders are not working towards bettering there own existence they are actually working towards improving those who are under them. When in a leadership position you are looking after the others, if they have a problem they come to the leader to have them straighten it all out, if they don't understand something the leader will explain it or they will find out what it means. These thoughts challenge me, to be a leader anywhere be it in the Army or in a Church I must first seek to be a servant. It kind of brings a new twist to the whole "first will be last and the last will be first" concept. just to back up my position a little, those of us who are Christians, we should strive to become like Christ and if there was anything that Jesus modeled it would be servant leadership. The most popular demonstration of this is of course at the last supper where Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, but it is also found all through his life and even his death. Jesus' whole existence here on earth was for the people, for us! When they were hungry he fed them, when they were sick he healed them, when their lives were full of sin he forgave them, when their feet were dirty he washed them, when our futures were at stake he died for us. Jesus Christ was indeed the embodiment of servant hood while on earth and he is still serving us as he is interceding on our behalf to the Father, God himself (Rom 8:34).

So as we all will be in a leadership position at one time or another we need to remember that being a leader does not mean you have reached the top of the ladder but that you are the one giving support and holding the ladder for all the others.

So until I can think of something else to write....

Been Awile....

So ya its been a bit more than a month sence my last post I think. Things are allot different now... first off there is no more snow which is something I am very happy for. Next up is Grad time has come and gone and many of my friends from school have gone home for the summer some whom will not be comeing back next year. I have gone to Winnipag for a week for EX. Charging Bison with the Army, that was a funfilled week of learning, refreashers, and getting up early with a little exitment tossed in for good measure. I am now trying to get back into the grove of life here in S-toon. Chelsea started her new job while I was in Winnipag so the new schedual is kind of a shock to me... there didn't seem to be any transition just sudden difference, wierd how something like that can throw you off your groove...

Its kinda hard to believe that my internship is half done, it seems like I just started it. In many ways I really enjoy it I have been doing allot of new things that are streaching for me to say the least, but there are other times when I still feel that I don't really fit in. I think that is mostly do the fact that I am a smalltown country kid and this is a city church, be it a small city it is still different. I just don't seem to think the same way as many of the other people here do. Maybe I'm just making things up in my head... i donno. All in all I really enjoy being here but I also can't seem to wait to get back to school, I think it has something to do with the people that are part of the school and the fact that this will be my last year. The changes that are happening at CPC are exiteing and I'm happy to be a part of them in this comeing year. I hope that I can finnish my internship strong and continue it through the school year.

Anyway this is a wierd blog but whatever at least I wrote one... took me long enough....

Have I ever told you I hate snow?

So to start off I guess I'm not that great of a blogger... I seem to only update once a month or so but thats because I never really know how to put what I'm thinking into words. I'm always the guy who tries to express himself through words but they are then taken out of context, missunderstood or never heard... If it wasn't for my wife I think I would be going insane at times. But really what has got me thinking this month is the many changes takeing place at the College I am currently attending. I really love this school and many of the people in it. Comeing here to Saskatoon and CPC has really been good times. I have met many good friends here and now I have only one year left. (I really can't wait, no matter how much I like the school I still hate school work) It gets me thinking on how things change constantly. Like have you ever gone back to your old highschool after being gone for a couple years... Its totaly different, so many new people that you don't know, new teachers, and different rules. Its almost a totaly different place than where you attended for four years! We always here about those people that hate change and "stand in the way of progress" but have we ever thought that even they are constantly going through change. No matter what you do, or say change happens and I like to think that it is for the better. We may not like it and may not see why its good, in fact we may even fight it to the bitter end (our end) but there is a reason for it. God has a plan... I know its hard to see many times but it is there none the less. I've struggled with God's plans many times and none of those times was it pretty... but eventually ethier God showed me what was up, or just told me to trust Him, after all He of all people knows whats going on in the big picture. It's a struggle often a long hard struggle but one worth loseing. On the other hand the struggle may in fact be part of the lesson that we are being taught. Its all really complicated if you over think it (which is what I tend to do) but what I'm saying is that I want to keep a positive attitude during these changes and trust that God has a plan and a purpose that we will in the end see and that it is for the best, for all of us whether or not we like it.

Reflections and ramblings on leadership....

Leaders... they are so important I mean where would we be without them? but what makes someone want to be a leader in the first place? I myself have a Phlagmatic personality so by defalt I'm a sit on the sidelines and watch or do what im told kinda guy. It's wierd how some people are born with an innate ability to attract and lead others, while some of us can do the job if its pushed on us but would rather someone else get the job and the glory. But here i am prepareing to be a leader in a ministry and still not knowing why. I know God has called me to the ministry and I'm pretty shure its to do with youth, but why did He call me to do it? The other day I was looking at the news on the internet and saw aclip of the news about the plane that crashed in BC. And in that new clip there was a interview with one of the SAR Techs that first responded to the crash site. When i seen this and the pictures of the crash site i really longed to be there. It doesn't help to see articals in the "Maple Leaf" newspaper for SAR Techs either. i know there is a reaon why I'm here, but it would be nice to know what it is. I guess God just wants to let me know a little at a time to hepl me learn to trust Him more with my life. He knows I'm a person who likes plans that are well laid out and in advance as far as possible, so he's streaching me to fit the position that he has prepared for me...

Right now I'm listening to Switchfoot's song "this is your life" and when i think about it in reflection i really like how my life is going in most respects. I mean i'm not the biggest fan of school but I'm on my internship right now so I just have the homework and none of the classes until april so i really don't have to worry about it much....

ok this has turned into anouther reflection blog.... how does it happen.... anyways back to the leaders thing. Its kinda wierd but I really like learning about leadership stuff. Maxwell and Cordiero are some of my favourite authors right now and I really enjoyed the Mod clas on developing church leadership... I ENJOYED A CLASS!!! since when does that happen? I find it even weirder sence I'm not exactly the kind of person that jumps for the oppertunity to lead anything. ok I'm running out of coherent things to say....

Maybe I'm Just weird....

Thoughts of a Smart Guy

I thought these were interesting and figured I would pass them on...

"I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts; the rest are details."
-- Albert Einstein

"It would be possible to describe everything scientifically, but it would make no sense; it would be without meaning, as if you described a Beethoven symphony as a variation of wave pressure." -- Albert Einstein

"Gravity cannot be held responsible for people falling in love." -- Albert Einstein

Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein, when asked to describe radio, replied:"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat."

"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." -- Albert Einstein

If A equals success, then the formula is _ A = _ X + _ Y + _ Z. _ X is work. _ Y is play. _ Z is keep your mouth shut. -- Albert Einstein

"Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish." --Albert Einstein (1879-1955)


I have many more but thats all I'll put up for now