The Problem with CNN

I am a sucker for American politics. I've always enjoyed politics (perhaps why I took Political Science as a minor in University) but as I've gotten older I've come to like politics even more. Especially American politics. Thus I regularly tune into CNN news. Part of their programing is talk shows, and investigative news shows etc.

The problem is that so many of these shows are not even close to being objective. Yes, I know... news is almost always biased. (just ask a few Canadians about CBC!) So maybe the bias might be to the left or to the right of the political spectrum but a LOT of CNN shows have a different bias: they SLAM the American government. ALL the time! Just watch Glenn Beck or Lou Dobbs (he's the worst) or even Wolf Blitzer.

They claim to be the 'most trusted name in news' but I think they're the 'most NEGATIVE name in news'!!

I'm not an American but I'm floored at how much cynicism and negativity they have in their own government. They regularly disparage George Bush and have 'guests' on their shows that do the same. Basically they think their own leaders, regardless of whether they are Republican or Democrats are totally incompetent.

Today there was an interesting twist in all this: Glenn Beck had this bizarre show where he was applauding President George Bush for making a much publicized reference to a possibly impending 3rd world war; the result of the current nuclear program that is being developed in Iran.

I like Glenn Beck. He's blunt and highly opinionated which makes for funny TV. (my favorite was his recent interview with John Hagee!!) He seems to know a lot, but "here's what I know" (ha ha):

It doesn't help to spread paranoia amongst the general populace of the United States about a possible situation that they can do absolutely nothing about. Paranoia is becoming epidemic in the excited States! People are worried about the lack of security at airports, the continual influx of illegal immigrants, and there is a continual focus on the inept government's inability to do anything about it.

So my basic point is that I think it is a HUGE problem to have this kind of negativity and cynicism toward the government continually broadcast to millions of people. The reality is that there simply isn't enough interesting news going on in the world to support a 24/7 TV news station; this inevitably must lead to such biased interpretations of the actual news.

This WILL have an increasing impact on the nation. It has to. As we look toward the 2008 Presidential campaign, you have to wonder how much impact it already will have!

I regularly wish I could contact these guys with an honest question of why they slam their own government so much. Like, why does't Lou Dobbs run for office, since he's got all the answers and thinks that the government are filled with idiots?

Don't get me wrong: I'm not speaking for or against the Bush administration. Here's what's going to happen, regardless of who wins the Whitehouse: these program hosts will continue to critique and slam the government.

So if you wonder whether I'm right on this or not, tune into CNN and watch Lou Dobbs, or Wolf Blitzer. Better yet, check out Glenn Beck, and have yourself some good entertainment!

Sitting in the Hallway

I went to pop in and visit my friend Al Seeman up at Vanguard College. When I arrived I discovered that he wasn't in his office. I thought of calling him but then I was suddenly struck by how quiet it was in the hallway. I couldn't hear a thing. I decided to sit down. It was amazing to me how quiet it was; we don't live in a quiet culture. There's noise everywhere! It gets to the point that we can't really feel comfortable in silence. We don't exactly know what to do.

So I'm sitting in the hallway thinking that I should probably leave and get on with other things, yet I simply couldn't quite leave! I actually got up a couple of times and then sat down again! I just wanted to be in the silence.

At one point I picked up a copy of the 'Voice of the Martyrs' newsletter. Inside the front page was quote from the founder of the ministry which really struck me:

Crowned with Jesus, you are free from the worry of calculating results. You quietly follow your impulses,knowing that the law of God is written in your new heart. You know that God is as much your Father as He was the Father of Jesus Christ, and that He cares for every detail of your life.

Pastor Richard Wurmbrand

Tomorrow I'm going to the 'Lead Like Jesus' seminar. There are a lot of excellent speakers, so I'm excited about that; but at the same time I'm apprehensive because so much of what I've gotten from these kinds of seminars is quite the opposite to the quote above. What I've come away with in the past from the 'Leadership Summit' type conferences is that results DO matter! After all there are people to reach for Christ!! Okay, that's true, and I DO care about that, but somehow it can become a trap. Somehow it can become a pressure that move us (or keeps us) out of spiritual rest. Hmmmm..... interesting choice of words I just made there.... spiritual rest...

Anyway, so what was the Lord saying to me today in the hallway? Throughout the day I've sensed a number of things God impressing on me, but in that moment I think He was wanting me to find Him more often in places and moments of silence.

These days many people like to quote Zephaniah 3:17, about God singing over them; I'm reminded of the part of that verse "He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love".

Sometimes my response to that is to wonder why exactly God would delight in me, but lately I've been trying not to figure that out, but learn how to enjoy it. I suspect that there's more 'rest' in that response.

So here's to God speaking to us in hallways! :)

Viewer Discretion Advised

There are lots of TV shows these days that have the 'viewer discretion advised' warning at start of every section. This warning comes not only at the beginning, but after each set of commercials when the show returns as well. But what about the commercials themselves? Why do there seem to be no standards for the commercials themselves?

Currently there are commercials running for the upcoming vampire horror movie '30 Days of Night', which unfortunately is set to hit movie theatres in the next few weeks. I don't normally get so bent out of shape by the previews for these movies, but I particularly dispise this movie!

After several scenes from the movies which have been selected to give views a taste of what the movie is like, the closing clip is of a young woman wandering around outside, terrified out of her mind, crying and saying 'O God', 'O God', 'O God'. Then a very nasty vampire creature appears in and says 'No God' and then the scene ends with the girl screaming her head off and then they cut to the title of the movie.

I have thought quite a bit about this clip and believe me it's NOT because I am interested in the movie. I think these movies are extremely demonic in nature and are some of the worst commentaries on the sad and deprived nature of our western society. Who dreams these things up anyway? Oh, I'd say some people who have large, long-term demonic oppresssion in their lives!!

I think that the selection of the 'No God' clip is not without spiritual significance. I happen to believe strongly in God and also in the devil and I also believe that this 'No God' clip is spiritual filth that is being spewed out across our natiion. It is a message that is being delievered thousands and thousands of times into homes all over North America. We need to get this straight: it IS a message and it is NOT about the movie; it's way bigger than the movie. This message is being repeated over and over and over again in all sorts of differenct mediums, in books and TV and movies and music.

Like I said, I'm not normally given to such severe reactions, but there is something spiritual about this preview that just sets my spirit wild with righteous indignation. Each time I've seen it, I've wanted to shout 'there IS a God' and 'God is GREAT', 'God is GOOD', 'God is LOVING', 'God is KIND'. I've wanted to shout it out to counteract this filth and this lie.

Finally, on a less spiritual note, WHY is such a movie preview allowed to be shown on TV in the first place? What about the 'viewer discretion advised' warnings? This short preview is, in my opinion, more disturbing and scarier than many of the TV shows that have the warnings attached to them. I realize that these warnings really do very little to actually dissuade anybody from changing the channel, but the point is simply why do there not seem to be the same standards for commercials as for TV shows?

I will look forward to the hopefully short life-span of this movie and pray that is fades quickly onto the forgotten shelves of some local video store, joining the pathetic list of other such movies that eventually nobody remembers and nobody watches anymore.

The sad reality is that most likely enough people will go to see the movie in the theatres that more such films will continue to be dreamed up and produced.

View discretion is STRONGLY advised!

Why Columbia U. Got it Wrong

This past Monday (Sept. 24) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University in New York. I happened to be watching CNN when it was happening live and heard the introduction by the President of Columbia. As the headlines in Tuesday's papers indicated, it was a scathing rebuke, which I found astonishingly blunt. It was simply incredible to watch. The TV news shows have not done justice to the full extent of his remarks, but in characteristic form, have chosen to zoom in on the most pointed quotes.

As I've reflected on it, I've become increasingly uncomfortable with what happened. Let me first say that I am NOT a supporter of Ahmadinejad, and find him to be one of the most disturbing world leaders today. That said, I think what Columbia did was BRUTAL. On the natural level of things, it was brutal, but on the spiritual level, it was simply stupid!

Columbia extended an invitation to Ahmadinejad; he did not ask for the platform. So for the President of Columbia U. to then proceed to tear a strip off an invited guest, whom HE invited, is in matter of fact, in extremely poor taste. It smacked of an attempt to save face in response to the huge uproar of protest that Columbia received for inviting Ahmadinejad in the first place.

What exactly did he think would be accomplished by such a public humiliation? Clearly Ahmadinejad was not going to change his mind, nor put his tail between his legs and run away. Did the President of Columbia U. really think it would do anything except provoke the man and likely cause many people in Iran to hate the United States more than they already do?

All the introduction accomplished was to humiliate a world leader on an international level and further polarize relations between the two nations.

On a spiritual plain, things are much worse. Now I don't expect the President of Columbia U. to operate in these terms, but from a Christian perspective, what he did was make matters worse. Thousands of people protested and hurled all sorts of verbal insults, spewing anger and hatred. The problem is that all this does is increase the anger and hatred in both countries and likely in other countries around the world.

Looking at this in the reality of Ephesians 6, the problem with what happened at Columbia U. comes into focus:

Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Eph. 6:11-12)

Ahmadinejad is not the problem. The spiritual forces of evil are the problem and they are working on BOTH sides of the issue. Thus, to publicly humiliate and insult a man such as Ahmadinejad, is neither helpful nor wise! It betrays a complete misunderstanding of what is really going on, which is that spiritual forces of evil are at work here! Creating a stage where massive amounts of anger and hatred are stirred up in people only serves to strengthen those evil forces.

Do I expect that the President of Columbia U. would operate from this paradigm? No, not unless he was a Christian.

Nevertheless, as I've reflected on these events, my spirit has grown more concerned over what I witnessed. We may now dismiss what happened, as it has faded from the headlines, however the damage has already been done and it is very real. There is no way that Ahmadinejad will forget what happened that day at Columbia University. It will now be more difficult than ever to more forward toward understanding and peace.

We often are tempted to speak words that are bold and brash, but very often such words create more problems in our lives than they solve. We may feel better in the short term, but in the long term the issues remain as strong as ever.

When Jesus was being led towards his crucifixion he was insulted and yelled at and spit upon. He was deliberately shamed over and over again and humiliated beyond imagination. Yet he remained silent towards those who attacked him. Indeed, the words he chose were a prayer, asking God to forgive them, because they did not understand the true significance of what they were saying and doing.

I pray that I will continue to learn from His example.

Servant of All

I want to be with you, where you are
O, I want to be with you, where you are
You're the servant of all

Cause I'm in love with a King who became a slave
And I'm in love with a God who is humble

And you've got to go down, if you want to go up
well you've got to go lower if you want to go higher and higher

And you've gotta hide and do it in secret, if you want to be seen by God

Cause it's the inside, outside, upside down Kingdom
where you lose to gain and you die to live

And I want to be with you where you are
O I want to be with you, where you are
Because you're the servant of all!

Misty Edwards
International House of Prayer

Too Busy!

There are days when I think I'm running around a little too fast....
Then I seem to forget my keys, or my phone, or something else...

After laughing at this picture, I feel a little better!

(I'm pretty sure it's photo-shopped, but still, it's funny!)

Restoration

Each year around the time of the 9/11 anniversary, I think about the year 2001. It was certainly one of the darkest years of my life: my mother died in June, my grandmother died in July and my other grandmother in December. It was a numbing series of events to be sure.

One of the more unfortunate memories I have of my mother was the fact that she smoked; the other was how much she berated her own physical appearance. I remember a point in my life when I saw a picture of her when she was young, before she got married and how struck I was by how different she looked. I realized then just how much the smoking had changed her physical appearance!

When Jesus was on the earth, I wonder how he saw the people he looked at? I wonder how much of people's destiny he saw? He walked in unbroken communion with the Holy Spirit, who communicated the thoughts, words and desires of His Father, so how did Jesus see people? Since the Father created us all, and knit us together, he knows the fullness of the potential that He placed within us. How much of that did Jesus see when he looked at the people around Him? Was it the difference between the reality of the people's lives versus the potential and destiny each person was created with, that moved Jesus:

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matt. 9:36)

For most of my childhood, I had no knowledge of what my mother looked like when she was a young woman. Yet at some point, when I saw who she was, who God created her to be (physically), I was impacted at how different she looked in the present.

The vast majority of the time when I find people irritating, I don't think about who they were created to be, and what wounds in their lives have led them to act and live the way they do now. I think the reason why Jesus had so much compassion for the people was because he saw difference between who they were created to be and who they presently were. I also think He understood like nobody else, the full extent of God's ability to change and transform. I think He was reminded all the time that what He would do on the cross would open the way to the healing and transformation that was needed in people's lives.

Today I was at Starbucks (big surprise!) and happened to overhear a conversation at the table next to me. I felt like the Spirit gave me an awareness of how unhappy this woman was. Not so much sad, as just unhappy with the world around her. At the same time, I began to have these thoughts about who she had been created to be and how different it was from who she is today.

Practically speaking, I felt God directing me to focus more on who people have been created to be more than on who they presently are. Perhaps then I will have more compassion for the people around me.

Our great hope is that Jesus has come to bring restoration. In this age we see a real measure of that restoration (indeed, we ourselves are to be agents of that restoration to people around us) and one day Jesus will make ALL things new!

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” (Rev. 21:4-5)

It's been a while

Holy cow has this month gone by fast!
seems like it was just yesterday that I was journaling about my fantastic travels with Al to Kansas City.
After that I was back in Edmonton for a week, which was taken up by the Leadership Summit, and then it was off for 2 weeks of holidays, which were very good.
So now it's back to normal life here in the city.

It's been interesting to see the rise in popularity of facebook and it makes me wonder about whether the 'fad' of personal blogs is fading? It seems that more and more people are interested in the brief time it takes to connect through facebook. Perhaps it's because it's more interactive and visual than most blogs. It also has neat applications, although many of those are just plain irritating.

It's taking some time to get back into the swing of things and I don't think we'll have much of a routine until school starts.

I've been thinking SO much about paradigm shifts in my own life, that God is stirring. Much of the rest of life is currently is a bit in the background right now, while God wrestles with me over these paradigm changes. I'm sure I'll be blogging about it eventually, in some form.

All this leads to life feeling like it's flying by at an unusual speed, and days and weeks go by and I'm not having as much time to write and reflect as I'd like.

Last night I felt God clearly stir in me this phrase: "Behold I make all things new" In a time of worship I found myself quietly singing that phrase over and over and over again. I knew that God was giving it to me but I wasn't sure where it was. Turns out it is Revelation 22:5 in the King James and NKJV and the RSV versions.

I felt it was God's promise to me. If you have the faith to believe that, it's very powerful. Huge actually.

These are days when God is moving in some significant ways and I feel the need to position myself in faith before Him.

"I make all things new."

Jim & Al's Excellent Adventure: The Conclusion

We arrived home tonight (Monday) at about 6 p.m. Both Al and I were very tired and sensing that it had been a very powerful trip. So what is some of the fruit of it all?

I'd begin by looking at the hours I spent with Jesus each day; the amount of worship and the heart connect that was made wide in my life. The time in the Scriptures, praying them; especially 1 Timothy. (the concept of Christ's 'unlimited patience' being poured out touched me very deeply). There was peace and joy in my heart a great deal of the time I was in Kansas City, which is always evidence of the Holy Spirt's work; there was inner healing of wounds and disappointments with myself.

My heart for prayer and worship is larger and stronger; my own passion for Jesus has grown. So how was the trip? Judging by the fruit I'm experiencing in my life, it was fantastic!

As I said in an earlier post, I also am coming back to Edmonton, with an excitement to see what and participate in, what God has in store for our city!

Jim & Al's Excellent Adventure Pt. VIII

It’s Monday morning and Al and I have been driving now for 14 hours! We just left Minot, ND, and we’re about an hour from the border. It’s been a fun time down here in the excited States! They sure do have some funny road signs and store fronts in the U.S., such as the ‘Micro-Incision Vasectomy Reversal’, with a ‘money-back guarantee’! or the ‘Rusty Chandelier Antiques’ or the ‘Shelton Fireworks’ sign with a slightly smaller ‘No Smoking’ sign underneath! Our personal favorite for the trip was the construction sign reading, “Hit Roadside Worker: Fine: $10,000”! Simply classic! We laughed for a long time about that one.

The night of driving was tiring, but quite awesome at the same time. At about 3 a.m. while Al was asleep, I was listening to some music from IHOP and the Lord met me powerfully as I drove down the interstate.
Here are some of the lyrics:

“Bring restoration
Bring restoration
You taken my pain
You’ve called me by a new name
You’ve taken my shame
And in it’s place, you give me joy.
You take my mourning and turn it into dancing
You take my sadness and turn it into joy
You take my weeping and turn into laughter

Chorus:
You bring restoration
You bring restoration to my soul

Bridge:
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
You’ve make all things new

As I drove down that dark interstate with that song playing, the Lord came and reached into me and brought a 2 month journey of healing to a new level of completion. It was incredibly powerful.

From about 4 -5 a.m. as we drove along, it was as if the Lord treated us to our own personal lightshow: all around in the distance we watched lightening strikes for nearly an hour, but we never drove through any of the storm!

At around 5:30 a.m. we cranked up the volume on this incredible live chorus from the cd, and we welcomed the dawn of a new day, joining in with 10,000 voices:
“I believe that you will come, like the rain”!!

It’s beyond amazing what the Holy Spirit can do with such a simple declaration!
Amen Lord! Let it be.

Jim & Al's Excellent Adventure Pt. VII

So what does all of this mean for Edmonton? I could be dreaming of moving here to Kansas City! After all, I could sell my house in Edmonton, buy one here, pay it off fully and have a nice pile of money to spare! (houses here are super cheap compared to Edmonton!) If IHOP is so great, why not? Well, because my heart is in Edmonton! Because of what I believe God is wanting and preparing to do and release in Edmonton. I don’t know fully what it is, but I know that it involves night and day worship and intercession. What will that look like and when will it happen? I don’t know that either.

I will leave here tomorrow, refreshed and inspired again. Not toward a model, but toward a person! We HAVE to pursue the glory of God being released and manifest in Edmonton. We have to!

Please O God bring together the company of people in the city who hunger for this! I know they are there Lord; you have already stirred people. It’s time Lord. I come before you Father right now. I stand before your very throne and I come in the name of Jesus, through the power of the Spirit and I ask for you to bring together the people in Edmonton who hunger and thirst for you glory to be released in our city. Let you glory fall O God. Call others. Stir still more! According to 1 Timothy 1:14, I ask for the abundance of grace to be pour out upon these ones who you have stirred. I ask for you to pour out love and faith upon us and gather us together. And may we see your glory released in the city. Not just at a meeting Lord, but a release of glory that abides in our city and causes your Kingdom to come and your will to be done in Edmonton. The Spirit and the Bride say COME! Amen.

Jim & Al's Excellent Adventure Pt. VI

How do I describe what it’s like to be here in the midst of a night and day prayer room? To be in a room on a Saturday afternoon with so many people sitting and reading their Bibles and praying to Jesus, and worshiping Him and expressing their voluntary love and devotion to Him moves me more than I can describe. It wasn’t in the midst of a big corporate meeting or conference; it was an average Saturday afternoon, with nothing out of the ordinary going on. No big worship leader or speaker or anything like that; the musicians weren’t all that extraordinary. That’s what is so great about IHOP! It’s not an event; it’s a way of life!

Right now, it’s 11 p.m. on Saturday night and there are about 100 people giving themselves to the Lord; some raising their hands; others standing, some reading their Bibles, others walking around praying.

What is drawing me in all this is the heart that I see and feel here. It’s not so much the form or the structure that touches me, but the reality of there being a community of people of such devotion. Not perfect devotion for sure; not by any means! (IHOP has lots of weaknesses) But there is a very deep expression of worship and love for Jesus, and it’s expressed continually, all night and all day, without end.

Okay, it happened again! It’s now 11:49 and just when things has kind of mellowed out a bit, another wave of the Spirit just rolled across the room. All across the room, people are now singing out “Jesus you’re alive and coming soon, coming soon!” That’s happens all the time: just when you think you can get ready to leave, another wave washes over you and you realize, “NO, I can’t leave now!” (now they’ve moved onto another spontaneous chorus “No matter what this world may say, the promise of your coming is near!” People standing all over the room!

This is like having your spirit marinating in the Presence of God. Simply amazing!

Jim & Al's Excellent Adventure Pt. V

It’s 10:40 p.m. here on Saturday night and I’m in the newly refurbished prayer room at IHOP. Basically all the renovations were to facilitate the new partnership between IHOP and GOD TV. They have installed whole bunch of high-tech TV cameras as part of the new 24/7 broadcast of the IHOP prayer room. In some ways it feels quite different because of the production requirements related to such a broadcast.

Tonight Al and I were at the Encounter God service here at the Missions base. The worship was really good; I didn’t have the same level of personal experience as last night, but that’s fine. The preaching however, was OUT OF THIS WORLD! (am I holding back?) O MY! That’s all I can say. Allan Hood was speaking, having just returned from an 18-day trip all over Asia, strengthening the churches there, and meeting with various church leaders. He had fire on him tonight. Clearly inspired by the devotion and dedication of the believers in Korea and China, he shared of what he saw and the intensity and commitment of the thousands of Christians he was with.

We simply have so little idea of the significance of what we are doing when we gather to worship and pray! The power that is released and the response in the spiritual realm! He spoke with authority of the current shift that is happening in the church around the world.

Tonight after Allan’s message, we sang ONE song; for 45 minutes, and yet I was SO disappointed when we stopped! The Presence of God was very strong there and both Al and I were both pouring out our hearts in worship! (and I mean visibly!)

Jim & Al's Excellent Adventure Pt. IV

Today is Saturday and sadly it's our last full day here :( However the trip has been entirely worth while, simply for what happened last night. Al and I went to the 'Encountering God' service and it was simply out of this world! I have to say that my reasons for saying that were quite specific to me; what God did for me in that time was amazing.

First off, the worship was quite something. The band started playing and to be honest it didn't seem like very many people were super engaged with the music; they played one song for about 5-6 minutes, which is quite a while for most churches (that I have been connected with!), but then rather than moving on because it seemed most people were not engaged, suddenly the room changed and virtually everybody was highly engaged! I mean something shifted, or so it seemed! Most places I'm used to would have moved on, but not here!

I think there were about 1000 people there, on a Friday night of all nights!

Al just made a good point: we've seen worship like that at conferences, where there is a high level of anticipation for the worship time, but we didn't experience that here. But what stood out for us was that unlike at a conference, there is worship happening here at IHOP NON-STOP! It's amazing that the people were SO into it in a place where there is SO much worship all the time! I feel like some people will relate to that sentence, but others won't. Just keep in mind that I come from a tradition where the older people complain about the repetition of worship songs and the average worship set on a Sunday morning was about 20 - 30 min. I've long since ditched that paradigm for worship, but it's still what I came out of!

Al and I were lost in the worship. It seemed like we'd only be there for 20 minutes and a full hour had gone by. When they brought up the pulpit in the middle of the last song, I wanted to cry out, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" (and that's saying something, cause I'm a preacher!)

On a more personal note, in the midst of the worship, God began to show me some very powerful things. It actually started before the service started, at the moment I got there and started to journal. Suddenly I began to see elements of my life over the past 2 months begin to come together. Discussions I've had, streams of thought and specific events, began to come together in my mind like pieces of jigsaw puzzle. It started out as some thoughts I was journaling about, but then in the midst of the worship I began to see things in my mind (again, elements of my life over the past 2 months) and I understood how God was fitting them together and what the ramifications were for the future. I recalled conversations and events and instantly knew why God was causing them to happen and what He wanted to teach me. I'd have one stream of thought in my mind, like a video in my mind, and then as I was reeling from it, another whole stream would start and I'd be overwhelmed by that as well. All this happening in the midst of a truly incredible worship set.

I could say way more, especially about the young man who came up to dance with some friends and was clearly lame in one leg! Unbelievably powerful.

Even the message was bizarre for me. It wasn't an overwhelming message at all, but as I watched and listend, Misty Edwards was a picture of a LOT of things that God was saying to me. It's like her delivery of the sermon was a living example in front of me of what God was saying to me.

Al was SO classic on the drive home. He couldn't complete a sentence! It would be like, "Okay, so.... yah...I don't know..." and then we'd laugh, and he'd try again, but it would be "Okay, well, remember when.....wow."
There was lots of conversation, but we both knew and appreciated how hard it was to put it all into language.

God had met with us. Ruined us yet again for ordinary Christianity, and captured us with a vision for more!

Jim & Al's Excellent Adventure Pt. III

Day 2 (part II)

A funny thing happened when we arrived today.

As Al and I were driving into Kansas City, Al asked me a question about what I felt the 'best case scenario' would be for our time at IHOP. We talked about it and I basically said that I wasn't going with any big expectations or hopes or questions that I needed answers to. It was interesting to talk about whether it was good or bad to go on a trip like this without particular expectations. On the one hand, it sounds good to 'not have expectations', but on the other hand, it sounds problematic to not have any particular hopes.

Anyway, I then said to Al that pretty much the only way this trip could be bad was if we arrived to find that they had closed the prayer room (which obviously couldn't happen because it's a 24/7 prayer room that hasn't ever closed in 8 years!)

So today we arrive at the IHOP missions base and as we gathered our stuff together from the trunk, I expressed my surprise to Al at how few cars there were in the parking lot. There were about 40-50 cars. As we walked to the building, it appeared that they were doing some work to the main doors, and there were a couple of people who went in side door, so we followed suit.

We open the door to walk in and the entire place was a construction zone!! Dry wall all over; chairs everywhere....

Al and I stood there in stunned silence. It was amazing because of our conversation in the car, not because we were worried that they had closed the prayer room. Obviously they had moved it to another temporary location.

It's just so good to be here and great to be here with Al. He's loving it so much; Al is one of the funniest people I know and he's had so many great lines that made me laugh really hard, but just don't translate in a blog because the voice and facial expressions are missing, not to mention the specific context! He was great in the book store... like a kid on Christmas; he didn't know what to look at next! Classic!

Jim & Al's Excellent Adventure Pt. II

Day 2

We arrived in Kansas City at about 9:30 p.m. last night. It may have been anticipation and adrenalin but for about the last 500 km, I was TOTALLY awake and alert. It was amazing.

Even our arrival in Kansas City as amazing because I took a wrong turn off the interstate but then we ended up taking a different road and going virtually directly to the hotel!

Today we woke up at 10 a.m. local time, so we both slept like the dead for about 9 hours. We got up and went directly to IHOP. When we arrived we discovered that the prayer room on the missions base had been moved, due to extensive construction that they are doing right now. So the prayer room has been temporarily moved to another building, which is where I am right now. I'm excited that they are supposed to finish the renovations while Al and I are here, so we will be able to see it when it's done!

Right now we're in the temporary location of the prayer room. I find it takes me a few hours to 'orient' myself to being here and for me to get to a place in my spirit where I can fully engage. It's like I have to get used to my surroundings or something; I can't quite explain it.

That's it for right now. I'll probably post more a bit later today.

Jim & Al's Excellent Adventure Pt. I

Day 1

Well we got away from Edmonton several hours later than originally planned, leaving the city at about 3 p.m. Shortly into our epic journey we both knew we would be in trouble, as fatigue quickly set it. The crazy thing is that both of us, for completely separate reasons, only got 3 hours of sleep the night before; so off we go for a 28 hr. drive, on only 3 hours of sleep! Coca-Cola classic and Red Bull all the way baby!

At about 1:45 a.m. we successfully crossed the border. Given my level of exhaustion I struggled to successfully answer the border guards question about how long we would be staying in the States, and needed to ask Al for clarity! I was slightly concerned that my expired passport and AB drivers license would not have been sufficient, but all went smoothly.

It’s currently 3:46 a.m. and Al and I are hurtling down highway 85 in Montana. As we enter a small town called Alexander, Al lurches the car to the right to avoid the extremely large dead animal on the road. As we come into town we pass a motel called ‘The Ragged Butt Inn’! How classic is that! We decided from now on to stop and take pictures of these places because you simply can’t beat the ‘Ragged Butt Inn’

Al and I have been talking about issues of faith, spiritual authority and territorial spirits. Looking at the story of Jesus calming the storm, was the storm an attempt by the devil to prevent Jesus from going somewhere, or was it simply an act of nature? Is there far more going on spiritually around us, expressing itself in natural means, than we are consciously aware of? What does it mean for us to walk in the same authority that Jesus walked in? In Matt. 10, Christ gave the disciples the same authority as He had. Many of us would agree that according to the Scriptures we have the same authority, but practically speaking we don’t really know how to walk in that authority. And how does faith intersect with our ability/inability to walk in spiritual authority?

It’s now 5 a.m. and the sun is beginning to rise. We are looking forward to getting to the interstate where we can make up some time!

This morning I decided that extreme measures were needed: I would try to have one of those fancy coffees at Starbucks; one that has some much other stuff in it you hopefully couldn't really taste the coffee. I needed the caffine! WOW was it gross!! I gagged several times. It was awful! I have no idea how people can drink it... Luckily, Al liked it, so he finished it.

Is it a different day yet? I can’t tell. It’s 1:24 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. Al and I are in South Dakota, about an hour from Sioux Falls. We’ve each had about 6 hours of sleep in the past two nights combined and we’ve been on the road for about 22 hours. We have been playing the cow game. (that’s when you see cows and be the first to say ‘those are my cows’ and then count them, keep track and the one with the most cows at the end of the trip wins) I’m at 220 cows and Al has 174. It’s a tight race. We’re at a rest stop now and I nearly fell asleep on the lawn. Wonderfully humid weather here. Zzzzzz…..

3:30 p.m. We just finished having lunch in Sioux Falls. We have about 5 - 5.5 hours to go to Kansas City.

Jim & Al's Excellent Adventure!!

Tomorrow Al and I begin our epic journey to the International House of Prayer in Kansas City! We are very excited. The past two years I have been able to go to the pastors conference, but this year it just didn't work out. So I was very excited when this window of opportunity opened for me to drive there with Al.

This time I've decided to take my computer and use my blog to share what God is doing during this trip; so if you're interested in following the exciting adventures of Jim and Al, then keep checking back here for the updates!

People often ask me why I so enjoy going to IHOP. Honestly, when I walk into the House of Prayer, my spirit becomes at ease; I am at rest in my spirit; I feel like I've come home. I LOVE worship and intercession. I love listening to people pray and and love listening to people playing music and singing and interacting with the intercession. The spiritual atmosphere is different; you can feel it when you walk in the room. It's not an event; it's a way of life!

One night back in 1991, when I was in the youth group at McKernan Baptist Church, I heard an evangelist speak on the topic of prayer. He taught clearly that all the revivals in church history had been preceeded by a group of people praying fervently and passionately for the Holy Spirit to move in power. I don't know exactly what happened that night, but I know that at the end there was an invitation to anyone who wanted to dedicate their lives to prayer. I was up in the balcony of the church and I made a bee-line for the front and gave my life to the purposes of intercession.

Even since that night I have been calling people together to pray; hundreds of prayer meetings; trying to cast the vision of the power of prayer; seeking to instill a passion for intercession amoung as many as possible. This is the heart that God has given me and I've carried it ever since. So for me to be in the midst of a people who are giving themselves to prayer in such an extravagant way touches me on a very deep level.

For anybody who thinks that my dream is to copy what is happening in Kansas City, I would say this: NO, I don't want to simply copy a model; it's the heart of the people that I'm after. It's the level of anointing in the arena of worship and intercession; it's the degree of revelation from the Scriptures.

God is doing some amazing things here in Edmonton. We've been holding 24 hr. monthly prayer gatherings in the ciry for over 4 years now. There has been much spiritual opposition, so for Al and I, the opportunity to go to IHOP will be inpiring and renewing. I want to see God do new things here in Edmonton! I long to see God's vision for worship and intercession here in this city. l've lived here all my life and I love this city and I know God has more planned for us than we can ask or imagine!

Amen Lord! So be it!

I will follow

Back in the days when I was in youth group, people used to talk about 'dangerous prayers' and how you needed to be careful what you prayed for, because you might just get it! You know, prayers like 'God to come and take 'total ownership of my life' and stuff like that or 'Every area Jesus, I want to submit to you.'

I've prayed those prayers, but never really connected with the 'dangerous' part. Recently I've prayed those kinds of prayers and I guess I've decided that maybe they are dangerous after all. Painful even.

One of my favorite worship leaders is Matt Redman. One of his early albums to get noticed over here in North America was "The Friendship and the Fear". I have long felt it is one of the best worship cd's that has ever been made. I've wept more than once over many of the songs.

One of the songs is 'The Way of the Cross". I'm listening to it right now, meditating on it, including a few tears.

Here are some of the lyrics that are hitting me right now:

"Show me the way of the cross once again
Denying myself for the love that I've gained
Everything's You now, everything's changed
It's time you had my whole life
You can have it all

Yes, I resolve to give it all
Some things must die, some things must live
Not "what can I gain," but "what can I give"
If much is required when much is received
Then You can have my whole life
Jesus have it all"

Maybe my youth leaders were right. Maybe there are dangerous prayers.

So tonight I will trust you Lord Jesus.
I've not called you Lord for nothing.
I've asked you to come, and you have.
I've asked you to own all of me, and you are.

You will work all things for good, won't you Lord?

on Faith, Hope & Love

This past Sunday I spoke at The Canopy on God's invitation to become History Makers. For me it was a message all about faith hope and love and here's why: it takes real faith and hope to believe in any substantial way that we can be 'history makers'.

I didn't say this on Sunday, but all through the previous night and all that morning I was really struggling against a strong attack of depression type feelings. Lots of discouragement and temptations to give up. On Sunday morning I did not want to preach, and I wrestled hard with the irony of the fact that I was about to proclaim something that I have not had much success at living out recently. Where I was at on Sunday morning was emotionally quite different from what I was saying; yet I was able to speak it because I knew in my head that it was truth and that God was stirring inside me. So that's a bit of the internal war that was being waged.

I believe that this message is resisted and fought against a great deal by the enemy. The level of discouragement I felt on Saturday night and Sunday morning was certainly unusual and it was pretty easy to recognize, at least on a mental level, what was going on.

In recent weeks, I've been sensing the Lord beginning to stir some things in me again... some old things, old dreams, old longings. These stirrings are difficult because they require hope to be rekindled in my heart. There's always hope in me, because of the work of the Spirit (Rms. 15:13) but I've realized recently that there is different hope for different things. So God is stirring me to hope again in certain areas and for certain things.

Things like revival in our time, a great release of the Holy Spirit in my generation, God raising up The Canopy and awakening a deep passionate love for Jesus within The Canopy; hope for radical holiness, sacrificial giving, miracles, healings and large numbers of people being saved.

There's a lot of rhetoric around those ideas and they make a nice sermon and people cheer about them, but it takes something to hold those things in you heart. There's a cost involved. There's the pain of hope deferred. It's one thing to cheer on Sunday when those topics are mentioned, but it's entirely another to hold those things, in hope, in your heart for years and years. This is why Hebrews 11:2 is so huge for me right now: "This is what the ancients were commended for." That verse is just shouting at me these days! They were commended by GOD! Why? Because they held things in their hearts for years and years, decade after decade and still had hope and faith for them!

God is being very gracious to me. As Kevin Prosch sings, "He saw that I had missed the stirring of the waters" and He's helping me by bringing some healing to me and inviting me back to faith, hope and love.

When the song History Maker came out, I was gripped by it because it gave expression to a lot of what I hoped for. For several years I was impacted by that song. Then over time, it began to fade somewhat in my heart. Not entirely, but the burden of hope deferred wore it down somewhat. Now God is working on me afresh and I realize again my need for faith hope and love.

For anyone who wasn't able to be there on Sunday, I'm including a copy of the message I spoke. I preached the message because I believe that it's part of what God is doing within The Canopy right now. I feel that he is not only awakening hope and faith in me in a new way, but that He is wanting to do that (and is doing that) in The Canopy.

So if you're able to spend a few minutes, give it a listen. I've edited it down slightly, so it's about 42 min.

my neighborhood

Yesterday I found out that my neighbor across the street is moving. When he explained why, I understood. John works out of the city a lot of the time, so he was surprised to get a call at work a few weeks back from the manager at the Superstore wholesale place over on 99th Street, asking him to come and remove his trailor camper from the parking lot. John knew nothing of it! He found out that some yahoo's had hitched up his trailer from his back yard and taken it for a joy ride! Soon after that incident, his garage door was spray painted. All this, after having his truck broken into twice over the past 2 years.
We've had our cars broken into as well, with small items stolen, but nothing too serious. Plus the fact that my bike was stolen out of our back yard, all added up for my neighbor and his decision to move to Stettler. It's a good move for him. He's a single guy who likes the rural areas and he'll make over a $100,000 on the sale of his house, above and beyond what he's paid for a newer, bigger place in Stettler. I can't blame him, but I'm sad he's leaving. And I'm saddened by what is happening to my neighborhood.

Reality is, that there are a few 'party' houses right along my street. One is filled with youth all the time; yesterday in the afternoon there were 6 of them sitting outside drinking a bottle of JD's. There are a couple of others that probably are not really party houses, but let's just say that the people living there keep really wierd hours and there are small kids running about way too late at night.

All this, is, I suppose, part of the blessings of the economic boom and growth in Edmonton. I guess we're becoming more and more of a 'big city' and having to deal with all the problems associated with it.

Lots of bikes are stolen, cars broken into and stolen, houses robbed, all over the city, so for the most part I haven't really thought things were all that bad. The reality is that they probably are not all that bad.

It's just sobering to have your neighbor and friend leave the city because of this kind of stuff.

Some thoughts on Chris Benoit

Like many, I've kind of sat in a bit of a stunned state over the recent Chris Benoit murder suicide. I'm not a hard-core wrestling fan, but I've seen my fair share of WWE over the past few years. At first I simply didn't believe that he could have murdered his own son. I figured something else had happened, like his son died in a freak wrestling accident, and then Chris took his own life out of depression or something.

It was interesting to watch the tribute that the WWE ran on Monday night, which was before the details of what had happened were known yet. Was it right to run a tribute with all kinds of people saying amazing things about Chris Benoit, when it turns out that he killed his wife and son?

Does that change who Chris Benoit was? In the eyes of some it does. Today in the Journal, some fans stated that they have lost all respect for Chris. I understand why. I'm struggling with that very issue. However I'm actually thinking about the bigger picture and that for me is the WWE. I can't blame the WWE for what Chris did. He made his own choices. He chose to get involved in the WWE and use steroids. But it's also pretty clear that the WWE creates a culture that is quite destructive to many of the wrestlers involved. So can I support that? When we look at the Benoit tragedy, do we put all the blame on Chris, or does part of the responsibility lie with the WWE? I guess I think that the WWE will not change; that the industry will not change, certainly not as long as there remains such a large number of fans who 'consume' what the WWE is producing.

Thing is, I like watching wrestling. I find it a fun, mindless diversion from life. But if what I am enjoying is ultimately destructive to the lives of those directly involved (such as Chris B. and Eddie G.) then what does that mean?
As strange as this may sound, I'm not quite sure of the answer; at least not just yet.

The other big question in my mind right now is about whether or not what Chris did should change our respect of him. It seems pretty easy to judge him for what he did. Some would say, 'well, we don't know the pressures he faced' etc. etc. Does ANYTHING excuse killing your wife and son? Most would say no, but does one horrific act wipe out a person's reputation? Certainly it seems that way in the world of celebrity; look at Mel Gibson and others.
If we say that it does ruin his reputation, then are we 'judging' him? And is that wrong?

Just some of my questions right now....

David's tabernacle (pt. 1)

Well I've been stewing since Sunday about what was, in my estimation, a poor job of communication on a very important topic.

Last Sunday I spoke on Psalm 96 and the occassion it was written for: the beginning of the tabernacle of David. I muddied the waters by not speaking specifically enough on either the content of Psalm 96 or 1 Chron. 15-16.

Here's 3 summary points:

1) Psalm 96 was commissioned by David during the events recorded in 1 Chron. 15-16.
2) Psalm 96 speaks a lot about the spiritual warfare dimension of worship.
3) 1 Chron. 15-16 is the story of the establishment of the tabernacle of David.

I believe that God showed David the reality of worship in heaven, similar to what John recorded in Revelation 4-5.

David understood, from the Lord that he was to have singers, musicians and intercessors minister around the ark of the covenant. This dynamic was the central focus of the Tabernacle of David.

It is an earthly representation of the worship that happens around the throne of God.

We are not to try to recreate or copy the tablernacle, but rather learn from the 'elements' of the tabernacle. It is the spirit (meaning the dynamics) that are critical to us today: prayer, music, and singing, brought together with God's Word. I also realize that these elements are NOT any kind of 'magical' combination that God is waiting for us to use. He's not waiting for us to 'get it just right' and then he'll pour out his Spirit.

So why is any of this important?

In a word, because Jesus wants things 'on earth as it is in heaven'. I'm not pursuing these things because I want to get God's attention; I already HAVE his full attention!! I'm pursuing the dynamics of the tablernacle of David because I believe that the pattern of the worship in heaven is the ultimate, most pleasing, most God glorifying worship that could exist! (that's why it's happening in heaven!)

I'll leave it there for now, but these two passages of Scripture are very important in terms of what God is doing in raising up Houses of Prayer. I will have to post on that topic at another time, so keep watching!

Dan Westfall wins the Conn Smythe!

Check it out!



Okay, so throughout the playoffs I've thought that Scott Niedermayer looks so much like my friend Dan Westfall!

Maybe it's just me thinking that Dan should win a trophy, but it's just too good.
Scott Niedermayer is from Edmonton...hmmm.... just a coincidence? Maybe not!!

Maybe that's why I haven't see Dan in church lately!! (just kiddin')

Rear Window

This past Saturday I had a FANTASTIC time at the Police concert at Commonwealth stadium. I've been a big Police fan for most of my life, dating back to the days when I got their album 'Synchronicity' on cassette tape! I've said for years and years that there are two bands that I would love to see live: Queen and The Police. Of course, seeing Queen will never happen, but The Police seemed pretty much in the same camp until earlier this year.
Pam and I secured tickets in the 23rd row on the floor. Easily the best tickets I have ever had for any rock concert in my life. To say the least, I was pumped.

It was really impressive how they set things up at Commonwealth: once you get to the field level, you don't have to leave. There is food, beverages, merchandise, and most importantly, port-a-johns. As the time for The Police drew near, I began to think that I should use the 'facilities' so as not to have to miss or be uncomfortable during the concert. Pam and I made our way to the back of the field where we began to scan for port-a-johns that had a 'green' slider on the door, indicating that it was available. It didn't take long and I walked up to the door and pulled it open. I'd say 'big mistake', but how was I to know what surprises were behind 'door #1'!!!

I pulled the door open, only to encounter a young man, with blond dreads for hair and now shirt on, with his back to me. Not only was his back to me, but his pants were down around his ankles! I got the full on rear view!
I let the door go instantly and failed to restrain myself from saying out loud, 'DANG' as I walked away, trying earnestly to remove the image from my mind!

The other unfortunate image that I saw that night was when the camera panned over the audience and right in the first few rows a rather large young man with a beard was jumping up and down for the camera, with his arms raised high above his head. What he didn't seem to understand was that what stood out the most was the enormous sweat stains around his arm pits. Thankfully the cameraman soon recognized the need to change the view!

All humor aside, I loved the Police concert! It was 2 of the fastest hours of my life and easily the best concert I've ever been to. I could have listened all night long. Simply incredible stuff. We tried to take some pictures of our experience with the camera on Eric's phone, but most of them didn't turn out very well. After the concert Pam and I decided to avoid the incredibly long lines for the LRT and we walked back to the University, where we had parked. Admittedly, it took nearly an hour and a half, but we had a great time talking and walking together.

So here's to the Police!

Stirrings

It's been a while since I've written here, mainly because I've been wrapped up in getting The Canopy's "30 Days in the Psalms" going. (If you're interested, you can check it out at http://canopypsalms.blogspot.com... there's an explaination in the first post and a way to sign up to be involved)

Anyway, I guess I'm feeling stirred up lately with a renewed yearning for much deeper release of the Holy Spirit, bringing the Presence of Jesus in our region. The problem is that I don't really have words to describe it, so bear with me.

I don't know how to say this without it sounding like a criticism, but when I look around the city, I see so little really deep manifestations of the Presence of Jesus. The problem with saying things like that is that it almost immediately causes people to feel guilty, as if they are inadequate or that the ministry they are connected with is somehow being slammed; they become defensive. And that is NOT my heart at all! Hear me: that's not a slam.

I just can't NOT say this anymore: There MUST be more. There IS more. When I look around the city, even in the big happenin', popular churches that people are flocking to, there's just nothing special going on! It's just a crowd. More programs and slicker video presentations and more choices to choose from, but very little Presence and very little power. I acknowledge that many good things are happening: people being saved, marriages being healed, people finding community.

It's just that I look and wonder if the good has become the enemy of the best. Are people so distracted by the slick and the good and choices that they've become content. Look around. Is there a moving of God anywhere in the capital region that the apostle Paul or Peter would even have a grid for?

In my mind the answer is clearly, undeniably NO. Somehow that doesn't depress me and make me want to throw up my hand in defeat. It moves me closer to desperation, where inside I groan and want to cry out to God in intercession. I want to jump up and say we are going to pray, we are going to worship, we are going to lay hold of the horns of the alter and we are not going to let go until there is a breakthrough!!

Nehemiah didn't hear about the condition of his city and throw up his hands and say it's hopeless. No, he tore his robes, and sought the Lord in fasting and prayer, and then sought the favor of the king to rebuild the walls of the city.

The walls are mostly down in our city.

Today I'm just going around with this groan in my stomach, saying 'O God, have mercy!'

Some will wonder what the point of it all is; what action steps are there.
To such people my answer will undoubtedly seem lack-luster:
I know of nothing else that can be 'done' except for the gathering together of God's people in worship and prayer. I know of no other 'solution' except the reality that we pursue in the House of Prayer. HoPE is not the solution, but the activity that happens there is. It can happen anywhere, but the people of God must come together in worship and prayer.

My own personal encouragement is that I know that the groaning I am feeling is the gift of God to me. Such groanings don't come from my own flesh. Such groanings are birthed by the Spirit.

So in the midst of the groaning, I am comforted by the realization that the very groaning are God's gracious hand on me.

Like men who dreamed...

In the mid 90’s, roughly around 1994-95 I began to spend most of my evening prayer times focusing on the words of the song ‘Let Your Glory Fall’ by David Ruis. I was part of the college and career group at McKernan Baptist Church, where Eric was the intern pastor and I was working closely with him. Myself and several friends had been praying for a number of years for God to move in our midst and between ‘94-‘96 we were seeing a small portion of what we had prayed for.

Let your glory fall in this room
Let it go from here to the the nations
Let your fragrance rest in this place
As we gather to seek you face.

Father of creation
The world has yet to see
The full release of your power
The church in victory

Let your Kingdom come
Let you will be done
Let us see on earth
The glory of your Son

Today I was listening to a cd where David Ruis did a remix of that song. As I paused what I was doing my mind returned to those early days and I remembered so many of those times in my room praying those words and ideas. I think of Psalm 126:1 where it says “we were like men who dreamed”.

Those dreams are still alive in me. As I listened to that song, my heart was stirred again and my eyes teared up. Those words continue to capture the essence of what I have longed for and prayed for over 15 years.

Really, since 1991, I have spent most of my time and energy trying to pursue the reality of that song, and trying to convince everybody around me to do the same.

In the last while it’s become easier for those dreams to drift a bit in my heart. The pressures and stresses of life are powerful distractions for all of us. Somehow today I recognized the Lord calling me back again toward the singular focus that is represented in David Ruis’ song.

Dashin' for Compassion

Yesterday I ran my second ever half marathon, at the 'Dashin' for Compassion' foot race. When I made plans to run the race, I had no idea that it fell on the Mother's Day weekend; it's only fitting that it would, given that it is set up to raise money for the Sorrentino's Compassion House, which exists to provide sanctuary and support for women with breast cancer, who live outside of the Edmonton area.

In June of 2001 my mother died of breast cancer, so I have obviously have special empathy for families who are suffering through the trials of the disease.

But back to the race: it was a beautiful day for a run; there were only about 160 people who ran the half marathon (which is 21 km for anyone who doesn't know) and the course was amazing with a lot of fabulouse houses in the Grandview, Lansdown and Riverbend communities.

I'm still new to this whole running thing, so of course I made a pretty significant gaff in my week of preparations. The final 7-10 days prior to a half marathon you are supposed to taper off your training in order to allow your body to fully recover and be a full strength on race day. You are also supposed to be familiar with the layout of the course so as to be fully prepared for what lies ahead. In my zeal I decided that I would ride my bike along the course on Thursday, 2 days before race day. (Yes, it's the bike that got stolen...see my previous post). Given that I had not riden a bike in nearly 10 months, this was NOT a good idea! Add to that the fact that I failed to eat prior to the bike ride, which caused me to seriously bonk, and you've got real problems.

Problems? Nahh... I convinced myself that I'd recover on Friday and be ready to go on Saturday. After all, how trashed could my legs be?

Well, I got about 9 km into the race, doing a fairly decent pace (for me) and then came the hills. Snow Valley to be exact. It was at that point that I dropped a gear. I just simply couldn't keep the pace up. No strength in my legs. Up to this point I had been running back and forth with a young woman in the race: she would move ahead of me and then I wold pull ahead of her and vice versa. (She was doing 10 & 1's, and I wasn't) This continued up until Snow Valley and at that point she left me in the dust. I spent the remainder of the race trying to recover that gear that I'd lost, but frankly it just never happened.

The struggle was that I was in better condition than I was for my first half marathon and knew that I had the potential to keep up the pace I had started out at. Frustrating! In the end, I finished the race slightly faster than my previous half marathon time, so I can't complain too much; I just learned the hard way how important the tapering process really is!

So the next big race will be the Kananaskis 100 miler, which is a 10 person relay team race, obviously in Kananaskis! It's in June on the Father's Day weekend, (which is also the weekend of the PGA's US Open...booo :(
Regardless, I'm looking forward to it. After that I'll be working towards the ING half marathon which is in August. That's my plan, at least for now.

Running appeals to me on many levels and I continue to enjoy the similarities between running and our spiritual journey with Jesus. More on that another time.... :)

Bike

"I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like"
"Bicycle Race" by Queen

This morning I was taking the kids to school and as we got into the car I noticed that the gate on our fence that accesses the alley was open. I asked the kids if they had left it open, assuming that they had, but they insisted that they had not. When I returned to the house I went over to close the gate and investigate. What I discovered shocked me:

My bike had been stolen!

Yesterday I took my bike out for the first time this year. I had eaten very little prior to going, but didn't think much of it; that mistake, coupled with my overly ambitious distance resulted in my being extremely tired when I got home. In my weiry state I put the bike by the back door of the garage and went inside for a large bowl of cherry yogurt! Soon other activities crowded my brain and I forgot to put the bike in the garage.

So perhaps my stupidity is to blame. However, I still remain shocked that somebody in my neighborhood would open up my gate and walk across the yard to steal my bike! I guess I shouldn't be; after all, cars and bikes get stolen everyday in this city. But somehow it feels different when it happens to you.

I most certainly should have kept my bike more secured; it's a pretty old bike and not worth a ton of money... but it's MY FLIPPIN' BIKE!!!!

So bar the windows, lock the doors, put all your valuables in the car trunk, cause it's not safe out there!!!
(how's that for a depressing thought!) :)

It's not the end of the world, but I'm left, at least for the near future, feeling rather paranoid and somewhat unsafe in my neighborhood, wondering who's watching and lurking around in the shadows.

Part of me wishes I could get a really nice bike to use as bait, then wait to catch the guy and then beat the CRAP out of him.

Oh wait.... I forgot... I'm built like a stick and couldn't beat up scarecrow if I tried...

O well!
LOL :)

Are people insane?

Last Saturday night I went to a movie with my friend Al Seeman. We were one of the very few who were not seeing Spiderman 3. I actually am quite excited about seeing Spidy, but for some reason I just wasn't up to joining the mayhem. Al and I went to see Hot Fuzz, which while initially sounding like a cheap adult video, was indeed quite funny.
At any rate, the showing we saw was at 10:45, which normally would be too late for me to be going to a movie, but hey, you have to live a little, right? As you would expect, the majority of everybody on the planet was trying to see Spiderman 3, and the theatre pretty much had showings of the show every half hour.
Hot Fuzz finished at around 1 a.m. and as Al and I were talking outside of the theatre, suddenly one of the showing of Spiderman got out (hopefully the last one!). What floored me was the number of people who had kids with them, younger than MY kids (which are 4 and 7). I would NEVER let my kids see ANY of the Spiderman movies! It's just not age appropriate. Yet as we stood there, I must have seen nearly 2 dozen young children, from the ages of 7 down to about 2-3 years old!
I admit, I kind of freaked out at the theatre and ranted for a while to Al.
Have people lost their minds? Are they INSANE?

Now I know that we live in a super relaxed society, where we have very few standards of appropriateness, because everybody is supposed to be able to determine what is appropriate for themselves and their own children. But let's get real! Spiderman is simply NOT a children's movie! And it's wrong to take a young child to see it. Just plain wrong. But not only is it wrong to take a 4-5 year old to Spiderman 3 at ANY time of day, it is especially wrong to do it at 11:30 P.M.!!

I need to get this off my chest: These people are STUPID! You don't take a 4 year old to a movie at 11:30 at night.
One reason was immediately evident, as I watched all of these zombie like kids stumble out of the theatre, or being carried out, asleep on the shoulders of their parents.

Some may label me as a uptight, anal retentive, no fun parent. GO FOR IT!!

Parenting is serious business. We're talking about little lives that are in our hands and that we shape and mold.
I've always appreciated the old statement that we live in a society where you need a liscense to drive, but you can be a parent without any training at all!

I suppose what's worse to me is that a lot of the younger kids I saw, most likely didn't ask to go the movie. It was their parents who wanted to go to the movie, so they just took their kids with them. I can't prove that, but I'd bet money on it. Getting a baby sitter is hard and it's often expensive.

Reality check: when you're a parent, you don't get to do all the things you did before you had kids! People need to grow up and accept that. It's reality. To use a quote from Mark Driscoll, "It's a big boy's job!' ('boy' being used in the gender neutral sense :)
There are many times when I have to say no to various things I'd love to do, for the sake of my kids. Does it bum me out? Sure, but sometimes that the reality of being a parent!

So there's my rant for the day!

Psalm 13

Every once in a while, I get fixated on a particular passage of Scripture. Recently that has been Psalm 13.

1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me for ever? How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4 my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

I think what I've been enjoying about this Psalm is that it's a lament, and basically in our modern culture we don't have any place for a lament. We pretty much live in a 'suck it up princess' culture, and frankly sometimes in the church, that culture is often reinforced. There is not much place for any real lament. Maybe for an hour or a day, but then we expect people to get on with life. Suck it up! Stop feeling sorry for yourself! If it persists, then you must need meds!

Now some will point out that at the end of the Psalm, David does seem to 'suck it up' and ends on a positive note.

My interpretation is that I don't believe that the emotions of v. 1-4 are suddenly gone for David, but that v. 5-6 reflect the truth that David knows in his mind, while at the same time, struggling with a different set of emotions (v. 1-4). The two exist at the same time.

Perhaps that comes out of my own experience. Many times I have emotions that are at odds with truth that I know in my mind. (both related and unrelated to God)

My main point right now is that I believe that we need to re-embrace the 'lament' as a legitimate form of expression. Most of the time that takes a verbal form, but sometimes we can write out our emotions and experiences in the written form of a lament.

As I identify with Psalm 13, I remember that King David wrote it, and I know that I'm in good company!

thoughts from Abbotsford

Recently Eric and I were in the Vancouver area for a conference. Since we were flying in and out of Abbotsford, we stopped in to visit with our good friend Brad Jersak. Brad is the pastor of FreshWind, a church that is unlike any I've ever been to. It was a real treat to attend FreshWind and visit with Brad.
One of aspects of FreshWind that will stand out to most visitors is the number of handicapped people in the community. What impacted me was the extent to which these residents were part of the community, just like anyone else.


On a personal level, this is significant to me because Pam's brother is severely autistic. He has to live in a special home, with round the clock home care. He cannot talk and is a strong, fully grown man, who has the mental development of a 2 year old. He's a good mannered guy, but he can be quite vocal and physically decisive when he wants something. Ever since I met Ian, I have found it a real challenge to interact with him. I simply don't really know how and often feel quite uncomfortable. While I have become more comfortable over the years, I still have a long way to go. I simply cannot imagine being one of the workers in Ian's group home and I have a deep and profound respect for them.

Being in FreshWind stirred up a lot of these feelings again. The lack of "uncomfortableness" among the regular attenders of FreshWind hit me like a brick. Of all the things that make their wonderful church unique, the love, respect and inclusion of the residents was what hit me most. I just don't know if I could do it. I guess the truth is that maybe I like 'my' church a little too sanitized; maybe 'my' church is still too much about 'me' and how 'I' like it.

These days we're talking about being a 'prophetic community' at The Canopy. I found FreshWind to be one of the most prophetic communities I've ever been to. Here's why: if 'the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy', then a prophetic community needs to declare and display the character and person of Christ. Too often I've been more interested in the 'declare' than the 'display' part of the prophetic. The inclusion of the residents into their church community shouted prophetic truth at levels several decibels higher than any other verbal prophetic words; at least to my ears.

Just some initial thoughts. More to come

Some Humor

I came across this today and thought it was pretty funny.
I just got back from the 'Refocus' conference, so I'm full of much more serious thoughts which I'll be working on soon.

Pam and I are scheduled to go to the opera this Thursday night, which has the potential for another post! :) Keep watching!

For now I'll start with this....

Nothing Amazing

I've run into a new problem with my blog: I've wanted to write a post, but I simply can't seem to think of anything to post about! I tend to resist 'diary' style posts, although to be honest, I rather like reading such posts from other people. What do I do when I don't have any 'deep' or 'humor' oriented thoughts? There certainly has been no shortage of things happening in life, but not too many that seem appropriate for the blog.

Here are a few odds and ends lately:

1) I did run a half marathon, but that was while back now. It was cold: about -15 with a brisk wind. I really enjoyed myself, and was pleased with my results. My time wasn't too exciting, but I have to cut myself some slack; I'm just a beginner!

2) The more I reflect on the movie "Amazing Grace", the more impacting I find it. I may have to go and see it again. I would strongly recommend it. Maybe not the most brilliant movie, but the story and life of William Wilberforce continues to stir me and inspire me. Go see it!

3) I'm pretty confident that God is calling me to read more. I've been convinced for years that I need to read more, but to be honest, I find it quite challenging to motivate myself to read consistently. Being married to Pam, I am regularly reminded of this. Pam basically has a book permenantly attached to her at all times! However, this has been an unusual season where I sense God prompting me, because there are some things I REALLY need to be reading right now. Plus, I've actually been making some progress in this too!

4) Eric and I are getting excited about an upcoming conference that we're going to in Burnaby, B.C. It's a theology conference, which I think would bore many, but we're pretty pumped. John Piper is the main speaker, and it's worth going just to hear him! J.I. Packer and Mark Driscoll are also speaking. In the old days, conferences were a major place for Eric and I to get inspired and get our creative juices going, and it's been a long while since we've been able to go to a good conference. We're also going to be able to go to Brad Jersak's church on the Sunday, but get this: Brad's going to be in Edmonton that weekend!! Of all the luck! And at Beulah too.... man, they're making all the moves these days! (let the reader understand :))

So there you have it. That's quite a bit more of a 'diary' entry than I'm used to, but maybe it's part of the process of learning how to maintain a good blog. Who knows :)

More Trade Thoughts

Just to follow up on the comments from my previous post....

I wasn't necessarily arguing that Smyth should have been paid whatever he was asking for. Like I said, I don't think he's worth that kind of money. I agree with DL in that NHL players are paid way more than they should be paid, but if I was them I'd probably be fighting for as much of the green stuff as I could get. I mean, who doesn't want a raise!

My point was focused around the issue that in the new NHL, the best players can pick and choose where they want to play. I referenced David Staples article in last Sunday's Journal, which I thought really addressed this issue. Smyth WANTED to be here, and the honest reality is that not many of the best NHL players WANT to be here (remember Pronger?).

If this is part of the new NHL reality, then how exactly are the Oilers going to respond? If we want top notch talent, then how are we going to entice them to come here. We can argue all we want that they should come here 'just for the love of the game', but let's deal with reality: Edmonton isn't exactly known as a 'hot spot' to live; we might have a great reputation as a hockey town, but that doesn't go very far in today's NHL.

My opinion is that salaries in professional sports are more connected to your past than your future; players are 'rewarded' for their level of play in previous seasons, not necessarily for what they will do. Thus, I guess in my more ideal world, salaries would be highly laiden with performance bonus', so that they are getting paid for what they currently achieve, rather than what they have achieved in the past.

Smyth has has some great years. Does it make sense to pay him so much for the next 5 years when his production will almost certainly go down? No, and that's the point I hear Darren making. I would agree.

I like Smyth a lot, and I really like the fact that he WANTS to play and live here in Edmonton. The fact that he's planning on making Edmonton his 'off season' home speaks volumes about that. Do any of the other Oilers stay here in the off season? I don't know. That said, even taking that into account as well as the talk about Smyth's leadership in the locker room, the stark reality of this season is that the Oilers were basically out of the playoffs BEFORE Smyth got traded.

Obviously there are arguments on both sides. My main point is that the Oilers need to deal with the issue of how to entice and keep top talent in an NHL where players can choose to play in whatever city appeals to them most.

Trade Thoughts

It was interesting yesterday to be sitting at our regular staff meeting in Starbucks and have a complete stranger come up and tell us the news that Ryan Smyth had just been traded by the Oilers. (I'm starting to get a complex about that table!) :)

It's been interesting to experience the outcry. To me it seems like the ripples of that trade are being felt all across the city. Virtually everybody knew within hours of the trade, and the response has certainly been massive. Two sides have emerged: responses that are quite emotional (and very upset) and responses that are much more muted and unemotional. Some feel betrayed and others see it as simply a business move; regretable, but nevertheless, a business move that had to be made.

I'm somewhere inbetween. Yes, I see the business side of it. But there is a dimension of that business side that is hard to quantify: the impact on the city. For the first time in my life, I decided to join the throngs of people who are writing comments to the Journal (and the Sun). I don't know if it will get published or not, in their sports rant section, but either way, I thought I would share my thoughts here as well:

"A major piece of this trade that seems to have been missed is that Ryan Smyth WANTED to play and live in Edmonton. For years we've watched our best players leave either because we were too small a city to pay them or because they simply didn't like living here, and I think it has given our city a bit of a inferiority complex. David Staples' Journal recent article (Feb. 25) made the point that in the 'new NHL', it is critical to factor in 'player perks' in trying to keep players around; given that players like Chris Pronger simply don't want to live in Edmonton, what 'perks' can the Oilers offer to entice players to come here and actually stay? That's what makes the Smyth deal so painful: He liked Edmonton, which, in this 'new NHL' is apparently a major issue! I agree, Smyth wanted too much money, but how do you put a dollar sign on the leadership and enthusiasm that Smyth brought to the locker room about playing in Edmonton? How can a trade ever replace that? Perhaps we should have given Smyth the money he asked for, simply because we desperately need a visible and vocal player who says 'Hey, Edmonton is a great city to live in and play in.' The image of a city is important, both around the NHL and also within the city itself. The Smyth trade is a significant blow to that image on both fronts."

So there you have it. Some of my initial thoughts. I have many others on this topic as well, but I want to work them out a bit more in my head first.

Too Fruity for me!

When I saw this I simply had to post about it. Pomegranate anointing oil!!! Only $19.95? Please, give me a break. I've actually got a pretty high tolerance for weirdness, but this just pushes my buttons. Talk about a gimmick with no Scriptural basis at all.
Here's the write up on the product:

"This is the most incredible anointing oil! The pomegranate represents healing, prosperity and overcoming. The pomegranate was early cultivated in Egypt and was highly esteemed by the Israelites. Carved figures of the pomegranate adorned the tops of the pillars in Solomon’s temple. Pomegranate fruits in blue, purple and scarlet, ornamented the hem of the robe of the High Priest, representing fruitfulness, blessings, favor of God. Pomegranates are one of the seven species the spies brought back with them to show how fertile the promised land was. It speaks of God's favor exhibited, in making fruitful."

The implication that Pomegranate anointing oil is somehow more effective or more 'anointed' than any other kind of oil is simply insane! The power doesn't come from the oil, it comes from GOD!

This kind of product just gets to me, because it feeds into crazy church culture and somehow people (literally) buy into it!
Oh well, at least the people anointed might smell a bit better, and at least people get an actual product!

Maybe I should look at the other side: you can spend at least that much on plain jane oil at any Body Shop near you!

Who knows, maybe they can make it smell fruity for you as well!

In the mean time, remember Paul Cain's admonition: "Don't be so open minded that your brains fall out."

Why is there a boy?

This past Saturday night, Pam and I went to the ballet. Yes, for those who have previously read my blog, you will no doubt have a sense of deja-vu! Indeed, just when the images of 'Row C' were nicely fading from my mind, my calendar beeped at me last week to notify me that we had tickets to, of all things, the Ballet! When I checked the tickets I was surprised to find that they were for a performance called "Dancing Joni". So I was off for an evening of men in tights and yellow taxis!
To be honest, this was the best ballet I've been to (not that I'm subscriber or anything!). This was a brand new ballet performance; a collaboration between the Alberta Ballet and Joni Mitchell. It featured music and art by Joni Mitchell with dance by the Alberta Ballet company. It was very political, the songs, art and dance all speaking about major political issues of war, child slavery and environmental abuse. (I admit that it's rather funny to think of a major commentary on the environment being initiated here in Alberta; somehow I doubt very many Alberta government officials were in attendance!)
I am virtually totally ignorant of Joni Mitchell's music, and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. The music and the photography were very powerful and the dance certainly added a significant layer to the presentation.

Now before you start thinking I've been converted to the ballet, let me bring you to the humorous 'high point' of the evening:
Pam and I were seated in the 1st balcony (no 'row c' this time!) and next to us was a woman and her young daughter. The little girl was dressed up like a princess and was very beautiful. She couldn't have been more than 3 and a half. I was very impressed by her behavior; she watched and listened very well through the 2 hour production.
The evening opened with George Balanchine's Serenade. This piece was virtually exclusively danced by young women, much to the delight of the young princess seated to our left. Mid-way through Serenade, a male dancer came onto the scene, to which she whispered loudly to her mother: "Why is there a boy?"
Pam and I nearly burst into laughter! What a great comment, and at least from my perspective hits the nail on the head. Why IS there a boy in the ballet! For myself and many other men, this must be the central question regarding the ballet. As I have said before, men in tights simply are NOT a good idea. EVER! I don't care how ripped and toned they are: the world simply doesn't need to see that!

Anyway, all attempts at humor aside, this was a really good event. Oh, and by the way, here's a note of advice: if you're planning to go to a cultural event and the Jubilee and are thinking of going out for dinner before the performance, do yourself a favor: DON'T even try to go to Earls on campus. We've tried the last two times and the line up has been out the door. This Saturday, we ended up going to Chianti's on Whyte; a good standby, as long as you don't mind slightly overcooked pasta, and the chocolate mousse dessert is fantastic!

Interestingly enough, as I was reading a bit on "Dancing Joni", apparently, the performance got reviewed by the press all over North America and even from London, England! I don't think they were disappointed, and I think it's great that it started here in Alberta!

Adventures in Listening

Last night I had a great time with my kids, putting them to bed and doing some listening prayer with them. I admit that it's something that I've not been terribly good at doing with them, but have been stirred recently to try and teach them about listening to Jesus. It's so much easier (at least in theory!) when they are young.
So Josiah was listening, but also being himself and goofing around a bit; I tried to be patient; after all, he's only 4!
At first, Josiah saw some snow falling and then described that he was at the north pole. I admit, my faith was stretched! He then saw lots of penguins, which stretched my faith more, as there are no penguins at the north pole. (only the south!) I hid my own doubts and soldiered on. "Let's ask Jesus where he is" I suggested. Without being led, Josiah did just that. Jesus was beside him and wearing a yellow outfit. "Why don't you ask Jesus why he's wearing yellow?" Quick response: "He says it's his favorite color!". I was pretty impressed. Maybe it's not deep theological revelation, but to a 4 yr. old, I think Jesus would want to talk about his favorite color. I think I'll wear something yellow to church on Sunday!
After a bit more with Josiah, I moved to Rebekah's room.
Rebekah's stomach wasn't feeling great, so Pam was giving her some medicine just as I came in.
Rebekah and I began to listen and I asked her what she saw.
Response: Her stomach.
At this point, my faith took a plunge. Her stomach? Please! It had to be her. Afterall, she'd just taken medicine. I clarified that she was actually seeing her stomach. Yes. Okay. I carried on. "What does it look like?" She used her finger to describe it and said there were tubes coming in and she should see the medicine coming into her stomach.
Jim: "Why don't you ask Jesus why he's showing you your stomach?"
Rebekah: "I see Jesus. He's in my stomach, near the tube where the medicine is coming in.'
(Jim's faith continues to flicker!)
Jim: "Why is Jesus in your stomach?"
Rebekah: "I think he's healing my stomach."
Jim: "REALLY?" (faith grows)
Rebekah: "There's shiny stuff coming from his hands."
Jim: (now very excited) "What does it look like?"
Rebekah: "It's like the sun."
Jim: "You mean it looks like light is coming out of his hands?"
Rebekah: "Yes"
Jim: "That's incredible. How are you feeling?"
Rebekah: "my tummy feels better."

What was blowing my mind was the fact that Jesus was showing her something that she couldn't possibly have made up! There's a verse in Habakkuk 3:4, that has been a favorite of mine for several years:

"His splendor was like the sunrise;
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power was hidden."

I've enjoyed that verse because several people have, historically, seen visions of Jesus with rays of light coming out of his hands to heal them!

I left the room amazed that Jesus had spoken to Josiah and Rebekah in a way that not only made sense to them and built up their faith, but mine as well! I'm still pumped about it! I mean, light coming out of his hands...that's awesome!
I've had my share of doubts about whether I could effectively lead my kids in listening prayer. Rebekah is very analytical and Josiah has a hard time being still. However, we've had some really great times this week and it's building my faith a whole lot!

Here's to Jesus showing up in our stomachs and to the color yellow!

Dolled Up

This weekend, my daughter had her 7-yr. birthday party. She invited several friends from grade 2 and everybody had a great time; chaos and noise ensued! My wife is a master at planning these things and organizing a variety of events, all carefully timed and planned so as to keep the kids constantly active and entertained. She's very good at it, and every year, Rebekah wants mom to do the 'pop demonstration' where Pam makes pop, using vast quantities of dry ice and causing ice cream buckets to explode all over the place. It's great fun and should Pam ever need a side-line job to being a teacher, I'm sure she could entertain multitudes with her 'pop' demo!
When it came time for the presents to be opened (Rebekah's favorite part!) all was going well, and at one point, she opened a present that was a 'my scene barbie' doll. Now, for the masses who are not up to speed on the latest in children's 'doll' fashion, allow me to bring you up to speed: Many dolls these days are marketed at a 'Toys R Us' near you, looking like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, or perhaps a very slightly more covered up version of the Pussycat Dolls or Britney Spears.
My friend Eric was at the party, with his daughter Elisha, and he and Pam had some awesome commentary! Here's Pam's version of the comments:
"Oh look it's 'Hootchie' and you call also collect her friends 'Skank' and 'Ho'." To which Eric replied "You can also get 'My Pimp Ken' and the whole collection of 'Johns'."
Now before you all write me off as a hopeless uptight conservative, let me say this: I hope that my daughter will NEVER dress like some of these dolls that are being marketed to her to play with. I think you could shoot off my toes one at a time, and I'd still say NO! Don't get me wrong: I'm not wanting Rebekah to dress like Anne of Green Gables or like the girls on Little House on the Prairie, but let's be honest: there are limits!
Recently there was a news report, that looked at the trend in young girls fashions toward 'sexualizing' girls at an earlier and earlier age. I didn't get a chance to see the whole thing, but I wonder if they looked at the fact that such images and impact are included even in the dolls that kids play with?
Years ago a friend of mine commented that when you see a picture on a magazine or tabloid cover or anywhere else, of a young woman looking overly sexualized, you need to remember, "that's somebody's daughter". That comment has always stuck in my brain, and now that I have a little girl of my own, it has even more meaning.