Finding the Silver Lining :) Looking at the Positive :)

Forgiving Hypocrites

One of my pet peeves are hypocrites at church.

Then again- I guess I am being the 'Biggest Hypocrite' of them all for judging others!

Lord, forgive me for this blog.

But hey, we all need Christ's grace, and that's one of the reasons we go to church in the first place. :)

So, to...

- The person who doesnt move over one seat to accomodate the senior citizen walking down the church aisle looking for a seat-
because you are too focussed on singing,  that you ignore your neighbors...
we know you're heart is with the Lord, but let's be considerate while we're at it.

- The person who complains that the family's kids or babies in the pew next to yours are crying too loud, that you cannot hear the pastor speaking... pls lets not make it so obvious that their kids are disrupting the church experience,
and remember Jesus loves little children.

- The person who either A) cuts in front of the line to receive communion first, or B) criticizes the person who cuts in line in front of you, to the point that everyone hears you criticizing them...
please, lets be gracious. And remember that communion is about remembering Jesus, so let's act like Jesus.

- The driver who honks their horn so loudly in the church parking lot when it takes such a long time to get out of the lot after the service is over... please remember: you just came from church.

As mentioned, I may be the biggest Hypocrite of them all for pointing out where we Christians are missing the mark- but I do so in love.

And if it makes you feel any better, other Christians have corrected me too, when I
miss the mark as well. :)  So, we're all in the same boat.

Imperfect people... And that's why we need Christ's grace in the first place. :)

Countries with National Athems that acknowledge God - so many!

Dont be that guy.

With last week being Easter,
just wanted to share a faith question that I heard from a pastor.

And that is:  "Do we ever become so stale in our Christian faith that we become like
Judas the disciple?"

You're probably like: "How on earth could I become like THAT guy?"

Well, even if you attend church, go to bible studies regularly,
participate in small groups, tithe, and do all the "Christiany things"...
anyone can fall into this trap... if we are not careful... just sayin'.

Really?  How?  

Who was Judas?  Well for starters, he was one of Jesus' best friends.
He was one of the 12 selected cool dudes who got to hangout with Christ.
What a privilege he must have had, to be there FIRST HAND,
experiencing Jesus' healing, teaching, and preaching. Talk about front row seats always!

But even if Judas walked alongside Jesus hearing all of his parables and lectures...
at the end of the day, when he was offered a large sum of money to
betray one of his best friends and teachers... he took the money...

Seriously?  What was Judas thinking?

He was walking with Jesus for 3 Years!!!  He was there for almost every miracle
Jesus performed! He obviously had a strong faith in Christ- to be one of Jesus' 12 chosen
best buds! Well then, what happened?

Judas' story is a true testimony of how even the Christian whose been a Christian
for years and years, can possibly fall into the same trap, if we don't keep our eyes
focused on God.

Its easy for even the church-going, Christ-believer to fall into the temptation of a glamorous lifestyle, with anti-God choices, if we are not careful,
and constantly trying to align our choices with 'WWJD'.

But hey, not saying this to discourage you or anyone.
After all - all things are possible through Christ. :)

Its just a wake up call to all Christians who've been Christians for a while
(including myself),
to constantly examine ourselves, to make sure that everyday we choose to serve a good God,
and not ourselves, like what Judas did.

A challenge for us to not be like "that" guy, and to choose Christ instead.

Easter weekend reflection

This past Easter weekend, I was reflecting on Romans 8:28.

And it really got me thinking... that even in our times of trials... if our focus is on the Lord, the outcome will be good.  Because He loves us.

I was reminded of all the suffering Jesus went through, all for being a good person.  For preaching, serving the poor, healing, and teaching about love- He was crucified. 

And for Christ- it was a huge trial!!!  The Son of God himself went through pain and suffering.

The prayer he prayed when HE KNEW that he was going to be crucified was:

" Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine. "

Christ knew that as the Son of God... God could do anything.... but it was God's will that Christ go through what he did... so that he could eventually show his Resurrection power, when Christ rose from the dead!

It's a scary thought to know that its pretty much guaranteed there's going to be tests and trials in life... just when we think everything is perfect... something disappoints us.  But the moral of the story is to keep looking to God, keep serving him, keep loving others in the name of God.... because God will honour us when we live for Him. That's a guarantee.

"Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." - John 16:33.

Sometimes Christianity can seem like a fairy tale ending... that no matter what:  Good wins over evil.  But in Christ, its true.  That's how our faith works.

God is good, all the time. :)  Happy Easter!

Travels in broadcasting

Was just shuffling through some old photo albums this weekend, and thought I'd share a few pix of some of my cross-Canada travels while working in the broadcast industry. 

I truly thank God for all the fun places I've worked at, and for all the wonderful people and co-workers along the way.

I've worked in radio in Vancouver and Northern BC, Calgary, Edmonton,
and for the past 3 years: here in Barrie, and through the Life Street Team
in Newmarket, Huntsville, Peterborough, Owen Sound,  and Toronto!

Here's where my journey first started, at CFML, and then Clear FM in Vancouver...

This was a time when we still used carts to play some commercials,
and even edited some features on reel-to-reel tapes :) haha!
(btw I also thank God that Asian genes offer a fountain of youth.)

Here's a pic I found co-hosting mornings in Edmonton.
It was my co-host then who challenged me to read the entire bible,
so we could reference scripture more accurately during our show. :)

Here's a pic I took while working up in Prince George, Northern BC, for a job at a Rock Station. 
This was the company vehicle I got to take home and drive to work everyday.

And despite the edgier format- I'd have to say that the people here were the friendliest and kindest folks I have worked with. My boss' family even went to the same church as me! :)

Besides that... there was a lot of trees and a lot of snow up there!

I then travelled to Calgary to fly in a helicopter giving traffic reports every morning/afternoon.
That's with my pilot Traffic Tony. Some of my fondest broadcast memories here were seeing the sunrise over the city every am rush hour, and the sunset over the drive home show...

When I moved back to Edmonton to host a midday radio show, I was also a part of a team that shot features and news on Access TV, as well as on CTS TV. This pic was shot during a news watch show on Access. (wondering if I should do short hair again, hmm.)

And finally... after meeting Life's station manager Scott and program director Steve while hosting
  in Edmonton,  God opened a door for a move to Central Ontario... and the rest is history! 3 years and counting...

Broadcasting is super fun. You meet lotsa interesting people, and it takes you to lotsa interesting places!

Happy to provide you with news every morning!  :)

Reading Someone's Text Wrong

Sometimes text messaging can be taken the wrong way.

Here's an example.

Friend 1 on TEXT:  Help! windows frozen and wont open.

Friend 2 on TEXT: Try pouring some warm water on it, then gently tap the frame
with a hammer.

Friend 1 on TEXT: Ok.

10 minutes later....

Friend 1 on TEXT: The computer wont even turn on now :(