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Showing posts from July, 2020

The End?

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During this COVID-19 pandemic I've had a lot of time to think. And read. And pray. And talk with other leaders. And learn. I pretty much had a lot of time to do a lot of things since so much in life has been changed as of mid-March. I spend a lot of time reading and studying church trends. I just love it! Maybe it's because of my computer background. In that field, if you don't stay up to date on all the latest changes to technology and its usage in people's lives, you can find yourself out of a job real quick! For example, I have been out of my computer career for 14 years. About 4 years ago I had lunch with one of my former bosses. We had a great time catching up on our families and all that is going on in our lives. I then learned something that shouldn't have been shocking but it did surprise me. Every, and I actually mean EVERY, single line of code that I programmed in my time at that company was gone. EVERYTHING had been replaced by newer, more advanced system

Be a Bridge

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Have you ever felt like you've been walked all over by the world? I know I sure have! In a culture that tries everything humanly possible to avoid discomfort and pain, being walked on is something we want to avoid. But what if it shouldn't? What if it is a pathway to something so much better? Last week I attended a meeting for Christian leaders in our city on the topic of race reconciliation. It was such an important conversation and I was challenged and encouraged greatly in it. One quote from one of the speakers really jumped out at me, "Bridges are made to be walked on." That resonated deeply in my heart and mind. I want to unpack why. Called to Be a Bridge For many years now, Danielle and I have felt we were being prepared in our ministry to be used by God as a bridge. As we enter the second half of our ministry, we feel a calling to be a bridge between the leaders who have gone before us and the up and coming leaders behind us. We believe the mission of Jesus is

It Ain't Your Moma's Yoga!!

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It Ain't Your Mama's Yoga! That is the tagline for the DDPYoga Fitness Program. When most guys hear Yoga, especially us Christians Guys, it is usually quickly followed with comments to run for the hills. Either it is way too girly and emotive, or it is way to spiritual and anti-biblical.  First off, when it comes to DDPYoga, it really is better to think of this as a fitness program inspired by yoga stretches rather than actual yoga. Where the goal of yoga is to attain spiritual tranquility through the poses and meditation, DDPYoga is designed to strengthen muscles, develop your cardiovascular system, increase endurance and recover from past injuries. Founder and WWE Hall of Fame pro-wrestler, Diamond Dallas Page states that it is not spiritual in nature but it is about developing a positive attitude in what a person can accomplish. Hard work and dedication pays off. Every time you make a small improvement, it creates a sense of motivation to drive you further. DDPYoga is all ab

Entering the Second Half

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Hard to believe how long I have had this blog. The first post is from May, 2006. Before that I had another blog on a Lotus Notes Domino server that no longer exists. A lot has gone on in my life these past 14 years. This fall will mark fourteen years that I've been a pastor. In the spring I will be hitting the big fifty years old. I could have another fifteen years of pastoring before my retirement. I'm standing right at the centre of my ministry career! And I can choose now what the second half is going to look like. I've been very blessed and happy with how pastoring has gone for me so far. It wasn't always easy. There were some tough times where I strongly thought about giving up and finding a nice quiet job at a hardware store. I am fortunate to say that God has worked through our family and it's been wonderful to have been a part of how God has blessed others. At this stage it would be really easy to coast on my experiences and knowledge and ride out the second