God's Chisel

i've been thinking about this video for a few days now, and thought i'd post it on here. im curious what sort of responses i get frolm this

tools of the trade

I’m reading through another book once recommended by a friend called This Beautiful Mess. In the opening pages, the Author tells he is a pastor. He says the primary tools are a bible, prayer, a crowd of people and a dinner platter filled with bread and wine. He then compares his process to that of gardening. The soul is his soil and he gets his hands dirty by sifting natural fertilizer (AKA manure) into the dirt. Pulling weeds and watering the crop is added to his profile of gardener for the Kingdom of God as his thinks about the best ways to yield a full harvest at the right time. I thought it was an interesting metaphor for the "job" as a pastor. (It definitely takes away from the age old theory that the church needs no volunteers because the pastor can do everything... but I digress); especially when Adam's primary role before the fall was that of a gardener. I’ve yet to be a pastor somewhere so I can’t speak to the truth behind the analogy... but I wonder if there is any truth in the comparison... what do you think?

wrestling WITH God

When someone has an encounter with Jesus, they can't help but change their ways. For some it’s a dramatic and instantaneous experience (see Paul's encounter ). Then there are others, like Peter who struggle to give up their ways and wrestle with what is acceptable behavior as a Christian (for examples, click here and here ).

When I had my encounter with Jesus and began changing my ways, one of the things I always get asked about is my fanaticism toward wrestling. I realize it’s fake and staged to the nth degree, and there are times I get frustrated and critique how blatantly fake it is, but I still watch it.

"But how can you watch something that doesn’t glorify God Tim?
"Watching wrestling is a sin"
"Those who watch wrestling are going to hell"
"Wrestling is a dirty business that God wants no part of"

I will admit some of the content on those wrestling shows don’t glorify God, and maybe if there is any godly content in any of it, it pokes fun or mocks God at best. But to come out and say watching wrestling = sin, could be a tad extreme.


The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, runs his own ministry
Vickie Guerrero, said Jesus was her Lord and Savior at Eddie Guerrero's hall of fame ceremony
Rey Mysterio has a tattoo that professes the closeness he shares with Jesus
The Legion of Doom AKA The Road Warriors are Christians
Listen as Shawn Micheals shares his encounter with Jesus (part 1 part 2)

and last but not least one of God's angels has a wrestling match with Jacob who he later names Israel.

with that said, whats the beef against watching wrestling and professing a devotion to Jesus?

Confession

I’m slowly working through a pile of recommended readings I’ve accumulated over the years in college. One of these books is Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz. As I was navigating my way through the book this evening, I came to his chapter on confession. In it he shares his involvement in Renn Fayre (a big party weekend) during his own college days).

Wikipedia says Renn Fayre is a three day weekend where the students’ events include bizarre art installations, bug-eating contests, the alumni Meat Smoke, a  occasional motorized couches, fireworks, naked people painting themselves blue (a tribute to the ancient Picts),naked Slip 'n Slide, a beer garden, the Glo Opera (performed at night by actors covered in EL wire and glow sticks), lube wrestling, full-contact human chess, parachuters, castle-storming and bike-jousting.

According to Miller, the few Christians that attend the college often opt out of the festivities, giving the Holier-than-thou impression. During his days though, there was one year where him and his friends set up a confessional booth for those who wanted to confess the sins they’ve committed.

Don’s fellow classmates would approach the booth in a drunken stupor, doped up on hallucinogens, expecting their carelessness that weekend would be forgiven. But their confessions wouldn’t be heard by Don and the other believers on campus. Instead, Don and the other disciples of Christ would confess and apologize to the lube wrestlers, human chess pieces, and bike jousting contestants.

For decades and centuries, the human race has poorly represented Christ and everything he stood for during his days on earth. Entire wars have been fought “in the name of Christ” or “under the authority of God.” After you consider the motivation or purposes of the armies involved, their use of the term “for Christ” is an abuse and misrepresentation of the man’s stance and reason for being. (One such army is the LRA or the Lord’s Resistance Army.)Things of this nature and other monstrosities have given Christ, the Church, and other Christians a bad rap sheet through the ages.

Rather then win people over by sponsoring intellectual arguments or pointing out one’s failures, Don – and the other Christians present chose to admit they were guilty of giving Christianity a bad reputation. Don says this repentance, as cheesy and lame as it may sound, made a significant impact in the student body at Reed College that year.

Don Miller’s confession of not always having it together and seeking forgiveness from others, got me thinking of the times the Lord has lead me to apologize to people from my past. If don’s experience of seeking forgiveness from those he has wronged has brought all parties to tears, I wonder what impact my letters of apology have had on the ones I’ve sought an apology from.

winter wonderland

If you’re like me and most the people on my Facebook page, you woke up to mound upon mound of snow. If you’re not out shoveling snow, odds are the forces of nature have changed your plans to something indoors. Despite my frazzled ramblings about the negative fear based reporting by our local news casts the other day I flipped on the news to see if committing to my plans was worth the struggle.

It didn’t take to long to realize, any attempt to adhere to my original plan of helping a friend move then attend the orchestra tonight would have got me committed. So I’m spending the day socializing with neighbors and later a movie night will cap off my "plan B day."

I further realized calling this a snow day and staying indoors was a good idea when I went to open my patio door and could only open it a few inches.... enough space to let in a small rodent who is brave enough to be out in this weather!!!

below are some of the pictures i took of the snow yesterday and today.

swine flu and an old ex-girlfriend

This might seem like a shot at the media but i am just down right sick of the medias coverage of the swine flu. its been 4 months since it first made the news and it seems that its all the media is talking about!!! CTV, CBC, CITY TV, GLOBAL TV AND ALL OTHER MEDIA your getting on my nerves!!!! this CONSTANT coverage makes me want to boycott you! you remind me of an exgirlfriend. four months later you wouldnt let  the issue wouldnt go away. even though i was trying to move on, you kept on bringing it up everytime we met. dont tell me your completely selfish,throwwing as hissy fit and having things go your way is the olny plausible solution! if so, grow up! ... oh wait your the media, chances are you do have a second agenda!

Leaving a legacy

There were guest missionaries from Caribbean Nazarene College at church this week. Amid the testimonies of God blessing the college and its ministry, there was a point Nichole Nordeman's song Legacy played through the sound system. As I listened, these words struck me:

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an "Atta boy" or "Atta girl"
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to You Enough?
To make a mark on things
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace
Who blessed Your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

It got me thinking about the end of my life. I don’t know what’s going to be said of me at my funeral, but I hope it will be filled with story after story of how I have impacted peoples lives and how God has used me to minister to people in unexpected ways... do you want to leave a legacy?

leading with a limp

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

In a recent sermon by Chuck Swindoll, he shares one of the benefits about walking in the light. Walking in the light is not being afraid to let the truth of your struggles be known. Admitting your life has parts of failure and that you sometimes need help is a benefit of walking with the savior. If you take note of the people Jesus interacted with during his 3 years of ministry, you'll notice that he helped nearly everyone who asked it of him. This is because those who had needs and weaknesses drew attention to it.

They did so not by keeping it under wraps treating their need as a "cloak and dagger issue." instead they brought it out in to the open for all to see. Having one's weakness, ailment, or shortcoming unveiled in the presence of their Yeshua gave them a sense of hope! "Healing will come," they cry. "Surely my insecurities will not be a burden in the presence of the Savior!"

They proclaim with shouts of joy, "If anyone can make good of my dark past, surely it is Jesus the chosen one of Israel!" for He is the light of the world. Whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

This makes me think of my own journey with the Lord; as one who has obvious weaknesses and limitations in my own abilities. Why run from it? Why not embrace it and boast about it? The Apostle Paul did and God blessed him for it.

I'm curioous what you guys think... Am I on to something? Or am I blowing smoke up my own pipe?

More Writing Oppotunities

Last week I was attending a special needs ministry collaborative in Calgary and got to share what God has been doing in my life the last few months; which I divulged to you in the last two entries. One of the people attending this collaborative was my good friend and ministry partner Erik.

A side note about Erik...
Erik has his own blog, and is one of the founding pastors of Expressions Community (the other of course being his wife). It is a small group movement in SE Calgary whose focus is seeking expressions of Jesus as Lord in everyday life and community. (For more info check out their website).

On Saturday I was attending Re:Genesis, a ministry of expressions and afterwards he offered me the opportunity to write for the expressions website. providing commentary, reactions to the ministries of expressions. After giving it some thought, it DOES help promote me as a writer so I’m going to start doing so. My first writing for them will be on their grey cup party this Sunday. Rumor has it, their will be chili at this party so don’t be surprised if you see the food critic in me come out in that post.

Also a friend of mine involved in the theatre community here was telling me his theatre group is looking to hire new actors. Part of the gig would involve writing stage plays in addition to putting on shows. I haven’t quite decided yet but they do work with the disability community and it is another place I would be able to practice my writing and hone the craft.

I'm also thinking about attending this next week.

I'm not sure how it'll benefit me yet, but it's something I'm thinking about. well thats my bit, whats yours?

Once It Began ...

Last night I told you how I began writing devotionals in March of '09... This is its continuation

During this time I was still in college heavily focused on finishing my internship and graduating Bible College. I started out the internship with a plan to bring people with disabilities to my local church. However, at the end of the first semester it was clear my first idea was a no fly zone. Fortunately the college and I came up with an alternative plan for the final semester.

From January to April my internship was to be a research project on the needs of people with disabilities in the city and how the church is currently responding to those needs. After the college and I decided this was the next course of action, we pooled our resources, developed an action plan and off I went.

Four months came and went and at the end of it I was juggling classes, homework, devotional writing and the extra demands that come with being a graduating college student. It was tough but at the end of April I was holding my college degree and a 12-15 page research paper on how the church at large can minister to people with disabilities in Calgary.

In May I had a real difficult time writing my devotionals for Got To Be There Ministries in Australia. After some prayer, we realized the Lord wanted me to pursue some healing in my life. During this time, my involvement in ministry (of any sort) was to temporarily cease. So off I went on a personal retreat.

In the midst of my pilgrimage, God was still at work. A friend of mine quite passionate about the church's need for inclusion of the special needs community, read my research and wanted to include it in an eBook he was writing. He contacted me during my retreat and asked if he could publish it as part of his eBook. Despite my reluctance and silence toward the topic, he took the initiative to include my research as part of his publication. (I should probably clarify that I don’t harbor bad feelings toward his actions but am rather grateful he did this).

Though my voice was silent and in seclusion, God's voice was loud and active. When I was trekking through what some called a "winter season" God was at work on my behalf. Because of it, I’m now a contributing author to One Table: A New Social Gospel

And now, at the end of my winter season, I stand with a better understanding of what my next chapter in life will be. Still possessing a heart, desire, (or as some may call it), a gift to minister to the special needs community in my city, and I’m going to seek out ways and opportunities to do so. Encouragement seems to be a predominant gift the Lord has blessed me with, accompanied by a newfound gift of writing. With these I’m going to seek opportunities to write, hoping that my use of language with inspire those who come across it.

Those are my two bits; I’m curious what are yours?

In The Beginning God Said: YES!

Well hello world, I am Tim or Timbo or backwards mit or even hey you works sometimes... just make sure your not talking with the guy next to me lol. I am the author and creator of Tim Bits: Better then a Tim Horton's donut hole, nourishing your mind and soul.

For a number of months now I’ve been encouraged (both by God and others) to pursue writing. It started in early 2009. I was lying in bed one night frustrated with my relationship to God. . I went through a period of going to church with sin in my heart, asking for forgiveness, and, walking out the doors of the congregation-free and forgiven. that night I would be tempted to lust after someone I had absolute ZERO interest in, and end up exactly where I started the day: with sin in my heart. I’d then start out the next morning the same as the previous day. The only difference would be my geographical location.

This pattern became such a regular thing for me; you could almost guarantee that I’d be repeating it no more then three days later. I knew I was experiencing a lack of growth and my bible was just a dust collector; so something needed to change. One night I was laying in bed thinking up ways to break my religiosity toward sin. Reflecting on some of the things that have helped ward off my "fleshly desires", I recalled anytime I’ve interacted with God's word. The times I’ve been asked to preach or prepare a sermon have been the greatest times of growth. These were also the longest time I’ve gone without a craving for sin, or have had the wherewithal to ask for help during the temptation.

After rifling through the countless ways I could study God's word in the same fashion, I settled on sending people a weekly devotional via email. The only problem was I didn’t know anyone I could send them too. But I figured if scripture says the earth is God's footstool, and He created it and knows all and sees all then he knows people I could send these devotionals too. So I asked Him to hook me up and open a door. Take my bible study email idea and make it a reality.

2-3 weeks pass and an msn friend informed me she was starting a new ministry based in Australia. She was looking to put together a team to write weekly devotionals that would get sent out via email to a list of contacts she has, and offered me a spot on the team.

I was shocked at the offer as I had been praying about the same thing almost verbatim for roughly two weeks. I told her yes and began writing weekly devotionals in March of this year.

The story continues another day ... in the meantime check out Got To Be There Ministries International this is the group I write devotionals for.