SPEECH! SPEECH! SPEECH!

“Hey Tim?”

“Yeah Ed?”

“Thanks for doing this –”

“No problem Ed”

“I was able to breathe a sigh of relief when I read your response to my email…” Ed was expressing his gratitude to me for agreeing to share the workload, of preaching to nearly 200 kids at Camp Chestermere. Heading east on the 1A highway out to Chestermere, Ed continued as we approached 52 street. “When we get to camp, I’ll introduce you to the Camp Director. He’s a close personal friend of mine. Well, more like family. You see, Tim, his uncle married my mother less then a year ago. But that’s neither here nor there; I was thinking of speaking to the 10 o’clock crowd and having you speak to the younger kids at 11. And tomorrow we’ll switch. You speak at 10 and I’ll do the 11 o’clock service.”

Being in front of crowds is familiar territory for me. As far back as I can remember I have graced a stage in one way or another. The very beginning of school – kindergarten – for example, I was part of the school choir. If we weren’t rehearsing for some school assembly, we were practicing for trips to senior centre’s to provide the meal time entertainment. In Grade 5 I was fortunate enough to join a small group of grade sixers for reader’s theatre. While my fellow classmates were trying to earn gold stars for reading through their “choose your own adventure” books; I was whisked away to the grade 6 room, to practice for a reader’s theatre competition at the jubilee auditorium.

In grade 7, I played the trumpet in the school band. In Grades 8 and 9 I took a performing arts class. It was here that we’d put on plays, either for our classmates or performed song and dance numbers at school assemblies.

While kids in high school were either shooting hoops, or hanging out in the smoke pit, I hung out with a group of guys who, with the help of a teacher, formed a cover band. We’d get together over the lunch break and cover Tom Petty tunes.

 or we’d be perfecting our performance of Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Child.

Just in case you’re wondering, due to fire regulations we weren’t allowed to set any guitars on fire.

We were also constantly reminded by teachers that our teeth were NOT ideal guitar picks.

In college, I had grown quite comfortable with speaking, teaching and preaching, and my near decade career as a college student afforded countless opportunities to speak at churches, and take on various teaching roles. This past summer I was even fortunate enough to share pastoring duties at a camp for people with disabilities. But speaking at Camp Chestermere was different.

When I walked on stage I was greeted by the coolest sound EVER!!!... 200 kids, all chanting, “WE WANT TIIIIIM!!!!! WE WANT TIIIIIM!!!!! WE WANT TIIIIIM!!!!!”

Another first for me happened after one of my speaking engagements that week. Two kids asked me to sign their bible. I didn’t know what to say, I’ve never been asked to sign anything other then a check before. I was able to blurt out some sort of “yes” type response and wrote an encouraging remark on a blank page in 2 people’s bibles. I’m not going to lie. I left that camp feeling like a rock star!

My friend and Pastor, Ed, asked me to speak a total of 4 times that week. And although the chanting and 2 person autograph session are top notch in all things cool, I will admit it’s not the greatest thing to happen that week. The best part of the week (as far as I’m concerned) is that my words made a difference. I was used by God to change someone’s life. That’s the point of ministry. To impact peoples lives with the Gospel of Christ. Through word or deed, everyone has a need for the love of Jesus.

A few weeks after camp, I was invited to a leadership meeting with my pastor, friend, and ministry partner, Erik. As Erik, his wife bonnie and I chatted over dinner Erik challenged me to find ways that I could contribute to the leadership of Expressions. This summer proved to be a busy one. In July and august I had taken on leadership roles at 2 different camps. Armed with nothing but my bible and a servant’s heart, I was able to speak to hundreds of people and spur them on in their pursuit of righteousness and holy living. I left that meeting with an attitude of prayer. What was it that God wanted me to do – not only in expressions community, but perhaps with the next stage of my life? As I lay down at night asking God these questions, I find myself in situations where God’s answer is clear.

As the summer ended, I had an interview with an old employer about possibly working with them again. When we got to talking, she encouraged me to get into public speaking; particularly paid speaking engagements. Some of my Facebook friends would post links to various public speaking groups. Whenever people asked me about my dream job, I would tell them stories of being a keynote speaker at some sort of conference where I would not only get a fee but all transportation and accommodations are paid for. But the clincher came just a few weeks ago during a coffee meeting with another pastor friend of mine, Dallas.

Dallas told me I have a way with words. Not only is my writing an apt tool, but my abilities as a public speaker proved to be an effective ministry as well. He then encouraged me to get into the realm of public speaking. In the days leading up to this meeting, I had been thinking again about Erik’s question posed to me in the fall: how do I/can I best contribute to the ministry of expressions community? My thought was some form of public speaking. But I wasn’t sure if that was something God wanted me to do. In fact I remember saying: “God I think I’m hearing you say go do public speaking, but I’m not 100% sure. Could you be more direct? Like someone telling me: Tim you should do this.

The speaking opportunities I had over the summer were tons of fun. I was extremely humbled and thankful for the opportunities to speak. In pursuing this public speaking route, is it my goal to become world famous, selling out the like of the O2 Arena, the Houston Astrodome or speaking to crowds of 50,000 chanting ““WE WANT TIIIIIM!!!!! WE WANT TIIIIIM!!!!! WE WANT TIIIIIM!!!!!” in unison? Absolutely not! If it happens along the way, that’s great! But the reason I’m taking this route is to bring glory and honor to God.

My life makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble and afflicted hear and be glad.

Psalm 34:2

Bringing Faith to Life

The book of genesis tells us that in the beginning the earth was empty. A formless mass; devoid of anything but God and His spirit. And then He spoke.

Day one, “light.”  

Day two, “sky.”

On day 3, “I command the water to separate,” and this reveals the land. Then God speaks seed bearing plants and trees into existence

On Day four, God sets the stars in the skies. Spoken into existence, they are to be a difference maker. Stars and varying kinds of light are to keep night and day separate. Their second purpose is to mark a change in the seasons. Before standard time, people would look to the skies and determine whether it was time to plant crops or to harvest; to grill steaks outdoors or use their oven for the night’s meal. To toss a ball back and forth with your good buds wearing shorts or to light a fire and snuggle with your sweetheart as the snow falls on a chilly winter’s day. Whatever the activity God set the stars in the sky to help us determine the day’s activities.

The next day God said, “The waters need some life in them. I didn’t create them to be desolate and stagnant, but to teem with living creatures. So I shall fill them with fish and other waterfowl. I’ll set some in a random lake and let them reproduce. That way, they will fill the earth and I can enjoy watching them as they populate this planet.” After filling a lake with fish and watching them for a bit, God smiled. His fun continued as he filled the land with livestock and the sky with birds. Thinking about the next days work, day passed into night and soon day 6 began.

On Day 6, God’s creativity culminates with his greatest creation: mankind.

 Genesis 2 provides some detail on exactly how God did it. Genesis 2:7 paints a picture of God in a sandbox saying he took some dust and formed it into a shape of a man. But it didn’t end there. When God was finished shaping his sand-man, he was lifeless until God breathed life into this sand-man. “Now that this man has been brought to life, he needs a purpose. What shall I have him do?” thought God, “I’ll put him in charge of everything I have created! That way he – and those that come after him – won’t wander around aimlessly.” God’s time of creating ended on day 7 with a time of rest.

What captures my attention in this story is the importance of God breathing life into mankind. Prior to that, the inaugural human being had been just like the earth on day zero. Devoid! Or, if I can use a different word here, lifeless or even dead! Genesis says that God’s greatest creation was otherwise dead and lifeless until God breathed life into it. I wonder if the same could be said of a person’s faith. It is dead, lifeless and devoid until God breathes life into it. At least that’s what I find myself learning these days.

There are things that I say I believe but when rubber meets road, living out what I believe becomes a real challenge. I trust God with my life. I am convinced that His plans for me are far better then mine. Yet His timing can frustrate me. Take for example this publishing contest. In May I discovered a free publishing contest for authors. Having written a book but not published it yet, I decided to take a chance and enter the contest.

As far as I know, the manuscript is still floating around their office climbing the ranks and etching its way ever closer to the finish line. But I find myself getting impatient and growing restless with not knowing what’s going on with my manuscript. Daily I fight the urge to pick up where I left off and continue towards self publishing. It’s so tempting and leads to frustration but I continue to wait. As my patience is being tried I find my confidence in God growing. The feeling of trust and confident assurance that comes when you trust a tangible person is welling up within me. As I think about unknown territory my fears and worries for the general future feel more secure. I’m becoming more optimistic. My pessimism is wading away. For this I am thankful.

Denied

“A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.” (Mark 1:40) NLT.

As I read this verse a few weeks ago, something struck me. Here the leper asks Jesus to make him clean, but only if He wants to. The following verse tells us that Jesus is willing, so He reaches out His hand touches and heals the man. The Leper is overflowing with joy. He then spreads the word about the great and mighty work that Jesus had done and he’s possibly praising God because of it. But Jesus only healed the man because He was willing to do so. What if the leper asked Jesus to heal him and He said no?

This is a reality I am faced with daily. Born with a disability I find myself echoing the words of the leper. “Jesus, I know that you can heal me, so please take this disability away.” In the face of my plea I wake up each morning with the Lord denying my request; and living life the same as yesterday. Limited in my physical abilities and having to navigate my daily functions with an unwanted challange.

I take comfort knowing that I don’t face this alone. Scripture calms my mood when God refuses to heal my legs; especially these words from the apostle Paul: “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. ” Here, Paul confesses to having a thorn embedded in his flesh. Not wanting to deal with this ailment, he too gives voice to the plea of the leper. “Jesus, if you are willing you can make me clean.” Yet Jesus withholds His healing touch. The leper praised God and spread the news of his healing, but Paul’s testimony tells a different story.

In 2 Corinthians 12:8, Paul tells us that he cried out to God, pleading three times to make his life easier by removing the thorn from his side. The Lord hears his cry and responds by saying no. Paul doesn’t need to be healed. As the thorn remains, God is shown to be bigger then healings and miracles. By keeping the thorn in his flesh, anything Paul does to advance God’s Kingdom is merely God’s Holy Spirit using Paul’s weakness to His advantage.

In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul wrote:

“…God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.”

Yet in his next letter to the Corinthian church, Paul is boasting about his weaknesses. This is an act of God’s grace. The fact that people are praising God in lieu of Paul’s weaknesses gives testimony to God’s power. No one can say that they are the only reason Paul’s ministry is thriving. Paul’s weakness is so debilitating that the ministry would suffer if he didn’t depend on God to give him his daily needs. This is why he boasts in his weaknesses. For when he is weak, God is strong. Without the thorn, Paul would rely on his own strength to see the ministry to survive. Giving him this thorn keeps Paul humbled. By solely relying on God’s strength, He gets all the credit. When someone praises Paul for his success in ministry, all the apostle can do is thank God for being an instrument of God’s grace.

Every day I wake up and realize that God denied my request to walk on my own. Consequently I’m forced to answer this question: what benefit does today’s challenge bring me? Most often the answer is humility and encouragement to those around me. When people see what I go through in a day they are humbled. Putting on socks is an example of little things that most people take for granted. Because of my disability I struggle with this task. Four or five attempts later, those socks are warming my toes. When people watch me do it with a smile, they are blown away. I’m not frustrated or beating myself up because I can’t do it or is so hard. It puts them in a place of humility.

In this example, all I’m doing is putting on a pair of socks. But some people see God in what I do. People see me struggle yet I’m not depressed or getting sad about it. I have joy! I’ve been told on countless occasions people are inspired by the joy in my heart and the smile on my face. Jesus gave me that smile. As I wake each morning, I receive the grace I need to face my challenges head on. Bringing glory to God in the midst of my weakness; praising God for His grace that is sufficient.

Earlier I shared about answering the question: what benefit does today’s challenge bring me? Think about some of your own challenges for a moment. What might some of them be? How might this approach to the challenges you face change your attitude about it? How does it help you see God in the situation?

Crouching Timbits, Hidden Potential

John 15:16 says that Jesus chose us to be his disciples. It also says that we ought to avoid the following lifestyle:



***If you watched the video your probably confused at the moment. Chances are you’re trying to figure out the connection between Green Day and of all things, the bible. Trust me its there! Just keep reading***

One of the encouraging things I find about this verse is it tells us Jesus CHOOSES the people he hangs with. In high school, our home room teacher was also a martial arts instructor. Twice a week he taught women’s self defense classes outside school. And once a week he would teach a handful of my fellow class mates martial arts over the lunch period. One year he personally asked me to join the class. He said he’s had martial arts students in the past with polio, and after taking them under his wing they’ve had nothing but positive results. Even though I was in a wheelchair, he could teach me how to defend myself if I ever met a creepy person with bad intentions.

I don’t know if he was ever aware, but I wanted to take his martial arts class and was hesitant to ask him… I thought the wheelchair would be a deterrent and he’d say no, so I never did. but then HE approached ME! This meant he saw something in me that I didn’t. There was a potential deep inside me that needed to be coaxed out. Boy did he ever hit the nail on the head that time. After that, I was hooked. I became a devoted follower.

Those lunch hours were priority number one. On nights off, I practiced my newfound skills at home. Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Steven Segal became my newest reasons to go to the movies. Whenever they threw a kick or punch, I announced which kick or punch it was. I even remember going to the library to sign out books on martial arts and tried to mimic the diagrams they had on the page. Once I tried watching an old Bruce Lee movie, but it was too cheesy and turned it off. For the rest of my high school days I ate slept breathed and bled anything to do with martial arts. I did this all with great enthusiasm because my master believed in me. Where I saw a bitter end, he saw a bright and hopeful future.

That same enthusiasm is demonstrated in Christ’s disciples. It’s the reason the apostle Peter did such crazy and outlandish things. Christ chose to spend three years of his life with Peter and 11 others because He saw something they didn’t. Where the disciples saw losers and drop outs, Jesus saw winners, and catalysts for a movement that would take the world by storm. Jesus saw that they had a purpose; all it would take is a little coaxing.

Naturally Enhancing The Body's Performance?

A number of months ago I was struggling with how I best enhance the ministry of the church. 1 Corinthians 12 talks about the church being like a human body. The human body has many parts to it. Each has a primary responsibility or task that is uniquely separate from every other individual part. Yet they serve an overarching purpose and without that individual function, the body’s entire function/purpose would be in jeopardy. The apostle Paul relates this to the ministry of the church.

He says there are certain things needed in the church in order for it to function properly. Such things include apostles, teachers, leaders, helpers and the list goes on. I personally believe everyone can be used for ministry. Part of the Christian life is figuring out where you fit in the Body of Christ. How your gifts, talents, and abilities enhance the ministry of the church and enlarge the Kingdom of God.

During this time I invited a pastor friend over for a coffee visit. One of the things he suggested was that my mission is to serve those of the disability/special needs community. This was a natural place of ministry for me. I had an “in” that he didn’t. I am a special needs individual. I am one of them. This gives me a voice that others don’t have. As an able bodied person, whenever he talks to someone that uses a wheelchair, crutches, a walker, etc, etc, it just goes in one ear and out the other. The pastor furthered his point by saying this is because an able bodied person doesn’t understand what it’s like to live with disability.

I wonder if this attitude is reflected in the psalms. For example, check out psalm 73:

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Psalm 73:1-6 NIV

I also wonder if that’s what Paul meant when he wrote:

Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 NLT

What about you? What do you think about this?

A Key To Longevity In Youth… [Err, um ALL] Ministry

It’s said there’s 52 weeks in a calendar year…which accounts for 13 months instead of 12 by the way, but I digress…

So by that count, I’ll be celebrating a rather unique anniversary in the next week or two. The end of July is when I first moved into my own place. Since that time life has been a whirlwind of adventure. Without getting into too much detail, I can in retrospect say there were times when I was so busy I very nearly experienced burnout. I can recall at least three times this past year, if not four, I’ve had to put the breaks on, isolate myself, and recharge my batteries. There’s nothing wrong with that; Jesus modeled it during his ministry.

He directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone… Matt 14:19-23 NIV

This time, I decided to turn off my phone, lock my door and read through a selection of psalms. I open the book and begin reading the first psalm when my eyes come across this:

His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:2-3 NIV

In college we were told the longevity and sustainability of your ministry, what ever it may be, is directly connected to your relationship with God. If you’re feeding that relationship by spending time with the Lord in prayer and reading the scriptures, then your ministry will flourish. If that relationship is stagnant, and you’re not including the use of scripture and/or prayer in your daily activity, your ministry will suffer; and even become stagnant itself.

Whenever I read that in a book or heard someone else say that, I would make time to read my bible and pray. Unfortunately it wouldn’t be too long before that discipline would taper off and I’d be doing things in my own strength, treating my prayer and bible reading as a panic button or a glass case containing a fire extinguisher. In case of emergency break glass!

Now that I’m out of college and been in ministry for approximately a year. I can say without a doubt that taking time to nourish your relationship with God is a key to a successful ministry. I would even venture to say any activity suffers if you neglect to “… delight in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

I have to admit though I do feel like a hypocrite saying this as its not something I continually practice. So if you come across this, I would ask that you pray for me. That I would regularly take time to read the word of God and pray, so I don’t experience burnout as much, and can have the strength to face the day for the many moons ahead of me.

Joy In The Morning

“There’s something different about you Tim, your not like most people around here… more people should be like you, a fighter!” I learned a long time ago that encouragement is one of my gifts from God. So comments like this shouldn’t amaze me but they always do. I struggled to find the right words as a neighbor shared this over coffee last week, and all I could come up with was “thanks.”

I would like to take credit for the times people see me as a power house, source of strength or what have you, but the truth is that strength is not my own. Psalm 121:2 says:

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

I have a couple “friends by book” … I guess they are more appropriately “friends through circumstance,” who share the same scenario as mine last week. One of these friends is Joni Eareckson Tada. Being asked the same question she often shares this story:

“After my husband, Ken, leaves for work at 6:00 a.m., I’m alone until I hear the front door open at 7:00 a.m. That’s when a friend arrives to get me up…While I listen to her make coffee, I pray, ‘Oh, Lord, my friend will soon give me a bath, get me dressed, sit me up in my chair, brush my hair and teeth, and send me out the door. I don’t have the strength to face this routine one more time. I have no resources. I don’t have a smile to take into the day. But You do. May I have Yours? God, I need You desperately.’ I turn my head toward her and give her a smile sent straight from heaven. It’s not mine. It’s God’s. And so,” I said, gesturing to my paralyzed legs, “whatever joy you see today was hard won this morning.”

One of my newer “friends via circumstance” Nick Vujicic says, “Anything good that you see in me, is not me as a Christian, its God being gracious and showing up in me.”

I too echo the words of my comrade’s. My life isn’t always a bed of roses. I have days where I get down in the dumps and go through the motions, just waiting for the day to end. In my life its true, any strength or encouragement you see in me, does not come from me. It’s God using me in the moment. The reason and how fore is meaningless. Your strength or encouragement is all that matters.

Beware The Pharisees, Not Every Miracle Is Given

This past Sunday I turned on the TV and decided to take in one of the many televangelists that take the airways each Sunday. Being a stranger to early morning TV, I decided to check out Reinhard Bonnke’s program. Like most televangelists, Bonnke shows up on the screen and encourages people to call his toll free 24/7 prayer line. With the number scrolling along the bottom of the screen he tells people if they’ve been asking for a miracle they are to call and receive their miracle today.

This may be true. You could call his prayer lines, talk with the person on the other end, pray for a miracle and receive it. But there’s a danger in this line of thinking. Not everyone who asked Jesus for a miracle received one. Consider Mark 8:11-12

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign.”

If you read Mark 8:1-10, you’ll see that Jesus just fed 4000 people with a few loaves of bread and a couple fish. Jesus performed miracles prior to this mass feeding that confirmed his claims and authority as the Son of God. After witnessing these miracles the Pharisees still had unbelief in validity of Christ’s claims. They do not need another miracle; they have plenty of evidences to decide whether or not there is any integrity in Jesus being the Son of God. So he tells them no and walks off with his disciples.

Jesus then warns his disciples about the Pharisees. This is because the Pharisees belief in God was so futile. They demand strict obedience to Jewish law yet when they are under fire, will abandon God entirely. So am I saying that Reinhard Bonnke is a Pharisee, false prophet, or someone who can’t be trusted with the Gospel of Christ? I honestly don’t know my only exposure to him is a half hour TV program one Sunday morning… but that’s the impression I get. So I’m more likely to say yes, but I am a human who isn’t perfect and could be wrong. Reinhard Bonnke as a pharisaical false prophet is a decision all your own.

What A Week!

Time flies when you’re crazy busy! If you’re an avid reader and wondering where I’ve been the last week let me catch you up. This week I ...


 Finished writing a devotional for my book

 Got started on another devotional

 Had a scrabble game and coffee time with 2 separate neighbors

 Attended the Life Without Limbs Conference/Event in the city

 Took Nick Vujicic to the mountains

 Spoke at a leadership luncheon Prior to the Life Without Limbs event

 Had dinner with the pastoral team from the Abilities Church in Toronto Ontario

 Connected with a pastor from Ukraine and briefly discussed partnering with their ministry

 Battled various temptations to sin, which caused physical pain and lack of sleep

 Paid some bills

 Been feeling sick this last week

 Went grocery shopping

 Had lunch with a friend

 Did the 5K at the Calgary Marathon in 45 minutes on ZERO sleep

 3-4 of those days included 15+ hour days, not including the sleepless nights

With all my craziness this last week, I just wanna have some fun… and if you’ve had a rough time lately heres a few goofy videos to lighten your day

Jeff Dunham & Peanut cracking jokes (warning there is some swearing)


A video of Nick Vujicic (part 1)


Nick Vujicic (Part 2)


Nick Vujicic (Part 3)


Nick Vujicic (Part 4)


Enjoy!!!

John Calvin and Calling: An Absolute Truth?

Theologian John Calvin once wrote: “And surely we may then safely triumph over our enemies when we are assured of having the call of God to the office which we hold, or the work in which we are engaged."

I don’t claim to be a Calvinist but as I was reading this (as difficult and wordy as his writings are); it leapt off the page at me. As far as I can remember, I’ve always struggled with God’s call in my life. When I entered college I was dead set on graduating with a youth ministry degree. This became my goal due to an influence by my own youth pastor. Prior to entering college my youth pastor told me she received a word from God regarding my future. Now she never claimed to be a prophet, or have the gift of prophecy enabling her to speak a word into lives, having it unequivocally come to pass 100% of the time. One of the things she shared was God wanting me to graduate with a youth ministry degree.

Fortunately, that part came to pass – but with some struggle. More then once, I questioned God’s call on my life to go into youth ministry. Every time that calling came into question, God confirmed that I was in the right place completing an appropriate call on my life. As I continue to follow God’s leading, I question Calvin’s above statement.

In a recent job interview, I was asked by the potential employer, after spending nearly a decade getting my degree, why I’m not pursuing a career as a youth minister. I responded by saying, since graduating, I feel a need to work within the disability community. Expanding on that thought I feel the need to use my gifts to bless them, and help usher them into God’s kingdom.

With this “change in calling,” on my mind I wonder if Calvin’s statement is absolutely true. That is, 100% true 100% of the time. Evaluating my current place in life, I find myself in a place where Calvin’s thoughts on God’s calling could be true. I’m currently involved in two churches. One works with the disability community helping to Guide them into God’s Kingdom. The other place of worship is in need of a youth minister and is a venue to exercise my years in Bible College and training in youth ministry.

After much prayer and considering where my walk with the Lord has led me, to date I don’t have an answer and wonder if I ever will. One thing is certain. I do feel a need to work with both churches and that I have the blessing of God to do both. Still doubt occasionally creeps in and I wonder if I’m double dipping running the risk of burning the candle of both ends, or if this is INDEED God’s way of saying: “Hey Tim, do both!” If experience has taught me anything this struggle with my calling will be ongoing.

Trusting Words From The Apostle Paul

Last night I heard an interesting quote regarding the life of the apostle Paul.

The resource that was the apostle Paul to the church was massive. And God gifts him and makes him into this person who is an apostle and a teacher and a preacher and the church gets established through those gifts. And yet those gifts because they get exhausted for Jesus lead him to prison.

He went on to talk about the trust Paul had put in Christ. The profound thing about the life of Paul was that amount of trust he put in his savior. Carrying the message of the Gospel, afforded him many scars as Paul’s mission took him before abusers and persecutors on numerous occasions (see 2 Cor 11:24-28). No matter how bad things got, Paul had this reassurance that everything was going to be alright. I would suggest maybe that’s why Paul was able to say

“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.” (Philippians 1:20-22)

Avatar, Christ, and The Peace Child: Hidden Gems Of God's Presence

This week, I, like thousands (if not millions) of others became the owner of James Cameron’s newest box office hit Avatar. Sitting and watching it a second time (yes you read correctly SECOND time), I find myself learning about the Na’vi and the world of Pandora all over again. By the way, Kudos to the script writers for how we learn of the Na’vi. For as Jake Sully is schooled we to become akin to Pandoric lifestyle.

One question Jake asks his army buddies are about Eywa – The deity and life source for all things Pandora. The one thing from which all living things originated, and to which all things return upon death. This parallels the biblical teaching of all human life came from dust and will return to upon death (Gen. 3:19).

One of the first things we learn about Sam Worthington’s character Jake is that he’s a paralytic marine. Contrary to popular belief, Jakes paralysis doesn’t disqualify him from active duty. His heart and determination are displayed with his desire to keep up with his fellow marines despite his lack of mobility. When Jake first uses his avatar, we learn that life as a Na’vi warrior is drastically different then the average human.Not only is the genetic make-up of the Na’vi different, but Jakes first exercise as an avatar is exactly that – physical exercise!

We see the paralytic Jake Sully wiggling his toes, shooting hoops with his colleagues, and running through the fields of Pandora with exceeding joy – possibly recalling the days of old, prior to his paralysis and able to use fully functioning legs again! Revelation 21:4 says: God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. This is another of many examples of what Don Richardson calls redemptive analogies.

What is a redemptive analogy? Playing on the idea that God can use anything to communicate to people, it’s the theory that all people groups, including tribal cultures – like the Na-vi for example – have practices or understandings embedded in their way of life that can be used to illustrate the gospel. Don Richardson used this method of communicating the gospel to a tribal people in the 1960’s.

In 1962, he took his young family from Prairie Bible Institute to live with a group of cannibalistic headhunters known as the Sawi in The Netherlands and share the gospel of Christ. Don and Carol Richardson’s first attempts at sharing about Jesus didn’t go over so well with the Sawi people. As Don told them about Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus, the Sawi were inspired to be like Judas and Jesus became a laughing-stock among the tribe. They had success much later after witnessing a peace offering between the Sawi and two other warring tribes.

Each tribe would give up one of the infant sons to be raised by their enemies. Along with this trade, each member of the tribe would take a vow of peace as long as the child lived. There is no chance that a warring tribesman would kill the peace child as such an act was dubbed the ultimate sin. In this case, the ritual was especially poignant because one of the peace children was an only son . The Richardson’s were able to use this story as a parallel to Christ. Consequently, many decided to follow Jesus, and this led to a plethora of activities including having the New Testament translated into their native tounge. The Richardson’s mission in the Netherland jungle initially involved the young family showing the Sawi people that Christ had been imbedded in the tribes own mythology.

I wonder if the same could apply to the Na’vi of Pandora. From what we learn of Pandora, is there a Christ figure embedded in “the Na’vi way”? Where do you see Christ in Pandora and/or Avatar? Or even those who hold the same views about the natural world and humankind’s sense of being and existence. I see similarities between Pandora and the gospel of Christ, what about you?

A Curiosity Of Mine

Last week I shared one of my devotionals on Good Friday. (click here) In preparing the devotional, I couldn’t help but notice the life of Peter. Before he met Jesus, and was invited to join him on his 3 year trek around Israel, Simon, the son of John (Peter’s other name) was a fisherman (Matt 4:18). And after denying Jesus 3 times on the night he was betrayed, Peter went back to the life he had before he met Jesus – that of a fisherman. Not only do I wonder why that is, but I wonder if we do that today. If someone paid by the church to be involved in ministry, goes through a trial where they end up denying they knew Christ, as such they end up jobless, with no means of supporting themselves; what happens? Does such a person go back to the life they had before their invitation to ministry? If so, how often does this happen? If it does happen, can a person then say going back to your “old way of life” after denying their work with and/or for the Savior is a given?

I wondered also if I were to deny Jesus like Peter did what sort of life I would to return to. I had my encounter with Jesus at a point in my life where I was just out of school trying to figure out what to do next. Fortunately, with God’s help I went and graduated from Bible College. Does this mean then that if I wee to deny Christ, completely disown Him, vowing never to go back to being a Christian, would I end up job less and homeless (or something very similar?) Hmmmm….

On The Discovery Channel

If you read any portion of my blog, it doesn’t take much to see that I’ve been on a journey of discovery as of late. Although I shudder at the thought, its definitely true that its been almost a full calendar year of asking, poking and prodding God to find out what He wants me to so with this next leg of my life. I must say so far it feels like I’ve been on a rollercoaster with plenty of dead ends/locked doors, u-turns and loop da loops. Parts of the journey have felt like dragging my legs through mud. Why can change be such a drag? This change isn’t wholly a stick in the mud though, for I have seen many grow ops (that’s my "word" for growth opportunities). I’ve experienced freedom from things that have kept me disabled, rediscovered that the kingdom of God is not only tangible but it is something that I can actually take part in. I also have a newfound joy for worship.

However, it still feels like life (for me at least) is still on the discovery channel. My good friends Erik and Bonnie popped by for a visit this week in response to an email I sent them a few weeks ago. I had asked them a question about leadership as it pertains to my involvement with the Expressions Community. In addition to vision casting about things ahead for expressions, they encouraged me to put feet to the new mission God seems to have called me to: encouraging people with disabilities. I felt deeply encouraged as we dreamed about the possibilities and wrestled with what my new mission looks like.

Together, the three of us figured that encouraging people with disabilities would need to include investing in them somehow. What does that look like? I don’t know, maybe I could buy them all some stock with their maturity date being April 1st. To what extent do invest in these people? No comprende mi amigo, but I do know I want it to be a long lasting one. So if you come across this and feel the urge to pray, feel free to do so. Until next time, this is Tim bits saying over and out!

To No End

Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?

Psalm 139:1

After beginning my relationship with God, like a stereotypical Christian I was reading my New Testament at least once a day if not more. (It wasn’t until I entered Bible College that I had a full bible). Around this time, I also became a heavily obsessed fan of the band Creed. The band had just come out with their Human Clay CD and it spent a lot of time in my stereo on repeat. One of the singles off the CD, Higher, was my new favorite. Scouring the lyrics page, the thing that struck me was the likeness Higher had with Revelation’s description of heaven (click here for the lyrics). In my excitement of the co-relation the band had with scripture and biblical themes, I shared my discovery with one of the youth leaders at church.

They agreed with everything I had said but they were still hesitant in endorsing the group. Although the lead singer was a pastor’s son, Creed was not an openly Christian band, and therefore garnered no support from my spiritual mentor. She cautioned me that the devil is a great manipulator, and can make anything sound Christian by twisting the truth or telling a half lie to seduce people into believing something is Christian, but in fact is not. I can’t remember what I thought after the conversation but I do remember walking away disappointed that my excitement hadn’t been reciprocated. Nearly 10 years later, I understand her concern and still heed the warning, but sometimes disagree with that line of thinking.

William Paul Young says the Holy Spirit’s power to communicate is limitless, living and transforming. This is the reason evidences of the Holy Spirit could be seen in anything. A piece of art, music, silence, the people around you, creation and/or nature are all vehicles which God’s Holy Spirit may reveal himself to us. At times the Holy Spirit has even shown up in our pain and sorrow. Whichever vehicle the Holy Spirit uses, it’s always done in conjunction with God’s goodness and love.

As I look at the world around me, I see truth in Young’s declaration. I saw the movie Avatar about 6 weeks ago and like the rest of the world, I sat with my jaw open for at least half the movie. Afterward, I had a lengthy discussion with a married couple about what life might be like in heaven, and much like the main character, we will be given new and fully working bodies. Impervious to the pain and suffering life seems to incur. I don’t know if James Cameron or the countless others involved in that movie intended to convey a Christian message – but it is there. The Book of Eli, The Dark Knight, Superman Returns, Seven Pounds, are other places Christian overtones can be found. Subsequently, these are all tools the Holy Spirit could use to direct one to the famed Jewish carpenter. The Holy Spirit's means to communicate are indeed limitless.

what does it all mean basil?

In 1999 comedian Mike Myers reprised his role as Austin Powers international man of mystery in the second film to the Austin Powers franchise. in a dialogue with his commanding officer for the British intelligence named Basil, Austin asks the question ... "what does it all mean basil?" and this question I wish to prose here today.

I read a something recently (either in Rick McKinley’s Beautiful Mess or William Paul Young’s The Shack... quite frankly I have been doing so much reading these days I cant remember where I read it, anyways enough of my digression). It was  regarding the amount of time we comb through theological statements. too much time is wasted either trying to figure out everything there is to know about God, or someone will take a certain stance on a theological point (like the grace vs. works argument for example) and spend all their time and energy building an irrefutable claim regarding their take on the issue.

Time is wasted in debate centers and the arenas of argument when they could make better uses of their time by sharing a meal with a starving 40 year old mother to be wondering if she’s going to spend yet another night in the pee stained corner she slept in last night. Or in the middle of the Mohave Desert trying to produce clean drinking water to stave off dehydration, sickness and water borne diseases.

With that said I wonder the purposes of blogs. Now you’re probably thinking of the irony of the statement as I have my own blog that you are reading right now. Let me just say I realize the irony and just because it is ironic doesn’t mean I still wonder... on that note last night I mentioned my most recent posts about Jonah to a friend and advised them to read the two entries. They then expressed their joy and thankfulness in my sharing of Jonah as it resonated with them and I guess was a form of ministry

I guess to that I say there may be a purpose to blogging and a place for debate ... exactly what that purpose may be is beyond me but that’s okay because His ways are higher them mine. I don’t know, what do you think? Do I have a point or is this entry just mindless babble?

=)

Type Casting or Gifting?

My high school English teacher had the challenge of teaching us Shakespeare in a tangible way. Rather then just reading the script and answering the questions after each unit, we got to act it out and put it on film. Fortunately I had the same teacher for grades 11 and 12, so I got to do it twice!!! As a result, I can now say I played Romeo in high school! LOL!!!

When it got to grade 12, we decided to put the entire Much Ado About Nothing on film. It was AWESOME; we made costumes, got to help with set design, camera settings, lighting effects, sounds, fight choreography, and so on. The coolest thing was holding auditions for the parts we’d play in the film.

I landed the role of Leonato, the towns Mayor and father to Hero, who is engaged to Claudio. Since Leonato was an older man, I had to grow a beard to play the part. This made me the brunt of many jokes in the kitchen I was working in, but I was glad to do it. With no budget, we had to be creative in coming up with some cotumes, and improvise when it came to make up. I had the challenge of making my hair look grey. I decided to put white flower in my hair just before the camera rolled. Made for some interesting showers afterward lol! We even had a mock Oscar night where I won a plastic Oscar for best supporting actor =D put THAT on a resume =p

In lieu of all the fun, the director/teacher was hesitant to give me the part because of type casting. He didn’t want to give me the role because I had a wheelchair which helped create the “old man” look. Nonetheless, I landed the role and it ended up being great for more then just characterization. I won an award based on my acting… now if only I can get the REAL Oscar to notice me!

Fast forward to now… I’m out of college with a new vision or direction in life, completely different to what I expected: Encouraging people with disabilities. Finding this new direction wasn’t quick and easy like biscuit dough. It involved a lot of prayer and bible reading and seeking advice from friends. On numerous occasions people were encouraging I get involved in some sort of ministry with special needs people. Even though I am settling into the role as one who encourages those facing challenges, I can’t shake the wonder if God put me in this role as a form of type casting. That maybe I was given this task because of my disability and not because of my giftings talents and abilities. Is this all I will ever be? Ten years from now, is that all the church will see? Will I apply for pastoral positions in churches and get shot down “because I have a disability, I’d be a ‘better fit’ for working with a special needs ministry elsewhere”?

These are the questions thoughts and challenges I wrestle with while settling into my new role

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?

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.