Pastor Ed Said

Ask, Seek, Knock, or Don't Worry be Happy

2011-09-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

In Matthew chapter 7:7-12, Jesus teaches us about effective prayer. He says: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the do will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

Praying effectively is one thing that I desperately want to do. I don't want to be like the people Jesus describes in Chapter six who mindlessly repeat their words thinking that bombarding God, with repeated requests will somehow change His mind. I just want to be able to take my requests to God, and know that he has heard them and that is good enough for me. I am having a hard time, this week, doing this.

I know that Pastors usually should be able to pray and know how to pray, and I do. I love my prayer life with God and my relationship with Him. It is just that I have this one issue that seems to be weighing heavily on my heart. This one issue that has started to keep me up at night as I go over all of the things that will go wrong if this issue is not resolved. I feel pressed and I am having a hard time doing what he tells us in chapter 6 vs 25, "I tell you do not worry".

A few weeks ago I preached that these times of pressing can either be a cause for us to fall away from God, and choose to reject Him and His message; or it can be a time of drawing us closer to God. So today I am choosing to practice what I preach. I want this issue in my life to draw me closer to God, I want to pray effectively for this issue but more importantly I want to seek Him and find Him. I want to know Him better through this time, I want to find His peace, I want to seek His face and His will for this issue in my life. I want to not worry and be happy in Him.

My prayer for you is that you would echo these thoughts. I know God loves us and that he works all things together, for our good, if we love Him. So let us love Him with all of our hearts, in the midst of the storm. Let the wind blow and the waves roll, Jesus is piloting my ship, and with Him at the wheel, I will not sink, no matter how many holes my boat may have!

Thank you Jesus for loving us and hearing our prayers. You know what we need even before we ask. Have you way in our hearts, in our lives, in our issues and in all!

How to take a pounding!

2011-09-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

Tonight is a night that my family will remember for the rest of our lives. The call came a few weeks ago from my board secretary who asked me if I had ever been pounded? I responded by telling him, "yes I have been pounded before and I did not enjoy it, why what did I do to deserve a pounding so soon? He laughed and said that the church family decided they wanted to give us a pounding, which is a whole bunch of people coming over to our house for an Island kitchen party where everyone brings groceries and goodies to eat. Tonight was the night they choose and all I can say is wow! It was amazing to see our house packed with members of our church who all were laughing and talking and eating goodies. It was even more amazing when they started to pile all the groceries in the corner. It filled our table and left me speechless. We felt so loved and appreciated and grateful that our church family cared enough about us to bless us by doing this. We are so blessed, not because we have a table full of food and enough in gift certificates to purchase food for a few weeks, but because we have people who care and desire a relationship with us. Thank you so much to everyone who came and brought food but more importantly thank you for the friendships that are starting to be formed. Thank you for loving my family!

All I can say to those of my friends who read this and who do not have a church family looking out for them, is I wish that you could experience what we did tonight. There is a fellowship and bond shared with people who go to church and love Jesus Christ, that is not found elsewhere and when it is done right, it honors God and helps to build his kingdom. Find a church that you can call your home and you will find that when those times come when you need a hand or an encouraging word, they will always be there for you!

Have a wonderful weekend and make time for God, who loves you, and go and worship Him on Sunday!

Faith can be ours!

2011-08-30T05:31:00.000-07:00

Oswald Chambers has said, : "Faith must be tested, because it can be turned into a personal posession only through conflict. What is your faith up against just now? The test will either prove your faith is right or it will kill it. "

Have your found that statement to be true in your life? Has the testing of pain, sorrow, loss, fear, relationships, financial difficulties, spiritual dryness, doubt, parenting, work, unemployment, and all of the other things life can throw at you; have those things drawn you closer to God and firmer in your faith? Or have you allowed those things to kill your faith? Faith is something that is built, and built over time. We need to trust in Jesus Christ, and be continually calling out to him in those times of testing.

We many never know when the test will come, but if our faith is owned by our hearts and is at the core of who we are in Christ, then no matter the test, the trial; our faith will become even more solid as we see Jesus our Saviour work in every situation.

Think of Mary and Martha and the loss of their brother Lazarus. The testing of loss in thier lives and the miracle that Jesus worked as he said in John 11:40, " Didn't I tell you that you would see the Glory of God if you believed." Father help us to believe in you and put our faith and trust in you, no matter the situation.

Lessons from a Marathon

2011-05-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

Today I had one of those moment that only parents can have. It came quietly and gently in the midst of the kaos of almost two hundred and fifty kids running the last mile of a marathon. There are 26.2 miles in a marathon and over the last four weeks, my kids have been in a run club that ran one or two miles everyday after school. As I watched my kids line up and get ready, I could see the determination in their eyes as they both mentally prepared for the run ahead. They were both nervous and yet excited. The whole group of kids were. The air horn sounded and off they went, one kid lost his shoe and another tripped, it was like watching the running of the bulls in Spain, yet instead of terror there was unbridled happiness and excitement, and that was just from the parents.

We waited cameras in hand and watched them run out of sight, then we waited nervously hoping that they would finish and that this would be a good experience. Then all of a sudden we could see a kid in the distance, a lone runner ahead of the pack on the far side of the field. As this kid got closer we could see others coming and running. The excitement in the crowd grew as the girl got closer and closer until finally her name was called over the loud speaker and tremendous applause broke out. This applause did not stop until all two hundred and fifty kids were across the line, the last one a three year old who was being helped along by his mom. He saw her and did not want to finish. It was cute.

My moment happened, though, when I saw my son Spencer running with all of his heart; racing another kid to the finish. He wasn't going to let him win and as he crossed the finish line my emotions mixed and swirled until I was laughing and cheering and crying at the same time. I realized that my son had just accomplished something that I had not, he had run a marathon; my daughter too. My daughter Emily did not really enjoy running at the beginning of this process, but she stuck with it and with her mom's encouragement and running beside her; Emily learned how to run and pace herself and she finished very strong and sprinted to the end.

Having your kids accomplish things that you have not is an awesome thing. I am so proud of them and how they stuck with this and how they have found something that they like to do. This experience will serve them well in the future. They both want to run some more and enter a 5K run in the future and now they are trying to get me, the guy in the family who hates running, to try. Watching my kids cross the finish line may just have been the motivation and inspiration I need; all my excuses and reasons for not liking to run disappeared when I saw my son and daughter race to the finish. Life is too short to be in the cheering section forever, we need to get in the race.

That reminds me of one of my favorite verses in Hebrews 12:1, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." We are called to be in the race of life, not in the crowd, or like the back of one school's shirts said,
Run if you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, but never quit. That is good advice. So it looks like I get to buy some new running shoes.

Mothers Day

2011-05-08T05:58:00.000-07:00

It is Mother's Day this morning and I am glad that it is. I have been so blessed because of the Mothers in my life and I thank God for all of them. The first ones that come to my mind are my great-grandmothers. I can remember my Great-grandma Monk and my great-grandma Rossiter, as a little kid they seemed to regal and yet so warm and caring at the same time. I will always remember seeing my greatgrandma Rossiter kneeling in prayer with my great-grandfather on their green chairs, that left a permanent impression on me that has made a difference in my life. Great-grandma Monk had the coolest house in Toronto, one of those tall and thin duplexes in the old section of Little Italy. It was awesome to go to her house and play with all the knick knacks around her place. I actually haves the little ship in a bottle that I used to be enthralled with as a kid. I spent hours trying to figure out how they got that boat into the bottle, with its soaring masts and sails.

My grandmothers were also amazing women. My grandma Harrison was an inspiration. She was always cooking or baking and she made the best Molasses Cookies, they are my favorite cookies to this day! She also always had a hug and a kiss for us kids, no matter how annoying we got. Some of the best times in my life were at my grandma Harrison's house for sleepovers. When I woke up in the morning I would always catch grandma and grandpa eating toast with cheese-wiz on it and doing their devotions. They would pray for all of their kids and grandkids and I will never forget the feeling I got when I heard them pray for me, that has never left me either.

My grandma Rossiter always seemed solid, like nothing in the world would ever phase her. It was always fun to go to her house in Oxford. She lived in this big 100 year old house that we could get lost in. Half of her house was used by the church for Sunday-school rooms and we were not supposed to go in there, but we did anyway, and when she would catch us she would just kind of laugh and call us out and get us doing something else. I remember being at grandma Rossiters house and being amazed at the people who would come calling. grandma was a true counsellor who would listen to peoples problems and issues and who would give Godly advice and then pray with them before they left. That had a huge impact on me as a kid.

Then there is my Mom. This will mark 15 mothers day's that I have been away from my Mom, living in Alberta while she is in Moncton New Brunswick. The bible says that a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, but a man never really leaves his Mom. I call my mom at least once a week because I need her input in my life and I need her wisdom. I would be nothing today if it were not for my mother and the foundation that she laid in my life. A foundation of faith and love that goes to the core of my character and who I am. I can think back in my life, to the times when I really hurt my mom by doing stupid and hurtful things; and yet she loves me still no matter what. That is why I think the bible describes mothers as being blessed. It is because a mother is a mirror image of Gods grace and love. They are a mirror image of His unconditional love and grace and no matter what we do or where we go the love of our mothers goes with us. That love has kept me going more than once in my life.

Then there is the mother of my children. I always thought I understood my mother, but I was only scratching the surface. Observing my wife Christy, interact and love and nurture my children has opened my eyes to not only my mother and who she truly was, but to who my wife truly is. My wife, like my mother and all my grandmothers and great-grandmothers and my wife's grandmothers; is an amazing and awesome person. She can read our kids minds and tell when things are going to go wrong and then take a pre-emptive strike to mitigate damages. She can wade into the fiercest fight between our kids and as cool as a cucumber, diffuse the situation and have our kids hugging and smiling two seconds later. She holds a teaching job and yet balances work and family life like no other woman I know, finding time to do laundry too. She is a statesmen, ambassador, crisis counsellor, hostage negotiator, artistic director, interior decorator, sanitary engineer, gourmet chef, C.E.O, administrative assistant, nurse, and in short the most amazing woman that I know. I am truly blessed because of my wife Christy and I thank God for the time that I have been given to be with her. Watching her with my kids is time well spent!

So to all the moms out there and to all the women who are moms to be, thank you for being great moms! Happy Mothers Day!

Saying Goodbye

2011-04-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

I do not enjoy goodbyes. I remember the first time I said goodbye and knew that it would be years before I saw the people I was saying goodbye to. It was at the Moncton airport and I was about to board an airplane to go off to college. Those I was saying goodbye to thought that I would be back, but I knew in my heart that I was making a change that would last a long time, 15 years this year actually. I remember getting on the airplane and crying all the way to Calgary, which is about a 8 hour flight. I don't know what the person sitting next to me thought, nor do I care, I let it all out. So in saying I do not enjoy goodbyes, what I am really saying is that I hate the fact that I turn into a blubbering cry baby at them, because I know that sometimes they are for a long, long time.

I am in the middle of a goodbye, right now. My in-laws are leaving Claresholm AB, where we live, and making the trip to Summerside PEI to stay. This will be the last time we see them for a while and it is making me very sad. Some may say that they would be glad to be rid of their in-laws, but not me. My in-laws have been awesome to my wife and I over the years. They have always been there for us, through thick or thin, they became Mom and Dad to me, when I could not easily reach out and see my Mom and Dad, who are very awesome too! I should add, in case my Mom is reading this!

I am happy for Harold and Fran, who are so excited for this step in their lives. They have their health and they are vibrant and positive people who are easily loved and love easily. I will miss them very much. I do know, that we will see them, in the summer, but it is never the same. Things have changed and so must we. Anyway, in a few minutes they will be leaving in their new motor home and making a two week trip across Canada. I will have to say goodbye again, and once again I will be reduced to tears and sniffling, but that is alright. God is good! He loves us, He loves Harold and Fran, and my prayers and love are with them wherever they are.

Treasure the people you love and are friends with. Tell them often that they are important and valued by you, because you never know when you will have to say goodbye, perhaps for a day or a week or a month, and inevitably one day for eternity. So goodbye Harold and Fran; May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace. We love you, I love you, drive careful and see you soon.

Soul Surfer is a Hang 10!

2011-04-25T16:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, is all that I can say after seeing the movie soul surfer. What a great testimony of a family who goes through a terrible tragedy, yet through their faith and hope in Jesus Christ, are able to thrive and grow together. From the opening scene to the closing credits, Christ is lifted high and we are able to see a real family who loves Jesus, live the life in a real way. It was absolutely refreshing and my heart was encouraged. If this is the type of movie that can come from Hollywood, then there is hope! I totally recommend this movie to all churches and youth groups and families. It is an amazing story with a great message. I laughed, I cried and I praised God and I had to clap at the end, which drew some looks, but I didn't care. I liked it so much I paid for my in-laws, Harold and Fran, who never go to the movies, to go and they were blown away. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

Devotions

2011-03-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

I was reminded this morning of why I love to do my devotions with my wife with me. We were both reading our bibles, sipping some very good coffee, when my wife got a little frustrated and said, "how are you supposed to feel encouraged when you are reading about the destruction in Isaiah?" I did not say anything but later she got to Isaiah 14:24 which reads, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen." Then she got to Isaiah 17:7 "In that day people will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. We had a wonderful discussion of why God lets us go through those time in our lives when things just seem out of control. Those time when we see everything we have worked for, crumble around us. It is for one reason, to get us on our knees before God, knowing that He is in control and that He will help us if we call on Him. Looking back on our journey we can see God in the midst of the worst times in our lives, calling, reaching and guiding us. What a great realization! O God help us to keep our hearts turned toward you, even in the midst of chaos and turmoil!

Renovations

2011-03-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

I am very happy that the renovations at the church are coming to an end. The floors will be done tomorrow, our sound system should be up and running by Friday and we should have a great re-dedication service on Sunday. The people of the church did an amazing job and it looks great. It was kind of cool meeting in the church basement. It reminded me of when I was a kid and attending the St. Catherines Church of the Nazarene. We met in the basement and I loved it. We had so much fun tearing around in the basement, until my sister almost knocked herself out running into the water fountain, that put an end to all the fun. Having to switch up where you meet for worship makes you think of what is really important in worship. Worship is about coming before God, with everything we are, and wanting to meet with Him more than anything else. It is about turning our hearts to God and allowing Him to have full access to our minds and then obeying what He tells us to do. We can do this in a basement, sanctuary or home. Worship is not about location it is about God. Still I will be very happy to have my pulpit back.

Weekend Away

2011-03-09T16:56:00.000-08:00

Well I am heading out to the mountains this weekend with 32 youth. The theme of the weekend will be "That will leave a mark." Pray for our teens as they deal with how to live a life of purity in this world. We will be having a discussion on pornography, but I really want to focus on the fact that Jesus leaves his mark on us so we can leave a mark on the world. The kids are all leaving a mark, whether they know it or not, the question is what does that mark look like. If we are Christians it should look like Christ. Pray for the kids, especially Saturday night and Sunday morning as we tie it all together with the greatest mark that Christ left us, the cross and communion.

Time

2010-11-27T15:02:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to go to a mens breakfast this morning at the Pentecostal Assembly here in Claresholm. It was a great time of fellowship and food and a great message by my good friend Pastor Dion Mitchell. They were very gracious to allow a diehard Nazarene in their midst. IT did remind me how much I miss this kind of thing and I really wonder why my church does not have a men's group and women's group that meets once in a while for things like this. I think the reason lies in the message that Dion brought his morning. He talked of our time, and how we spend it doing stuff. We have all of these time saving devices in our homes, toilets, furnaces, fridges, phones, the postal system, all of these things are supposed to save us time and give us time to do the things that really matter; but in reality they do just the opposite. We have less time and focus on things that do not matter when we should be focusing on things like relationships and friendships and our fellowship of believers. I need to be more intentional about having groups like at this at church. I need to clear out some of my time. Have a great Sunday everyone.

Eat, Pray, Love

2010-11-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

Last night I watched the movie Eat, Pray, Love, staring Julia Roberts. I had a pastor friend of mine tell me I should read this book and watch the movie, because this is what our society will be thinking of when they talk about religion and spirituality for the next little while. I found the movie to be enjoyable but I did notice that it had at the centre of its premise, the problem that is so steeped in our society. The problem in the movie is selfishness. The main character pulls the plug on a marriage, not because of abuse or neglect, but because she was not happy. This had nothing to do with the person who loved her, but with her own compromises over the years. She then takes off on a journey of discovery that culminates with the idea that "God is inside of me, as me." This is at the core of selfishness, the idea that we can take the place of God, that it is all about me, even God. As pastors we have a huge job ahead of us if this is the idea that society believes and wants to hear.

Milestones

2010-11-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my youngest son turned three. It is so awesome to see him growing and learning everyday. I am amazed at how God has worked in all my children and am surprised daily at how much they are like their mom and I. The things they say, their mannerisms and habits, all come directly from Christy and I. What an amazing responsibility and challenge. I need to make sure that I am constantly on my knees with God in prayer and worship. This is the only thing I can do that will help them become the men and women of God that He wants them to be, in spite of all my shortcomings. God help me to leave a legacy of faith and prayer for them and lead them into a relationship with you. That needs to be the biggest milestone in their lives, not a birthday or another Christmas, but the day in which they came to understand the faith of their father and mother.

Missional Renaissance:

2010-11-18T16:27:00.000-08:00

I just read an article by Reggie McNeal about his new book entitled Missional Renaissance. This article was in Grace and Peace, a new magazine for pastors in the holiness tradition. McNeal puts forward three things that a church needs to have in order to be truly missional in focus. First they need to have an external focus, second they need to focus on people not programs and ministry, and finally they need to have leadership that is engaged fully in the community. I really loved the way that he came at this. It is in the same vein as Bickers book called Healthy Small Church. The one thought that really hit me from the article, and the one that has made me put it on my must read list, is that we have to think of becoming missional in the same way as catching a cold. It is viral, it is something that is caught not taught. "Mission is a virus and you are trying to cultivate a pandemic that will reach critical mass." As leaders we need to be engaged in the community, outside the four walls of our church, we need to be pushing and pulling our people into that sphere and giving them opportunities to minister to the community. After a little while, they will "catch" on and our churches will begin to transform. I want to be a part of something like this!

Remembrance Day

2010-11-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

I have been asked to pray at the school tomorrow for the school assembly for Remembrance Day. This is quite an honour and I am looking forward to it. My mind goes back to the vets that I have known over the years. Men and women who left eh life they knew to go overseas to serve and fight for things they did not even understand at the time, because they were so young. Many, when they went overseas were 17 or 18 and had not even voted. When I think of the things they experienced and the situations they had to overcome it makes what I am going through seem somehow less intimidating. May we never forget these men and women, most of whom are gone. I want my kids to remember so they will never have to go to war and fight. Let us keep our ploughs and pruning hooks. God thank you for the peace that we have in our country today, help us not to take it or You for granted.

Weddings

2010-07-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

I love being a part of weddings. I love the rehearsals, and the emotions and the joy and the love that is celebrated on a wedding day. I love watching the grooms face as he sees his true love for the first time that day. I love seeing the tears of joy on the parents faces. I love the fact that in my job I get to counsel couples who are thinking of getting married and watch as they begin this wonderful journey of learning how to live together. The Beatles summed up a generation when they said, "All you need is love." This generation was on the right track, but they missed the point. We can see from the amount of broken marriages and wedding vows, that love is not enough. It is not strong enough on its own, to weather the storms of life. To stand the test of time. We need the source of love, we need the one who created love in our marriages. I tell all the people that come through my office for counselling that they can work and have the greatest marriage but if you want one that will last then you need one with God and Jesus Christ in it. You need to invite Him into those intimate areas of your hearts. You need to make him the foundation on which you rest your marriage. He needs to be the reason for your love. He needs to be the one you turn to when the times get tough and those storms seem to be coming at you from all directions. If you put your trust, your hope and your dreams in His hands He will never let you down. Love is a big part of the wedding, but the foundation has to be God. The Beatles probably just could not put that idea into a catchy tune.

2010-07-19T18:10:00.000-07:00

I was just in the mall with my son today and we went to see a matinee. Just some Dad and son time. As we were walking through the mall my mind turned to holy living and how we are to live holy lives in this world. I was thinking of my life and my failures in this area and how hard it was for me, and my heart went out to my son. He lives in a day where pornography is as easily accessed as a glass of water, you just have to turn it on. He lives in a day when he is bombarded by messages that go contrary to what his mom and I want him to learn. Walking through the mall he saw scantily clad women on posters by the La Senza, and pictures of people in scandalous poses at the jean store, everywhere we turned you could see the affects of sin in the world and that was only the advertising. How do we as parents and Christians protect our kids from these things and help them to understand that there is a better way. I think the main way is for us to live it ourselves and to show them Jesus. Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace. 2nd Cor 1:12 God will help us to live the holy life, he will give us wisdom, not of this world but of His kingdom. During my stroll around the mall I reaffirmed my dedication of my kids to Him and I will let God lead them and direct them and trust that He will keep them safe. I just have to make sure that I am living the way He wants me to. I was comforted and thought I must be doing something right when I asked my son if he knew he was a Christian and he said that he did, he invited Christ into his heart when he was three and remembered it. Lord help us to raise godly kids!

Technology and Church

2010-07-18T13:24:00.001-07:00

I am convinced that if there is anything to go wrong on a Sunday morning it will be with technology. Those little gadgets are supposed to make our lives easier but most of the time these advancements make things worse. Take today for instance. I had the power point all ready to go, the projector all fired up and it was projecting on the back wall for everyone to see. Pick up my guitar and begin to lead music and half way through I realize no one is singing and everyone is looking at me like I have two heads. Enter the technology gremlin, hahaha. Somehow things have gone astray at the back and the projector is not projecting. Enter the ushers who try to fix things, takes several minutes and the whole spirit of the service is gone. Everyone is watching the ushers fix this thing. They did get it fixed about half way through the service and people were able to sing for the songs before prayer, which was good. Oh for the good old days, where you just pointed at the overhead projector, where you did not have to spend hours putting power points together, where multi media was the missions books at the back. What do we expect, perhaps I should take apple computers and Steve Jobs advice, just hold it in the right hand and not the left.

Our Time

2010-07-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

Last night at the Calgary Stampede a ride malfunctioned and a part broke off and people were thrown to the ground from around 10 meters. Everyone survived the fall. I have been thinking about this today as I have been going about my Saturday to do list. We never really know when our time will be up. We never know, when we leave our homes, if we will make it back or if we will meet our maker. We had a close call on the way to California a few weeks ago. We were driving just past Great Falls MO on a rainy morning and we were driving up hill through the mountains. I went to pass a transport truck and lost sight momentarily as the rain from his truck splashed all over my windshield. The wipers kicked in and I could see clearly and what I saw was a young deer jumping over the cement median right into my lane, right in front of me. I still to this moment have no idea how I missed him, I have no recollection of doing anything other than hold my breath for impact. But instead my van swerved into the other land, just in front of the truck I had just passed, missing the deer who bounced off of my rear fender skidding back into the cement median missing the truck. I saw all of this from a third person point of view and it took only two seconds I am sure. I kept going, my wife woken up by the sudden jerk and bump of the van and deer; white knuckled. I could not tell her what happened until a few minutes later. The only thing I can say is that God was looking out for us and that he prevented us from being in a horrible accident. It was, I believe, a miracle. I still cannot remember if I actually told my hands to move the wheel, or if it did it for me. Those people on the ride should thank God that they are all alive. Just like I thanked God all the way to CA and back again for keeping my family and I safe in His arms. Hopefully those people will be able to get back on rides and enjoy life, knowing that God is with them like He is with us all. Let us live every moment of our lives as if it may be the last, with a love for Jesus Christ and a love for each other that will make a difference in our time; whether or not our time is up!

Church in CA

2010-07-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

While we were in California we went to a church called Harvest Christian Fellowship. Its senior pastor is a guy named John Laurie and it was a great experience. We were greeted at the courtyard, we were told where our kids could go and then taken to seats reserved for first time visitors. It was great. We also had the amazing good fortune to hear a band called Leeland, lead worship that morning. I had never heard of them, but I will be purchasing their CD's. They really lead worship, and did not just put on a concert, it was awesome. I have always said that going to a big church was not for me, especially one that had four services with around 25oo people at each one. I always thought that you would get lost, that the worship would be fake and the service would be a big show, rather than a praise and worship time. I was wrong. I really felt at home and had a wonderful time of learning and praising God. I would most certainly want to be a part of this church if I lived in that area in CA. What sealed it for me was the alter call where over 5o people came to the front to accept Jesus as Lord!!! It was AWESOME!!! Times that by four and you get an idea of the impact this church is having on their community. God help us to all be effective leaders and churches where you have placed us. Thank you for the work going on in the world. Check out their web site at http://www.harvest.org/.

Facebook is Scary

2010-07-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

According to the new book The Facebook Effect, by David Kirkpatrick, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg would sometimes look at people's online profiles during the social network's early days and guess which relationships were on the rocks—and could successfully guess about a third of the time which folks would be in new relationships a week later. "They can track a user's every keystroke and mouse click on the site," writes Tracy Clark-Flory of salon.com. "They can see whose profiles you're looking at most often, whose photos you're lingering on. The ways to see into users' lives are endless. Not only do they know far more about you than you likely realize, but Facebook might even be able to recognize things about yourself that even you have yet to realize." [salon.com, 5/18/10]

I am always amazed at what people admit to and put on their facebook pages. They use this communication medium as a confession booth, not knowing that the things they are confessing no longer remain their property, but Facebooks property, and it remains on the Internet forever..... Now contrast this to the wonderful gift of forgiveness. This is also a place that we can go and cast all of our cares, our confessions, our lives; and from our savior Jesus Christ can receive pardon. Those things we admit are no longer ours, they are Christ's and they are not held over us forever. They are deleted, they are erased and we can live a new life because of Jesus. So people lets keep Facebook clear of our confessions. Lets make our confessions to Jesus. Lets also consecrate our Facebook sites and keep them clean and able to be used for God.

Vacation Musings

2010-07-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my first real family vacation with my kids. I call it my first real one because we did not fly we drove 2304 km's one way to Ontario CA USA to see some friends of ours. It brought back several memories of mine from my childhood and driving with my family to all sorts of places. I remember the heat, because we did not have air conditioning and I remember being stuck in the middle seat in a Pontiac 6000 for hundreds of km's with my sisters complaining that my legs were touching theirs. Oh what fun! These drives were well worth it in the end with the destination being Grandma's house or my Uncle's house in Pennsylvania. I did think that my kids had it good though, each having their own seat in a spacious mini-van with air conditoning. It would have been heavenly to have that as a kid. Well I have a better character because of my trips and I have a great relationship with my sisters, but I would not want to get in the back of a Pontiac 6000 with them today!

While on vacation we went to the happiest place on earth, Disney Land. I would have to say that this was one of the best days I have ever spent with my family. Even though there were crowds and lines, you could not help but get caught up in the feeling of being a kid again. It is alright to skip around and do all sorts of kid things at Disney. It is alright to want to get on every ride as many times as possible in one short 14 hour day. Once we figured out how to fast pass it got a whole lot better and we hit all the main rides and I rode them with my kids, screamed like a little girl and hugged Goofy and did all the things at Disney that one can do. It was well worth the money to hear my son Spencer say to me that it was the best day of his life! He said it with such passion and contentment that I almost cried. Thank you Mickey Mouse! The star wars ride and play helped a whole lot too!

It was sooo neat to see my other son Aiden. He was very bummed out about our first line up and wait of 45 minutes to get on Peter Pan's ride. His eyes were so wide during the ride and he kept on saying, "look look look at that!" After that ride he was perfectly fine to wait in line, he knew a good thing was coming. His four hour nap in the afternoon was perfect and we were able to ride until midnight with him smiling and happy while all the other parents kids were melting down. I don't think I will ever get It's a small world after all, out of my head.

Vacation would not be complete for the women in my life if I did not include the amazing shopping that we accomplished. The outdoor mall in Ontario CA is amazing and I recommend, if you are a guy, getting a Starbucks coffee and hitting the playground with the little ones and letting your wife shop, shop away while you sit in luxury in the shade. Emily loved the Justice store and Christy Crate and Barrel. Actually she could not narrow it down, so I picked for her! I will say that Montana is a good place to shop because they have no sales tax!!

Also, because I love to try new restaurants, Claim Jumper is one place you have to try. What an awesome place. The salads were so big I could not finish them, and that is saying a lot. Plus they have a 9 buck piece of cake that I cannot describe, it is so big!

The other thing that was great about our vacation was being with our friends. Just being able to sit and chat and drink coffee for hours was awesome. Worshiping with them on Sunday at Harvest Church was great. Friends and family are what vacation is all about, we had both and are truly blessed, relaxed, refreshed and ready to tackle another year in ministry.

Blessings to all: Pastor Ed