Nigel Paul | Schedule

"Nigel: please put this on your blog! - Ted"

We have written a total of 28 lines, the number of years you've lived; seven lines each. We each wrote our lines independently, but as you can see there are a lot of similarities.

Happy 28th!

And now, in order from oldest sibling to youngest ...

By John:

At the Ontario Royal Winter Fair, when only a few years weaned,
Nigel learned that lost little boys could gain free ice-creams.
And so began a lifetime of enterprise with much energy expended
From hawking gravel in Murree—hand-picked no less!—and golf-balls in Ajax,
To mustering volunteers to analyze Survivor in depth (albeit with sibling credit over-extended),
Even though financial returns at the beginning were sometimes in doubt,
Of effort and vision there was no lack.

By Shirley-Anne:

He was tied by a leash at two to a tree
In an effort to subdue his adventuring energy
But since, unleashed, his energy's earth-quaking
Catapulting him to discoveries ... ground breaking:
Nigel B. Golf Balls Inc. ... Survivor Fire
The Dealbag Room, Bookling—he never tires
Of living a life of History-in-the-Making

By Ted:

Nigel at first impression:
Entrepreneur; highly talented; clown; performer; emcee; visionary; catalyst—
All very true. But Nigel over the years:
Wise.
Completely there for you at every step; giving, giving, giving—
Brotherhood was just his take-off point.
An entrepreneur for God investing in people.

By Chrissie:

Sock tag, school in the storage room, posture winks,
But more than a brother;
A concerned mentor
Freely offering invaluable instruction,
From shaved legs to living life as a book's preface,
Modelling boldness and efficiency,
Through rabbits, tomatoes, Jewish costumes, and lost loves.

A poem for my brother Ted, on the occasion of his 31st birthday: March 24, 2009

2009-03-24T11:14:00.002-05:00

The student
I thought he would study all his life and never begin 'life'
But then I realized that this was life for him
And that it's just as much life as the other kinds
More in his case

Learned
Is he on language #8 yet?
I think so.
Latin, Greek, German, French, Hebrew, Bemba, English
I think I'm forgetting one or two
Too many interests
Tries to study all of them
And does
So it takes time
But he's becoming a scholar
Scholar Ted
Edward
The hare's competitor
Who keeps going
And always finds a way

Loyal
If he had $1,000 that I needed
He'd give it to me
And eat Marmite for lunch
Expecting God to provide
Because he always does with Ted

The friend
Always including everyone
A one-on-one meeting turns to a party
Where half of them are strangers
He met along the way
Compassionate
Not one to hold grudges
Not one to stay angry
Not one to allow gossip
Slow to speak an ill word
Looking out for the un-looked-out-for
A friend to the friendless
And then
Without trying
Watching them make ten new friends
With the others he brought along

A dreamer
Always trying to do more than is possible
Totally unrealistic
And so he shoots for the sun
And gets far further than he would have
Always moving forward
Slowly
But always advancing
And touching lives along the way

A hybrid
Between an introvert
And an extrovert
Loves studying--
Can only do this alone--
(Learns languages by watching Sesame Street
On youtube
In that language)
Studies alone
But loves people
Can't get enough
So it's people, people, people
Can't turn them down.
Is energized by them
And them by him
Up all night
Chatting
Friending
In a way that matters

Persistent
Doggedly so
Annoyingly so
But it's taken him where's been
And where he is
And God has always worked with it
And blessed
Like a handful of grain
Planted in too much shade
Finds a thick ray of light
And thrives in it
Bearing fruit
Somehow more
Than the grain in the field

So here's to Ted
To the LIFE he lives
To his love of discovery
To his last-man-standing there-ness
To his love of the unloved
To his shooting for the sun... and the moon... and the stars
To his love-one-another exuberance
To his always going somewhere
And God's always going with him
To bless whoever's there

Lifestyle litmus tests

2009-03-17T12:44:00.005-05:00

(1) Live at a lifestyle you'd expect a full-time Christian worker living/working among the very people you're among (workplace, neighbourhood, etc) to live at.
(2) Live at a lifestyle where you'd consider it a good investment to give to yourself if you were a full-time Christian worker
(3) Ask yourself--in the context of it all being God's--if there's a difference between income earned and funds given.

May we all live as if we've been sent, because we have been.

John Piper on the Recession

2009-03-16T17:38:00.002-05:00

"What is the Recession for?" Audio | Video

"Jesus is alive"

2009-02-26T15:43:00.001-05:00

Totally love this hip hop song. Thanks for the heads up, Kristian.

Pray for Maldives

2009-02-26T14:53:00.001-05:00

Reform excludes freedom of religion or belief

May God be the only one who knows

2009-02-23T15:31:00.002-05:00

An excerpt from an article I wrote this morning:

"It's amazing that God wants to use us, isn't it? As I take a moment to look back, I can't help but thank him. ... Go ahead, dive into that God-filled mix. Start the rest of your life. Whatever it is, pray a lot, and then go for it. And--one last fun challenge--may you have no idea where you'll be in five years. May it be unpredictable. May God be the only one who knows."

Urbana '09

2009-02-04T18:38:00.005-05:00

In 2006 God enabled me to offer partial scholarships to students (or young people between 18 and 25) thinking of going to the awesome (!) Urbana missions conference. I am praying about doing the same this year. (The conference is only once every three years.) If you'd be interested in joining me in this effort, please contact me; I would appreciate help.

It's Dec 27 to 31 in St. Louis, Missouri.

I am praying about going to Urbana again myself this year.

All young people between 18 and 28 should seriously consider going to this.

Check it out: www.urbana09.org

Learn about global inequalities at www.gapminder.org

2009-01-26T16:00:00.001-05:00

www.gapminder.org

"A child in the sand"

2009-01-23T16:36:00.004-05:00

As unborn-child-impacting laws are loosened in America, consider this story - written by and received from a friend in southern Africa today.

----

A child in the sand

At the start of the New Year Lyndall and I were asked to babysit a baby of someone who was down to South Africa from Mozambique. We went to meet this lady and she told us the story of little Billy who had just came off an incubator 3 days before we babysat him. A girl in the village they live in got pregnant from a man in a different tribe out of wedlock and she didn’t want Billy so she tied a scarf around her waist to push Billy out prematurely. Billy was born two months early. Then this lady put Billy in a bag and buried him in the sand on the beach. Someone then found him and brought him to the chief of the village who didn’t know what to do with him and asked Jill if she could take him to the hospital. That is why she came to South Africa for better care. Lyndall and I took care of Billy on a Saturday afternoon and evening. He is such a fighter. Jill is now in the process of adopting him and wants to start doing something up there, in the village for the orphans. Lyndall and I hope to head up to Mozambique in February if we have the funds and see what we can do. We are looking forward to see what is up there and what can be started.

This blog in transition

2009-01-20T16:19:00.002-05:00

Dear readers: as I think about what God wants me to do moving forward, I may not be able to post the "1+ times per week" I've been posting for the last almost-three years. I'll keep you updated. God bless - Nigel

Port Colborne!

2009-01-12T17:18:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Joel and I found ourselves in Port Colborne with three hours to kill (no, make that three hours to redeem). :) We knew that OM was looking for home staff, and because they are headquartered in Port Colborne, that meant also selling the town!

So we decided to make a video. Three hours later, we were done. It had taken an hour to shoot and two hours to edit and process into a complete video.

Here's the end result. Enjoy!

Welcome to Port Colborne from Joel V. on Vimeo.

The plan to read the Bible in a year in 2009

2009-01-02T12:57:00.005-05:00

Just posted this on Facebook:

A recent status update I posted triggered a series of comments about reading the Bible in a year in 2009. It indicated to me that many of my Facebook friends are planning to do it too (or did it last year). Here's the conversation.

After some thought, I've decided to go with the Bible reading plan my friend Peter Mead just set up at www.thedailyreader.net.

Here's why I'm going with this plan:

(1) It includes both the Old and New Testament every day
(2) The reading order is fresh. Eg, Old Testament to be read in the "Hebrew" order (different from the order in our English Bibles) - the order Jesus would have used
(3) Peter Mead will be offering some guidance and insights throughout the year (at www.thedailyreader.net). I respect Peter's thoughts b/c his Bible knowledge is deep (although relatively young, he happens to hold a doctorate in theology/Bible) and he is not just a 'hearer' but a 'doer' (James 1:22); he lives his life for God and also happens to be a full time OMer (www.OM.org). Peter also runs www.biblicalpreaching.net.
(4) There is a welcome degree of togetherness in doing the same plan others are doing at the same time.

Here goes!

Lecrae...

2008-12-30T17:09:00.005-05:00

...is a powerful, God-centered artist who raps with penetrating biblical lyrics. E.g.:

An unlikely article

2008-12-30T13:31:00.001-05:00

"As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God" by Matthew Parris

Youtube artist James Dupre

2008-12-26T14:53:00.002-05:00

Happy Boxing Day! Hope everyone had a great Christmas.

My friend Russ recently introduced me to youtube artist James Dupre. Dupre specializes in country, :) has a great voice, and records some of his songs in the kitchen... Only on youtube!

Enjoy!

Just discovered 4K World Map

2008-12-18T17:52:00.000-05:00

Here.

Something fun: my cousin's Christmas giveaway

2008-12-18T17:12:00.004-05:00

My cousin Mike Bell, the founder of and chief writer at Eclectic Christian, is giving away more than $100-worth of prizes - all from the little book business (Bookling) I run. Check it out!

--

TIME's 2008 Year in Review: some of the more meaningful

2008-12-17T16:56:00.007-05:00

From TIME.com:

SIGNIFICANT PEOPLE:

Robert Mugabe: "It's hard to remember now, but Robert Mugabe was once a heroic figure in Africa. Because of his work to end colonial rule, he spent more than a decade in prison in the 1960s and '70s. But now he presides over a vicious kleptocracy in which the wives of political opponents are gang-raped, eight in 10 citizens can't find work, and much of the country is on the brink of starvation or cholera infection — even as Mugabe's wife declares that her narrow feet can fit into nothing but Ferragamos. Because of Mugabe's policies, this once-fertile land produces almost no food, and even in the capital, Harare, the water system doesn't function. Still, Africa and the West dither, Mugabe stays in power, and Zimbabwe spirals into chaos." —John Cloud

Somaly Mam: "Underneath the hubbub of election and market fever in 2008, another change was taking place: Americans were becoming increasingly aware of the global problem of sexual slavery. Mam is the most compelling face of that issue. As a girl, she was sold into prostitution in Cambodia. She doesn't know her age, her given name or any family members. But she knows how to fight human-trafficking, which in the past 12 months has claimed as many as 4 million girls and women." —Lev Grossman

Craig Venter: What do you do when you're done sequencing the human genome? If you're Craig Venter, you write a new genome from scratch. This year the maverick geneticist pried even further into the secrets of life by painstakingly assembling 582,970 base pairs into the genome of an entirely new organism, a fully synthetic bacterium named Mycoplasma genitalium. The future could bring micro-organisms custom-designed to produce biofuels. —Lev Grossman

VIDEO: Rape as a weapon of war in Congo.

PHOTOS:

Victim: "A Georgian man cries as he holds the body of his relative after a bombardment in Gori, near South Ossetia, Georgia. Five people were killed in the attack."

Front Lines: "Congolese government forces stand guard along a road in the eastern Congo during renewed fighting in November."

On Fire: "A tire burns atop a truck used as a makeshift roadblock in Kisumu, Kenya, after the town had been cleared of ethnic Kikuyus by armed mobs in January."

Pancaked: "Emergency workers carry a wounded man out of a collapsed building in Mianyang, China, after it was destroyed by an earthquake in May."

--

Choose your mess

2008-12-15T10:30:00.008-05:00

So:

-I have issues
-You have issues
-Those we work with have issues
-Those we interact with have issues

Add it all up and you get one big mess.

But a mess is what Jesus chose to be born into when he arrived on this planet. 12 messes were what he chose for 12 disciples. The Kingdom of God emerging from the mess was what he preached. Eventually he died for the mess.

Today, he is merciful enough to save messes like me; gracious enough to work in messes like me; generous enough to work through messes like me; and patient enough to stick with messes like me (despite frequent royal screw-ups).

Whatever you choose to do in the Kingdom of God, expect a mess. Remember that you are part of the mess. Be gracious with the messes (people) around you. While you're at it, have fun. Don't take yourself too seriously. Be a pleasure to be around. Avoid the 'spiritual gift' of speck-spotting (Matthew 7:3). Work hard. Do stuff when you don't feel like it. Smile.

The alternatives to not being in a mess are: (1) another mess, (2) pulling out altogether. Since the latter is not an option biblically...

Choose your mess.

---------------------------------

[This post is dedicated to George Verwer, who coined the term "messiology" (ie, mess + missiology).]

Pictures of the Congo War

2008-12-12T13:31:00.003-05:00

Here, at Boston Globe's "The Big Picture." (Click this picture for full size.)

Sacrificial Authority vs. Power

2008-12-06T11:08:00.011-05:00

Last night at 7pm a friend texted me to say that Tony Campolo was speaking in 30 minutes at a conference he was at downtown. I was Christmas-tree shopping with two of my roommates, and although we were already weighted down with Christmas lights we had just bought and some other stuff we didn't have time to take home--and despite not being registered with the conference, and not being sure we could get in--we speed-walked to the bus stop and began our journey.

A bus, two subway-trains, and a short taxi ride later, we arrived at the conference only to almost immediately cross paths with a leader I knew who was part of the conference and on his way to the Campolo meeting. We tagged along, and soon we were in!

Turned out there was no hurry. Lots of stuff before Campolo spoke. Nothing too life-changing, though I learned a few things from an on-stage interview with the founder of the top-selling (secular) teen magazine in Canada, Faze, who communicated the four things she believed teens (and everyone else) need most: (1) certainty, (2) uncertainty, (3) connectedness, (4) significance. A lot of truth here, I think.

Finally Campolo was on. Wow, what a message. Super, super convicting. Campolo's first point was that we as Christians are not to seek power but authority to see the world transformed and the fulfillment of that Lord's-prayer line: "Your Kingdom come, on earth as it is in Heaven." One of Tony's (controversial) examples of trying to change things using power is pouring energy into banning gay marriage. While not in favour of gay marriage and (like me) unaffirming of this lifestyle, Tony challenged, "But do you think a law like that is going to stop two guys from jumping into bed together tonight?" In the audience, we all knew the answer. The message was clear: heavy-handed power is not the solution on this one. The only thing it will surely do is anger people, and bring homosexual people to (oftentimes rightly, sadly) think that Christians disdain them. What an unbiblical result. We are to be known for our love (John 13:34-35), not our hatred.

Campolo's most compelling example of authority was Mother Teresa. I won't tell the same story Campolo did, but the point was that whenever Mother Teresa talked, people listened. As the below video shows, when Mother Teresa rebuked the students at Harvard University for their sexual immorality, they listened. Not even the Pope could do that, he argued: he'd be booed off the stage. But Mother Teresa could get away with stuff like that. Because she had tremendous authority. And the only way to get authority is to earn it.

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. - Matthew 7:28-29

"For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." - John 12:49-50

Campolo went on to challenge how we and he have been seduced by the message of greed cloaked in endearing terms like 'the American dream.' He pointed out that North America represents 6% of the global population and yet consumes 43% of the world's resources. He stated that there is a price attached to this kind of consumption. Of course, the toll on the environment was a major part of it.

While no tree-hugger myself (though perhaps I should become more of one), I wonder, how can it possibly be cool that thousands of people die every year from exhaust fumes in India alone? Or, how can it possibly be cool that my stinking, rotting garbage--I've lived all over the world--has, in all likelihood, been slept in, or at least gunked-up the desperate, dirty, livelihood-seeking hands of a kid I'll never meet? (One billion people live in slums; millions live in actual dumps.)

So, I for one was challenged. I was convicted of my own way-too-high standards, my own just-right, warm-at-night desires for comfort. May God bring me to continue to massively challenge my defaults, my opinions, my idea of 'balance', my justifications; and may I keep changing such that my life is more in line with the 'reckless abandonment' I see in the New Testament, the living-by-faith commands, the association with (not self-righteous serving of) the poor (Mark 2:17) that is so stressed throughout the whole Bible.

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.." - Luke 4:18-20; Isaiah 61:1-2

"Slumdog Millionaire" contends for the best film I have ever seen

2008-12-04T11:19:00.008-05:00

Watched it last night.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIzbwV7on6Q

Official blurb: Jamal Malik is an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?"

My ratings:
Plot: 9/10
Character dev't: 9/10
Art: 10/10
Filming/lighting: 10/10
Acting: 9/10
Romance factor: 10/10
Action factor: 9/10
Unpredictability: 9/10
Humour: 9/10
Sound/Music: 10/10
Exposure: 10/10
Long-term value: 9/10
Thought-provocation factor: 10/10

Today is World AIDS Day. Learn...

2008-12-01T10:37:00.004-05:00

... about AIDS in India in this video.

Piper on Missions

2008-11-29T16:04:00.005-05:00

1.5 hour message: Holy Faith, Worthy Gospel, World Vision

Followup: video on entertainment, money and 'retirement mode'

VOICE

2008-11-29T14:01:00.006-05:00

Contention: if we want to have reality about what we do: when it comes to 'influence': we need to diagnose what the *voices* are and act accordingly.

Eg, What matters more: a highly-researched, highly-accurate, highly-insightful theological treatise that is read by just a handful of people, or a best-selling Christian novel (eg, The Shack)? Answer: the novel will usually win hands-down. (Counter-example: when the treatise is read by people who have 'voice'.)

Some of the main voices that matter:

Peers
Friends (especially best friends)
Favourite music
Favourite news sources
Parents (at all ages)
One's pastor (or church leader)
Those one looks up to
Favourite blogs
Teachers
Favourite authors
Books one gets around to reading
Favourite preachers/speakers
Online communities one is active in (big for many)
One's mentor (major, if a person has one)
Youtube videos one watches
Facebook friends
Whatever's generally cool/popular

Sub-point: we are what goes into our heads, and what we choose to do with what goes into our heads.

Sub-contention: if you could accurately diagnose the voices in someone's life, could you generally diagnose who that person *is*; what that person might think about Issue X; what that person might do in Situation X?

Post a comment or email me.

This blog post dedicated to: reality (ie, what actually happens), as opposed to what we'd like to happen.

Learn about Congo: the best visual I've seen

2008-11-28T14:30:00.005-05:00

Watch: A 4 1/2 minute video by The Economist

Plus: this graph showing how Congo has dropped to the bottom of the world in terms of health and wealth (click or full size).

Over 4 million have died already in this, the deadliest conflict since WW2. As the video shows, it is closely linked to Rwanda, where 800,000 were killed in a 100-day genocide less than 15 years ago.

Zimbabwe: earliest harvest April 2010, slowly starving, 80% of children not in school

2008-11-24T18:12:00.007-05:00

LA Times: Jimmy Carter says Zimbabwe crisis is 'much worse' than imagined. Excerpts:

...dismay that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his government refused to acknowledge the problem even existed.

He said this year's planting season had been squandered because there was no seed available. The earliest possible harvest now is April 2010...

South African President Kgalema Motlanthe said the crisis was so serious that Zimbabwe could implode and collapse. He said the root cause was the lack of a legitimate government.

Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change, or MDC, argues that it would not be able to solve the humanitarian crisis with Mugabe and his security forces still dominating the nation.

Tsvangirai's spokesman: "The person who's responsible for the mess is Robert Mugabe," he said. "He's been in power for 28 years."

Grace for Others: Christ's example

2008-11-24T12:02:00.003-05:00

One thing the Lord has really been convicting me about recently is the need to have grace for others.

The picture of Christ with his disciples comes to mind. Amazing to think that the Creator of the Universe came down to the level of 12 ordinary guys and worked with them, as a friend and rabbi, where each of them was. As I read the gospel accounts, I read about how he called them 'friends,' how he walked with them, cooked meals for them, talked about everyday issues with them (eg, paying tax); how he washed their feet.

By the questions they asked, it is clear that Christ was tremendously approachable to them. By the ridiculous arguments they had among themselves (like which of them was the greatest - Mark 9:33-35) in Christ's presence, it's amazing how patient Christ was with them.

Yes, the disciples had plenty wrong with them. Lots of specks, even lots of logs (Matthew 7:3). But these clearly aren't the things Christ focused on in them. No, Christ's relationship with his disciples was not one of accuser or 'fixer'; it was a relationship where the disciples felt unconditionally loved and affirmed. And in this form of relationship, through hours and hours and hours of eating and working and walking and living, Christ oversaw the gradual transformation of his chosen. And the fruits of his affirming discipleship are remarkable. Peter, for example, went from being a dopey act-first, think-later dude who made empty promises and abandoned Christ when he was arrested in the Garden of Olives; Peter went from this to, through Christ's years-long discipleship (and through the Cross and the equipping of the Holy Spirit, aka 'the Comforter' incidentally) to one of the great apostles of the New Testament; a man of courage, action, leadership and faith.

Yes, Jesus rebuked (eg, Matthew 16:23 - "Get behind me, Satan") and firmly exhorted (John 21 - "Feed my sheep"), and he required and expected much of his disciples, but the Lord Jesus was also an approachable friend, a patient mentor, an affirming teacher.

What a challenge. Notch another one up for grace.

Pictures taken yesterday: Congo War

2008-11-21T11:26:00.005-05:00

From Reuters: "A woman displaced by war sleeps on her belongings at the Don Bosco center in Goma in eastern Congo, Thursday, November 20, 2008."

Reuters: "A child suffering from cholera lies in a bed at the Don Bosco center in Goma in eastern Congo, Thursday, November 20, 2008."

"The Reason for God" by Tim Keller (Another book review by David Mays)

2008-11-18T15:58:00.006-05:00

Book Review by David Mays

The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
Timothy Keller
Dutton, 2008, 293 pp., ISBN 978-0-525-95049-3

Tim Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. The church began in 1989, has 6000 regular attendees, and has spawned more than a dozen daughter churches. See www.redeemer.com. Tim's book is a well reasoned apologetic that grants dignity and respect to all people, regardless of their theological, cultural, political and personal perspectives. The first part of the book examines seven major objections to faith. The second part describes evidence for God and Christianity. This is an excellent book to give to thoughtful skeptics.

"The world is polarizing over religion. It is getting both more religious and less religious at the same time." (x) "Both skeptics and believers feel their existence is threatened because both secular skepticism and religious faith are on the rise in significant, powerful ways." (xiv)

People are opting for a nonreligious life, for a non-institutional, personally constructed spirituality, or for orthodox, high-commitment religious groups…. Therefore the population is paradoxically growing both more religious and less religious at once." (xv)

"Believers should acknowledge and wrestle with doubts--not only their own but their friends' and neighbors'." "Only if you struggle long and hard with objections to your faith will you be able to provide grounds for your beliefs to skeptics, including yourself, that are plausible rather than ridiculous or offensive." (xvii)

"Skeptics must learn to look for a type of faith hidden within their reasoning. All doubts, however skeptical and cynical they may seem, are really a set of alternate beliefs." "The reason you doubt Christianity's Belief A is because you hold unprovable Belief B. Every doubt, therefore, is based on a leap of faith." (xvii)

"My thesis is that if you come to recognize the beliefs on which your doubts about Christianity are based, and if you seek as much proof for those beliefs as you seek from Christians for theirs--you will discover that your doubts are not as solid as they first appeared." (xviii)

Part I. The Leap of Doubt

1. There can't be just one true religion

Exclusivity is a big issue. Believing one has the truth can easily lead to stereotyping, caricaturizing, and demonizing others which can spiral down to oppression, abuse or violence. (4)

"What is religion then? It is a set of beliefs that explain what life is all about, who we are, and the most important things that human beings should spend their time doing." (15)

"Broadly understood, faith in some view of the world and human nature informs everyone's life. Everyone lives and operates out of some narrative identity, whether it is thought out and reflected upon or not." (15)

"It is common to say that 'fundamentalism' leads to violence, yet as we have seen, all of us have fundamental, unprovable faith-commitments that we think are superior to those of others." (19) "Which set of unavoidably exclusive beliefs will lead us to humble, peace-loving behavior?" (20) Christians have within their belief system the strongest possible resource for practicing sacrificial service, generosity, and peace-making. At the very heart of their view of reality is a man who died for his enemies, praying for their forgiveness. Reflection on this can only lead to a radically different way of dealing with those who were different from them." (20)

2. How could a good God allow suffering?

Some say suffering proves there is no loving, all powerful God. In other words, "If our minds can't plumb the depths of the universe for good answers to suffering, well, then, there can't be any! This is blind faith of a high order." (23) "Many assume that if there were good reasons for the existence of evil, they would be accessible to our minds,…but why should that be the case? (24)

"With time and perspective most of us can see good reasons for at least some of the tragedy and pain that occurs in life. Why couldn't it be possible that, from God's vantage point, there are good reasons for all of them?" (25)

"Lewis recognized that modern objections to God are based on a sense of fair play and justice. People, we believe, ought not to suffer, be excluded, die of hunger or oppression. But the evolutionary mechanism of natural selection depends on death, destruction, and violence of the strong against the weak--these things are all perfectly natural. On what basis, then, does the atheist judge the natural world to be horribly wrong, unfair, and unjust?" (26)

"If we ask the question: 'Why does God allow evil and suffering to continue?' and we look at the cross of Jesus, we still do not know what the answer is. However, we now know what the answer isn't. It can't be that he doesn't love us. … God takes our misery and suffering so seriously that he was willing to take it on himself. [on the cross]." (30) "Embracing the Christian doctrines of the incarnation and Cross brings profound consolation in the face of suffering." (33)

3. Christianity is a straitjacket.

"Many say that all truth-claims are power plays. When you claim to have the truth, you are trying to get power and control over other people." (37) "If you say all truth-claims are power plays, then so is your statement." (38) "All denunciation implies a moral doctrine of some kind…" (38, quoting G. K. Chesterton)

"In many areas of life, freedom is not so much the absence of restrictions as finding the right ones, the liberating restrictions." "Instead of insisting on freedom to create spiritual reality, shouldn't we be seeking to discover it and disciplining ourselves to live according to it? (46-7)

4. The Church is responsible for so much injustice.

There are three issues to consider: the behavior or character flaws of Christians, the issue of war and violence, and fanaticism. (52)

It is argued that religion tends to make cultural differences into a cosmic battle. However, Communist, Russian, Chinese, and Cambodian regimes of the 20th century rejected all organized religion yet produced massive violence against their own peoples. When the idea of God is gone, a society will make something else the transcendent ideal. (55)

"In Jesus's and the prophets' critique, self-righteous religion is always marked by insensitivity to issues of social justice, while true faith is marked by profound concern for the poor and marginalized." (60) "The shortcomings of the church can be understood historically as the imperfect adoption and practice of the principles of the Christian gospel." (61) "To give up Christian standard would be to leave us with no basis for the criticism." (62)

5. How can a loving God send people to Hell?

"In our culture, divine judgment is one of Christianity's most offensive doctrines." (69) There are a number of hidden beliefs inside this critique.

"In ancient times it was understood that there was a transcendent moral order…built into the fabric of the universe." Violation of this order brought consequences. One had to learn to live in conformity with this reality. Modernity, presented the natural world as ultimate reality and we could mold it to fit our desires. We now think we can control the spiritual world too. It seems unfair that there should be a God who would punish us. We believe in our personal rights! "Not all of humanity has accepted modernity's view of things." "Why should Western cultural sensibilities be the final court?" (71-2)

"God's wrath is not a cranky explosion, but his settled opposition to the cancer…which is eating out the insides of the human race he loves with his whole being." (73, quoting Becky Pippert) "He is angry at evil and injustice because it is destroying its peace and integrity." (73)

"The biblical picture is that sin separates us from the presence of God, which is the source of all joy and indeed of all love, wisdom, or good things of any sort." "if we were to lose his presence totally, that would be hell--the loss of our capability for giving or receiving love or joy." (76) "Hell, then, is the trajectory of a soul, living a self-absorbed, self-centered life, going on and on forever." (77) "In short, hell is simply one's freely chosen identity apart from God on a trajectory into infinity." (78)

"It is not a question of God 'sending us' to hell. In each of us there is something growing, which will BE Hell unless it is nipped in the bud." (79, quoting C.S. Lewis)

6. Science has disproved Christianity

"Must we choose between thinking scientifically and belief in God?" (850

"It is one thing to say that science is only equipped to test for natural causes and cannot speak to any others. It is quite another to insist that science proves that no other causes could possibly exist." (85)

In the statement, "miracles can't happen," there is a premise that "there can't be a God who does miracles." (86)

It is one thing to say that I will look for my car keys under the streetlamp because the light is better there. It is another thing to say that the car keys cannot be elsewhere because I can't see there!

7. You can't take the Bible literally

What people mean is that the Bible is not entirely trustworthy because some parts…are scientifically impossible, historically unreliable, and culturally regressive." (99-100)

"I find more people now especially upset by what they call the outmoded and regressive teaching of the Bible. It seems to support slavery and the subjugation of women. These positions appear so outrageous to contemporary people that they have trouble accepting any other parts of the Bible's message." (109) "Many of the texts people find so offensive can be cleared up with a decent commentary that puts the issue into historical context." (110) "Some texts do not teach what they at first appear to teach." (111)

For many, "their problem with some texts might be based on an unexamined belief in the superiority of their historical moment over all others. We must not universalize our time any more than we should universalize our culture." "To reject the Bible as regressive is to assume that you have now arrived at the ultimate historic moment, from which all that is regressive and progressive can be discerned. That belief is surely as narrow and exclusive as the view in the Bible you regard as offensive." (111)

"To stay away from Christianity because part of the Bible's teaching is offensive to you assumes that if there is a God he wouldn't have any views that upset you. Does that belief make sense?" (112)

In addition, we should distinguish between the major themes and message of the Bible and its less primary teachings. …consider the Bible's teaching in their proper order." (112) "It is therefore important to consider the Bible's core claims about who Jesus is and whether he rose from the dead before you reject it for its less central and more controversial teachings." (113)

Intermission

"Underlying all doubts about Christianity are alternate beliefs, unprovable assumptions about the nature of things." (115)

The second part of the book exercises a "critical rationality" that "assumes that there are some arguments that many or even most rational people will find convincing…. It assumes that some systems of belief are more reasonable than others…." But, of course, these do not eliminate all counter arguments. (120)

"When a Russian cosmonaut returned from space and reported that he had not found God,…this was like Hamlet going into the attic of his castle looking for Shakespeare. If there is a God, he wouldn't be another object in the universe that could be put in a lab and analyzed with empirical methods. He would relate to us the way a playwright relates to the characters in his play. We (characters) might be able to know quite a lot about the playwright, but only to the degree the author chooses to put information about himself in the play." (122)

"In the Christian view, however, the ultimate evidence for the existence of God is Jesus Christ himself." 'He wrote himself into the play as the main character in history…." (123)

Part 2. The Reasons for Faith

8. The Clues of God

There are no incontrovertible proofs for God. But when we looked at them as clues, "cumulatively, the clues of God had a lot of force to them."

The Big Bang is a clue. That the cosmos is fine-tuned for life is a clue. The regularity of nature is a clue. Beauty is a clue.

"…the very fact that the universe had a beginning implies that someone was able to begin it. And it seems to me that had to outside of nature." (129, quoting Francis Collins, The Language of God.)

Richard Dawkins says there may be trillions of universes and some of them may be fine-tuned to sustain life. "Although organic life could have just happened without a Creator, does it make sense to live as if that infinitely remote chance is true?" (132) [I don't think it is scientifically possible for life to have happened. dlm]

"Evolutionists say that if God makes sense to us, it is not because he is really there, it's only because that belief helped us survive and so we are hardwired for it. However, if we can't trust our belief-forming faculties to tell us the truth about God, why should we trust them to tell us the truth about…evolutionary science?" Or any scientific theory at all? (138)

9. The knowledge of God

Keller demonstrates that deep within us we already know there is God.

"The secular, young adults I have known have a very finely honed sense of right and wrong. There are many things happening in the world that evoke their moral outrage." (144) "…but unlike people in other times and places, they don't have any visible basis for why they find some things to be evil and other things good. It's almost like their moral intuitions are free-floating in midair…." (145)

"I think people in our culture know unavoidably that there is a God, but they are repressing what they know." (146)

If there is no creator God then there is no sound rationale for moral obligation or human rights. Who says so? In fact, nature itself is terribly violent.

"If a premise ('There is no God') leads to a conclusion you know isn't true ('Napalming babies is culturally relative') then why not change the premise?"

10. The problem of sin

"Sin is the despairing refusal to find your deepest identity in your relationship and service to God. Sin is seeking to become oneself, to get an identity, apart from him." (162) The primary way to define sin is "the making of good things into ultimate things. It is seeking to establish a sense of self by making something else more central to your significance, purpose, and happiness than your relationship to God." (162)

"Every person is desperately seeking…'cosmic significance.'" "Our need for worth is so powerful that whatever we base our identity and value on we essentially 'deify.' We will look to it with all the passion and intensity of worship and devotion, even if we think of ourselves as highly irreligious." (163, citing Ernest Becker)

"…sin destroys us personally. Identity apart from God is inherently unstable. Without God, our sense of worth may seem solid on the surface, but it never is--it can desert you in a moment." (164) "There is no way to avoid this insecurity outside of God." "An identity not based on God also leads inevitably to deep forms of addiction."

"Building our lives on something besides God not only hurts us if we don't get the desires of our hearts, but also if we do." (166) "…if you don't live for Jesus you will live for something else." (172)

11. Religion and the Gospel

12. The (True) Story of the Cross

"Why would Jesus have to die?" is a very frequent question. (187) If someone damages you, you can get revenge--which goes on and on--or you can forgive. But someone pays for the damage. To forgive is a form of suffering. You have both the damage and you forgo revenge. It hurts. Someone pays.

"Forgiveness means bearing the cost instead of making the wrongdoer do it, so you can reach out in love to seek your enemy's renewal and change. Forgiveness means absorbing the debt of the sin yourself. Everyone who forgives great evil goes through a death into resurrection, and experiences nails, blood, sweat, and tears." "Everyone who forgives someone bears the other's sins."

God himself absorbed the pain. "This is a God who becomes human and offers his own lifeblood in order to honor moral justice and merciful love so that someday he can destroy all evil without destroying us." (192) "There was a debt to be paid--God himself paid it. There was a penalty to be born--God himself bore it. Forgiveness is always a form of costly suffering." (193)

13. The reality of the resurrection

"If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all he said; if he didn't rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead." (202)

"The only way anyone embraced the resurrection back then was by letting the evidence challenge and change their worldview, their view of what was possible. They had just as much trouble with the claims of the resurrection as you, yet the evidence--both of the eyewitness accounts and the changed lives of Christ's followers--was overwhelming." (211)

14. The dance of God

"I have been arguing that the Christian understanding of where we came from, what's wrong with us, and how it can be fixed has greater power to explain what we see and experience than does any other competing account." (213)

If God is triune, then loving relationships in community are the 'great fountain…at the center of reality.'" (216)

God calls us to glorify, praise, and serve him. "And the only way we, who have been created in his image, can have this same joy, is if we center our entire lives around him instead of ourselves." (218)

Fellow workers

2008-11-17T15:39:00.003-05:00

An excerpt from an email to a friend this morning:

----

It is great to have co-labourers and friends in you guys! To think that God is our co-labourer too!

"For we are God's fellow workers" - 1 Corinthians 3:9a

Here's another sweet verse that talks about how God intends for us all to work together:

"I planted, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow." - 1 Corinthians 3:6

I just realized that that's three verses before the other one!

Another verse just came to me that is pure power:

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Gal 6:9

Learn about the Dalits of India

2008-11-11T15:01:00.003-05:00

See the video here.

Two more links on the Dalits:

National Geographic
Human Rights Watch

Overheard on the bus 60 seconds ago

2008-11-05T16:37:00.001-05:00

Two teenagers.

"Do you believe in God?"

"Sometimes... when he does good things for me."

Massive need, massive opportunity

2008-11-05T13:17:00.004-05:00

Dear friends,

Last year we planned an outreach to distribute 10,000 Jesus DVDs to 10,000 families and, by God's grace, it happened.

This year we hope, by partnering with others, to distribute 50,000 Jesus DVDs in Toronto and beyond. Our objective is to "give a Christmas" to folks who wouldn't otherwise have one, and we are praying that the results will extend far beyond the Christmas season.

For those we encounter who already have a Jesus DVD, we have another powerful DVD to give them: true stories of transformation.

Additionally, we are in dialogue with a practical-helps ministry to help up to 300 needy families with groceries.

If you would like to give or learn more, please email me (see email at right).

God is on the move! In Him,

Nigel

Article: "Congo's riches fuel its war"

2008-11-03T16:58:00.002-05:00

Read it here.

Update: Humanitarian Crisis Spirals in DR Congo by Assist News

Busy?

2008-10-30T15:39:00.003-05:00

A book review by David May.

When It's Rush Hour All Day Long
Finding Peace in a Hurry-Sick World

John W. Tadlock
New Hope Publishers, 2003, 144 pp.,
ISBN 978-1-56309-7706

To purchase this book click here.

John Tadlock is the Church, Minister & Family Wellness Facilitator at the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. He believes life can be simpler and better.

1. I'm Just Wild about Hurry

"Anything worth doing is worth doing frantically!" - Anonymous

"We keep multiple plates spinning for work, family, church, even leisure. And it has just about done us in. This way of living has put so much stress on us that it has affected virtually all of our lives, especially the relationships that are most important to us." (18)

"Hurry has been identified as the greatest enemy of the spiritual life. Psychiatrist Carl Jung said, 'Hurry is not of the devil; it is the devil.'" (19)

"There is no pause button on our lives." (23) "Hurry sickness is loading ourselves to the hilt with the 'stuff' of life." (24)

"One cost of haste is shallowness. We become a shallow and superficial people." (31)

"Perhaps the highest cost of hurry is the erosion of our capacity to love." "We cannot love God or people if we are constantly in a hurry. Hurry and love are fundamentally incompatible." "The front-line casualty of hurry sickness is a damaged family life." (32)

"It is possible to live in such a constant state of adrenaline arousal as to actually become addicted to hurry." (35)

2. The Costs of Hurry Sickness

"When Jesus was fatigued, He sought solitude away from the chatter of people and the noise of busyness." (43)

"Hurried people tend to experience a Cliffs Notes condensed version of life." (44)

"Fatigue contributes to our tendency to define something totally on the basis of our limited experience--it makes us more likely to be insensitive, oblivious, and judgmental toward others." (45)

"We substitute work for faith, speed for substance or depth, money for love, and busyness for prayer." "Somehow we believe that being busy with the things of God is a suitable alternative for a relationship with God." (51)

"One of the more serious costs of hurry sickness is the exercise of poor judgment." "Too often people choose paths that are counterproductive to emotional and spiritual wholeness. Fatigue reduces our critical faculties…." We lean toward impulsive decisions. (53)

"Our minds are like crows. They pick up everything that glitters, no matter how uncomfortable." (56)

"God wants to give to all of us the greatest of all gifts; but we can't take them because our hands are too full of other things." (59, quoting Oscar Byrd)

3. Prayer as Listening

We have occasional "functional deafness." "We tend to hear what we really want to hear and filter out what we don't." (63)

"Listening to God can often be a more powerful and profound prayer experience than using words." (64)

"Most of us are generally uncomfortable with anything that is not moving. Action and activity are much preferred to inaction and inactivity." (65)

"You can be as straight as a gun barrel theologically and as empty as a gun barrel spiritually." (66, quoting Vance Havner)

"Slowing down, quieting oneself, can be an abrupt change for those who aren't accustomed to the practice. The experience might be compared to detoxification from caffeine or some other substance…." (69)

"Mostly God speaks in that still, small voice that comes in silence." (71)

"At the seminary, developing a good devotional life was important in order to 'do' something else. At the monastery, prayer was a means to nurture one's relationship with God." (74)

"There is an intimacy with God that does not use words. There is a time to listen for God speaking to us. There is also prayer that is silence--just 'being' in God's presence." (76)

4. Getting Off the Hurry-Go-Round

"When we become devoted to 'all the stuff,' our lives become disordered--we are more likely to clutter our lives with way too much. Our days get cluttered, too." (86)

"We seem to feel that if we can just get more done, maybe we can have more stuff, and that will prove our worth…." (90)

"Sleep is an act of relinquishment and trust. Sleep as 'sacrament' infers that you are going to leave the world's troubles to God for a period of time while you rest, that God may be able to do without your efforts for at least one night." (92)

5. A Well-Ordered Life

"Spiritual disciplines help the Christ follower to love the right thing to the right degree with the right kind of love." (103)

"I think it is reasonable to assume that Jesus was interrupted a lot." (107) "Nothing in the Scripture … implies that Jesus ever became impatient with those who were 'given' to Him during the course of a busy day." (108) "Rather, He dealt freshly and attentively with everyone." (110)

"What if the primary focus of a person's life and ministry were measured in the way they handle interruptions?" (110)

Perhaps "life itself consists of being fully present to everyone and everything that comes within the range of our vision--even the interruptions." (110) What if we could see the intrusion as vehicles delivering blessings? (111)

Restructure our lives by the following two suggestions.

1. Prioritize your promises. "One of the worst mistakes we make is spending time on concerns or issues that are not true priorities."

2. Learn how to say no gracefully to good things." (117)

"Do you desire a well-ordered life? Don't worry about the state of your closet, or your household paperwork, or even your Day-Timer. Ask God to show you what are A, B, and C priorities in your life." (119)

6. Waiting on God

"We appear to live in a culture that conspires to force all of us to move through life as quickly as possible." "And there are few, if any, off-ramps." (121) "Our capacity to wait has been severely eroded." "And time is precious when you're always in a hurry." (122)

The cultural myth says that when you're waiting, you're doing nothing. But you can be doing something. "You're allowing your soul to grow up. If you can't be still and wait, you can't become what God created you to be." (123)

Suggestions for dealing with hurry sickness by Gordon Miller of World Vision:

1. "If you can't change your life, try bending your attitude."
2. Take the time to cultivate a satisfying relationship with God."
3. Change your sleeping habits to get enough rest.
4. Develop supporting relationships
5. Use music to counter mood swings.
6. Exercise and relax daily.
7. Intentionally and deliberately slow down (125-128)

Conclusion

Psalms is a great place to begin and end. "The importance of a quiet, receptive heart can never be overstated." (137)

"One of the most central and ancient practices of Christian prayer is called Lectio Divina, divine reading. It is a form of meditation--a slow, prayerful reading of the Scriptures or a passage of inspired writing. By reading the text slowly several times, word by word, and listening carefully for God's voice, you enter into and are surrounded by the text." (138)

Ongoing persecution in China

2008-10-24T15:41:00.002-05:00

From Assist News: Congressional Leaders Issue Letter to Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice Urging Advocacy for Zhang Family

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. (ANS) -- In response to the recent abuses committed by the Chinese Government against Zhang Mingxuan, the President of the 250,000-member Chinese House Church Alliance, two Congressional leaders have co-written a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.Bike Zhang's oldest son, Zhang Jian, after being beaten by China's PSB officials

The letter urges the Cabinet member to request urgent action from the Chinese Government to free Zhang Mingxuan from his detention and to rectify the personal damages inflicted upon his family.

According to China Aid Association (CAA), Congressman Frank R. Wolf (R-VA) and Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) in July of 2008, had the opportunity to personally meet with Zhang Mingxuan and his wife in Beijing, despite Chinese Government interference.

During the meeting Zhang was able to personally share with the Congressmen the daily struggles and abuses he and fellow Christians face on a daily basis from the Communist Party of China.

The letter also calls upon the American Government and the Bush Administration not to ignore the reprehensible acts of the Chinese Government. The letter encourages the administration to bring International attention to the situation by publicly calling on the Chinese Government to release Zhang Minguxuan and his family members.

Furthermore, the letter directly confronts the Chinese Government of its hypocritical stance on international affairs by stating: "If the 2008 Beijing Olympics have taught us anything, it is that the Chinese government will go to any length to secure their image as a peaceful and harmonious society when the world is watching."

Through advocating for Zhang and his family the current administration will have the chance to publicly condone the daily human rights violations perpetrated by the corrupt Communist Chinese Regime, and stand in unity with the persecuted citizens in China as both seek opportunities to advance freedom and democracy throughout the World.

The text of the letter from Congressmen Wolf and Smith to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is as follows:

"We write today to express our grave concern regarding the safety of Pastor Zhang Mingxuan and his family.We had the opportunity to meet Pastor Zhang and his wife, Xie Fenglan, during our trip to Beijing in July.

"We recently learned that Pastor Zhang was detained by state security officials in Kunming City, Yunnan province, on October 16and was scheduled to be transferred to the custody of security officials in Nanyang City, Henan province.

"Additionaly, Zhang Jian, Pastor Zhang's oldest son, was severely beaten while his mother watched when Public Security Bureau (PSB) raided their home in Beijing. Zhang's younger brother was also beaten by PSB
officials when he rushed to the aid of his injured brother. When Zhang Jian's mother called the ambulance, the receptionist told her that she had been given orders by government officials not to dispatch any emergency personnel to the Zhang's home.

"After a prolonged period, a friend of the family was able to drive Zhang Jian to the hospital to receive treatment. He was so badly beaten that the doctors believe he may never regain sight in his right eye. Zhang Jian
recently was told by government officials that despite his condition, if he did not leave Beijing he would be arrested and detained for assaulting the officers who raided his home and beat him unconscious.

"Subsequently, Pastor Zhang's wife was detained on October 19 by Chinese authorities and her whereabouts are currently unknown.

"The United States cannot continue to implicitly condone the reprehensible and unjust actions of the Chinese government by remaining silent and turning a blind eye. If the 2008 Beijing Olympics have taught us anything, it is that the Chinese government will go to any length to secure their image as a peaceful and harmonious society when the world is watching.

"We urge you to seize this opportunity to once again turn the attention of the world to China by publicly calling on the government to release Pastor Zhang and his family. These are decent good-hearted individuals.

"Do not let the opportunity slip by to stand in solidarity with the Chinese people by advocating for justice for the Zhang family. Should the administration fail to act on this case, it will serve as a symbol of the broken promises President Bush made to promote freedom and democracy throughout the world.

"While addressing the British Parliament on the issue of slavery William Wilberforce stated, 'Having heard all this you may choose to look the other way, but you can never again say that you did not know.'

"Please do not look the other way."

Fireproof the movie

2008-10-24T15:35:00.003-05:00

Just heard about this surviving-marriage movie via email and haven't seen it, but the trailer looks good. If anyone sees it, let me know what you think. (Unfortunately it's not playing in any Toronto-area theatres.) www.fireproofthemovie.com

Taking the blame when we should

2008-10-21T22:16:00.008-05:00

A guest entry. Thanks for writing this Amanda!

"There's no nice way to say this:

Sometimes it isn't Satan's fault. Sometimes its YOURS.

I had a good talk with a friend of mine about how sometimes we're really bad at taking blame for the natural consequences of our actions.

I mean sometimes the fact that you got sick was because you went to bed late and didn't wear your mitts, not because Satan is attacking you. Sometimes the fact that you're angry right now is because you need to get over your pride, not because Satan is attacking you.Or often it's a mix of both. Maybe you're angry because of your pride, but Satan has been putting lies about your own superiority in your head. It's nice to have a scapegoat though isn't it? And it's always easy to blame Satan. and yes--the spiritual world and warfare are more real than you or I know, and I'm not denying that at all. If anything we need to understand that more. But the point is to see that WE have a part in it too.

You might be wondering why this matters at all.

Well, there's something very scary about a person who never recognizes their own mistakes, and always wants to point the finger elsewhere---whether that's down (to Satan), horizontally (to other people), or up (to God). What I've been realizing lately for myself is that maybe it's time to take that finger and turn it towards our own hearts.

The sacrifices God wants are a broken and contrite spirit (Psalm 51). He wants repentance. And anyone who calls themselves a Christian and says they know God experiences this kind of humbling. If you HAVEN'T, but you say you know God--check again. You'll never realize how good God is if you don't realize how bad you are, and vice versa. You'll never experience God's mercy and grace as deeply if you don't realize how much you deserve hell.

Here's an example...

Simon the Pharisee invites Jesus and a bunch of other people over to his house for dinner. A sinful woman comes in and washes Jesus' feet with her tears, drying them off with her hair. Simon thinks to himself, what does this woman think she's doing? And why doesn't Jesus realize who she is and what she's done? But Jesus knows his thoughts.

So he tells Simon: two men owed someone money, and one owed more than the other. If the lender let both the borrowers off, who would love him more? Simon says-- it's the one who owed more. Ding ding ding. Right answer Simon! Jesus' response is:

"Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." (Luke 7)

Do you get the HUGENESS of this?? Because this woman realized her own sinfulness, she was able to experience God's grace in an amazing way that Simon hadn't. If she was still stuck blaming her family upbringing, the friends around her, Satan, God--whatever--if she was still patting herself on the back or denying her evil lifestyle--she would not have been able to love Jesus as much as she did. Her love came from the realization of her own sinfulness and his own goodness.

Look in the Bible. Job, Elijah, Jonah--these people saw God and were humbled. Job thought he could face God, and by the end he was sorry he'd ever opened his mouth to question our almighty God. Jonah thought he could run away, but he got a reality check in a whale's stomach. True experiences with the living God bring us to our knees because they give us a REAL persective on who WE are and who GOD is. And it's the BEST thing in the world that could happen to us. Who wants flattery when you could have TRUTH?

So a little guilt won't hurt you. A little sorrow for your sins. A little repentance. A little mourning. Or a LOT. 'Cause Jesus didn't walk around giving people feel-good answers and showing them whose fault it was that they are the way they are. He said "Repent, for the kingdom of God is near." (Matt 4:17) if you want to point fingers and avoid owning up to your part in the struggle, then not only are you living outside reality, but you're missing out on an AMAZING opportunity to be changed by God's love, mercy and grace. Because when you finally do admit who you are, God shows you that he loves and forgives you anyway... and that's the most incredible part of the whole thing!! God doesn't get us to repent just so we feel bad, he gets us to repent so he can show us HIMSELF and all his goodness!

One little disclaimer-- no, I'm not saying we should DWELL in guilt or beat ourselves up over and over again. (That IS one area where Satan WILL attack you.) The Bible says that when followers of Jesus confess their sins he is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:9). So once we've repented, the guilt is done and we HAVE to move on.

What I AM saying is that for the good of our own relationship with God, we have to come face to face with ourselves, and with Him. And when we do, the guilt and sorrow over our own sin will turn to joy and thankfulness at his amazing mercy and grace!! Thank God!"

The world's highest-casualty war since WW2--ie, Congo--continues...

2008-10-20T17:26:00.003-05:00

...without a whole lot of notice from the world. The latest from The Economist: "Congo and Rwanda: Old Foes, New Threats"; and National Post: "Congo: A country with everything, but whose people have nothing"

Hope - one starfish at a time

2008-10-15T13:40:00.001-05:00

I love Starfish Asia. Read their latest report here and consider giving to this tremendous ministry.

The Pumpkin

2008-10-15T11:54:00.002-05:00

Thanks for this, Frank!

THE PUMPKIN

A woman was asked by a co-worker,
"What is it like to be a Christian?"
She thought for a moment.

Then she answered, "It's like being a pumpkin."

The co-worker asked her to explain.

"Well, God picks you from the patch and brings you in
and washes off all the dirt on the outside that you
got from being around all the other pumpkins.

"Then He cuts off the top and takes all the yucky
stuff out from inside. He removes all those seeds of
doubt, hate and greed.

"Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts
His light inside of you to shine for all to see.

"It is our choice to either stay outside and rot on the
vine or come inside and be something new and bright."

--Author Unknown

God is good.

2008-10-07T14:09:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I asked us to ponder God's goodness. What is it?

I realized after writing that short post that this is no small subject.

Sometimes the word 'good' is used as a comparison word; as in a list: e.g., poor, satisfactory, good, great. 'Great' is better than 'good' in such a list. But God but cannot be confined to the petty spheres of such lists, and calling him great (as in, 'that meal was great!') is just too small for him. The other use of 'great'--as in 'remarkable in magnitude' (another dictionary definition)--fits him much better. But again, 'great' as in "better than good", should be avoided - if only because saying "God isn't just good; he's great" sounds more like the slogan for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes than a description of the Creator.

No, 'good' in the sense that "God is good" is much, much deeper than that.

God is good in a deep, standalone kind of way. He is pure. He is real. He is true.

And while a whole book could be written on God's goodness--and I'm sure many have been--here is a taste of what God's goodness means from my vantage point:

God is faithful. God loved you before you were conceived. He loved you through childhood, your teen years, and now. He will love you for the rest of your life. He will love you when things slow down and you finish your years on this earth. He will love you as you fade away - from the minds and memories and hearts and genealogical lists of those who remain. And he will love you into Heaven--if you accepted his love while you were here (John 3:16)--and beyond - as much as he loved you at conception. To me, this is a deeply satisfying thought. It is true of no one else.

God is the answer. He is the truth (John 14:6). He is real. He is the same right through. He doesn't make mistakes and have to say sorry. He doesn't misjudge. He doesn't mislead. He never needs to back-peddle. He knows. He knows you. And he knows that you need him.

God is far beyond you. God is not a slice of your pie. He is not a get-out-jail-free card. He is not your plaything. He is not your magical cure. No, God is far beyond that. He is the center. He is the source. He invites you to receive Him, to receive his salvation, to enter his story, to build his Kingdom, to worship him, to find your satisfaction--the only satisfaction that lasts--in him. And his sovereignty and Kingship and majesty--so far beyond you and I--is also the solution you and I need.

He is far beyond and far greater than you and I, and yet he is a God who can be and wants to be near (Deuteronomy 31:8; Psalm 23).

Amen:

God is good.

Some perspective-testing photographs

2008-09-26T11:07:00.007-05:00

Sent to me by a friend; also on my Facebook here. Click for full size.

I love the oblivious kid. :)

Some families' main source of income; sending their children to collect alms.

I love this guy.

Ambitious!

How's your transit system?

A different kind of retirement.

Upside down?

2008-09-24T11:15:00.004-05:00

Not necessarily; just a different/less-Western way to look at the world. (Notice that the labels are right way up.) Click for full-size, and pray for the parts of the world that get the least attention - especially the parts that need it most.

"One thousand villages." What would happen if 3 million people lost their homes to flooding in the States?

2008-09-17T09:56:00.002-05:00

That's what just happened in India.

The Economist reports:

"AS NEW ORLEANS survived the worst Hurricane Gustav could throw at it, the scale of devastation wrought by another natural fury was becoming horribly apparent. On August 18th the monsoon-swollen river Kosi, a Ganges tributary that flows from Nepal to India, burst an embankment on the Nepali side of the border and flowed into a channel it had abandoned a century earlier. The water gushed into hundreds of villages in the Indian state of Bihar, killing an unknown number and displacing more than 3m, many of whom have been marooned on roofs, trees and tiny islands of dry land. Hundreds of thousands are living in makeshift camps.

South Asia’s monsoon rains kill hundreds every year. This summer they have been especially severe, killing nearly 2,000 people in India since June, according to government’s National Disaster Management Division. That total will soon double, at least. Many of the deaths occurred in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. In north-eastern Assam, floodwaters have submerged over a thousand villages ... In Bangladesh, flooding has cut off at least 50,000 people."

God is good (Part 1 of 2)

2008-09-16T09:40:00.004-05:00

I love taking advantage of the opportunity to encourage, challenge or inspire with a closing salutation at the end of an email. Although nonsensational, my favourite is, simply, "God is good."

God is good. What does that mean? And what does that mean to you - personally, in your circumstances?

Think on it, and I'll do the same. Also, leave a comment if you have something specific to share.

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." - 1 Chronicles 16:34

Pray for Orissa, India

2008-09-11T13:55:00.004-05:00

September 4: Persecution unabated: 4,000 houses in 300 villages destroyed, 50,000 Christian adults and children hiding in forests, nun raped, woman burnt alive, two pastors among 24 killed

September 10: Violence Continues in Orissa

The violence continues and there isn't a single piece about it on the Times of India website.

2 1/2 Years

2008-09-10T18:44:00.004-05:00

Just FYI that I've added a section of links to the right column of my blog for some of the more significant posts written here in the last 2 1/2 years. These links are also copied below:

MP3 Sermons (personal favourites; updated May '08)
A prayer of humility
The challenge of the unreached world
I want to care
Yohannan MP3 sermon: a call to action
Keep praying
Invest in being connected
How to serve God in a normal job
Rat-eaters
Big lessons
We live in the same world
World-changer gifts
Unconditional love
My visa miracle
A prayer: March '07
Why we should care about the unreached
Minutes & seconds: the man on George Street
Love & prayer
Gasping for air
Love is risky
Faith
168 hours to glorify God
Experiencing a crisis?
He sees the upperside
Being a 'yes' Christian
In the battle
Ideas for prayer
Spend and be spent
While it is day
Listening to MP3 sermons
Discipline
A sad story to help us care
Book recommendations (personal favourites)
Picture this
Flee temptation
Risking something for God

www.nigelbarham.com

Be not gullible

2008-09-10T12:41:00.009-05:00

"Be not gullible" is not the eleventh commandment, but the Bible often warns of the folly of gullibility. Especially in the Internet age, we need to be discerning.

In his book "The Disciple's Manual," William MacDonald states that he believes Christians are gullible far too often and far too much. (People of other creeds can be gullible too, but that's not the point.) Part of the danger comes from 'spiritual language' where Christians say "God did this or that..." or "God told me..." or "I prayed and God showed me..." or "I feel it's God's will that...". Unfortunately, some people automatically assume a statement is true when it is preceded by one of these phrases. "How can I argue with God?", they say. But, in fact, God has exhorted us to test everything - because a lot of what is framed in spiritual words and references to him is simply not true. And so it actually does more to hinder God's will than further it.

We need to be open to God's doing amazing and even indescribable things. In fact, we need to expect it. But we also need to heed the Bible's many exhortations to be discerning and wise. And, while seeking to be "full of grace" as well as truth, we need to test everything against the Scriptures and the facts.

Here are some instances where I feel we need to be especially discerning (i.e., not gullible or foolish):

+ When we receive an email forward. It's amazing how much false information gets passed around in forwards. People get forwards from people they trust and assume it must be true. Let's remember that not only are many forwards inherently false, but many that started out true get altered/doctored/added to by people along the way until they become a mish-mash of nonsense (and often damaging information). One of the best ways to check if a forward is true is to look it up on www.snopes.com, a secular and very-helpful website that researches common forwards for their credibility.

+ Before passing on an email forward. I notice that email forwards that contain lengthy "why you should forward this" diatribes get forwarded more frequently. E.g., 'If you forward this you're obviously not a good person.' Or, 'If you don't forward this, you obviously don't care.' Or, worst of all, 'Forward this to 10 friends and "we promise!" something good will happen to you!' (This is foolishness-ridden superstition.) So, before forwarding an email, (1) research the facts carefully and check the sources, (2) determine how trustworthy the source is (i.e., how it ended up in your inbox), (3) if there is a "why you should forward this" pitch (a red flag in and of itself), determine how legitimate it is, (4) ask yourself what the real value in forwarding the email is and (5) if the email passes all these tests, don't send it to too many people; choose the recipients carefully.

+ When we hear negative things about people. Passing on any negative information about anyone is almost always harmful and the wrong thing to do. It is very sad when Christians are persecuted more by Christians than those who don't follow Jesus. Sadly, this is far-too-often the case.

+ When it comes to our theology and what we believe. I wrote in a recent article, "It is not cool to dismiss or not care about 'theology.' Theology can be defined as understanding God.' It is 'reality suicide' to dismiss it because our theology forms the bedrock of everything we believe, are and do." Indeed, may the basis for our faith, our beliefs, and the motivations behind what we do be grounded in truth. May we be less like something that bobs in the ocean--going wherever the tide takes it--and more like an ocean rock that stands firm on calm days, and stormy ones.

"Test everything. Hold on to the good." - 1 Thes. 5:21

A prayer for the world

2008-09-04T20:18:00.003-05:00

Dear Lord,

I pray right now for a major crisis I don't know about and that isn't being reported on. Thank you that you know what is going on in every corner of the globe, and that you always care. Thank you, too, for having chosen to share in the suffering of this world through your Son and his sacrifice on the cross.

I pray for Congo, where war still rages, where corruption is rampant, where children brandish machine guns, and where displacement and severe economic instability is leading to the starvation of many. Help us to care about this because, we confess, it can be hard.

I pray for Orissa, India, where there is perhaps more persecution of simple followers of Christ than perhaps anywhere else in the world. Whole villages being burned down, hundreds in hiding, many killed. Comfort those who have been or still are being affected directly, and for those who have been affected indirectly through the loss of loved ones. As these families suffer, may we suffer with them, and grieve for them - as your Spirit does. Show us what we should do. Send the comforter, your Spirit. And may we respond to the persecutors not in anger or hatred, but in love. In fact, from all of this, send labourers to go to, live among, work with, and care for the primary persecutors of these people.

I pray for Zimbabwe, which continues in crisis, where the limbs of opposition party members' children are being hacked off by the brutal regime in a mostly-successful attempt to intimidate. I pray for the leader of the opposition, Tsvangirai, who is in talks with Zimbabwe's repressive leader, Mugabe, through the mediation of the President of South Africa - for Tsvangirai in this time when he undoubtedly feels the hopelessness of grave injustice. Give him wisdom at this critical moment. For the nation of Zimbabwe, which is receiving perhaps only 0.1% of the coverage of the U.S. elections, we pray for *your* attention. And we know in faith that it has it.

As the great nation of China returns to business as usual in the aftermath of the Olympics, we pray for the unknown pastors hidden behind bars - imprisoned for their faith. We pray for their families - that you will comfort them.

I pray for Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam - and for the hundreds of thousands who are captive to the sex trade in this region. I pray for those who have been infected with AIDS and are dying from it - feeling shamed and worthless. Show them that you love them and that they have great worth in your eyes. I pray for the thousands of children, who at such a tender age have been flung into cesspools of sin, forced by those who shelter them to gratify the desires of clients. Bring justice, Lord.

For a child huddling under a mound of simmering garbage in a slum in Egypt or Peru or Bangladesh, I pray. For the young professional who running after career and money, but is feeling hopelessly lonely and empty, I pray. For the man who is facing bankruptcy, I pray. For the families who are being affected by the war in Iraq, I pray.

In the midst of all the lostness, pain, and hopelessness; I thank you for what you are doing, and for the sure hope so many have found in you. Thank you for that family in Southeast Asia that has taken in unwanted orphans. Thank you for that center in Uruguay that is opening its arms to the people no one else wants. Thank you for the *many* who are working, hour after hour, on behalf of those I have been praying for right here - many in the trenches, many on their knees, many in advocacy. Send more workers, Lord, and use us as you will.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

"But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish." - Psalm 9:18

Picture This

2008-08-26T12:21:00.002-05:00

I thought you might be encouraged with this recent email exchange had with friend. Your fellow struggler/victor - Nigel

NB: I'm encouraged with your pursuit of the verses in the Bible that talk about the poor and neglected. It's amazing how many there are. And it's a theme that continues right through the Old and New covenants (like the Great Commandments). These are two of the "mega" verses in my book on the topic:

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - James 1:27

"James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do." - Gal 2:9-10

Keep struggling through things for the glory of God; something I hope I will always do.

Friend: Close your eyes and picture this (after you read it, of course): Jesus returns to earth in all His greatness, power and glory and you finally stand before Him face to face for the first time. How ridiculously embarassing it will be to have to say we didn't spend much time building His kingdom because we were too focussed on making money or having a good time or that we were too worried about what people would think about us. If we REALLY believe that that is going to happen some day, then how can it not show in the rest of our lives?

Evangelism is basically living out the wholesome beauty of the Christian life and inviting other people into your life to observe/partake of it. Then telling them how they too can enjoy it.

NB: I find this super-encouraging. Thank you. I agree that there isn't really an excuse for not pouring the essence of who we are into building the Kingdom, knowing/loving God, etc. The rest (e.g., making money) should follow or, even better, be integrally part of the vision.

A Silent Killer

2008-08-20T09:42:00.009-05:00

Update: 1. Check out this resource by Mark Driscoll. Note that it was written for men, and that women are not advised to read it. 2. MP3 sermon by George Verwer: "Dealing with Lust" here.

In an unofficial survey of 200 or so young men I have met or know well, I know of only two who have not struggled with Internet pornography to some extent.

Pornography is a major problem for children as well as adults. (Parents, you should know that.) It is also on the rise among women/girls.

Statistics from SafeFamilies.org:
+ Average age of first Internet exposure to pornography: 11 years old (internet-filter-review.com)
+ Largest consumer of Internet pornography: 12-17 year-old age group (various sources, as of 2007)
+ More than 70% of men from 18 to 34 visit a pornographic site in a typical month (comScore Media Metrix)
+ 28% of those admitting to sexual addiction are women (internet-filter-review.com)
+ 57% of pastors say that addiction to pornography is the most sexually damaging issue to their congregation (Christians and Sex Leadership Journal Survey, March 2005)

So, specific tips:
+ Install the free K9 filter on your computer here. It is installed on my computer, and I have installed it on the computers of about 10 others (including one middle-aged woman who had never struggled with pornography but wanted to avoid viewing it inadvertently). Sub-tips: (A) have your accountability partner set the password, (B) have the email associated with the filter be that of your accountability partner (not yours), (C) The default settings of K9 are good, except you may want to change it to not filter social-networking sites (e.g., Facebook).

+ Have an accountability partner with whom you 'walk in the light'. A skeleton in the closet will slowly destroy you.

+ Avoid having too many accountability partners.

+ Consider installing the free X3 Accountability software here. X3 regularly and automatically emails a report of questionable sites you visit to your accountability partner.

+ Avoid high-temptation circumstances/places (i.e., "Flee from sexual immorality" - I Corinthians 6:18). Note: we are to "flee" temptation and "resist" the Devil (James 4:8); we are never exhorted to resist temptation. E.g., It would not be a good idea to walk into a brothel and then pray for the ability to resist any temptation. No, "fleeing temptation" means not going anywhere near such a place. (This is Billy Graham's policy. Hence, in part, his (long) life of integrity.) Sub-suggestion: men, avoid working home alone.

+ Walk in step with the Spirit. Maintain a healthy, deeply-fulfilling lifestyle (by working hard, serving God a lot, and investing in others). Maintain healthy relationships with members of both sexes. Pray continually. Have reality and don't kid yourself. Have a daily quiet time with the Lord. Get lots of exercise. Grow in discipline. Believe that God can renew your mind (Romans 12:1-2). Attempt to be 1,000 times more effective for God than you were last year while growing in humility.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." - Colossians 4:2

---

(If reading this directly on www.nigelbarham.com, feel free to forward this to others by clicking the little envelope icon below.)

"The Shack" and the Cross

2008-08-19T14:28:00.004-05:00

Just FYI that I have written an article on the book "The Shack" (as well as the review I wrote in May). If you are interested, email me. Thanks.

Update: check out this insightful review.

"How to Get the Biggest Bang for 10 Billion Bucks" - by Wall Street Journal's Bjorn Lomborg

2008-08-18T17:33:00.001-05:00

A worthwhile read

SOS for Zimbabwe

2008-08-14T14:15:00.003-05:00

Received today, and written earlier this week, this cry for help comes from a trusted friend of a friend in Zimbabwe. Just being aware of it, trying to care and praying will help Zimbabwe.

Before posting this, I thought I'd quickly check out Google News for "Zimbabwe." Here are the headlines I got:

-"Zimbabwe police temporarily stop opposition leader from leaving Harare" (Int'l Herald Tribune)
-"Zimbabwe opposition leader's passport seized" (Radio Netherlands)
-"Zimbabwe opposition leaders stopped at airport" (The Associated Press)

I reckon that these are the last days of TKM and ZPF. The darkest hour is always before dawn. We are all terrified at what they are going to destroy next........I mean they are actually ploughing down brick and mortar houses and one white family with twin boys of 10 had no chance of salvaging anything when100 riot police came in with AK47's and bulldozers and demolished their beautiful house - 5 bedrooms and pine ceilings - because it was 'too close to the airport', so we are feeling extremely insecure right now.

You know - I am aware that this does not help you sleep at night, but if you do not know - how can you help? Even if you put us in your own mental ring of light and send your guardian angels to be with us - that is a help - but I feel so cut off from you all knowing I cannot tell you what's going on here simply because you will feel uncomfortable. There is no ways we can leave here so that is not an option. I ask that you all pray for us in the way that you know how, and let me know that you are thinking of us and sending out positive vibes... that's all. You can't just be in denial and pretend/believe it's not going on.

To be frank with you, it's genocide in the making and if you do not believe me, read the Genocide Report by Amnesty International which says we are - IN level 7 - (level 8 is after it's happened and everyone is in denial). If you don't want me to tell you these things-how bad it is-then it means you have not dealt with your own fear, but it does not help me to think you are turning your back on our situation. We need you, please, to get the news OUT that we are all in a fearfully dangerous situation here. Too many people turn their backs and say - oh well, that's what happens in Africa .

This Government has GONE MAD and you need to help us publicize our plight---or how can we be rescued? It's a reality! The petrol queues are a reality, the pall of smoke all around our city is a reality, the thousands of homeless people sleeping outside in 0 Celsius with no food, water, shelter and bedding are a reality.

Today a family approached me, brother of the gardener's wife with two small children. Their home was trashed and they will have to sleep outside. We already support 8 adult people and a child on this property, and electricity is going up next month by 250% as is water. How can I take on another family of 4 -----and yet how can I turn them away to sleep out in the open? I am not asking you for money or a ticket out of here - I am asking you to FACE the fact that we are in deep and terrible danger and want you please to pass on our news and pictures. So PLEASE don't just press the delete button! Help best in the way that you know how. Do face the reality of what is going on here and help us SEND OUT THE WORD.. The more people who know about it, the more chance we have of the United Nations coming to our aid. Please don't ignore or deny what's happening. Some would like to be protected from the truth BUT then, if we are eliminated, how would you feel? 'If only we knew how bad it really was we could have helped in some way'. [I know we chose to stay here and that some feel we deserve what's coming to us]

For now,--- we ourselves have food, shelter, a little fuel and a bit of money for the next meal - but what is going to happen next? Will they start on our houses? All property is going to belong to the State now. I want to send out my Title Deeds to one of you because if they get a hold of those, I can't fight for my rights. Censorship!

We no longer have SW radio [which told us everything that was happening] because the Government jammed it out of existence - we don't have any reporters, and no one is allowed to photograph. If we had reporters here, they would have an absolute field day. Even the pro-Government Herald has written that people are shocked, stunned, bewildered and blown mindless by the wanton destruction of many folks homes, which are supposed to be 'illegal' but for which a huge percentage actually do have licenses. Please! - do have some compassion and HELP by sending out the articles and personal reports so that something can/may be done.

'I am one. I cannot do everything, ---but I can do something.. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. What I can do, I should do. And what I should do, by the grace of God, I will do.'

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy."
- Proverbs 31:8-9

The Prudence-Driven Life (God forbid)

2008-08-13T12:43:00.005-05:00

One of the themes of the 'wisdom book' of the Bible, Proverbs, is prudence. Prudence is basically 'wisdom for safety.' Or, as Merriam Webster defines it, "caution or circumspection as to danger or risk."

Prudence is clearly (or at least can be) a good thing. For example, it is never okay to let a child walk along the edge of a cliff.

When Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs, prudence was almost all there was. As Solomon often stated, he was not too sure what he, nor anyone, was really supposed to do on the earth - except to fear and honour God. (This is especially true of Ecclesiastes - if indeed Solomon was the author.)

At the time Proverbs was written, Solomon didn't even know that there was life beyond death, or that there was a Heaven and Hell. God had not yet revealed these things to us. Furthermore, evangelism did not exist. There was no one really to evangelize as God had not yet made himself available to non-Jews. And so sacrificing on the part of other peoples (in a Great Commission kind of way) was not something people did, nor even something they were encouraged to do.

Everything changed with the Cross.

When Jesus arrived, he raised the bar on morality; challenged us to 'battle' in the Kingdom of God; defeated death and sin by dying on the Cross; and then, after rising from the dead, issued the Great Commission: to 'go' into the whole world and preach the Gospel to everyone, making disciples.

Suddenly, prudence took a back seat.

While he was here, Jesus said a few things that reduced prudence to something secondary. Speaking to his disciples in Matthew 10:16, Jesus said, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." In Luke 14:33 he said, "Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." And in Philippians 1:21, the apostle Paul--who had been persecuted, abandoned, imprisoned and beaten for his faith--said, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

To be continued.

Gems from Ravi Zacharias

2008-08-02T14:15:00.002-05:00

Ravi Zacharias is one of my favourite speakers. An apologist, he is a well-read risk-taking scholar who is in touch with reality. As well as debating others in the stratospheres of academia, Zacharias believes that a moment-by-moment personal relationship with the Lord is our only hope (and the life-blood of the Church).

I would like to encourage you to consider listening to Zacharias at RZIM.org. If you listen to anything by him (or if you're looking for a starting point), listen to his three-part series "The Angelic Demon: Balaam" here (part 1), here (part 2), and here (part 3).

P.S. Don't stay in the harbour. Listening to sermons can actually do more harm than good unless you are engaged in the battle.

The Worst War since World War II

2008-07-22T14:22:00.005-05:00

Which war--and I use the term in the most traditional, literal sense--has claimed more lives than any other since World War II?

Answer: the war in Congo that began in 1996 and continues till today.

I find it absolutely remarkable that most people don't even know there is a war in Congo. It is barely reported on.

"In 1996 the brutal civil war in Rwanda spilled into neighboring Congo, triggering a conflict that has seethed for 12 long years, claimed more lives than any since WWII and received little acknowledgment or aid from the international community. AP correspondent Mealer spent three years in this shattered land, and his book is a perceptive, empathetic, stomach-twisting presentation of the human condition during chaos. Mealer depicts war and peace as the mighty arms of a hurricane; war hurtles thousands of terrified people into the bush; intermittent peace lures the lost ones home. Individuals and institutions, indigenous and Western alike, are overwhelmed by the confluence of political collapse, economic disintegration, international indifference and a generalized military ineffectiveness that prevents resolution of the conflict on any terms. The vivid vignettes of combat and its aftermath portend a forever war, and the author highlights the impotence of grassroots solutions that render any deliverance ephemeral at best. Mealer's book is a quiet paean to the courage he has witnessed, and its final salute to the many proud people of Congo is as much eulogy as affirmation."

This is the description, by Publishers Weekly, of a new book called "All Things Must Fight to Live."

A prayer: Lord, I pray for Congo. Replace the hate with love. Send your workers in. Bring about breakthroughs among international decision-makers. Help it to rank higher on our agendas. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Some Recommended Books, and the Importance of Reading (Redeeming the Time: Part 2)

2008-07-16T09:20:00.012-05:00

In my first 'redeeming the time' post, I suggested that listening to online sermon/message MP3s can be a very good use of time.

Now, I would like to extol the virtues of (certain kinds of) reading.

Reading is vital - especially for Christians.

People who can't read have a much lower chance of surviving and/or thriving in the world today. Hence the correlation between a country's literacy rate and its socio-economic health.

For Christians, reading is a privilege and, in most cases, a responsibility given by God. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." There is significance to this word 'Word', and it relates directly to reading.

The most powerful example of the Word, literally, is the Bible. It was God's divine plan to put a final authority of His heart and will in word form, penned by people. In the beginning was the Word. And in the beginning was God's plan to use words for His purposes.

Words are powerful. Most of the great movements of human history I can think of were accompanied by a book. Some of these movements were good; most of them were evil; all of them wielded words for their purposes to great effect. (By the way, Satan's best strategies are always copies/ripoffs of God's.)

All of this said, here are some forms of reading that I view as either necessary, invaluable, or worthwhile:

BOOKS

A book represents, in many cases, months of work and years of thought on the part of a specialist, expert and/or gifted communicator.

The Bible
The Bible is God's book. Comprised of two testaments (with a several-hundred-year gap in between), 66 books and 40 authors - written over about 1500 years; the Bible is the final authority and our bottom line. It is like the ocean; it just gets deeper the more you study it. And, in my experience, the more I study it, the more I see its unity and the common theme: the Lord Jesus Christ.

Through the Bible, God directs us, speaks to us, teaches us, challenges us and communicates His love for us. As such, it is remarkably relevant. If we read one thing, it should be the Bible.

Christian books
What would it be like to have some of the greatest Christians of all time sit down with you one-on-one and share with you their keenest insights, carefully prepared? This is what reading a book is like. Today, we can read books from people like C.S. Lewis, Amy Carmichael, Watchman Nee, A.W. Tozer, Billy Graham, and John Stott.

I believe that Christian books are a form of fellowship. And it is unequivocally the case that God has used books to great effect for His glory. Missionary biographies have inspired thousands to 'go'. Books on Christian Living have impacted millions; and that is not an exaggeration. The same is true of Bible teaching books and commentaries.

Christian 'Fad Books'
A note on 'fad' books. For whatever reason, the evangelical church in the Western world seems to have a 'fad book' every couple of years. A few I can remember include The Prayer of Jabez, Left Behind, Wild at Heart, The Purpose-Driven Life and The Shack. Should we read them? I believe that all of these (five) books have some value to them (and I have read all of them in part or full myself). However, will they stand the test of time? Most fad books don't seem to. Are they even in the top tier of books worth reading? Usually not. So, while it is good to know what is going on (and important for some to read these books), it is unhealthy as Christians to only read fad books or to allow fad books to comprise too great a percentage of our reading. Sadly, in my experience, this is the case for too many Christians.

Christian Biographies
You know what Christian biographies are? They are testimonies. Testimonies of how God has used ordinary people in extraordinary ways. A good Christian biography will glorify God, giving him the credit as opposed to any person. We can learn a great deal from the lives of other Christians as laid out in their biographies (or autobiographies), but we do ourselves no favour when we try to emulate everything they did. This is because times change (and so must methods), we are all different (and so God uses us differently), and God works in a whole range of ways. "Things never happen the same way twice." - Aslan, Narnia

Secular books
We can learn much from non-Christians and we would be foolish to think otherwise. From university textbooks to the Britannica to books that equip us for our jobs, we should not be too quick to disqualify secular books; all can be tools for us to live God-glorifying, Kingdom-building, non-dichotomous lives.

THE NEWS

I feel that reading as it pertains to the news requires a great deal of discipline. This is because we may enjoy reading news--from 'gutter' news to the most legitimate sort--more than it is worth our time to do so. The News comes in the form of daily TV shows, all-day news-stations, radio summaries and all-day radio, multiple daily newspapers, weeklies, and probably a few forms I'm forgetting. The point is that there is no shortage of it, so how much time we spend obtaining it, and where should be carefully considered and calculated.

How much time do you spend reading, listening to or watching the news? What kind of news do you go for?

It is such a tough balance. I have found recently that I have needed to stop myself spending too much time reading news on, specifically, the U.S. primary elections and have had to cut back. Others may struggle with reading too much gossip.

On the flipside, in order to know God's heart better, and in order to better pray for the world (which all of us should be doing on a daily basis), we need to read important local and global news. For example, did you know that about 5 million people have died in the civil war in Congo in the last ten years? I feel this is one of the most underreported stories of the decade. We need to seek information like this out. And if we have difficulty caring about issues like this, we will do well to acknowledge that so that we can ask God to help us improve.

As the song "Hosanna" by Hillsong so powerfully puts it, "Break our hearts for what breaks yours." In order to know what may be grieving (or thrilling) God's heart in the world today, we need to learn and read.

Magazines
Many magazines are like a mixture of books and the news. As such, there is a great deal of important, relevant and life-impacting content in many magazines, periodicals and journals.

We should not all be reading the same magazines (or the same news, or the same books). No, we should ask God what reading out there will best equip us and augment the gifts and life-vision he has given to each of us individually. As one leader puts it, we must avoid "spiritual schizophrenia" and remember to include God in all of our decisions.

THE WEB: blogs, forums, Facebook, etc.

In order to be relevant today, and in order to be where people are, we must be on the web. Today, blogs are a new 'mass media.' Like the voices of individual people, they add up to to have a huge impact. (Indeed, some blogs have a significant impact in and of themselves; especially focused, topic-specific ones.) The same can be said for the content on forums and in places like Facebook. In every case, we should always ask God what we should read. This is possible when we obey 1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "pray continually" (NIV).

(SOME) RECOMMENDED BOOKS
(A work in progress. This list includes my very favourite books.)

Mountain Rain by Eileen Crossman. The biography of James Fraser, a missionary to China. Taught me a great deal about prayer.

Agape Leadership: Lessons in Spiritual Leadership from the Life of R.C. Chapman by Alexander Strauch. A short biography on one of my heroes, a man who was full of love and kindness, ambitious for God, a strong leader, deeply hospitable, and a key player in 19th-century missions. He lived a non-dichotomous life for Christ.

True Discipleship by William MacDonald. A challenging, radical book about being sold-out marathon-runners for the Lord.

Kwabena: an African Boy's Journey of Faith by David Mensah. An autobiography that gives one a powerfully-insightful, first-hand look into the reality and village-gripping power of the spirit world in Africa; and how Jesus Christ overcomes it all.

Run, Baby, Run by Nicky Cruz and The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson. Two accounts of the same remarkable story about how Christ transformed the lives of a a group of hell-bent gang members in New York City. "Run, Baby, Run" is especially good for teenagers.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. An often-depressing but eye-opening book about how we are tempted, and how we need to be on our guard as Christians.

I Dared to Call Him Father by Bilquis Sheikh. An exceptionally well-written book on how Christ transformed the life of a General's daughter in Pakistan. A remarkable journey of faith. In my top five books.

Watchman Nee: Man of Suffering by Bob Laurent. The story of one of China's first third-generation Christians, a man who helped to lay the foundation for the astonishing things that God is doing in China today.

The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun and Paul Hattaway. This book has come under controversy. However, it gives one a keen insight into the staggering growth of the Chinese church today, the unmistakably-real persecution of the Chinese church present and past, and the sad reality of persecution between Christians in the global church (and how we should be on our guard against it ourselves).

Operation World by Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk. Possibly the best tool for prayer in the world, apart from the Bible. A country-by-country overview of what God is doing around the world, and what the needs and challenges are. The next edition is due soon!

The Case for Christ, and The Case for Faith, by Lee Strobel. These books strengthened my faith.

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I have read the chapter on pride several times, and the only rational response after doing so is to go back to the cross, broken before the Lord.

Sadhu Sundar Singh by Phyllis Thompson. A short, well-written account about a yellow-robed Christian 'holy man' whose life and writings have challenged many. One of my favourite books.

Hunger for Reality by George Verwer. Verwer has had a greater impact on me than almost anyone else and this, of all his books, affected me the most. God stirred my heart with conviction and passion as I read it. Verwer has received more than 25,000 letters in response to this book.

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. A sobering but inspiring first-hand account of a Holocaust survivor. A reminder that Christ was not missing during this horrific period of history; he was standing right there among the prisoners in the camps, as one of them.

God's Smuggler by John and Elizabeth Sherrill. The story of 'Brother Andrew', the founder of Open Doors. This book reads like a page-turning novel and gives one a peak into what is left when the odds are against us but we are dependent on God.

Read-Aloud Bible Stories by Ella Lindvall. I loved these as a kid. If you have young children, or know people with young children, these are great bed-night-story books.

True Grit by Debbie Meroff. Powerful, convicting, sobering, inspiring, saddening, reality-filled content about how women are suffering around the world and how God is working in the midst of it.

Discipleship by Peter Maiden. A balanced overview of what it means to be a disciple in the world today. A good book to go through with someone you may be discipling.

The Calvary Road by Roy Hession. A powerfully-humbling little book that has sold over 3 million copies and been translated into 70 languages. I have given away many copies myself and seen God use this book to change lives (including mine).

Darfur, China, and thousands of unreported stories

2008-07-14T04:27:00.003-05:00

1. Darfur is still in crisis. Pray for breakthroughs.

2. Persecution in China continues--with pastors being imprisoned--as the Olympics draw near.

3. This last point is dedicated to the thousands of good stories that have gone unreported. A grandmother getting better in answer to pray. A long yearned-for child being born. A family reconciliation. The thousands of instants of common grace each of us experiences every day.

A Prayer

2008-07-07T16:50:00.003-05:00

Lord, I pray for your Kingdom to come. I pray for a revolution of sacrificial love. I pray for more to come to you, and I pray for those who have already come to surrender themselves to your transforming power.

I pray for vision, God-confidence and more faith in the body of Christ. Faith for the impossible.

I pray for expressions of yourself and of your Body to come from hidden corners around the world - unexpected places.

I pray for lives committed to you. I pray for more wake-ups. I pray for more workers. I pray for more prayers, goers, givers, senders and receivers. I pray for more marathon runners.

I pray for more prayer, more 'walking in the light', more transparency, more vulnerability, more selflessness, more repentance, more rightly-motivated confession, more action for the poor and oppressed, more revival of every kind.

I pray for less of us, less of self, less bitterness, less pettiness, less immaturity, less bias, less anger, less hatred, less revenge, less impatience, less life-ravaging sin.

I pray, again, for a revolution of love. I pray for a truth-filled renewal of what love means.

Heavenly Father, your Kingdom come. In Jesus' name. Amen.

OM's Sudan Street Children program may be closing due to lack of funds

2008-06-30T17:59:00.002-05:00

Read about it here and consider helping.

The Star challenges churches (rightly, I believe) to consider who they are leaving behind

2008-06-30T16:29:00.006-05:00

Exodus II a test for churches

May we read, think, pray, consider and act.

A sad day in Zimbabwe

2008-06-30T15:10:00.005-05:00

Update: Ugandan-born Archbishop delivers Zimbabwe plea

A few years ago Zimbabwe was known for producing the most-educated professionals in Africa. Its economy was strong, tribalism minimal, and poverty low. Today, people are actually starving under the nation's murderous regime and its barbarous leader Robert Mugabe.

It was a sad day in Zimbabwe--a day with no end in sight--when Mugabe was declared the 'winner' of the run-off elections this past weekend.

WSBSTV.com reports:

"African and other world leaders have condemned the election, in which Mugabe was the only candidate. Human rights groups said opposition supporters were the targets of brutal state-sponsored violence during the campaign, leaving more than 80 dead and forcing some 200,000 to flee their homes. Tsvangirai withdrew from the race because of the violence, though his name remained on the ballot."

What you and I can do about it:

"Learn to do well; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." - Isaiah 1:17

Starfish Asia: helping underprivileged children in Pakistan

2008-06-30T15:06:00.002-05:00

This is one of my favourite ministries. Check out the website here and the latest newsletter (exciting stuff) here.

The Bible

2008-06-26T08:53:00.002-05:00

Received from a friend this morning:

When you say, "I can't solve this."
God tells you, "I will direct your path."
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

When you say, "It's impossible."
God tells you, "Everything is possible." (Luke 18:27)

When you say, "I feel all alone."
God tells you, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

When you say, "I can't do it."
God tells you, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13)

When you say, "I don't deserve forgiveness."
God tells you, "I have forgiven you." (Romans 8:1)

When you say, " I am afraid."
God tells you, "Do not fear, for I am with you; I will strengthen you and help you." (Isaiah 41:10)

When you say, "I am tired."
God tells you, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28-30)

When you say, "No one really loves me."
God tells you, " I love you." (John 13:34)

When you say, " I don't know how to go on."
God tells you, " I will show you the path." (Psalm 32:8)

When you say, "What path does God have for me?"
God tells you, "My beloved son Jesus Christ." (1Timothy 2:5)

And when you want to know everything else that God wants to tell you...

Read the Bible.

A beautiful picture of God's love for us

2008-06-23T12:57:00.003-05:00

Ideas to 'Redeem the Time' (Part 1): MP3 Sermons

2008-06-23T08:13:00.004-05:00

Ephesians 5:5-16 says "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." For 'making the most of every opportunity' the old King James version says "redeeming the time" - a rich phrase that is cited often. It parallels the message of John 9:4 which exhorts us to work 'while it is day.'

This is the first in a multi-part series on redeeming the time. This week I will focus on MP3 sermons: why, how and when.

Why?

+ What is going into your mind? How much do you 'suck in' worthless stuff (eg, junk TV)? Consider: how much is this affecting your minds and thoughts? Can a one-hour sermon at church and a few devotionals compete with the 20 hours the average North American adult--40 hours for kids--spends watching TV? .. Double-whammy: people tend to watch TV when their brains are turned off. The result: conformation has a heyday. .. Solution: less TV, more good stuff. Idea: throw it out, and watch your favourite stuff at a friend's/neighbour's. Not only does this drastically reduce TV-watching, it fosters neighbourliness and gets us out of the house. Not having a TV has done wonders for me. Balancing point: some TV and watching movies is not only fine; it is probably necessary. Balance is critical. Legalism kills. (So does false justification. E.g., "I need to watch 20 hours of TV a week so I can know what's going on and witness better.")

+ Other things that compete for our minds: radio, billboards, Spirit-less water-cooler talk, blogs, youtube, email forwards, etc. (Reread the balancing point above in this context.)

+ Biblical messages are powerful for transformation. Romans 12:2a says "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." .. John Stott describes preaching as "indispensable to Christianity." In his book "Between Two Worlds" he describes the role of the preacher as bringing the living power of the ancient truths of the Bible into our lives in the modern world. .. When faithful to the Word, preachers help us to know God's heart, what he cares about, and what he wants us to do. Obeying God is God's will for our lives. Knowing the Word is critical to growth. (Individual Bible study is also indispensable; in fact, more indispensable than preaching. Another topic.)

+ Why listen to MP3 sermons? Because we can. Before the Internet our access to sermons was more limited - e.g., to what we could hear in person at church and what we could get on tape or CD. Now we can download MP3 messages online, carry them around on MP3 players, burn them to a CD and listen to them in the car, subscribe to podcasts, listen to streaming messages and watch video sermons on the web. Let's have the mindset to use technology for God's glory rather than fear it.

+ The world is changing. Read about it in Mark Driscoll's book "The Radical Reformission" - especially the trends described in the appendix at the back of the book. Example: "Churches will use their website as a new front door through which visitors will pass before ever attending a church event. People will even attend church virtually." Don't like it? Tough; it's our world.

How?

+ Download free MP3's onto your laptop, desktop, iPod/iPhone, cell phone, etc from sites like SermonIndex.net, DesiringGod.org and MarsHillChurch.com.

+ Check out my speaker/preacher/teacher suggestions in a recently-written blog here.

When?

Listen to sermons while:

+ folding laundry, doing the dishes, cleaning, renovating, painting
+ driving (through the car speakers, not headphones - for safety's sake)
+ while on public transit (but put the headphones away when divine appointments arise - like speaking with someone with whom you have achieved rapport)
+ jogging, working out
+ doing brainless work at work, if your employer is okay with it

"Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2b

Reprint: " Experiencing a crisis?"

2008-06-17T15:56:00.002-05:00

I have been thinking again about our helplessness without God. We really can't go it alone. In this vein, I was thinking that the following blog--originally written back in December--might speak to someone again now, so have decided to 'reprint' it:

"I wonder, Are you experiencing a crisis of some kind? When I'm in a crowd, it seems like most people have it all together. However, when you can get past the surface of someone's life, you will often find that he or she is experiencing a crisis, a tragedy, or something very stressful. I believe this is true of many kids as well as adults.

I've often thought that life is tough for nearly everyone. In fact, while we can always know a degree of joy (1 Thessalonians 5:16), I don't think we should ever be too far away from mourning (Romans 12:15) - at least with other people who are mourning (and there are always plenty).

And if life is a bed of roses than we obviously aren't too close to many people for whom it is a constant struggle.

So, if most of us are experiencing a crisis or tragedy or stress-creator of some kind, we may be tempted to refrain from reaching out, from moving out of our comfort zones, or from putting ourselves out on a limb for others. But we need to keep doing these things, even if we'd rather just curl up in a warm bed. (Plus it's good for us to help us take the focus off ourselves.)

Life is tough. But many other people have it tougher. And God wants us to live for Him. So let's do it."

The Birds

2008-06-12T10:13:00.011-05:00

[A light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek story. Written on my mobile phone.]

This morning, after buying a coffee and coconut bun from a local bakery for breakfast, I made my way across the parking lot towards the bus stop.

Suddenly, I noticed that I was being followed. Overhead, a flock of seagulls shadowed me. I stopped, and as many landed around me--in front, behind, on every side--I counted them. There were about 100.

I thought it might be coincidental so I 'tested' the birds a couple more times. Most unsettlingly, they kept following. Flapping, conspiring, eyeing my bun, emboldening each other, staring - getting greedier and greedier. It was reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's infamous black-and-white film "The Birds." If very lucky, I would get out Scot-free. At worst, I would be pecked to death. Not unlikely, I would be the target for at least one of the foul bird's droppings (which I could see and hear splattering around me on the pavement) or have my hard-earned breakfast--maybe even the coffee--torn, ripped, pecked from my grasp. Hopefully I could escape without too many wounds.

In light of my circumstances, I knew what I had to do.

I ran.

They kept following, but I eventually lost them. "Gee Mahnay," I said to an elderly lady walking carefully and slowly along the sidewalk. "Those seagulls are following me!" She laughed. "It's that bun."

Armed with this insight, I concealed the bun under my shirt and tucked in my undershirt beneath it to keep it there hands-free. It was a James-Bond-like moment. As for the coffee, I figured I could risk its being exposed.

Then, I turned on my heel and faced the birds. Some now just a few feet away, they stared back. It was a face-off.

I began, carefully but courageously, to walk once again towards the bus stop. It meant going through the crowd of birds. Was I safe? Would they be so easily fooled? How are sea gulls' short-term memories? Would they remember that I had not at any point discarded or eaten the bun, and deduce that it must still be on me? Was I at risk?

I kept walking, the seagulls still eyeing me. They shifted to face me as I walked through them. If seagulls had shoulders, theirs would have been square on me. You could slice the tension with a knife. I was a long way from a hospital, in the thick of the birds, and still a ways from my destination.

Eventually, wonderfully, defiantly, victoriously, I made it past the birds, darted across the road (looking both ways of course) and made it not just to the bus stop but, fortuitously, a waiting bus; at a red light. Just in time.

"I just got attacked by 100 seagulls," I said to the driver, proceeding to embellish the story with details of the ordeal. It then occurred to me how incredulous I must have sounded. After all, crazy people love bus travel and this man had no doubt encountered hundreds.

Then, from my vantage point just inside the door, I noticed that the bus was full. And quiet. No one was smiling, and many eyes looked, nervously, in my direction. They, too, had heard my story. They, too, had encountered bus crazies.

Every seat was taken, so I made my way, awkwardly, towards the center of the bus.

I felt alone, and surrounded--as I had amidst that crowd of bloodthirsty seagulls.

"At least I'm alive," I thought, as I sipped my coffee.

Educated or Informed? Uneducated or uninformed?

2008-06-10T11:45:00.005-05:00

A thought that just came to me: I think it is much better to use the word "informed" rather than "educated" when talking about a person's understanding. Bullet sub-points:

+ A person can know little about reality and have a PhD in stalactite and be called educated. Meanwhile, a person with no degrees (i.e., a big percentage of the mega-world-changers I know) may be referred to as uneducated.

+ Education is critical.

-But isn't it more important to be 'informed' about things that matter: e.g., what kids and teenagers and young people and middle-aged people and the elderly care about, how much we are impacted by our economic/social/moral/eco/etc environments?

+ Being informed requires discipline. (Getting 'educated' requires discipline too.) Being informed means reading/learning about what you may not be interested in all the time (e.g., reading the 'world' section of the newspaper as compared to the gossip section).

+ Being informed often means hearing it firsthand. Which means relationships.

Thoughts?

"The man on George Street"

2008-06-09T15:53:00.002-05:00

I put this MP3 on my blog a while ago--can't find it now--but I've received feedback from two readers to say that it was a big encouragement to them, so I thought I'd re-post it. Be encouraged. Check it out here.

A strong conviction: Discipline

2008-06-03T19:29:00.003-05:00

Without discipline you will:

-have weak and unreliable faith
-have a poor and up-and-down testimony
-have life of minimal service for God
-have a weak prayer life
-be much more prone to debilitating defaults
-have poor work ethic

With discipline you will:

-be able to walk with God and not forsake prayer to the excuse of not feeling like it
-be able to learn and study and grow
-be able to do things when you don't feel like it
-be responsible to others, and keep your word
-have more potential to break free from life-killers, like wrong assumptions and bad habits

Read more on discipline from William MacDonald and Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones.

Good thing we have grace too!

Additional blog posts now on Facebook

2008-06-03T13:59:00.002-05:00

This is just to let you know that I am now posting additional blogs within my Facebook account. These Facebook blogs are sometimes of a slightly different nature (e.g., more personal). If you read this blog regularly and are not one of my Facebook friends, feel free 'add me' as a friend on Facebook in order to access these additional blogs. Gratefully - Nigel

Very sad, but there is a sure hope

2008-06-02T15:20:00.004-05:00

An excerpt from the weekly family letter from my parents in Zambia:

"A man came from Shamende today on the Chembe road with gifts of bananas and sweet potatoes for us. He had a six year old son with a heart condition. We helped pay for their trip to Lusaka to get medical help for the son's condition. The Lusaka hospital said they should return in June, and they were offering to fly the boy to India for heart treatment. However, that night the little boy died. His last words were, "Daddy, please pray for me." As his father held him in his arms and prayed for him the boy died. It is a great comfort to the father to know the son is with the Lord."

Ideas for prayer

2008-05-27T11:02:00.005-05:00

1. Be creative. Instead of "help John" go for "use John's ability to program to build the Kingdom" or "help Jennifer get into medical school because I think she'd be a really God-glorifying doctor." It takes brainpower, but it's worth it. It also brings your prayer alive. You will get tons of ideas of want to call or email people!

2. Pray ambitiously. In faith, pray things into existence.

3. Make it God-centered. Avoid 'shopping lists'. Don't make it about yourself.

4. Take what's on your mind to God.

5. Use prayer to expand your vision. Pray about big, faraway things. Ask God to help you to care about important things if you don't.

6. Remember people before God. E.g., after getting off the phone with Andy, thank God for him and pray about what you and Andy just talked about. E.g. #2, look at photos of people prayerfully.

7. Ask God where you should be heading in life whatever your age. Ask him why he created you. Ask him how he can best use you, and plan accordingly.

8. Pray especiallyfor the people (1) not many other people are praying for (e.g., someone in a home, or a child who doesn't have a praying grandmother, or anyone 'on the fringe') and whom (2) God has entrusted especially to you (e.g., someone you're discipling).

9. Pray for breakthroughs in the neediest parts of the world. When praying in groups, don't spend *too* much time praying for the frail health of the elderly. Expand your vision and pray for, e.g., the million people living in Garbage City, Cairo.

10. Pray (1) throughout the day, all the time, (2) for set-aside dedicated times, (3) in vision-filled groups, on a regular basis.

Pride

2008-05-20T12:08:00.008-05:00

One thing I struggle with more than almost anything else is pride. C.S. Lewis describes pride as "the great sin" and, indeed, the very first sin (when, in Heaven, Satan became Satan by seeking God's glory for himself). Pride seems to be at the core of most sin.

It is not fun: I am finding more and more pride in myself! Which makes me feel like I'm moving backwards.

It is tempting to focus on my pride in order to root it out. But I know that that is not the solution. The solution is to focus on and go to God; to remember the cross, his grace, the example of his Son (Phil. 2:5-11), his Spirit, his glory and his all-sufficiency.

"He must become greater; I must become less." - John 3:30

Thank you, Lord, for who you are. Thank you for not giving up on us. Thank you that you want to use us. Help us to depend on you and make us more like you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

My Favourite Speakers/Preachers/Teachers - MP3 Sermons

2008-05-15T09:30:00.009-05:00

BIBLE TEACHING

John Piper - Purpose and Joy. Romans. The nations. To live is Christ. To die is gain. Rebuke. The God-centeredness of God. How we've conformed. The sovereignty of God. No fads. Grace. 250+ sermons: DesiringGod.org

John Stott - Solid Bible teaching. Discipleship. Mission strategy. Faith in and authority from the Word. Recognized by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2004. AllSouls.org

Mark Driscoll - Discipleship. Doctrine. Relevancy. Being a man. Mars Hill (church) website and YouTube

William MacDonald - Forsaking all. Back to the Word. War-effort mentality. Be transformed. Commitment. God is amazing. PlymouthBrethren.org (Powerful "True Discipleship" messages) and VoicesForChrist.org

MISSIONS-EMPHASIS

George Verwer -World Missions. Passion. Reality in Christ. The comfort
zone. Suffering. Commitment. Pseudo-Discipleship. Mega world needs. Holistic ministry. Spiritual schizophrenia. War-effort mentality. Eternal purpose. SermonIndex.net

Brother Andrew - "Show me a closed door and I will tell you how you can get in." Words from a man who has devoted his life to "smuggling" Christ into the Soviet Union and Muslim world: SermonIndex.net

Keith Green - SermonIndex.net

Jim Elliot - Only two sermons, but they are dynamite. A call for reality and action, and invitation to the unbeliever for meaning in life. (There is even a heckler in the "Feeding of the Five Thousand" sermon!) SermonIndex.net

Gladys Aylward - SermonIndex.net

K.P. Yohannan - SermonIndex.net

Brother Yun - SermonIndex.net

Corrie Ten Boom - Living for Christ. SermonIndex.net

THINKING

Ravi Zacharias - Knowledge. Apologetics. Real Christianity. Real life stories. Philosophy. Biblical examples. A devotional relationship with God first. A broader worldview. 220+ messages: RZIM.org

Hans Peter Royer - SermonIndex.net

J.I. Packer - SermonIndex.net

C.S. Lewis - Reading of "The Great Sin" (Pride) from "Mere Christianity" SermonIndex.net

Francis Schaefer - SermonIndex.net

John Lennox - Practical living-for-Christ challenges from an Oxford mathematician: one message (Email us if you know of any other online MP3s)

EVANGELISM

Ray Comfort - Motivational words from a man who has been actively and practically involved in evangelism around thew world: SermonIndex.net

Billy Graham - SermonIndex.net

Nicky Cruz - testimony only SermonIndex.net

REVIVAL & PRAYER

Jonathan Edwards - SermonIndex.net

Andrew Murray - SermonIndex.net

Watchman Nee - SermonIndex.net

Roy Hession - SermonIndex.net

Bakht Singh - SermonIndex.net

"Go Labour on, Spend and be Spent"

2008-05-08T13:07:00.005-05:00

I have trouble connecting with/appreciating most hymns, but the following hymn fired me up. It was sent to me in connection with my previous blog post 'While it is Day'.

Go Labour on, Spend and be Spent
A hymn by Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)

Go labour on, spend and be spent
Your joy to do the Father's will:
It is the way the Master went,
Should not the servant tread it still.Go labour on, 'tis not for naught
Your earthly loss is heavenly gain;
Men heed you, love you, praise you not;
The Master praises: what are men ?.

Go labour on, your hands are weak
Your knees are faint, your soul cast down,
Yet falter not, the prize you seek
Is near -- a kingdom and a crown.

Go labour on, while it is day,
The world's dark night is hastening on.
Speed, speed your work, cast sloth away,
It is not thus that souls are won.

Men die in darkness at your side,
Without a hope to cheer the tomb,
Take up the torch and wave it wide,
The torch that lights time's thickest gloom.

Toil on,faint not, keep watch and pray,
Be wise the erring soul to win,
Go forth into the world's highway,
Compel the wanderer to come in.

Toil on, and in your toil rejoice,
For toil comes rest, for exile home;
Soon shall you hear the Bridegroom's voice,
The midnight peal, "Behold I come."

"The Shack"

2008-05-07T13:24:00.003-05:00

I recently read "The Shack" by William P. Young. This is currently the #1 most popular Christian book on Amazon, and the 13th top-selling book on the whole site. I wrote a review for the guy who asked me to read it. If you're interested, email me.

Otherwise, I recommend the review by a guy in Oakville, ON named Tim Challies (a top-500 reviewer). Tim's review--here--is currently ranked #1 because so many found it helpful.

Financial eternalization

2008-05-07T11:29:00.002-05:00

Trusted friends work with a lady in North Africa who runs a Christian Kindergarten program there. This Kindergarten needs financial assistance to continue, so email me if you're interested. I consider it a good opportunity to give.

The Myanmar Cyclone

2008-05-07T09:37:00.003-05:00

"Communication received from our sources in Myanmar confirms that there has been extensive devastation in the country following the cyclone at the weekend. ... Large trees and electricity equipment have been totally destroyed...The devastation in Yangon is great, so it is supposed that affected rural areas are in a worse state because houses there are often built with bamboo or wood rather than brick and concrete. Victims in Yangon are receiving emergency relief and supplying drinking water and rice must be a priority. Food prices have risen by 30% and petrol prices have tripled on the black market as there is no supply from petrol stations. We have forwarded emergency funds from the Disaster Fund and further funding will be sent as specific needs become known..." - Echoes of Service

"The main city, Rangoon (Yangon) is one of the five regions declared disaster zones. In Bogolay, a city of 190,000, an estimated 95% of the homes have been destroyed. In rural areas, where many Christians live and where building materials are often bamboo or wood, the damage is assumed to be even worse than in the cities where buildings are of brick and concrete; help has not yet reached most of these areas. Many coastal villages have been virtually obliterated. The death toll is currently estimated at 22,000 but expected to rise. Up to a million people could be homeless, and vast rice-growing areas have been destroyed." - Barnabas Fund

"While it is Day" (Are you in the Battle? - Part 2)

2008-05-06T09:06:00.011-05:00

[Update: I rewrote this blog as an article and it got published with Assist News here.]

A friend recently signed an email to me "While it is day." Then, this morning, my dad sent me an email containing the following verse: "I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day: The night cometh when no man can work." I had forgotten about that verse. It's John 9:4, and it is troubling and inspiring at the same time.

Earlier this week I got an email from George Verwer. In it he refers to the huge needs of the world, how much work needs to be done, and how many choose unreality when it comes to the finances needed. Here's an excerpt of his email: "what a huge frustration where there is such a lack of funds. People have simple, nice spiritual answers, but I don't buy them any more. I keep praying and dreaming and hoping."

Friends, we are in a battle; and we need to have a sense of urgency. People are getting slaughtered in Sudan and Congo. Over 20,000 people died in the cyclone in Myanmar this past weekend. Christians' homes are getting burned down at the hands of extremists in Orissa, India. Children are dying in gutters in 'Garbage City,' Cairo. And, most significantly, millions desperately need Jesus Christ--"the way, the truth, and the life." Many have never heard his name.

How can one be happy about doing little when such needs exist? Should we not have a war-effort mentality in such times?

Or perhaps we find it difficult to connect with the needs in the first place. Let's be honest if so and ask God to help us care more. I for one am guilty of forgetting, and of being tempted to give a "nice, simple spiritual answer," and of getting discouraged - on an hourly basis.

But we are in a battle. And how much God uses us depends on how much we surrender ourselves to Him.

Love is our weapon.

Are you in the Battle? (Part 1)

2008-04-28T09:01:00.010-05:00

[Followup: May 1: After reading this post, my dad recommended I look up an 1836 hymn by Charlotte Elliott (author of "Just as I am"). The words, written more than 170 years ago, are powerful. Click "Read More..." at the bottom of this post to read it.]

A phrase that has come back to me again and again recently is "in the battle."

Viewing the Christian life as a battle is not original; it comes from the Bible. It is also not a battle against people. On the contrary, it is a battle for people. In fact, it is a battle in which we fight for our enemies (!) - in love.

Can you imagine fighting in a battle for your enemies and your comrades at the same time? So who is there left to fight? The answer lies in Epehesians 6:12. It says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [i.e., people], but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." - Ephesians 6:12

This verse--Ephesians 6:12--is framed by the following passage:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (11) Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. ... (13) Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (14) Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, (15) and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (16) In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (17) Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (18) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." - Ephesians 6:10;12-18

Here are some more verses about the battle we have been called to fight.

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies." - Psalm 18:2

"The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them." - Psalm 34:7

"The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." Exodus 14:14

A prayer: Lord, thank you for winning the battle at the cross. Thank you for winning the battle for everyone - for paying for the sin of the whole world. And although the war has been won, we know that you have called us to fight in the battle for people and for your glory. Give us grace, truth, love and wisdom. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Christian, seek not yet repose
A Hymn by Charlotte Elliott, 1836

Christian! seek not yet repose,
Cast thy dreams of ease away
thou art in the midst of foes;
watch and pray.

Principalities and powers,
mustering their unseen array,
wait for thy unguarded hours;
watch and pray.

Gird thy heavenly armor on,
wear it ever night and day;
ambushed lies the evil one;
watch and pray.

Hear the victors who o'ercame;
still they mark each warrior's way;
all with one clear voice exclaim,
watch and pray.

Hear, above all, hear thy Lord,
him thou lovest to obey;
hide within thy heart his word,
watch and pray.

Watch, as if on that alone
hung the issue of the day;
pray that help may be sent down;
watch and pray.

Words: Charlotte Elliott, 1836; Music: Morgenglanz der Ewigkeit, Sentinel, Vigilate; Meter: 77 73

Fonebook: synch Facebook with Outlook and your phone

2008-04-21T14:38:00.004-05:00

(If you don't use Outlook, please disregard this post.)

Just to let you know that there is a program out there called "Fonebook" that lets you draw data from your Facebook into your Outlook account. You can then synch your Outlook with your mobile phone so, e.g., when someone calls, their Facebook profile pic will come up on your cellphone screen.

As well as photos, Fonebook synchs birthdays, 'about me' info and web address. Download Fonebook here.

A very helpful tool for prayer: the Facebook Friend Wheel

2008-04-15T11:28:00.003-05:00

Through my friend Yann, I recently discovered the Facebook Friend Wheel. All it does is connect--with coloured lines, and in the most efficient way--all of your friends who know each other.

The Friend Wheel is an amazing visualization of your life as represented by who you are connected to on Facebook. Depending on how zealous you have been in finding your friends from years gone by, it will map the stages of your life (e.g., elementary, high school, post-secondary) and your social circles.

Amazing discoveries can be made: "Wow, I didn't know Sonja knew Tim!"

While the Friend Wheel can be a lot of fun, I think the main value of it to the majority of the people who read this blog--and me!--is that it is an amazing tool for prayer. It:

-is exceedingly better than a simple list
-is easy to generate
-sparks ideas for prayer
-puts people in context
-gives you ideas to connect people
-shows you who God has put in your life
-shows you people that you may be the only link to
-helps make prayer exciting (as it should be!)

If you click the friend wheel image above, you can see my full-sized prayer/friend wheel (3 MB) - to give you an idea of what I'm talking about. (I will probably remove it in a couple weeks.)

Because I found it so helpful for prayer, I printed it out (the "super-huge" version that you can also get: 4-by-4 feet! - about 12 sheets folded and stuck together) and put it on my bedroom wall.

Prayer wheel it up!

Parenting your Adult Child

2008-04-08T09:13:00.003-05:00

Kids are taking way longer to grow up. More 30 year-olds have the maturity that 18 year-olds had 50 years ago.

Gary Chapman, author of the bestselling "The Five Love Languages", has co-written a new book called "Parenting your Adult Child". I highly recommend it.

I heard Chapman speak on the topic in Chicago earlier this year. Since then, *three sets* of parents have shared with me how they are having difficulty parenting their adult child(ren). Needless to say, I recommended "Parenting your Adult Child" by Chapman.

Buy the book on Amazon here.

Kids with Cameras

2008-04-07T15:56:00.005-05:00

Kids with Cameras is fantastic.

If you gave a camera to a kid in a slum, what kind of pictures would he or she take of her world?

See the pictures at kids-with-cameras.org.

This organization is linked to the the film "Born into Brothels," which I recommend watching. I think it is rated "R" - b/c it depicts the R-rated reality of these kids.

Facts about poverty

2008-04-06T10:41:00.002-05:00

I recently learned in "The Skeptics Guide to Global Poverty" that:

-One billion people live in slums
-The 48 nations in Southern Africa have a combined GDP (money-flow) equal to that of the city of Chicago.
-11 million children die each year before the age of five - mostly from poverty-related issues
-The richest 20% of the world consumes 86% of the world's goods

Issues to pray about today

2008-04-04T09:55:00.003-05:00

China sees the upcoming Olympics in Beijing as an opportunity to market themselves, positively, to the world. Because of this, the Chinese government has been cracking down on anyone who might be 'causing problems'. This includes regular, committed Christians. Many are getting imprisoned b/c they are 'risky, potential troublemakers.'

In a recent statement, the UN declared North Korea the #1 worst country in the world to live in. Needless to say, thousands of North Koreans are trying to escape. Many/most flee to China. If they are caught--which they often are--they are sent back. In North Korea they face prison camps or execution - their punishment for trying to escape.

Read more at AssistNews.net and Persecution.net.

Three Crises: Darfur, AIDS, and the Unborn

2008-03-30T22:47:00.007-05:00

Read and pray:

Darfur. According to a March 24 release from Save Darfur (join the Facebook group here), "increased violence in Darfur has killed hundreds of civilians and displaced more than 80,000 people" in the last three months. In total, over 200,000 have been slaughtered and one million displaced in this genocide.

AIDS. Today I watched "Pandemic: Facing AIDS", an excellent documentary on HIV/AIDS by HBO. It follows five personal stories in Uganda, India, Russia, Thailand and Brazil. I learned that:

-India has more AIDS cases (3.7 million) than any other country except South Africa. The pandemic is out of control there.
-90% of HIV/AIDS transmission happens through drugs in Russia.
-There are one million sex workers in Thailand. In some places 20% have AIDS. (Previous knowledge: sadly, a huge number of the sex 'clients' in Thailand are Canadians and Americans.)
-The number of AIDS cases in Brazil decreased last year.

The Unborn. I finished writing the below article on Saturday and it was published by Assist News the next day. (It has also already been published by Journal Chretien in France here.) In researching for it I was struck by the sheer numbers of abortions that are carried out in the U.S. ever year: about 800,000. But of course this is a small fraction of the number carried out worldwide; that number is in the millions.

------------------------------

Saturday, March 29, 2008

‘Thousands of people are alive today because of the Pro-Life Movement’ says Missionary Statesman George Verwer

By Nigel Barham
Special to ASSIST News Service

TORONTO, CANADA (ANS) -- Francis Schaeffer, the great 20th Century apologist, poured himself into the pro-life movement in the last years of his life - leading peaceful anti-abortion protest marches and using his voice to speak out for the unborn.

George Verwer, founder of one of the largest evangelical missions organizations, Operation Mobilization, admits how he believed Schaeffer —- a personal friend -- was going overboard. “Isn't it more important to reach those who have been born than to worry about those who haven't been?” he thought.

While Verwer always knew abortion was wrong, he didn't see how he fit into the equation himself -- especially in Europe -- his home-base at the time, where those opposed to abortion were viewed with particular suspicion. And so he erred on the side of inaction.

Verwer has since changed his tune. He now believes that inaction is not an option. And he says that when he considers the staggering statistics of abortion worldwide, he understands why Schaeffer was so involved in the pro-life struggle.

Verwer believes that all Christians need to be graciously but urgently involved in the fight for the unborn. Specifically, he has promised to give anyone who writes in for it a free copy of Randy Alcorn's book “Why Pro-Life? Caring for the Unborn and Their Mothers.” Verwer believes that this book is one of the best out there on the controversial topic. “Just write in to george@verwer.om.org with your mailing address and we'll send you a copy,” he says.

“‘Why Pro-Life’ was not written to preach to the converted,” he says. “It was written for people who are not already pro-life. It is sensitively-written, grace-awoken and persuasive, and it is as much pro-women as opposed to abortion.”

Verwer points to the statistics. In the United States, according to Federal data, there were more than 800,000 abortions in 2003. In China and India, gender-specific abortion -- where babies are aborted if they are girls —- is rampant. In South Africa, home-made posters advertising underground abortions for the equivalent of $50 are a common sight in city centers.

“It has been said that the mother's womb is one of the most dangerous places in the world today,” Verwer says.

“Christians need to know that thousands of people are alive today because of pro-life advocacy,” Verwer declares. “It is not about winning a war. It is about people - one unborn child at a time.”

About the author: For 50 years George Verwer, Founder of Operation Mobilization (www.om.org), has had a traveling assistant to help him with the logistics involved with his 300 annual speaking engagements. In 2007, this role was filled by Canadian Nigel Barham, now 27. Son of missionaries in Zambia, Barham has been to over 30 countries and lived in five of them. He believes that because there is more response to the Gospel than ever before, we are living in some of the most exciting days in history. “God's Plan will happen with or without you and me,” he says, “and how much God uses us depends on how much we have surrendered ourselves to Him.” Nigel Barham currently lives in Toronto and is involved in several initiatives to reach this most diverse of cities for Christ. He supports himself through his online book business and can be found in the blogosphere at www.nigelbarham.com.

Nigel, this blog has been hijacked on your 27th birthday

2008-03-29T08:08:00.021-05:00

It was a complicated process, but I have managed to break into Nigel's blog and hijack it today on his birthday. This is Nigel's brother Ted.

As you have seen in the post below Nigel made an ad for single Christian women without my knowledge or consent on my 30th birthday. Some things in that ad are accurate enough, e.g. “Ted is a huge, ripped individual,” but there are other things that I would have done a little differently, e.g. the picture of me eating a banana in the boat was taken at a time of particular flabbiness when my rippedness wasn't as obvious as it usually is.

Anyway, just five days later it's Nigel's birthday (Shirley-Anne's birthday as well was just ten days ago) and I decided that I would do the same for Nigel.

Nigel is much more modest than this, so I'm going to say what he could have said if he were much less modest than he is:

Single Christian young women, consider me your number one option.

I could win Canadian Idol easily—I have performed several number one hit singles at weddings, including “Strong as a Lion, Loyal as a Puppy Dog,” “Ain't No One Like Rizzo,” and “Hole in His Heart.”

I could have been a male supermodel.

I am the next Bill Gates or Donald Trump—as evidence of my entrepreneurial success look at my site Bookling.com.

I could have been American president. (If only I wasn't Canadian.)

A prayer for Nigel

It would also be nice to end with a prayer for Nigel.

Heavenly Father, Thank you for what you have done through and in Nigel in the past year. Thank you for how you blessed his time with George Verwer so much, and we thank you again for the desire that Nigel had in the first place to take that opportunity of a lifetime to learn and to have an effect on so many people. Thank you for how he invests in people so heavily. Thank you for giving him so many talents. Thank you for your help in his business. Thank you for bringing him through the disappointments and also the joys of the past year. Thank you for how you are using him back in Toronto. Bless him in every way, and help him to keep living to glorify you. In the name of the Lord Jesus we pray, Amen.

Happy Birthday Nigel!

Happy 30th birthday, Ted!

2008-03-24T11:46:00.006-05:00

Today my brother Ted turns the big 3-0! He would kill me for doing this (but he's on the other side of the ocean), so I thought I'd do a 'personal' ad for this eligible bachelor right here on the blog. (Pictures taken from eHarmony. Click images for full size.)

Update. Confession: Ted isn't on eHarmony... pictures taken from Facebook. :)

Ted needs a woman to keep him out of trouble. His sister Chrissie was able to save him when a lion tried to eat his arm, but Chrissie is now in Indonesia and can no longer help in such crises. (Click the image to see an expression that only a mother could love.)

Ted chose this picture--the ugliest dog in the world--as one of his profile pictures. Ted needs a woman to say, "Ted, you are not an ugly dog. You are my handsome prince, my knight in shining armour."

Ted is a huge, ripped individual. He can bench 500 pounds and squat 1,000. (His secret weapon is bananas. He was dropped into a cauldron of banana juice as a baby and has been invincible ever since.)

Ted is getting old and needs a woman before it is too late. (Ted doesn't want you to see his wrinkles, so there is no larger version of this photo.)

Some call Ted "Teddy bear." He has a warm heart and a loveable smile. Just look at him!

If you are a 'spiritual babe,' ask yourself, is Ted knocking on the door of your heart?

Schedule/Itinerary Archive

2008-03-17T19:15:00.044-05:00

2011/2010/2009/2008/2007

***2011***

JANUARY
In the UK till Jan 11 - see above
(1 Sat 6pm JN departs for UK)
2 Sun 12noon JN arrives in Manchester, UK
3 Mon 11:15am Ted & Nicola's wedding - Manchester, UK
4 Tue pm staying with Roberts' family in Stoke en Trent
5-7 Wed/Thu/Fri staying with Sarah+ in east London (John returns home Thu; MnD/SA/C on Fri)
8 Sat (1) JN returns to Toronto, (2) mtg in Oxford, (3) followup dinner in Oxford (UK)
9 Sun - Oxford: (1) St. Aldates church, (2) lunch with new friends (B,T,MF/D), (3) mtg (C/MF) at G&D's, (4) time w/ Jesus Fellowship friends
10 Mon (1) early am - prayer for the world, (2) work in central Oxford, (3) 12:20pm exploring poorer areas of Oxford (T+), (4) 2:40pm mtg in Bulstrode (JM), (5) 6:30pm mtg (S+,MF/D), (6) mtgs at Eagle & Child (H,MF; AM,D)
(11-13 M/D in UK: Bradford/Leeds)
11 Tue 9am flight home from London (Heathrow), UK
(13-16 M/D in Germany: Munich, Mosbach, Heilbronn, Berlin)
13 Thu 2pm mtg (JB)
14 Fri (1) ph call (BB), (2) Bookling mtg (JB), (3) mtg (HI/HA), (4) Pie Shack (FM,HP)
17 Mon (1) am prayer mtg, (2) mtg (MM), (3) 2pm ph call (BF), (4) MF returns to Toronto; D in Austria
18 Tues eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
19 Wed 1pm mtg (MP)
20 Thur 10:45am mtg (TW) Hwy 7 & Leslie
21 Fri (1) 10am mtg (GB), (2) 2pm mtg (JB)
24 Mon (1) am prayer mtg, (2) DS returns to Toronto
25 Tue (1) 9:30am mtg (TS), (2) 2:30pm phone call (DR), (3) 6:30pm mtg (FM), (4) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
26-29 Urban Forum conf - Toronto
27 Thu (1) 9:15 mtg (TW) - Richmond Hill, (2) 11am mtg (GO) - Newmarket
28 Fri (1) 2pm mtg (JB) - downtown, (2) 4:30 ph appt (MA), (4) ~8pm Jan arrives in neighbourhood for wknd
29 Sat (1) breakfast mtg (JDB), (2) evening - helping a neighbour move
30 Sun (1) possible mtg (FM,HP), (2) visiting g'parents
31 Mon (1) am prayer mtg, (2) mtg with Muslim-faith leader in Mississauga, (3) 6pm house-warming (JN+) - Jane&Finch

FEBRUARY
1 Tue (1) 11am lunch (MF), (2) 2-4pm mtg (MF,Jim), (3) (Justin B may be moving in)
2 Wed (1) 1pm mtg (JB), (2) 4pm mtg (AB) - downtown, (3) 5pm ph appt (MA), (4) mtg (F/H), (5) 9pm ph call (CB)
3 Thu (1) 2:30pm mtg (JB), (2) dinner w/ neighbour (I+), (3) prayer (FM)
4 Fri (1) mtg (FM), (2) ph calls (JG), (3) time w/ JN
5 Sat (1) 11:30am mtg (JL), (2) 4pm late lunch (JO), (3) mtg (JB), (4) dinner (JO,JN,JB,DS+)
6 Sun (1) 12:30pm-3:30pm prayer (JN,JO), (2) 6pm dinner (DS/JN/neighbours), (3) 9pm super bowl party (JD+)
7 Mon (1) 8:45am mtg (MG, (2) (a) (am prayer mtg), (b) 10am Bookling mtg (JD,GO,JB), (3) 4pm mtg (MF/RDL), (4) 8:15pm visiting neighbours (I+), (5) 10pm mtg (FM/HP)
8 Tues (1) 12:30pm mtg (MG), (2) 2:30pm mtg (JB), (3) 3:30pm ph call (JP), (4) 7:15pm eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
9 Wed (1) 12:30 lunch (TW+), (2) eve "Ruined" play/drama (re Congo strife; JN,SS)
12 Sat eve - got engaged!
14 Mon (1) am prayer mtg, (2) 7:15pm speaking @ Bayview Glen
17-20 (Thu-Sun JN in Mississippi)
17 Thu (1) 5:15am driving JN to airport, (2) 9:30am ph call (NW), (3) 1pm mtg - Kitchener (WK,VB,TW) (staying in Milton)
18 Fri - annual MB conf - Waterloo
19 Sat eve JG visiting
20 Sun (1) speaking 10am @ Unionville Alliance Church - Unionville, ON, (2) pickup: 8:15pm JN lands at airport
21 (Mon Family Day)
22 Tues (1) am prayer mtg, (2) 2pm lunch (MF,KM), (3) 6pm dinner (PY), (4) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
23 Wed (1) 10am mtg (TW), (2) 12pm lunch (TW,JN), (3) 2:30pm memorial (Roger)
24 Thur 1pm mtg (JB)
25-26 Fri-Sat Sabbath retreat - Jacksons Point, ON
27 Sun (1) (FM speaking 10:45am speaking @ Thistletown Baptist Church), (2) speaking @ Young Nak (English Ministry 10am/12noon/2pm
28 Mon (1) am prayer mtg, (2) VT training

MARCH
1 Tues (1) am time w MA, (2) 12pm mtg (JB), (3) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
3 Thur (1) 2pm mtg (JB), (2) 5:30pm ph appt (MA)
4 Fri (1) 9am mtg (FM), (2) 12pm biz mtg (JB), (3) 6:30pm dinner (PCS), (4) possible prayer night
6 Sun (1) 10:45am speaking (2nd time) @ Thistletown Baptist Church - Rexdale, ON, (2) (VS flies in at 7:20pm)
7-8 (VT members to Coaching training)
7 Mon (bb treatment) am prayer mtg
8 Tues eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
9 Wed (1) 1:30pm lunch (VS), (2) 5:30pm ph appt (MA), (3) 7:30pm ph call (BB), (4) 8pm visit (VV)
(10-18 Thu...Fri DS away.)
10 Thu (2) 12noon lunch (SK - Rexdale), (3) 3pm mtg (JB), (4) 6:30pm visiting g'parents
11 Fri (1) visiting bldg mngr, (2) mtg (JB), (3) lunch (J. Beers), (4) eve dinner w/ relatives (BN/T/JN), (5) DPoid visiting for the wknd
12 Sat (1) movie (BW,MG,FM/HP,VS,DPoid; "Of Gods and Men" - recommended), (2) 8pm time (JN,FM/HP)
13 Sun 7pm neighbourhood event (HA+)
14 Mon (1) am prayer mtg, (2) mtg (MF,JB)
15 Tues (1) 10am mtg (MSC+), (2) 6pm dinner (TD), (3) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
16 Wed (1) 11:15am workout, (2) visiting neighbours
17 Thu 8pm mtg (AI)
18 Fri (1) 9:30am mtg (JB), (2) 5:30pm ph appt (MA)
19 Sat wedding (Nathan DB/L) - Malton, ON
20 Sun 4:30pm Spirit of Truth church - Iranian New Years celebration
21 Mon (bb treatment) (1) am prayer mtg, (2) 12:30pm lunch (CP) - Sierra Grill, (3) 3pm ph call (Bob M.), (4) 3:30pm ph call (KC), (5) mtgs, (6) 6pm neighbour b'day (7) 8:30pm mtg (FM/HP)
22 Tues (1) lunch (JL) - central-west Toronto, (2) 3pm mtg (JB), (3) 4pm ph call (A. Belle), (4) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
23 Wed (1) 10am-12noon mtg (MF) - office, (2) evening visiting neighbours (help w job hunting)
24 Thu (1) 9:30am mtg (Portico Community Church; Mississauga), (2) 2pm mtg (VG)
25 Fri (1) 12noon lunch @ Apple Jacks - Hwy 7/McCowan in Markham (AC), (2) 3pm mtg (JB)
26 Sat (1) working downtown, (2) 30th b'day (3pm onwards)
27 Sun (1) 2pm attending play/production, (2) 6:30 accompanying JN to small group mtg
28 Mon (1) am prayer mtg, (2) 12noon lunch (J/R/RH) - La Marche, (3) KL visiting
29 Tues (1) 8am b'fast (JN), (2) all day: time with JM, (2) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
30 Wed (1) 9:00 am mtg (JB,MF), (2) ~1pm ph call (parents), (3) 5:30pm appt (MA)
31 Thu (1) 11am mtg (JB), (2) 5:30pm appt (MA), (3) visiting neighbours

APRIL
1 Fri (JB off) 11am Missionfest event (w/DS)
2 Sat (1) 11am ph call (CGB), (2) ~6pm ph call (TB), (3) working downtown
3 Sun speaking @ Parkway Bible Church 9:30am (FM,DS)/10:30am & lunch
5 Tue (1) (moving furniture), (2) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
6 Wed [DS media] (1) 10am mtg (MF,JB,RDL,VS), (2) 4:30pm ph call (GM,TW), (3) 5:30pm ph call (MA), (4) 9pm ph call (JEB)
7 Thu (1) 12noon mtg (MF), (2) 1:30pm mtg (BM,MF) - Morningstar Christian Fellowship - Scarborough, ON
8 Fri (1) 12noon lunch (RS; Spadina & Harbord), (2) 7:30pm movie (Nature IMAX 3D) w/ neighbourhood "little brother"
9 Sat (1) 9:15am neighbourhood litter cleanup, (2) 10am home Spring cleanup, (3) mtg (JN), (4) attending Power to Change fellowship dinner
10 Sun 6pm dinner (JB,JN)
(11-13 Mon-Wed JN at P2C staff conf)
11-14 Mon-Thu Gospel Coalition Conf (TW,CS,GG,DS) - Chicago
12 Tue at conf (above) (1) 4pm mtg (Mikko H), (2) dinner (MB denom)
15 Fri (1) time w/ GG, (2) brother Ted arrives, (3) 7pm visiting Graduate Christian Fellowship - University of Chicago, (4) staying w/ P/KS
16 Sat (1) (DS filming wedding), (2) work-time @ Third World Cafe (1301 East 53rd Street, Chicago), (3) 6:30pm dinner (T/NB)
17 Sun (1) @ Moody Church, Chicago: (A) 9am mtg (T/NB,RB), (B) 9:50am service, (C) 12noon lunch (T/NB,RB), (D) 1pm speaking at class; (2) MG/VS/DS arrive, (3) staying w/ IS
(17-21 Sun-Thu JB to Georgia)
18 Mon (1) 9am speaking at Moody Church - special mtg (RB;T/NB,MG,DS,VS), (2) ~2pm sharing @ invitation of EL w/ Moody Church staff (TB,MG,VS,DS), (3) ~8pm sharing in small group at Billy Graham Center, Wheaton College, Chicago (TB,MF,VS,MG)
19 Tue (1) 9:30am b'fast (T/NB,MG+), (2) 5pm dinner (DB;MG+) - Dearborn, MI, (3) ~7pm visiting mosque in Dearborn, (4) ~12midnight back in Toronto
20 Wed time w/ JN
21 Thu (1) 12pm airport pickup (JB,JN,D.Chung), (2) eve dinner (B's), (2) 8pm speaking/sharing Mt. Albert Fellowship - Mt. Albert, ON
22 Fri (Good Friday) (1) tentative: 6:30pm Easter conference (Martingrove Collegiate Institute)
23-24 Sat-Sun Bachelor weekend (FM+)
24 Sun 2:30pm grandfather's birthday
(25 RDL off till 29th)
25 Mon (Easter Monday) (1) am prayer meeting, (2) aft mtg (MF), (3) 4:30-8pm family (JN+) Easter get-together - Spadina & Nassau
26 Tue (1) 11am ph call (TW), (2) 4-5:30pm PM counseling (S/BT;JN) - Mississauga, (3) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg + b'day
27 Wed (1) 10:30am mtg (MF)
28 Thu (1) 6am devos/sendoff (apt), (2) 10:30am CCWM mtg - Stouffville, (3) 2:30pm mtg (TW) - Aurora, (4) 7:30pm mtg (AI,DS) .. (JN w/ sister)
29 Fri (1) (Jan in town), (2) 12pm mtg d/t (JB), (3) 2pm ph appt (MA), (4) 5:30pm dinner (A's in Durham)
30 Sat (JB sharing @ Niagara Region b'fast) (1) still in Durham, (2) (Promoting: 8:30am-12:30pm VMC Workshop - DVBC), (3) wedding (F/H - yay!)

MAY
1-4 (Sun-Wed: BR visiting)
2 Mon (1) am prayer mtg, (2) election day in Canada! (3) visiting neighbours
3 Tues (1) (DS lunch mtg) (2) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg (GS visiting; also BR from Alberta, and JN+ from J/Finch) (3) dropping GS off
4-6 (Wed-Fri JB away)
4 Wed (1) ~4pm ph calls (Biblica), (2) ~5pm dinner (YA), (2) 10pm mtg (VS,JS)
5 Thu (1) 10am mtg (TW) - Sunset Grill - Richmond Hill, (2) 3:45pm w/ group from MB Mission, (3) time w/ JN
6 Fri (DS away) .. 8pm Word Made Flesh event Mississauga
7 Sat wedding mtg (JN)
8 Sun (1) 11:15am speaking @ Greenwood Gospel Chapel, (2) afternoon b'day party
9 Mon (1) am prayer mtg, (2) class w/ JN in Kitchener-Waterloo, (3) 9:00pm visiting folks in Kitchener-Waterloo
10 Tue in Kitchener-Waterloo: (A) 10am P.M. counseling (S/BT;JN), (B) 1pm MB credentialing interview; (2) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
11 Wed (1) 3-5pm mtg (DH+), (2) ~7pm dinner (HA/S,JN)
12 Thu (1) 1pm lunch (PWYL,JN), (2) 5pm ph appt (MA)
13 Fri (1) 1pm sharing w/ CrossGlobal Link (SIM led) - Stage West Hotel, Mississauga, (2) 4pm time w/ Luis B. & wife
16 Mon (1) am prayer mtg (MG back), (2) mtg (CL) .. (DS at concert 6pm)
17 Tues (1) 3pm mtg (MG,W+), (2) dinner (F/HM,JN), (3) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg (Ph. Pl) .. (DS away on set)
18 Wed ~7pm dinner (PS+)
19 Thu am mtg (JB)
21 Sat - 1:30pm Sharing at Toronto China Bible Church
23 Mon (Victoria Day) .. lunch mtg (DS,JO,JVDB)
24 Tues (am prayer mtg) .. eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
25 Wed (1) 2:30pm P.M. counseling - Mississauga/Hamilton, (2) 6pm ph appt (MA), (3) 9pm w/ friends
26 Thu 7:45pm dinner w/ neighbourhood friends
27 Fri movie w/ neighbourhood kids
(27+ Fri+ VS' friends w/ us)
28 Sat evening - Aradhna concert (DS,JM,JS,JO,MBC,JN+)
29 (see next) Sun speaking w/ JN + lunch - Runnymede Community Church
29-31 (see prev) Sun-Tue: Retreat at Camp Crossroads
31 (see prev) Tues eve neighbourhood prayer mtg

JUNE
1 Wed (1) 5:30 ph appt (MA), (2) 8pm visiting (H,w/VS)
2 Thu (1) 11am get-together (BN,JN), (2) mtg (JB) (3) 6pm mtg (JN), (4) 8:30pm get-together (JBr)
3 Fri (am/pm DS moving items; pm JN mailing party) 12:30pm lunch (BR)
4 Sat (DS away; 2pm - JN shower) (1) 4:15 get-together (JN+), (2) 7:30pm - dinner w/ neighbours
5 Sun (1) 9am & 11am speaking at Lincoln Road Chapel - Waterloo, (2) lunch, (3) 3pm P.M. counseling, (4) 7pm phone call (TR)
6 Mon (1) am prayer mtg, (2) mtg (RM,DS)
7 Tues (1) 12:30pm conference call (MD+), (2) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
8 Wed (1) 9am mtg (MF), (2) 10:30am mtg (JB)
9 Thu (1) possible lunch, (2) 7pm time w/ JN
10 Fri (~J at shop)
11 Sat all-day: Toronto Connection Day
13 Mon (1) am prayer mtg, (2) mtgs
14 Tue (1) sister (CB) arrives 6:05pm - AC16, (2) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
15 Wed (1) 11am speaking @ World Vision - Mississauga, (2) mtg w/ Philipino leaders (SJT,MS), (3) (FM over for dinner .. JB using car)
16 Thu 6pm "Rich-Poor" dinner
17 Fri (1) sister (CB) flies to Chicago
18 Sat 7pm neighbourhood b'day (S)
19 Sun (1) Father's day lunch
20 Mon (1) am prayer mtg, (2) Op. World mtg, (3) 3:30pm wedding mtg (MF,JN), (4) ~6pm dinner w/ Hales .. (MH+SEF go to Calgary .. JB away till Wed .. DS away till Thu)
21 Tue (1) 3:05pm parents arrive in Canada, (2) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
22 Wed (1) 6:36pm sister (S-AB) arrives, (2) 7pm speaking at Hopedale B.C.
23 Thu 4:30pm NC arrives - visiting
24 Fri 5pm ph appt (MA)
25 Sat 3pm photography mtg (D/KK,JN) .. (DS at WonderJam)
26 Sun (1) at Zac Poonen mtg, (2) 5pm speaking at S.T. church - North York .. (2pm JN at shower w/ friends)
27 Mon (1) am prayer mtg, (2) 8:20pm sister (SA) flies in - DL 4341 (term. 3) .. (picking up misc things)
28 Tue (1) 9am mtg (JB), (2) 8pm mtg (elders)
29 Wed (1) 3pm P.M. counseling, (2) 7pm mtg w/ wedding production (BR)
30 Thu (1) 8am - Delta Markham mtg (CP,GM,MF), (2) ~11am mtg (JB)

JULY
(Wedding month!)
1-2 (see next) Fri-Sat: family get-together - Port Dover & Hamilton, ON
1 (see prev) Fri (1) sister (CB,BC) arrives back in Canada, (2) 3:20pm Jake arrives - Sunwing 201
2-9 (JB away)
2 Sat (MH+SEF come back from Calgary)
3 Sun 1:40pm brother (TB) arrives for wedding
4 Mon (1) 1:4pm sister-in-law (NB) arrives for wedding, (2) 6:30pm bachelor party
5 Tue (1) 1pm lunch (DS - C. Style), (2) 6pm sharing at MSC mtg
6 Wed 10:30am mtg (YH)
7 Thu (1) 11am haircut!, (2) 6pm family dinner, (3) 10pm emcee mtg .. (9:35pm brother (JB) arrives for wedding)
8 Fri (1) 10am mtg, (2) 2pm rehearsal, (3) evening - time w/ JN
9 Sat own wedding (NB/JN)
10-25 Mon+ Honeymoon
10 Sun (Jake returning to UK)
11-15 (DS away + MF running VBS)
23-31 (JB at TO Challenge)
23 (Sat Connection Day - Hamilton)
25-28 (see next) Mon-Thu (Power to Change conference): going to Ottawa Mon night; coming back Thu night - Ottawa
(25-29 (see prev) Neighbourhood camp
(25-29 MF on vac.)

AUGUST

1 Mon 10am prayer mtg
2 Tue neighbourhood prayer mtg
3 Wed 10:30am mtg (MF)
4 Thu (1) 11:30am mtg (JB), (2) 5pm ph appt (MA)
5 Fri 2:30pm mtg (TW)
7 Sun evening (CB/BC+)
8 Mon (1) 10am prayer mtg, (2) 5pm ph appt (MA)(DS shooting with BH)
9 Tue neighbourhood prayer mtg
10-12 Wed-Fri VT retreat
14 Sun dinner (~J/JB)
15 Mon 10am prayer mtg
16-17 Tue-Wed Training seminar at Carruthers C.C.C. - Ajax, ON
16 Tue neighbourhood prayer mtg
18 Thu 4:30pm ph appt (MA) (eve 5-7pm DS shooting)
19 Fri 2:30pm mtg (TW) - Aurora
20 Sat (1) mtg (FM), (2) 7:30pm dinner w/ neighbours
22-24 (Mon-Wed ~J P2C retreat)
22 Mon (1) 10am prayer mtg, (2) visiting ~J in Peterborough, ON
23 Tue (1) 11am mtg (JB), (2) neighbourhood prayer mtg .. (DS in meeting from 10am-noon)
24 Wed (1) 11am mtg (MF), (2) possible 2-4pm mtg
25 Thu dinner (BN/T/~J)
26 Fri C4C BBQ (special neighbourhood prayer night)
28-29 Sun-Mon in Ottawa
28 Sun speaking @ Ottawa Connection Day - Ottawa, ON (tentatively leaving from Toronto 9am)
29 Mon in Ottawa; returning to Toronto
30 Tue (1) 10am prayer mtg, (2) 6:30pm dinner (F/HM), (3) neighbourhood prayer mtg
31 Wed (1) 3:30pm mtg (SJ), (2) 4:30pm ph appt (MA), (3) 7pm dinner (YH+)

SEPTEMBER

(2-9 JB on vacation)
2-5 Fri-Mon up north (G. Bay; then AC's cottage - w/ DS,JM,~J+)
2 (DS shooting a wedding)
4 Sun (DS speaking at HBC)
5 (Mon Labour Day)
(6-9 Tue-Fri MF on vac.)
6 Tue 7:15pm neighbourhood prayer mtg
7 Wed 7:30pm speaking at Heidelberg Bible Fellowship in Waterloo
8 Thu eve engagement (FM/MH)
9 Fri (1) 8:00am mtg (MW), (2) dinner (DS,JM,~J,neighbours)
10 Sat (1) 1pm event w/ grandparents, (2) 4pm b'day (Tav.P), (3) 7pm Bengali community/neighbourhood event, (4) time w/ M/KW .. (DS @ own wedding shower)
11 Sun (1) 11am speaking @ Greenhills Christian Fellowship - Scarborough, ON, (2) 6:30pm speaking in neighbourhood Bible meeting
12 Mon (1) 10am prayer mtg, (2) 1pm mtg (MG), (3) 8:45pm mtg (JS,FM), (4) 11pm time w/ FM
13 Tue (1) 8am b'fast (JB,MG), (1) 2pm pickup (DS,S), (2) 7:15pm neighbourhood prayer mtg .. (DS at Serena in eve)
14-15 (Wed-Thurs DS shooting for GS)
16 Wed 11:30am mtg (MF)
15 Thu (1) 7:30am b'fast (J/RH,GE), (2) 4:30pm ph appt (MA), (3) tentative ph call (M/KW)
16 Fri (1) 6am d'ship apt devotions, (2) pm Jan coming (YM arrived)
17 Sat all-day speaking @ MI Gathering (DS shooting wedding)
19 Mon (1) 10am prayer mtg, (2) 4:47pm U. Tom arrives (~J out w/ HM .. DS shoot at Twin Image)
20 Tue (1) 6am d'ship apt devotions, (2) 7:15pm neighbourhood prayer mtg (visiting: Dale from H'berg, JS, Steven)
21 Wed (1) lunch (MP), (2) eve dinner (T/CR,BC,CB,~J)
22 Thu 6pm Catch the Fire conference
23-24 Fri-Sat Bachelor wknd (DS+) - Prince Edward County, ON
(23-26 Fri-Mon Jen. N. staying over)
24 Sat (G'ma b'day celebration .. ~J @ JM's b'ette)
25 Sun (1) 12noon relatives get-together, (3) visiting G'ma
(26-Nov 11 MF on Africa vision trip)
26 Mon (1) 10am prayer mtg (+ T/CR return to Arkansas) (2) pm Shortbread anniversary!
27 Tue (1) 6am d'ship apt devotions, (2) 7:15pm neighbourhood prayer mtg (Y/SM visiting) .. (VS leaves for K'stan)
28 Wed eve CCCC banquet
29 Thu (1) 9:30-10:30am keynote at CCCC conference - Stage West Hotel, Mississauga, ON, (2) 6pm appt (PH), (3) 8:30pm ph appt (DS/JM)
30 Fri (1) 6am d'ship apt devotions, (2) 6:45am neighbourhood l'ship mtg, (3) 10am mtg (JB), (4) 12noon lunch (GH), (5) 6:30pm+ wedding (DS) rehearsal
(30 Sep 30-Oct 2 ~J at P2C student "summit")

OCTOBER

(... 25-Nov 11 MF on Africa vision trip)
(~J at P2C summit till Oct 2)
1 Sat (1) 9:30am groomsmen outing, (2) 11am wedding (DS/JM) + emceeing reception (w/ ~J)
(2 Sun D/JS leave for Manila/Delhi)
4 Tue (1) 6am d'ship apt devotions, (2) 11:50am Dr's appt, (3) 3pm ph appt (MA), (4) 7:15pm neighbourhood prayer mtg
5 Wed (1) 10am mtg (BC), (2) 12:30pm lunch (AF)
6 Thu (1) 12:30 lunch (RS) + airport dropoff, (2) eve dinner (Cherif+)
7 Fri (1) 6am d'ship apt devotions, (2) eve dinner (G/HL+)
8 Sat 1pm Thanksgiving dinner
9 Sun 11:15am speaking at Markham Christian Community Church
10 Mon (Cdn Thanksgiving Monday) .. 6:30pm wedding (neighbours)
11 Tue (1) 6:30am mtg (FM/MG), (2) 10am prayer mtg, (3) 7:15pm neighbourhood prayer mtg
12 Wed eve visiting neighbours w/ JSu
13 Thu (1) 10am mtg (Y,BC), (2) visiting neighbours
14 Fri (2) 6am d'ship apt devotions, (2) 10am mtg (JB)
15 Sat workout/workday
16 Sun (1) 1pm lunch (D/AS), (2) 5pm dinner w/ neighbours, (3) 6:30pm neighbourhood Bible mtg
17 Mon 10am mtg (RM+, w/ BC) in Waterloo
18 Tue (1) 6am d'ship apt devotions, (2) 10am-1pm VMC Gathering @ Don Valley Bible Chapel, (3) 7:15pm neighbourhood prayer mtg
19 Wed (1) 10:30am funeral @ 733 Mt Pleasant Rd (DS), (3) 3pm ph appt (MA), (3) 7pm pickup (ph, w/ ~J)
20-22 Thu-Sat AR staying w/ us
20 Thu 5:30pm dinner (g'parents/aunt+)
21 Fri (1) 6am d'ship apt devotions, (2) 1pm lunch (MW), (3) 5:30pm dinner (G/HL+)
22 Sat (1) apt setup, (2) D/JS arrive
23 Sun 9:30am speaking at Chapel Place @ 8 Chapel Place, Markham
25 Tue (1) 6:15am mtg (FM,MD), (2) lunch (JW) @ 1056 Gerrard St E, (3) 7:15pm neighbourhood prayer mtg .. Special day of prayer
26 Wed (1) 3pm mtg (JT), (2) 6pm speaking @ Annual Gen. Mtg of Missionfest Toronto
27 Thu (1) 9am mtg (JB), (2) dinner (JR+)
28 Fri (1) 6am d'ship apt devotions, (2) eve time in the neighbourhood
29 Sat (1) lunch w/ neighbour friends, (2) 4:15pm mtg (HT) - Toronto airport
Oct 31-Nov 3 Mon-Thu: National M.B. planters' retreat - Quebec City, QC
31 Mon (1) 10am prayer mtg, (2) 3:30pm flight TO to QC

NOVEMBER
...-3 (see prev) ...-Thu: retreat
3 Thu 5:30pm flight QC to TO arriving 7:05pm
4 Fri 1:30pm ph appt (MA)
5 Sat 7pm Urban Covenant Gala
6 Sun (1) 1pm time w/ AB/MM/GN, (2) 6pm b'day dinner (AK/J/GnG+)
7-10 Mon-Thu JSe from Atlanta visiting
7 Mon (1) 10am prayer mtg, (2) 12noon mtg (DG), (3) 4:30pm mtg (JSe), (4) 7pm b'day dinner (Malkutha) .. JSe lands in Buf @ 12:30pm
8 Tue (1) 12noon lunch (JSe), (2) 6pm dinner (JBr/JG+), (3) 7:15pm neighbourhood prayer mtg (JBr/JG+ visiting)
10 Thu .. JSe flies out 1:30pm
11-13 M/KW visiting for the wknd
11 Fri (1) 6am mtg (FM), (2) 10:30am mtg (JB), (3) 12:20pm dentist appt - 700 Coxwell Ave, (4) 7pm budgeting training evening .. (MF returns)
12 Sat (1) 9:30am b'fast (M/KW), (2) 3:30pm mtg (MW), (3) 7:45pm @ MH's
13 Sun (1) 7:15am mtg (MF,M/KW), (2) 5pm dinner (G/ED,~J)
14 Mon (1) 10am prayer mtg, (2) eve visiting neighbours .. (DS shooting)
15 Tue (1) 6am d'ship apt devotions, (2) 7:15pm neighbourhood prayer mtg .. am ~J appt (specialist)
16-18 Wed-Fri DA visiting
16 Wed (1) 11am mtg (MF), (2) 2pm ph appt (MA)
17 Thu (1) 7am b'fast (HS+), (2) 9:30am mtg (TW), (3) 6pm JG coming
18-22 Fri-Tue BC's parents staying over
18 Fri (1) 6am d'ship apt devotions, (2) budget appt w/ ~J
20 Sun (1) b'fast w/ BC's parents, (2) 11am LBC+, (3) 4pm gym
21 Mon (1) VT 10am prayer mtg, (2) 8:30pm mtg
22 Tue (1) tentative 6:30am mtg (F/HM,MG), (2) (10am City Hall prayer), (3) tentative 6pm dinner (Jer/RD), (4) 7:15pm neighbourhood prayer mtg (JB sharing)
25-27 (Fri-Sun MF+ in Ottawa)
23 Wed 11am mtg (MF+)
25 Fri (1) 10am b. mtg in Mississauga, (2) visiting neighbours
27 Sun 11:45am lunch/fundraiser for Josh Okello
28 Mon (1) 10am VT prayer mtg
29 Tue (1) d'ship apt devotions, (2) 8am b'fast (AB), (3) 12noon lunch at UofT (J+), (4) 7:15pm neighbourhood prayer mtg
30 Wed (1) 11am ph appt (MA), (2) 12:30pm mtg (MF), (3) 6:00pm (BC)

***2010***

JANUARY
1 Fri traveling back (by bus) from St. Louis, MI to Toronto
2 Sat wedding (A/ES)
8 Fri 12:12 - Bridletowne (9:30am-1pm)
9 Sat 10am mtg Yonge/Bloor (A), (2) mtgs (RG/JA)
10 Sun pm - sharing at Peoples (partial service)
12 Tue lunch (TW/M-M)
13 Wed coffee (JG) 4:30pm, Starbucks (6 Charles St)
16 Sat - JO arrives
17 Sun am - speaking at Durham/Life Point church (JS speaking night before)
19 Tue am/pm 2 seminars - Peoples Church Truth Alive conf
20 (1) Wed am (1 seminar) - cont'd T.A. conf, (2) 1:30pm appt (S Hume)
22 Fri 7-9pm (arrive 6pm) - Pulse, Southridge, St. Catherines
24 Sun 7pm Haiti Partners/Campolo/Annan mtg - Bayview Glen
26 Tue 12:30pm lunch (J Ng)
28 Thu am mtg (DS)
29 Fri 1pm lunch (KM)
30 Sat Gathering & Urbana reunion/conf

FEBRUARY
2 Tue (1) 10am mtg (AC), (2) 5pm ph appt (MA)
3 Wed (1) 1pm - "Vital" conf, (2) 5:30 dinner thru conf
4 Thu (1) AM - "Vital" again,(2) possible: dinner (Jeremy gpa+)
6 Sat (1) mtg (HT,CJT,RR) - Port Colborne, (2) evening (Q+ in T)
7 Sun (1) mtg (CS), (2) 4pm mtg (K)
8-11 Mon-Thu - church-planting conference - Orlando, FL
14-17 Sun-Wed - Edm/Cal - Ambrose+ (followup: spoke Millview Alliance house church x 2)
19-20 Fri/Sat MB conf: speaking Fri night (youth service)
23 Tue (1) mtg (TS/TW), (2) pr mtg
24 Wed coffee (RS)
25 Thu (1) 10am coffee (Albert V), (2) 3pm coffee (Philip A)
26 Fri (1) 12:30pm lunch, (2) 4pm coffee (AT), (3) conf - Port Perry

MARCH
2 Tue 10am coffee (GP)
3 Wed (1) 11:30am mtg downtown (JB,S), (2) 4pm mtg (Seth), (3) Visiting g'parents, (4) ph appt (MA)
4-6 Winnipeg (MB conf +) (Leaving Toronto 1:05pm 4-Mar; returning 6:05pm 6-Mar to arrive 9:29pm)
6 GO conf (JS only)
8 Mon (1) pr mtg (JB+), (2) 6:30pm item pickup (DC)
9 Tue (1a) 9:15am mtg (MG), (1b) 10am mtg (RC,MG+), (2) 12noon lunch (GO), (3) 2pm mtg (Ppls), (4) DA arrives (stays till Mar 12), (5) pr mtg (5:45 on)
9-11/12 Tue-Thu/Fri DA visits
10 Wed (1) 3pm ph call (SR), (2) 7pm dinner (CW)
11 Thu 7pm din+ (Y/Olu)
12 Fri 10-2:30 12:12
13 Sat (1) 10-noon moving ppl, (2) 1:30pm mtg (VS+)
14 Sun (1) 3pm mtg (TW,SC,DS+), (2) 6pm visiting gparents
15 Mon (1) 9:30am pr mtg (TS+JB/BM/AC visiting), (2) 7pm mtg (VS,SE,JB+)
16 Tue (1) 9am mtg (FM,P), (2) 6:30pm pr mtg
17 Wed (1) 8am Gateway pr mtg, (2) 12:30pm lunch (AC), (3) 5:30pm ph appt (MA)
18 Thu 1pm lunch (E. Sun) Yonge/Bloor
23 Tue pr mtg
24 Wed (1) am - mtgs, (2) 8pm ph call (SB)
25 Thu (1) 1:30pm mtg (VG,GM), (2) 7pm dinner (DP)
26 Fri (1) 4:30pm ph appt (MA), (2) 7pm dinner (M/LJ)
27 Sat 11am funeral (Calvary ch)
29 Mon (1) mtg 9:30am-~1:30pm St. Paul's Bloor, (2) funeral (JB), (3) 5:30pm mtg (SO), (4) Picking up Ted from airport
31 Wed 9am appt (TS)

APRIL
1 Possible: Thu (1) 2pm webinar, (2) dinner (M/LJ,TB)
2 Fri 1pm+ Easter conf
4 Sun 6pm dinner w g'parents+
5 Mon G.O. coming to pr mtg, JB off
6 Tue (1) 10:30am mtg (TW), (2) 12:30pm lunch (Jon O.), (3) 2:30pm Coffee (AC
7 Wed (1) 12:30pm lunch (K. Chan) Yonge/Bloor SB, (2) 5:30pm ph appt (MA), (3) 6:30pm pr mtg (M/SW+)
9 Fri (1) 10:30-1pm gathering (GM+), (2) 1:30pm lunch (Woodroe T.), (3) ~11pm friend coming (SB)
9-10 Fri/Sat friends staying over (SB+)
10 (Evolving Church conf at Peoples)
15-17+ Thu-Sat+ GV/DL visiting
15 Thu 5/6:30pm Dinner
16-18 Fri-Sun Missionsfest Toronto (w GV+)
17 Sat 8:30 am mtg (BR,AC+) - Markham
18 Carruthers Creek 6pm (young adults) service
19-25 Prayer focus week
21 Wed 5:30pm ph appt (MA)
23 Possible: bday (JW) - Ajax
24 Sat PCS 25th anniversary
28 Wed 6pm ph appt (MA)
29 Thu (1) 10:30am CCWM mtg, north Scarborough, (2) 2pm lunch (CL) - Tim's, Yonge/Bloor
30 Fri (1) 12:30pm mtg (TW), (2) 3pm mtg (TS) - Tim's west side VP, south of Ellesmere

MAY
1 Sat (1) am mtg (MH), (2) business focus
3 Mon 12pm meeting (JS, MG)
6-8 Thu-Sat "Robust Faith" conference - Waterloo
7 Pre-mtg mtg (MG+)
8-9 Sat-Sun w relatives (Bells+)
9 Sun (G'wood)
10-11 Mon-Tue ONMB+
13 Thu (1) business-focus day, (2) 5:30pm ph appt (MA)
14 Fri (1) 10am mtg (RWB) - Nonquon, (2) ~7pm dinner (NK+)
16 Sun 6:30pm Morningstar Christian Fellowship - FEBC Toronto rally
18 Tue (1) 11:30am lunch (CW/TB), (2) evening pr mtg
19 Wed (1) 8am pr mtg (Gateway) (2) 10am city hall pr mtg, (3) 1pm lunch (GO), (4) 5:30pm ph appt (MA)
20 Thu (1) 12noon lunch (CP), (2) Tentative: 2:30pm webinar
21 Fri (1) business-focus day, (2) lunch mtg (MF)
22 Sat 7pm mtg (speaking) - Flowing River Community Church, Toronto
25 Tue (1) 3pm ph appt (MA), (2) evening pr mtg
26 Wed time w friend at Dentonia (AM)
27 Thu (1) business-focus day, (2) 12noon lunch (GM)
28 Fri (1) 12:30pm mtg (TW,ES), (2) 3:30pm mtg (TW+)
29 Sat 5pm party (S's)

JUNE
1 Tue evening pr mtg
2 Wed (Ted leaving) 5:30pm ph appt (MA)
3 (1) Thu business-focus day, (2) 6pm Lausanne mtg - Good Shepherd CC (AC+)
4 Fri afternoon AGC Nat'l conference - Met, Ottawa
6 (1) Sun 10:30am Friend's (JB) ordination - MABC, Georgetown, (2) 5pm mtg - Lincoln Road, Kitchener (DS,MG,RL+)
8 Tue evening pr mtg
9 Wed (1) 9am mtg Starbucks, Bloor/Runnymede, (2) 1pm mtg (MG+)
10 Thu (1) business-focus day, (2) 10am coffee - St. Paul's Bloor (RS)
11 Fri (1) 12pm lunch - (BM,JN), (2) 3:30pm mtg (TW,SC,MG+)
12 Sat 2pm seminar UoT St. George(6:05pm sister Chrissie arrives)
14 Mon (1) 9:30 pr mtg, (2) 11:30am mtg (AC, MG)
15 Tue (1)10:30 mtg (LK+), (2) 2pm mtg - Tim's at Don Mills/Steeles (SE), (3) evening pr mtg
16 Wed (1) 1pm lunch (DD), (2) 5:30pm ph appt (MA)
17 Thu (1) business-focus day, (2) 8pm farewell
18-20 LBC camping trip
18 Fri b'fast (JT+)
20 Sun Father's day at g'parents
21 Mon 5:30pm mtg - Timothy's W of Chester Stat (JF)
22 Tue evening pr mtg
24 Thu business-focus day
25-26 Fri/Sat visiting relatives (CB/Bells+)
27 Sun 11am speaking - Hallelujah FBC
28 Mon (1) 9:30am pr mtg, (2) 12pm mtg (SR)
29 Tue evening pr mtg
30 Wed (1) funeral,(2) evening w friends

JULY
1-11 (sister Chrissie in USA)
1 Thu (Canada Day) (1) 10am taking sister Chrissie to airport, (2) cool stuff w neighbours :), (3) Fireworks w friends/neighbours
2 Fri (1) 5pm ph appt (MA), (2) 7:30pm at friends'
3-17 (JB away)
3 Visitors (CL,EK,AM)
4 (2pm Spirit of Truth Church - DS)
5-26 Family-related trip
6 (1) 10-hour layover: Dubai (Burj Khalifa, Deira), (2) Half-day layover: Johannesburg (Sandton City, Alexandra at Marlboro stn)
7 Arrival in Zambia: Lusaka
8 Zambia: Kitwe/Copperbelt
9 (LeCrae concert - Toronto)
11-August 9 (DS away)
13 (sister Chrissie leaves Toronto)
25 Sun Depart for Toronto from Africa; layovers in Dubai (short), Johannesburg (short), NYC/JFK (longer)
26 Mon (1) (Misha+ arrive - Toronto) (2) Arrive back in Toronto from Africa
27 Tues (1) 11:30am-12:30pm 12:12 mtg - Hilltop, (2) eve pr mtg
28 Wed (1) 10am mtg (MZ+), (2) 11:30am mtg (RWB+)
29 Thurs 12 lunch - Bayview/Sheppard (GM)
30 Fri (1) mtgs in Port Colborne, (2) evening: dinner w friends (DS+) - Toronto

AUGUST
1 Sun (1) 10am speaking - Bridletowne, (2) pm w/ relatives (R's+)
2 Mon (civic holiday)
3 Tues eve neighbourhood pr mtg
4 Wed b'fast w a friend (DA)
5 Thu (1) Word-study emphasis day, (2) 10:30am meeting (GG) - Starbucks at Yonge/Bloor, (3) 12:30pm lunch (MH)
6 Fri (1) lunch (JT), (2) 5:15pm mtg (KA) - Don Mills & Lawrence, (3) time w relatives (R's+)
7 Sat 9-4 conf
8 Sun (1) speaking - Celebration Chinese Presbyterian, (2) 3pm BBQ q neighbours, (3) 7pm dessert night - Toronto (JO+)
9-13 Week of camp in neighbourhood
9 Mon (1) 9:30am CT pr mtg, (2) 2pm conf call (Gathering), (3) pr mtg in M Park
10 Tues eve neighbourhood pr mtg
11 Wed eve visiting Scott Mission Camp
13 Fri (1) 10am mtg at 'Only Cafe' (AC), (2) 1pm helping at neighbourhood daycamp
15 Sun (1) am Peoples - speaking two services, (2) neighbourhood retreat
16 Mon 9:30am CT pr mtg
17 Tues (1) Prayer emphasis day, (2) neighbourhood eve pr mtg
20-21 Fri-Sat Retreat
20 Fri (Mom flies in)
21 Sat eve time w mom
22 Sun 10 am Unionville Oasis (KM) - speaking
23 Mon 9:30am CT pr mtg
24 Tues (1) 9am mtg (AC,MG), (2) 10:30am mtg (RDL,JB), (3) eve neighbourhood pr mtg
25 Wed (1) 12pm lunch Montana's - Steeles/404 (TW,DF), (2) 10pm Bachelor party (Wayne Gretzky's)
26 Thu (1) 9:15am mtg - Sheppard Ave (VG), (2) 6pm w relatives/Mom
27-Sept 3 (friend visiting (MD))
28 Sat Gathering
29 Sun 11am Don Valley B.C. - speaking
30-31 (Mom visiting)
30 Mon (1) 9:30am CT pr mtg
31 Tue (1) 3pm health appt, (2) eve neighbourhood pr mtg

SEPTEMBER
South Asia trip month
1 Wed eve family get-together
2 Thu (1) mtg (MD+), (2) 5pm driving Mom to airport for 17:55pm flight
3-4 Fri/Sat timeout up north (DSt+)
6 Mon (Labour Day) Sabbath day out of city
7 Tue (1) 9:30am CT pr mtg, (2) eve - neighbourhood pr mtg
9 Thurs (1) 9am conf call (Lausanne), (2) 4pm ph appt (MA)
10 Fri (1) 12pm lunch - 404/Sheppard (GO), (2) eve movie w neighbours (MH/S)
11 Sat ~9-4 Carruthers mtg
13 Mon (1) 9:30am CT pr mtg, (2) mtg w/ Rexdale (MBC+), (3) mtgs in Kitchener (w/ MG: T/KE, S/C, SR+, Vic Hills), (4) mtg in Oshawa (JT,MG)
15 Wed (1) 3pm Ppls Church mtg (VG+), (2) 5pm ph appt, (3) 6pm dinner - Makkah (AB+), (4) eve neighbourhood pr mtg
16-18 Gathering conf - San Diego, CA
18 possible: wedding reception (B/B) - Toronto
16-Oct 27 Travel: USA(California: Sep 16-18); Sep 19-Oct 14: India (Delhi, Calcutta, Hyderabad/Secunderabad), P'stan (Lahore, Karachi), B'desh (Dhaka); Oct 15-28: South Africa (Cape Town)

OCTOBER
Continued Sep 17+ trip; see above
16-25 Lausanne - South Africa
16 (b'fast Auburn BC (RWB))
31 ((1) 10am Miss. Men Fellowship, (2) 6:30pm seminar Knox P (RWB))

NOVEMBER
On-the-ground focus month
2 Tue eve prayer mtg
5 Fri eve neighbourhood event
6 Sat 7pm b-day - The Atrium, TO (KEB)
7 Sun eve neighbourhood event
8-9 (Mon/Tue Coaching-training conference (EMCC) - Stayner, ON)
8 Mon am prayer mtg
9 Tue eve prayer mtg
11-13 (Calgary conf; C. Medearis speaker)
11 Thur 7pm mtg @ Yonge/Bloor (FM)
12 Fri 6pm neighbourhood presentation (JA+)
13 Sat 9:30am conf - DVBC
15 Mon (1) am CT prayer mtg (R/SW-B,CL+), (3) 3pm mtg (JB,MG)
16 Tue (1) 12noon spiritual care workshop (JN) UoT, (2) 3pm Canadian gathering Hinge/EFC (met w/ JZ+)
17 Wed (1) 11am mtg at Hinge/EFC w/ CR+HL, (2) 1pm lunch @ Swiss Chalet (AF,JO)
18 Thur (1) 12noon mtg at Hinge w/ GM, (2) 1pm mtg (G/LO,JN), (3) 4pm mtg (D. Wiebe)
19 Fri (1) 12noon lunch (T/JS,MG), (2) 2pm coffee (MG), (3) 5:30pm ph appt (MA)
20 Sat 7pm Church w/o Limits (CWL) anniversary
21 Sun (1) CWL, (2) 7pm TO screening ft Jaeson Ma - LK Pres Church, Mississauga
22 Mon (1) am CT prayer mtg (then (a) MF, (b) NG mtgs), (2) ~6pm dinner (JN,BN+)
23 Tue (1) 3pm mtg (JB), (2) eve prayer mtg
24 Wed (1) 11am ph call (MA), (2) 3pm ph call (DA)
26 Fri (1) 4pm mtg (ML) downtown, (2) ph call (AF), (3) movie w/ guys (JO,DF)
27 Sat 6pm dinner (HA+), (2) 9pm neighbour's party (JO+)
28 Sun (1) Sierra Leonian church - Outreach Methodist (GS+), (2) GS speaking on unity in neighbourhood
29 Mon (1) am CT prayer mtg+
30 Tue (1) 9am mtg (JB), (Others: 1pm seminar - Richmond Hill), (2) 11:15am lunch mtg (V+,JN)

DECEMBER
1 Wed speaking @ Heritage (Cambridge) (1) 11am chapel, (2) lunch w/ Pioneers Canada leadership team, (3) 7pm class (Heritage) .. (Others: neighbourhood prayer mtg)
2 Thu - possible: conf - M'sauga
3 Fri (1) 9:30am ph appt (JC), (2) eve OM C'mas dinner - Kitchener
6 Mon am CT prayer mtg
7 Tue (1) mtg (JDB), (2) 12:30pm lunch (RS; College & Spadina), (3) 2:30pm mtg (FM), (4) 4pm mtg (JB), (5) 6pm mtg (JO), (6) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
8 Wed (1) 1pm mtg with CBS (LK+), (2) 5pm ph appt (MA)
9 Thu (1) 8am mtg - Markham (HS,HT+), (2) mtg (HT/RR)
10 Fri pm speaking @ youth banquet - Gorrie
11 Sat (1) mtg (JL; Bookling), (2) pm movie w neighbourhood kids
12 Sun 4pm bapt'm (EA)
13 Mon (1) am CT prayer mtg, (2) mtgs (MG),(RDL,CN),(RDL,JB)
14 Tue (1) 1pm mtg (JB), (2) eve neighbourhood prayer mtg
16 Thu (1) 9am exercise, (2) afternoon mtg (JB), (3) 3pm RBC, (4) Christmas tree w/ neighbourhood kids
17 Fri (1) 3:30pm ph appt (MA), (2) 6pm dinner w/ family (ML+,J)
18 Sat 9:30am exercise
19 Sun - possible: 8pm - pool w/ neighbourhood friends
20 Mon am CT prayer mtg
21 Tues (1) lunch (JN,B/AN), (2) 4pm ph appt (MA), (3) 7:15pm neighbourhood prayer mtg
22 Wed (1) 11:40am mtg (TW), (2) 5:3pm ph call (GM), (3) 7pm exercise, (4) visiting g'parents
23 Thu 4pm N'mith family Christmas
24 Fri (1) 2pm L'wler Christmas, (2) evening - neighbourhood Christmas!
25 Sat (1) Christmas morning in neighbourhood, (2) N'mith family (immediate) Christmas, (3) afternoon/evening Elliott Christmas
26 Sun (1) not-on-site sharing (via video; both services) - Lincoln Rd Chapel, Waterloo, (2) 6pm pre-Wedding dinner
27 Mon (1) 11am wedding (ON/D) in Vaughan, GTA (2) 8:15pm flight to UK
28 Tue 8:25am arrive in Oxford, UK: post-Christmas/pre-wedding with immediate family
29 Wed stockings w/ immediate family
31 Fri drive up to Manchester (UK)
28-Jan 11 Time w family (till 7th) then mtg w ppl in Oxford, London+ (UK)

***2009***

JANUARY
5 Mon am - court hearing for a friend. Appreciate prayer.
6 (1) Tues 3pm mtg (TW), (2) 8-10pm: B'ball in TCP
8 Thu - pr mtg at Pape & Cosbourn
11 Sun: B&J's wedding in Muskoka (ceremony/reception, 1-4pm, in the clubhouse at The Landscapes Lake of Bays)
12 B'day (D) lunch w/ friends
13 Tues - Mtg (TW+)
14 Thu - Lunch w/ a friend (MH)
16 Fri 1-2pm - Visiting prison
16-18 Fri night to Sun morn - in Ottawa
20 2pm phone call
21 Wed - lunch w/ a friend (TB)
22 Thu - 12:30 lunch w/ a friend (LK) at Yonge & Bloor
23 Fri 10am-1pm mtg at LBC (GM+)
24 Sat afternoon - Speaking at Intervarsity conference: "Mustard Stains"
25 Sun 2pm mtg (TW,SC)
26-29 Edmonton/Calgary
26 Mon Toronto to Edmonton (WestJet 519; 7:30 pm - 9:42 pm)
29 Thu Calgary to Toronto (WestJet 124; 6:15 pm - 11:57 pm)
31 Dinner

FEBRUARY
1 Speaking at New Life Bible Chapel - Mississauga, ON
2 Mon - Mtg in Waterloo
4 Wed - Mtg in St. Catherines
6 Thu - 4pm mtg at Peoples (GM+)
7 Fri 10:30 am mtg (RC)
7 Sat pm - dinner w/ friends (NL)
11 Wed 5pm+ - mtg w/ a friend (V)
13 Fri 7pm - 'Redefined' - speaking for 20 mins
14 Sat - possibly helping friends (GL/HL) move
18 Mtg w a friend (TW)
19 12:12 mtg
20-21... Conference - Port Rowan
...21 (1) Speaking at MAP Youth Mission Day, (2) w/ a friend (JW)
23 Mon - mtg 5pm on (GM,KL+)
26 (1) Thu lunch 1pm w/ a friend (VS), (2) 9pm getting mattress delivered
27 Fri 10am w/ friends (TW,KL)
28 Sat wedding (GH,A) reception 5pm Panorama, 55 Bloor St W

MARCH
1 (1) early afternoon mtg w/ a friend (SS), (2) Sun 7pm - speaking at CampusChurch; University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Oshawa
3 Tue mtg 11:45-1:30pm Peoples Church
5 Thu 12noon - lunch w/ a friend (MH)
6 3:30pm - possibly mtg up w a friend (RS)
Early-mid March: working on business deadline
7 7:30pm - speaking to a group at LBC
8 Leaside Bible Chapel
10 Tue Tentative: Allison Lickley concert, 8pm, Cameron House
11 Mtg w/ a friend (V)
12 (1) Mtg w a friend (VJ), (2) Thu 7:30-9:30pm - Speaking at Rexdale Alliance Church Missions Week
13 Fri w/ friends (JE+family)
17 Tue 6:45pm mtg w/ local neighbourhood charity
21 Sat'day 8am-8pm: "Evolving Church" conference: Mtg House Oakville ... *and* Gathering Dialogue @ Forestview Church in Oakville
23 Mon 8pm - w/ a friend
24 Tue (1) 9am - mtg w/ a friend (MG) @home, (2) 1:30pm mtg at Pickle Barrel @ west-end of Yorkdale mall (TW), (3) 3pm mtg (TW,GM)
25 (1) Lunch w/ Joseph de Souza, advocate for the Dalits of India, (2) mtgs at Peoples Church
26 Thu (1) 12:30pm w/ a friend (KM) @ The Groundhog at Bloor & Sherbourne (Sherbourne subway stn), (2) Thu 7:30pm speaking at Richvale Bible Chapel, Richmond Hill
27 Fri 1pm - at a friend's citizenship ceremony
29 (1) 11am - baptism of a friend from China (JC), (2) Tentative: mtg up with a friend (ME+), (3) B-day dinner w/ family

APRIL
6 Mon (1) 9am prayer mtg w/ 24-7 prayer coordinator, (2) pr mtg, Fl, (3) mtg w/ a friend (SC)
7 Tue 11:45am w/ C. Price at Tyndale
8 Wed 8:30 w/ friends (MJ,RS)
9 (1) Thu TIM event (Room 1003, Tyndale), (2) 9pm mtg at Finch station (YM)
13 Mon mtg (GM,BM), Paisano’s, 116 Willowdale Ave (near Sheppard station)
14 Tue 10am mtg (SF)
15 Wed evening - speaking to C&C at Peoples Church, arriving 8:30pm
16-18 Missionfest Toronto; mtgs
19 9:40am, 6-min announcement at Calvary Church
20 Mon 7:30pm mtg (VS,DS)
23 (1) Thu 10:30am downtown (GO), (2) 1pm lunch (BL,PJ), (3) Thu evening: Peoples Church dessert
25 3pm phone call
26 Sun - (1) 5-minute announcement at Peoples Church (both 9:15/11:30 services), (2) speaking at Church Without Limits at Pickering campus (3pm; 2:30pm prayer; St. Paul's on the Hill Anglican Church 882 Kingston Rd. East) and (3) Toronto campus (7pm; 6:30pm prayer; Advent Lutheran Church, 2800 Don Mills Rd)
28 (1) Tue 10am-noon, Bridletowne Park Church
29 (1) Wed 9:45am, phone call, (2) 3:30pm Finch stn mtg (TW)
30 Thu 12:30pm, lunch at Yonge & Bloor (JZ)

MAY
1 Fri (1) 11am mtg (Peoples), (2) 5:15pm mtg (HGW), (3) 5:45pm mtg (JK), (4) 8pm dinner w roommates
2 (1) Shifting, (2) Movie w roommates 12noon, (3) 2:30pm music practice, (4) Sat - Calvary Church dinner - evening
3 Sun - 5-minute announcement (again) at Peoples Church both services: 9:15am, 11:30am
5 Tue 9:30am mtg (GP)
7 A friend's event (MH+)
8-9 Conference at Peoples Church in Toronto
12-15 Montreal (TW)
19 (1) mtg (AB), (2) 7pm mtg (VS/JS+)
20 7pm mtg (VS/JS+)
22 (1) 10am-1pm - vision mtg in TO, (2) 3:15pm mtg (TW) @ Second Cup (800 Steeles Ave E, Markham)
23 Sat - Wedding (NB,H)
24 Sun - Speaking at Church in Vienna - Vienna, ON
26 Tue evening - Pr mtg
27 Wed (1) mtg (DH), (2) volunteer work-party
28 Thu - 7:30am on - one-day conf - 'Day with Hugh Halter'
29-31 Fri Tentative: wedding 25 mins south of Milwaukee (near Chicago)

JUNE
Lots of family stuff!
1 Mon 10:30-6:30pm - mtg (TW,GM,TS)
3 Wed (1) Surgery pre-op, 1:3pm "Admitting" on main floor, (2) Mtg (Aaron V)
4 (1) Lunch w a friend (JV), (2) watching "UP" with gparents
5 5pm mtg w bookkeeper
7 10am - Speaking (11:45) at Chinese Gospel Church Scarborough (~700 in attendance; 2610 Birchmount Rd, Huntingwood)
8 Mon (1) Surgery at 7:15am (416-469-6381 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 416-469-6381 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 416-469-6381 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 416-469-6381 end_of_the_skype_highlighting - East Toronto General Hospital)
14 Sun (1) Sister Shirley-Anne arrives Toronto Terminal 3 at 10:45am, (2) Relatives from Sweden arrive around 4pm (stay till 24th)
16 Tue (1) Lunch (CL), (2) Dinner (MG/RG/et)
17 Wed (1) 8am pr mtg (SalA, 107 Jarvis Street), (2) Family
18 Thu (1) 2pm mtg (JH - Williams Coffee, 924 Dixon Road - just outside airport), (2) Brother Ted arrives arrives Arrive 5:45 pm, Terminal 1, Air India
19-20 Fri 7pm to Sat night - prayer event - Cambridge
20 (1) Relatives from AR arrive (stay till 28th), (2) Evening - brother John & family arrive
21 Sister Chrissie arrives in Toronto - stays for a couple weeks
22 Family reunion in Pickering, ON
23-24 Family reunion in Port Dover, ON
24 Wed - relatives from Sweden fly back
25 Thu (1) Brother John & family leave midday, (2) w/ friends (M/RG,DT,T)
26 Fri 7pm - w/ friends (VS,RDL)
27 Sat (1) 4pm on - Neighbours Night Out in East York, (2) w/ siblings
28 Sun pm w/ family
29 Mon - mtg w/ a friend (GO)
30 Tue - (1) Sister Shirley-Anne departs from Toronto, 13:35 Terminal 1, Air Canada, (2) Relatives from AR head back

JULY
In Toronto - (see June)
3 Fri ~2:30pm: sister Chrissie heads back to Indonesia
8 Wed 3pm mtg (TW)
9 Thu 12:30pm mtg (SVDV)
10 Fri 12:30pm mtg (Suresh)
10-11 moving!
12 Bachelor (MJ) party, 9:30am Wonderland
14 Tue 12:30pm mtg at Pape & Danforth (AC)
16 Thu 7:30am Purpose@Work downtown
17 Fri 5pm Mtg (JK)
20 Mon 6pm mtg (RL)
21 Tue 4pm mtg (JL,TB)
22 Wed 1pm Followup doctor appt; Toronto East, K wing, rm 406, Sammon ave entrance
24 Fri 1:30pm Yonge & Bloor (KL)
26 Sun Speaking at LBC
27 Mon 12:30pm lunch downtown (JH)
28 Tentative: Tue mtg (12:12)
29 Wed 12noon tentative lunch (RC+Tyndale), Yonge & Finch, bank parking lot
30 Thu lunch (M/RG,T)
31 Fri visiting Scott Mission Camp

AUGUST
1 Wedding (MJ&L)
3 (1) Lunch 1pm on Danforth (CW,T), (2) Ted departs Toronto 10:45 pm, Terminal 3, Air India
5 4:30pm mtg (JB) - Loose Moose, Front St
7-19 Thailand
21 3pm mtg (Seath+)
24 St. Jamestown
29 Church planter meeting, VMC, possibly Pickering
31 Service - Dr. David Mensah

SEPTEMBER
3 Thu (1) 1pm mtg - Yonge/Bloor (Faith Connections)
4 Fri 12noon mtg - Finch stn (TW)
5 Sat 10am - Rainforest cafe (W/SR)
6 Tentative: Sun evening (SV+)
9 Wed 12:30pm mtg (MH)
11 Fri (1) 10am-4pm mtg (Hoffman+), (2) 7pm dinner w W-Bynoe fam
12 Sat b'fast (Hoffman)
13 Sun (1) b'day party 4pm Georgetown, (2) baptism, 6:30pm Toronto (Eg & Bayview)
14 Mon C Town visit
16 Wed (1) inner-city pr mtg, (2) mtg (DO), (3) pr mtg in D'wood Park
17 Thu (1) P@W b'fast,(2) lunch (Weeks+) at Madison, (3) 2pm C. Bear concert, (4) possible: Lausanne event (Knox; Sep 17, 7:30-8:45), (5) mtg (RS)
18-19 Fri (1) mtg (JB), (2) G'ma bday in Pickering, (3) pr mtg
20-21 Hamilton (DW,P,GR,WH,JN/H,M/KB,M)
22 Tue mtg (AB)
23 Wed 12:30pm lunch (MF)
24 Thu (1) lunch 1pm Ajax GO (JT), (2) evening NTs pickup
25 Fri mtg (MG)
25 Fri (1) LBC 10:30-1pm
26 Sat 11am funeral (PW)
27 Sun Hamilton 4pm mtg (K/AD,DW+)
29 Tue 12:30pm "warehouse" mtg (R.Farr) - Johnny G's, Parliament, just N of Carleton
30 (1) Wed 2:30pm mtg (Rick T.), (2) 5:30pm phone appt (MA)

OCTOBER
1 Thu Nathan D coming for wknd
2 Dinner (N/J w JS/ND)
3 (1) Sat Wedding reception (MB/DM) - 11am-4pm, LBC, (2) RS possibly coming
4 Sun Tentative: K church launch, 4pm; Nathan D leaves
5 B. Baehr coming
6 Tue lunch (SW,BB) 12:30pm Yonge/Shepphard
7 Wed (1) lunch (W/HS,JS,BB) 11:30am Fairview Mall
8 Thu mtg - Montreal (drive there/back same day)
9 Fri - Housewarming for neighbours
11 Sun - late evening: Tksgiving w family
13 Tue - 8:30 b'fast (M/RG), (2) lunch (VV)
14 Wed (1) ph appt (MA) 5:30pm, (3) ph appt 7:30-8:30pm
15 Thu (1) P@W, (2) Lunch (RH)
16 Fri lunch 1pm (DS,NL)
17 Sat possible mtg (NL)
18 Sun Speaking at Wellspring Church w MG
19 Mon (1) 3:30pm mtg (Gregg B), (2) 6pm move (JW)
20 Tue (1) 9:00am mtg (Geo. B), (2) 1pm lunch (Paul O.)
21 Wed (1) pr mtg (DO), (2) 2:00pm mtg (JC) - Tim's in Mississauga
22 Thu (1) 8:30 b'fast (TW), (2) 12:12 mtg 10-2
26 Mon M.B. K arrives: 9:18
27 Tue am - BOCE mtg
28 Wed (1) M.B. K departs: 11:03am, (2) 12noon lunch (CP) Yonge/Shepphard, (3) sharing briefly at the Point at Peoples Church
29 Thu (1) 12noon mtg (ZF), (2) 5:30 ph appt (MA)

NOVEMBER
31 Sat 2pm lunch (NL)
1 Sun 2pm+ pr mtg (TCP w AS/EK)
3 Tue Hamilton b'fast mtg (w/ CP), (2) 2:30 mtg (SC/TW/GM)
5 Thu noon lunch (SC)
9 Mon ~4:30pm book pickup (E.Poon)
12 Thu mtg (TW,EU)
14-17 Sat evening to Mon morning: Edmonton
14 Sat (1) speaking at MAP lunch, (2) w MG, Leaving for Edmonton w/ MG: Air Canada, 6pm flight (arrive 8:05pm), Term 1 .. visit w BR/fam
15 Sun - visits (JS,AL/fam)
16 Mon (1) bfast w NW/MG, (2) bus Edm>Cal, (3) evening - sharing at Cafe Wycliffe - Calgary
17-20 Tue (1) bfast w KH/MG, (2) VMC dinner, (3) beginning of Renov8 conference - Calgary
18 Wed: MB dinner
19 Thu: ON MB dinner
20 (1) End of conf, (2) Flight: Air Canada, Calgary to TO, 11:15am flight (arrive 4:55pm), (2) 247 event - Toronto (DB coming)
21 247 event
22 Sun evening mtg (w CP)
23 Mon lunch+ w NW/SV
24 Tue (1) mtg TW+, (2) lunch RR/JB/M
25 Wed (1) lunch w J/DH, (2) conf call, (3) w CP
26 Thu (1) guest @ Wycliffe/UT, (2) lunch (JS)
27 (1) 5:30pm ph call (MA), (2) Fri 8pm coffee (PD/fam), (3) KL+ arrive
28 Possible: SMC reunion
29 KL+ leave

DECEMBER
1 Tue (1) 11am (VG/Peoples), (2) 6pm mtg (MSC), (3) 9pm ph call (PD)
2 Wed mtg (HT)
3 Thu 9am b'fast (AC/MG)
4 Fri (1) 11am mtg (GO), (2) 12:30pm lunch (TW)
5 Sat 4pm ph call (MA)
6 Wed (1) 5:30pm ph call (MA), (2) community mtg
10 Thu (1) lunch (AC), (2) Christmas party (OM)
12 Sat possible day conf (S+)
13-15 Sun - flights: Toronto (downtown), Newark (layover), Anchorage (layover), Taipei (layover)
15 Tue - flight: Taipei (layover), Jakarta
17 Thu sharing at SPH school - Indonesia
20 Sun speaking - Indonesia
27 Flights: Jakarta, Taipei (layover), Los Angeles (layover), St. Louis (MI, USA)
27-31 Urbana! - www.urbana09.org - St. Louis, Missouri

***2008***

JANUARY
1-10 Leeds, UK
11 to...

FEBRUARY
...3 In Oxford, UK with Ted
3 Fly to Chicago, USA
4-5 Helping George Verwer and others at Moody Bible Institute's Founder's Week in Chicago
7 Arrive in Toronto, Canada; move into new apartment in TCP
11 Lunch with friend in Mississauga (JC)
12 Businessperson luncheon downtown
15 Lunch with a friend(SB)
16 Sat evening - Meeting up with a friend (MW)
17 Sun - speak at The Spirit of Truth Church in Toronto
22 Fri - lunch with a friend (JD)
23 Sat morning - picking up furniture in Kitchener
23 Sat noon onwards - ministry involvement
23 Sat 5pm - meeting up with a friend
23 Sat evening - at a concert with a friend (CL)
25 Mon - supper with roommate and friend (SB,MJ)
26 Tues - supper with cousins (M&J)
27 Thu - lunch with friends downtown (MH,EC)
27 Leading LBC prayer night
29 Picking up literature with DS and SB

MARCH
3 Lunch with a friend (PJF)
5 Evening - tentative: hosting a college group visiting the 'hood
8 Going to Missionfest
8 Rescheduled to April 5: Sat - 9:30am-8pm - speaking at MAP Youth Missions Day 2008
15 Sat during the day - seeing Murree Christian School friends in St. Catherines
16 Sun am - speaking at Leaside Bible Chapel on Col 3:18-4:18
16 Sun afternoon - lunch with a friend (RM)
16 Sun pm - at Little Trinity Anglican (downtown Toronto) for an Easter meeting - 5pm .. You should come
18 Tues evening, 7pm - LBC commitment
19 Lunch with a friend (11:45/downtown/JD)
19 Thurs most of the day - hosting a college group
22 10am-4pm - outreach
22 Sat evening - Easter with extended family
23 'The Feast' at LBC. You're invited! Food, friends, Bible
25 Tues evening - dinner with friends (SH,BR)
26 Wed noon - lunch with friends (MH,CP,GM) at Peoples Church
27 Thu evening - w/ friends (MJ,RS)
28 Fri evening - Calvary Church event
29 Sat evening - combined birthday party for me and a friend: yay! :)
30 1pm - Missionary Awareness Luncheon; Don Valley Bible Chapel. 25-minute report - Toronto, ON

APRIL
March 31 afternoon to April 1 evening In Washington D.C. with CCC the organization
4 Wed evening - R&R support dinner/hangout
3 Thur evening (possibly all day) at Purpose@Work
5 Sat 9:30am-8pm - speaking--keynote & seminars--at MAP Youth Missions Day 2008
6 Sun 1:30pm - Great Aunt's 90th in Scarborough
6 Sun 4pm - speaking (10 mins) at Mississauga Baptist Church
6 Sun 7pm - visiting Church Without Limits
9 Wed noon - lunch with a friend (GO)
14 Mon evening - having friends over (SC,J) over
15 Tues evening - with a friend (GH)
17 Thu evening - with friends (BB,MK,MM,BW)
19 Sat - outreach; bday later
20 Sun - Missions luncheon
22 Tues evening - with a friend (SS)
24-26 Team retreat: Thu/Fri evenings; Saturday
26 Saturday - watched "The Forbidden Kingdom" with friends - great!
27 'The Feast'.. you're invited!

MAY
2 With cousins and friends
3 Sat - at a wedding (PT) in Ottawa
5 With a friend (GH)
8 Hosting a group
10 MC'ing a wedding (#2) reception (TB&MS)
12-13 With uncle & aunt in Port Dover; speaking to small group Tuesday afternoon
14 Wed evening - community volunteer/planning activity
16 Fri 2pm - meet-up (CS,SC,AS)
18 Sun am - Speaking at Greenwood
19 Mon pm - Victoria Day fireworks at a friend's (MW,WD)
24 Sat & Sun - in Windsor, ON for wedding (DR & SN)
27 At grandparents' - Pickering, ON
31 Helping with the annual Seton Park cleanup!

JUNE
1 Speaking at Malton Bible Chapel - Mississauga, ON
2 Mon evening - Community meeting
4 Wed noon - lunch downtown (GO,MH)
9 Mon evening - community meeting
10 Tues evening - with a friend (GH)
12 Thurs evening - speaking at Portico Community Church, Mississauga
15 Speaking at Rideauview Bible Chapel - Ottawa, ON
16 Mon evening - community meeting
20-22 Fri-Sun: at LBC camping trip
22 Evening - commitment
23 Neighbours Night Out *Flyer handout*. Join the Facebook event here
23 Mon evening - commmunity meeting after/before flyer handout
26 Thurs 11am - Community meeting for Flemingdon Park
27 Fri 12:30 - lunch w a friend (AB) downtown
29 *Neighbours Night Out 2008 in Tcliffe*. Join the Facebook event Join the Facebook event here and the long-term group here .. ALSO, a friend of mine speaking at Peoples Church on June 29. Email me for details.

JULY
3-18 In the UK for two weeks with Special Projects - also with siblings Ted, Shirley-Anne, Chrissie
6 Plug: a friend of mine speaking at Peoples Church. You should go.
20 Speaking at Greek Gospel Church by translation
21 Noon. Lunch with friends.
21 6:30pm. Community involvement meeting
22 Business lunch
26 Possible morning/afternoon commitment (SC etc)
30 Wed evening - Speaking at Scott Mission Camp
31 In Timmins...

AUGUST
...1-4 Driving to Timmins Thursday. Back Monday. Speaking Sun a.m. at Grace Chapel.
9-10 Sun am - Speaking at Port Sydney Bible Chapel - Muskoka, ON
11 Mon lunch (MH,DP) downtown
11 Mon dinner w/ friend (AT) downtown
13/14 Wed/Thu evening - gathering w/ relatives in Pickering, ON
16 Sun am - breakfast with friends (GH,DS)
16 Sat afternoon - with friends in P'borough, ON
17 Sun pm - at an engagement party (GH,A)
18 Wed pm - last visit to Scott Mission Camp
21 9:15am - pre-op - Toronto East General Hospital, 416-469-6031
31 Sun am - Speaking at Greek Gospel Church again; 11:30am service; 416-461-4434 (office), 416-498-9484 (Chris)

SEPTEMBER
16 Tue 5pm,7pm - two one-on-one meetings (LY;MG)
17 Wed 5pm - Speaking to the CC/"Power to Change" students at Ryerson University - "Christian fellowship that impacts the world" - 5pm
18 Noon - one-on-one mtg (CP)
19 Fri 7:30pm - Speaking to a group of South Asian young people at 573 Albion road, between Islington and Albion; in the New Life Christian Assembly of Toronto church building; contact: 905-607-2575
20 Sat pm - G'ma's bday - downtown
25 Thu 9:30 - mtg (JD,GO) 9:30-10:00am; Westin Harbour Castle Hotel, Front & Bay
25 Thu noon - business lunch downtown
25 Thu pm - engagement w/ small group (CP+)
26 Fri evening: (1) w/ friends at The Silk Road restaurant, (2) prayer event
27 (1) Sat am/pm: outreach, (2) Sat aft 2pm on: engagement party (BW,J), (3) aft/evening 4pm on - b'day party (NB,SB)
29 (1) Mon 12:30noon: lunch w/ a friend (MH), (2) Mon evening: 7-9: mtg w/ friends
30 Toronto to Los Angeles (United: leaving 10:08am, arriving 1:48pm); Los Angeles to Atlanta (Delta: 4:00pm to 11:19pm)

OCTOBER
1-3 OM 50th anniversary - Tyrone, GA
4 Sat noon/afternoon - with old friends (Jacksons)
4 Sat pm - Dinner with George Verwer and others
5 Time with old friend Chad Lewis
7 Speaking to youth at Grace Fellowship Church of Augusta
6-8 Visiting Bookling in Martinez (South Augusta), GA (two hours from Atlanta)
9 Atlanta to Los Angeles (Delta: 4:10pm to 5:59pm)
9-16 Semi family reunion in Burbank, CA (Los Angeles suburb) w/ John (brother) & Maria & new nephew :) and my parents, on a brief furlough
16 Los Angeles to Toronto (United: 12:30noon to 11:59pm)
17 2:08pm: picking up my parents at Toronto Pearson airport and taking them to a Markham, ON home
17... to Nov 13: my parents in Toronto area
18 Sat 5pm on At a b-day (MJ) in Scarborough
19 Sun am - speaking at Westmount Bible Chapel in Peterborough, ON
20 10:30 to noon - w/ a group from Chicago
21-23 With parents and relatives in Port Dover, ON. (Parents in P'borough and Ottawa last week of October.)
23 6pm mtg about high-needs neighbourhoods in Toronto
26 am - speaking at Calvary Church Toronto on the Danforth - 11:15 (mtg starts at 10am): 60-100 adults; followed by smaller meeting speaking to ~20 youth
27 12:30noon - lunch mtg downtown (LW)
28 Tues 4pm - speaking for 25 mins to 40-50 students at the University of Toronto Campus for Christ; Topic: The Role of Community in Changing the World; Location: McLennan Physical Labs 103 (on the West side of St. George Street between Willcocks & Russell; North of College)
31 Fri 11am - leaving for Ottawa
31 Fri evening - speaking at a youth conference geared for people of African descent - Ottawa

NOVEMBER
1 Sat am/pm - Speaking (2-3 times) at a missions conference in Ottawa, ON
2 Sun pm - Speaking at Rideauview Bible Chapel
3 Mon pm - w/ a group at Peoples
5 Wed 5:00pm - one-on-one mtg (TW)
6 Thu 12:30pm - lunch w/ a friend downtown (MH)
7-9 Speaking at a youth retreat at a cottage north of Barrie, ON. 4 sessions: Sat am/aft/pm; Sun am. (1) Where we find ourselves, (2) Prayer, (3) Obedience, (4) Action framed by grace.
10 Mon 12:30noon - lunch mtg at Eg station (GM)
11 Tue 12:30noon - lunch mtg downtown (Iain M.)
11 Tue Evening - family get-together
12 Group mtg, one-on-one mtg (NW+)
13 Thu am - dropping off my parents at the airport as they finish their time in Toronto and fly on to England
13 Thu rest of day: Arrow Leadership training day - West Toronto
14 Fri 12:30noon - lunch mtg at York Mills stn (TM)
17 Mon 6pm mtg w/ friends (RH+) at Granny's
18 Tue 12:30pm - lunch at College & Spadina (MF)
18 Giving two seminars at KLBC in Peterborough
20 Thu noon - 'eternal' business lunch downtown
21 Visitation w/ family of a friend gone to heaven
21 Fri 12noon downtown (BL,MH)
22 Sat 2-4pm mtg (TW+)
24 Mon 12:30pm - One-on-one lunch mtg (DV)
26 Wed 12:30pm - one-on-one lunch mtg (Aquila) downtown
27 Thu 1pm - lunch (AB); evening: w/ old friends (SA,BB,DS)
28 Fri 12:30pm - lunch mtg downtown/TRL (Gordon W)
28 Fri evening - b'day for Roman in Vaughan
29 Sat 9am - b/fast w/ a friend (AT) downtown
29 Sat pm - in Markham w/ a friend (CL)
30 5:30pm - Speaking at Indonesian Reformed Evangelical Church in Mississauga

DECEMBER
1 12:30pm - lunch at Yonge & Bloor (L)
2 12noon - downtown mtg w/ Youth Unlimited
3 Wed early am - mtg w/ a friend (MG)
3 Wed off work early - 3pm on - w/ a friend (KL). Watched 'Slumdog Millionaire' - contends for best film I've ever seen. Entertainment: 10/10. Long-term value: 9/10.
4 Thu mid-afternoon - mtg (SC,JT)
4 Thu night - mtg w/ a friend (BW)
5 Fri late lunch w/ a friend (RS)
6 Sat pm - speaking to youth group in Mississauga
7 Sun 7pm - short message/book giveaway at UofOIT in Oshawa
10 Wed 12noon - lunch at Yonge/Bloor w/ friends (BL,VV)
11 Thu all-day: at Port Colborne conference
14 Sun am - at special Christmas choir Sunday, LBC
14 Sun 7pm - Bachelor (WD) party; Keg at Leslie/401
15 Mon 6pm - mtg w/ TCP Youth Centre
17 Wed 10am-2pm - Sal Army kettle at TCP mall
18 Thu 12noon - 'eternal' business lunch downtown
18 Thu evening - w/ friends (KL+)
18 Thu night - w/ a friend (GH)
20 Sat evening: WD&IT's wedding, LBC, 11am
21 Sun evening: Christmas party
24-25/26 Wed afternoon to Thu night (or Fri morning): Christmas w/ family in Pickering
27 Sat all-day: event prep
27 Sat evening: MLH&J reception
28 Sun 1pm-10pm
31 W/ a friend (PK) in west end

---------------------------------

***2007***

AUGUST
Jul 28 - Aug 11 AIDS Hope ministry - South Africa
[11 Fly to Zambia]
11-19 With LB and my parents - Lusaka & Mansa, Zambia (spoke at Lusaka Gospel Hall and at a Mansa youth rally)
[19 Fly back to South Africa]
20-31 Joshua Initiative Training conference, time in Soshanguve township, misc ministry - South Africa

SEPTEMBER
[1-2 Fly back to London]
3-7 Overlap with the next 'gopher' Mark Roberts - London
8-9 Pro-life meeting with George and Mark in Leeds; time with LB
10-14 In Oxford with Ted for a few days
Sep 15 - Oct 24 Move into Beeston (neighbourhood where LB lives in Leeds) .. Running my online book business full time; a new season of life and ministry

OCTOBER
24 Fly with LB to Toronto
26 Fri pm - Toronto Reunion!
27 Sat am - With Shawn to the Peterborough Missionary Breakfast - Peterborough
28 Sun am - Attending Leaside Bible Chapel, my home church - Toronto
28 Sun pm - Speaking at Markham Bible Chapel's Missions Sunday evening meeting - Markham
31 Wed pm - LB flies back to England

NOVEMBER
2 Fri - Head to Ottawa
3 Sat am - Speaking at the Missionary Prayer Breakfast - Ottawa
3 Sat pm - Speaking at a youth rally - Ottawa
4 Sun am - Speaking at Rideauview Bible Chapel (Family Bible hour) - Ottawa
6 Tues pm - Speaking at Rideauview Bible Chapel (prayer meeting) - Ottawa
9-30 Month in Toronto, based in TCP (Toronto suburb)
10 Sat am & pm - helping Dave S. spread the vision for "10,000 Jesus DVDs" at the missionary prayer breakfast - Toronto
11 Sun am - At the "Soup & Sandwich" after the service, giving a report on my year with George Verwer at Leaside Bible Chapel - Toronto
16 Fri pm - Sharing at Leaside B.C. youth group - Toronto
17 Sat pm - helping Dave S. spread the vision for the 10K Jesus DVD project at a Chinese-speaking church in Toronto
18 Sun pm - Speaking at Hilltop Bible Chapel. May also be at Hilltop Sunday morning with Shawn. - Toronto
19 Mon noon - Lunch with a friend
20 Tues pm - Tentative: giving a report at Greenwood Gospel Chapel's prayer meeting
21 Wed pm - Speaking at Westmount Gospel Chapel.
22 Thurs: lunch meeting downtown - Toronto; evening: Leaside B.C. Bible study
23 Fri noon - Lunch with a friend at Yorkdale Mall
24 Sat 2pm - Coffee with a friend
25 Sun am - Chairing at Leaside Bible Chapel; Later pm: The Leaside B.C. "Feast" at the Lanes'
26 Mon noon - Lunch with friends at College & Spadina - Toronto
27 Tues noon - Lunch with a friend; Afternoon: helping grandparents pack for a move
28 Wed noon - Lunch with a friend in downtown Toronto; Afternoon: coffee with a friend; Evening: celebrating a birthday with friends
29 Thu noon - Lunch with a friend; Afternoon: coffee with a friend; Later afternoon: visiting someone in a home; pm - Leaside B.C. Bible study and hangout afterwards
30 Fly back to UK

DECEMBER
Dec 1 on In the UK

For my year with George Verwer (2006/2007), click here.

TIME's "What the world eats"

2008-03-17T13:13:00.011-05:00

Update: picture quality improved. .. Click pictures for full size.

Japan: The Ukita family of Kodaira City
Food expenditure for one week: 37,699 Yen or $317.25
Favorite foods: sashimi, fruit, cake, potato chips

Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23
Favorite foods: soup with fresh sheep meat

Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo
Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53
Family recipe: Okra and mutton

Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week: $31.55
Family recipe: Potato soup with cabbage

Breidjing Refugee Camp, Chad: United Nations Food Distribution Center. A refugee woman sifts through sand in order to pluck out any bits of grain which might have dropped to the ground during the previous day's ration disbursement.

Beijing, China: Snack Tray. From left: skewered sea horses, cicadas and silkworm pupae are sold at a street market in Beijing.

Check out all 27 families and 17 food settings at the photo essays at TIME.com: Part 1 (16 families), Part 2 (11 families), Part 3 (17 food settings).

"I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you." - Col 4:18

2008-03-17T12:48:00.003-05:00

I spoke on Colossians 3:18-4:18 at Leaside Bible Chapel yesterday and thought I would post the end of the message here on the blog. It is based on the last verse of the book of Colossians (4:18; the title of this post). A note in William MacDonald's Bible commentary sparked the idea. Needless, I took poetic license in writing it:

“I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.” As Paul ended his letter to the Colossians, the shackles around his wrists clattered. He stopped and looked at them, as he had done so many times before. Then, he raised his pen again. “Remember my chains,” he added – three words to remind the believers of their need to suffer for Christ, and of his need for their prayers. He put his pen down. In the darkness of his prison cell all was quiet. Paul looked at his chains again, and he was reminded of the One for whom he bore them. He thought of his Saviour, and of his Saviour’s suffering: the thorns, the nails, the cross. A tear trickled down his cheek as he remembered how his Lord had shown indescribable mercy to him—Saul, now Paul—on the Damascus road. Then, sitting with his back pressed against the cold prison wall and his face buried in his hands, the man began to weep. ‘Thank you, thank you… thank you,’ he whispered. Joy, thankfulness, a sense of eternity, and sheer love for his Lord welled up within him. Paul lifted his pen one last time. He would end not with his name, nor with the reminder of his chains, but with a word that represented the core of his message, the passion of his life, and the very essence of his God. “Grace,” he wrote. “Grace be with you.”