Time and God

So Joe Boot the speaker at the retreat I was at this past weekend mentioned something that triggered a thought that I had about God, that really I've been working through my head for the past coupe of years.

People often ask questions like "Why does God choose to let these things happen?" Why pray if God has already decided what is the outcome? ... I could go on, but I'll let you input your question like this in if you want.

As I worked through this I really got thinking about time - I mean why does time exist, where does time exist, how does it exist? If 1 day is like 1000 to God and 1000 is like 1 to God - then what does that say about God and time and more importantly for this blog the questions we ask.

I'll try to explain where I am at in this. God does not exist in time, he is eternal, he is everywhere at all times. If this is true, in our "time" he could be at both ends of the galaxy at the same point in time, although really to humans this would be hundreds of years apart being light traveled to earth for these things to become known (I'm not a scientist so not sure on the exactness of this). The reality is that if God is in all places at all times, and really He is not limited by time - then he could be in all places at all times. God could be there during Daniel's time while making predications about that empire for the future, and be in the time when that came true.

So did God chose for some to go to hell, or see what decision they had made. He knows how many hairs were on my head when I was born, and at the same time could see how little I have left now.

I hope this doesn't come across as limiting God, it shows the power, the awesomeness and personal relationship that God has. How amazing is it that he has a personal relationship with all of us at the same time, and is actively involved in loving us.

It's exciting as we live in a would of uncertainty that God has gone before us, and is already actively involved.

The Irony of it all

So While at Bedlam back in November I realized I had made the trip without a towel. I knew that not showering for the weekend wasn't a good option, and I didn't feel like using a t-shirt which is my usual fall back at hockey when I've forgotten a towel. But I thought I had hit the Jackpot when I found the floor mat, which is really just a small not so soft towel. For that weekend I used this mat to dry off with.

I was back there just this past weekend, and as we were packing the house and frantically trying to get everything together, I forgot my laptop, my boots, and my sleeping bag, but I made sure to bring a towel, I think it was the first thing in my bag. As much as it was a blessing to have the mat, it wasn't anywhere near ideal.

As I got to my room someone mentioned there might be a set of sheets and a blanket in the top drawer that there had been for the other weekends. I opened the drawer to find just that - a set of sheets, a blanket, a pillow and ..... a towel. Actually there was 2 one in each dresser. Apparently while I was using a floor mat to dry off with there were 2 - really nice towels there all along.

I think the funniest part of it (and I did find it pretty funny) is that as I walked out of my room and ran into Greg and just had to tell him about it on the way to breakfast, he told me after I finished that he had just used the mat in his room, and he was going to look in his drawers.

The BIG 30

So the last week has been full of comments about how old I am, funny thing is some are older than me :) Here are some of my responses.

I'm 30 and can still out run you ....

Well since you were already dating when I was born that makes you really old ...

When asked if I feel old, no in the words of some of the teens from Faith "You are still as immature as ever" I think I take that as a compliment.

So what did I do, well we went to Chicago for the weekend a week before and did something I've always wanted to do, visit Notre Dame.

But whats the biggest thing that happened/I learned at the ripe old age of 30?

Well first of all if you say "I'm ready for a step of faith ..." get ready cause you never know what God has in store. We signed the papers to sell our house on my bday, and have till Feb 1 to move out. We have no house to move to.

Another lesson, which is more of something confirmed than learned new - step out in faith and watch as God unfolds what he has in store. Not more than 20 minutes after signing, God already started to work out the details of interim housing.

Lastly - watch what you ask for - we said we wanted to step out in faith, and things have been continual steps of faith since then, please don't take this as complaining, I'd have it no other way.

Humility

So I listen to a sermon by one of my favorites today, Mark Driscoll. If I am driving for a while by myself, this is likely what you will find me doing, listening to one of his sermons. He made a comment which was only a very small part of the sermon and not the emphasis of the sermon but something that stood out to me. Just for information sake this is a usual for me - no offense to whoever is speaking at the church I'm at, but I very rarely get out of the sermon what they are talking about, it always seems to be some other comment that sparks something weird in my head that I think about for the rest of the time. But back to the topic on hand (wow I'm A D D even when blogging).

So in passing he made some comment about humility and why that is evidence (maybe evidence isn't the best word) that the Bible is true. So here is what I got out of it or where my brain wondered off to.

When looking at Christ and his life here on earth you can't help but see how humble of a man Christ was, he made alot of claims (which were true), but not really in a way that showed arrogance. Much of Christ's life outside of this was such an amazing example of humilty considering who he was. He washed feet, he taught and lived servant leadership. He was God yet this is how he lived life here on earth.

So now think about begin a creative writer, if you were to try and create a god - would you create him humble? We as humans are not humble people and if we were to create a god, why in the world we create a god that is humble, that is the epitimy of humility?

Is this evidence God exists - no, but it does speak volumes in that direction.

Merry Christmas

Well Hope everyone had a great Christmas, it was a different one for me, still busy but not 5 different Christmas parties this year, which in a way I missed

So After having 3 days in a row of turkey before Christmas, we were suppose to have turkey again on Christmas day like I have for the past 20 something years depending on what age I was when I started eating turkey. But we made a big switch this year and had my favorite meal ... RIBS. So it was a little different since we I was so use to having turkey on Christmas day with everything else that we do the same every year. Even though it was different it was good, I do love Ribs. So in that I realized something that was mentioned to me on the weekend - turkey doesn't really make you tired. Whatever the thing in turkey is that people have claimed for years that puts you to sleep isn't really in abundance in turkey. Its in many other foods at the same level. It's that we eat so much of it that makes us tired. We always seem to over eat on these days. Since I love ribs so much this was a great time to check this out so I over ate - for scientific reasons of course.

What was the verdict, I was just as tired and felt like falling asleep after ribs as any other day I can remember eating turkey. So in my version of mythbusters, which was more exciting than the show has been lately, the myth that turkey makes you more tired - myth "busted"

So as I break more and more myths about the Christmas season and things linked to it, its great as I research to find my belief in Jesus birth and the power of God that was involved in it more and more amazing.

Merry CHRISTmas

Why do these things exist

So we got a new vehicle to us just a little while ago and we love it, but there is one fairly peculiar thing about it that I just couldn't help but talk about it. So our Rendezvous has one of the information centers in it that tracks all kinds of things which is great for me with me when traveling so much by myself. I am weird .. I know that so no need for anyone to point that out. In that weirdness I enjoy Math, I really do, so the little gadgets on their keep my occupied as I constantly look at the different things and try to figure out all kinds of things in my head. I won't even try to explain cause those like this already understand, and those who don't, just won't. So the one thing it has is the monitor that tells you how many km's you have lfet on the gas you have. Now its funny to me to watch it go up and down and realize how inaccurate it can be, but even funnier than that is the fact that when the low fuel gage comes on .. it won't tell you how many km's are left anymore. I mean if there is a time when you want to know how many are left that would be it, it's great and all the I know that it says 607 when I fill it up and guaranteed that won't be how many I get to the tank and I guess if I pay attention to what it is when its around 65 which seems to be close to where it shuts off, but not always, sometime higher and sometimes lower.

So thank you Buick for the big Yellow sign that comes up to tell me I'm low on gas, but won't let me know how low that is!

Hockey Hockey Hockey

So after a long time of doing ... well absolutely nothing, resulting me being in the worst shape I have been in ... ever. I finally got back on the ice this past week. When I first had my surgery, I thought that maybe I wouldn't play this year, let it heal - that life would be busy and I'd start back ... sometime. But I got the itch, and once I laced them on just to go for a 5 minute skate during warm-up all that was thrown away and I had to get back as soon as possible. So the next week they needed a goalie and I threw on the equipment a little earlier than the Doc suggested and played. It was great - I mean it sucked that I could barely stand up by half way threw, that some OHL player riffled a shot of that specific shoulder, that i was so weak I could barely push my self across the crease to make a save, and that by the end I just dropped down and hoped I got hit with the puck. Owen tried to make me feel welcome back on the ice by yelling "eh la Bue" every time the puck went in the net. (I have no idea the french spelling, and I don't he was pronouncing it right anyways) After the game my legs were so tired I had to use my arms to help move my legs with the pads on, so I could take my skates off - like I said I have never been in such bad shape. As I thought about it though the feeling to get back on the ice was a lot like the feeling of speaking at church again, sitting down for hot chocolate with some students to discuss mission trips, or sitting through a great worship service like the one at Brock Christian Fellowship I went to. In the transition between jobs many people told me to take it easy, and with my shoulder surgery that turned into sitting at my house alone. I realized through this a couple of things - I do need an out let like hockey to stop my self from going crazy and 2 - God has put a passion inside of me to do ministry - that being building relationship, touching lives, and actively being a part of what God is doing. Life sucks when I'm not. I can look back and see this over the years, I'd go away for vacation and although it was great to get away, couldn't' wait to get back to the church, we'd come home and I'd run on a Sunday night to youth even though I wasn't expected back till the next day - its just how God has me wired right now.

So what am I saying - well what's your outlet, and what is it that God has put inside of you to serve Him, to make your relationship with Him exciting and growing.

For me its hockey and being an active part of peoples lives and church.