Last week of summer before "normal" sets in

Yes here it is, the last week of summer before the "normal" life kicks in. 

Normal meaning of course, school, extra curricular activities, back to work, church activities and more. It doesn't necessarily mean summer is officially over though. There's still the Labour Day weekend coming up...

Then we have the usual things beginning but the heat could go into October if we're blessed enough. I have seen some trees starting to turn already so we'll see how that works out. The thing is we needn't fear the changing of the seasons or events of life, we're to expect this as seen in Ecclesiastes 3:1 says,There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: so we should expect this. The challenge is how do we handle the change? Do we mope about and just keep wishing summer and fun never ended? Or do we take up the challenge and see how we can grow through it? That's what James 1 talks about, to make the best out of even the trials of life, to see how it can help us grow in our walk with God. So if you get the seasonal blues because summer is about to end and the regular routines are about to kick in again, don't worry, cast all your cares on Christ and see how the changes can help you grow.

Robin Mark 2014

What can I say, when I heard Robin Mark was coming to the are again, I just had to go! He has the new album "Liberation Praise" and the place was packed at Hi-Way Church! 

The night had the best songs from his first album Revival in Belfast, then songs from the recent Fly and others. He shared the secret of the story behind Days of Elijah and with his full band made it a night to remember especially when he closed with Lion of Judah and when the pipe player did the interlude in the middle, they did it once, then sped up and did it again, then again with more speed, and a fourth time with MORE speed! Needless to say the fingers were a blur and the amount of breath he used was incredible to pull it off! As a musician, I was impressed! I play piano and tuba and so to see the speed, and accuracy of the pipe player was amazing!

As always, Robin had his humour and inspiring night of music for all.

I first met him years ago at a worship conference in Toronto - the Unite in Worship conference series, then had the opportunity to play WITH him July 1 2010 with the Pinewoods Chapel worship team as we did an outdoor concert which LIFE participated in.

 

4 years later, I still love his music, maybe that's my Scottish heritage coming out in me that likes the Celtic style? But he is also a master at worship. When you leave a Robin Mark concert you have worshiped our God!

Always great, can't wait until next time!

The Bunk Wars are over!

Okay, Todd Gale, John McConnell and myself had a few months long "Bunk Wars" going on at LIFE 100.3. We would post pictures of what was in out bunks (these little cubbie like things) and get people to vote on them in the end. 

It started off with this...

to which I said okay, fine, I'm gonna respond to this thought...

It continued on from there with things like...

 

 

Todd's Voyager ... 

vs my Enterprise collection... 

to our last battle...

 

vs 

Lots of fun for sure... and yes, John McConnell joined us too...

Thanks so much for the memories! Still not really sure who won... but it was all in good fun!

The Angus tornado from someone who lives there...

I thought for this BLOG it would be appropriate for me to cover the tornado that went through my neighbourhood. We live just a couple of blocks away from where it touched down. After it passed I went and checked on friends from the church who live only a few houses away from the site. What a scene...

The good news is things are being rebuilt, but sad that the night it hit, some people looted the scene. So sad. Our church, Pinewoods Chapel, has been a place other churches have contacted to see what can be done to help. Businesses have stepped up to help out too. Scary to think how just a slight shift in the wind and it could have been our block. The amazing thing, the God thing here, is that no one died in this. Hundreds of homes affected, but no one died! Only slight injuries. While working part time in the mornings at Angus Morrison E.S., I saw first hand in some of the kids I worked with how this event affected their behaviour. Counselors were brought in to talk to any student who needed it. 

We have prayed as a family first thanking God for protecting our home, but then also to pray for those affected by this event. As someone who lives not far from where it went down, it was interesting to see the media that came for a few days, but now they're gone. The memory of this event will not be forgotten by my boys and my wife and I. 

Summer stress

I know what that title sounds like, summer stress? Isn't summer supposed to be when you relax? Really? How many people pack as much into their summers as possible so that at the end of their vacation they say they need a vacation? Or how about this? Those that are out of a job for the summer and can't collect EI because they were only part time or on a supply list during the school year? Here's the thing. I love summer. I love the heat, the more relaxed clothes like shorts and sandals, I like the relaxed feeling it usually brings with it. but this summer also brings some stress that I am dealing with - lack of full time work, the part time work I do have will shrink, there is no foreseeable sense of employment on the horizon. I have been a pastor for the last almost 6 years now, and have been between ministries in a church capacity since the end of September. I have spoke at times for LIFE, filled in for leading worship at churches, spoke at youth, and of course continued my pastoral ministry of Ask The Pastor every week. 

This is the heart of a pastor... that I struggle with the future as much as anyone else. I have pastoral friends who I talk to and who pray for me and I have done fasting at times to hear God's voice when all I see is a fog spiritually. The message I have right now is "Trust me. Stay the course. Trust me." And yes, even for a guy who has been in the thick of ministry in a church and on the radio when I minister to those who call into the ATP programme or call in during the week for counsel - I can still struggle. 

Proverbs 3:5,6, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

So am I trusting Go? Am I submitting to His will? Am I trusting especially when I don't have a clue? That is the challenge for all of us. Pray for me as I pray for you...

Pastor Andrew

ATP five years later and counting...

So as of April 27 2014, Ask The Pastor has been on the air for 5 years... and counting! Amazing how a simple idea of a call in show for anyone that originally was Mondays at 9 and then in September switched to Wednesdays at 8 pm has continued to do so well. Lots of listeners, hundreds of questions, and a few hosts with me - it started with AJ the Wonderdog, them moved to Junky Roads, there were fill-ins like Jojo McKnight and Jordan Cruze, then Evan Duran followed by JayMac, and now Terry Molinaro! Is it me? Just kidding!

But looking back on 5 years, it has been a blessing and privilege to do this ministry as a very real pastoral role with the "congregation" of listeners over these 5 years. Many means have been used to allow people to get their questions in - email to atp@lifeonline.fm, texting the keyword lifeonline to 212121, calling 866-737-LIFE, and Facebook. 

The questions have been unique and some tend to come in again and again over the years - repeated themes from different listeners. It tells me there is a lot of need and a lot who just need someone to care. I have counselled people off the air during the show, and sometimes during the week as well as a direct result of the show. There have been some who have come to Christ and some who have rededicated their lives to Christ as a result. Amazing to see the results! 5 years of pastoral ministry through LIFE 100.3.

I will continue to do the show as long as the Lord allows me to. Thank you to all who have listened over the years and have contributed to the show in their questions they submitted or comments made. Has everyone always agreed? No. There have been some who respectfully disagreed and that's okay. There have been the odd ones who have called in and said some not so pleasant things, other have just expressed their disagreements to the management here. That's okay. Why? Jesus had people who disagreed with Him, and He was killed for what He said and claimed to be. So a little criticism? That's alright. 

Some people think the show is just for teens, and for sure we have mainly teens, but we have a lot of adults too that tune in for the segment and that I have met at different things and they tell me how much they have appreciated the show. Some have asked me - are you really a pastor? The answer is yes - I have been Associate Pastor at Pinewoods Chapel in Angus responsible for youth, worship, children, and administrative things for 2 years, then Lead Pastor at Mount Pleasant EMC for a year - we couldn't get moved to the new area after a year so had to move on. Then part time Associate Pastor positions at Stayner EMC for youth which the contract ended in September, and last summer a contract with Wasaga Christian Church for worship. Currently I am not actively a pastor in a church and am searching. I have also done pulpit supply for many years and speak for LIFE when asked to, and then there is Ask The Pastor - a real pastoral role despite "being on the air" for 5 years. My "congregation" is the listeners every week for an hour. I take the role very seriously, and feel blessed to be doing this - to serve this way.

I cannot take credit for this role. Steve Jones borrowed the idea from a station in Ottawa, suggested it to AJ the Wonderdog and AJ contacted me. The rest is God's doing and history... until present day!

God bless to you all and thank you again for being part of such an amazing ministry!

In Christ,

Pastor Andrew Robertson
Dip. Bib. St., R.E.C.E., B.A. in Min.

Godzilla returns!

Just a fun BLOG today... as many know Godzilla returns this weekend! The guy looks pretty good for being 60! Some fun trivia around the original 1954 film - it was a way the Japanese explained the devastation of the bomb droppings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the 2nd world war. 

This updated version goes back to it saying it wasn't tests that awakened the beast, but that they were trying to destroy it and didn't succeed. Cool tie into the original.

Here's a look at the big guy from 1954 to present... 

He's has many looks, as you can see, looking forward to seeing this latest installment - you'll notice they didn't include the 1998 Roland Emmerich version? 

Oh well, from creature of disaster to hero to engine of destruction, from serious to campy to serious again, this guy just keeps going! 

Welcome back Godzilla!

I saw this on the weekend and I must say - amazing! I thought it was the best Godzilla made yet, my wife disagreed saying there've been better. At any rate, there were some words that you had to close your ears to, but no uncomfortable sex scenes, and there was a great storyline. You even see an "easter egg" thrown in there if you look for it - a bug tank with a very familiar Godzilla universe name on it! MOTHRA! We'll see if that plays into anything for the sequel. 

Godzilla gets down and fights tooth and nail with a couple of monster baddies and I'm glad the movie didn't shy away from the toll battles like this take on a city of Tokyo's or LA's sizes. It brought humanity to it.

My rating? 4/5 stomping stars!