Another year older...

So yes, another has come and gone, I'm another year older. 43 this time. *gasp* did he really post his age! Yes. It's okay, I'm good with it. My wife and kids tell me all the time (jokingly of course) how OLD I am! When you get to my age birthday cakes look like this...

Yes, they run out of room on the cake... So what have I learned from the past year? Patience in waiting on God's will for my life to unfold. Evaluating who I am, that what I do is not what makes me, but who I am in God - His child.

So now that my birthday is here, what are the plans? Well, working on air today, then tomorrow after service heading to Medieval Times Dinner Tournament in Toronto! Yes! I have never been! 

Can't wait! God has blessed me with a great family, a full time job this year as well as working at LIFE doing Ask The Pastor Wednesdays at 8 pm, and my Saturday gig 12 - 7 and importing features (shows). Still seeing what God has in store in terms of the ministry as a pastor somewhere. I leave it in God's hands and God's timing.

Embracing fall

So yes, today is the end of summer officially. Fall begins tomorrow! Where did that summer go? Did we really get a summer? That's an answer for another time! So fall starts tomorrow right? How do I embrace the fall? Enjoy what it has to offer! Crisp air and fresh walks, leaf piles, pumpkin everything from tea to coffees, pies, breads, and more! Sure we have to cover up our feet again, but that protects your feet when jumping into leaf piles! We don't have enough leaves around us so I'll have to borrow a neighbour's! 

The changing of the seasons and the colours show that even when nature is in the "dying mode" things can be beautiful, It shows the handiwork of God! So yes while I would love for summer to last forever, I guess I can embrace fall too!

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