The Final Soiree

David Crowder the Power Ranger

A dream came true...

Seriously, I have dream of this in my dreams when I was in university. I should have developed it but now someone beat me to it.

Camera in a bag to make it waterproof.

Men, Prepare for battle...

The weather is getting warmer, the snow is melting away. It is that time of the year I remind my boys again, to prepare for battle...

Driving to school this morning, before turning onto Garnier St. that leads to Tyndale, I had to drive by St. Joseph's. This is the time of the year when all the catholic school girls dig out their skirts. It is ridiculous how they hike up their skirts, it sickens me. I ask myself why do they bother to put one on if the skirt does not cover anything at all!?!

My heart aches for all men who wants to be righteous. This is the time of the year where it seems like the world is out to get them. Bounce your eyes, men!

My Back...

My back gave in on me again last night... I woke up in the middle of the night and I could not fall back to sleep for two hour. The pain was excruciating. It was a pain I've never felt before, it is just above the lumber region.

Over the past month, I've been hindered by the back problems.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
~2 Cor. 4:7-9 TNIV

But with the all-surpassing power from god, I can be struck down, but not destroyed.

is it in you?

Spring Camp 2007, registration begins tomorrow!

Caffeine Intake

I usually avoid taking in a large amount of caffeine - just a medium double double here, a glass of coke there and the occasion vanilla bean latte . But as a students, during this time of the year, sometime it is necessary to get a boost from these black sludge. This website will have you calculate your daily caffeine intake. (This one is for you, Bernard.)



BTW, I just found out that if I drink 85.31 cups of Starbucks Grande Caffe Mocha, it will kill me... but then, that will also cost me $415.38 after taxes. So why would I do that? I could spend it on the 2,474.06 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups that will do the same thing.

My IQ

CBC Canadian IQ Test

I'm still kicking myself for missing one of the easy math question...

False Doctrines

Following up my past Sunday's sermon from Colossians 2 on how the media is feeding our next generation in regards to beauty and image, I found this website the proves what you see is not what is true.

http://detouch.org/de-touch/med.php?set=fluideffect&img=22

Alicia Keys:
Before Touchups ____________ After Touchups

Take care of your...

"The pulpit is a lonely place..."
~Dr. Victor Shepherd

These words of Dr. Shepherd regularly echoes through my mind to serve as a reminder to be on guard. As His servant we are called to fight by the side of our Lord Jesus Christ. But serving as one of His officers, you become a prime target of Satan's attacks.

Ho! Get your hands down. Do not salute me. There are goddamned snipers all around this area who would love to grease an officer. I'm Lieutenant Dan Taylor. Welcome to Fourth Platoon.
~Lt. Dan, Forrest Gump

The devil and his army would love to take aim and take down a church leader. They salivate at the opportunity to create such chaos in the Christian camp. Just look at what happened to Ted Haggard or Paul Melnichuk.

Learning from one of my favorite movie, "All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)", while at times is might seem quiet on the battle front, don't go around chasing butterflies for snipers are hiding in ambush and ready to take aim.

Be alert.

Take care of your eyes...
Take care of your thoughts...
Take care of your actions...

Lust. Greed. Pride. These feelings are normal for we are human, but sin creeps in on how we act on these feelings. Come to the alter and laid these thoughts and feelings at Jesus feet.

In ministry there is this moral code, and if you break it you are done.
~Dr. Fred Penny

The Storehouse of His Bounty

The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.
~Deut 28:12

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/187986

After reading this Toronto Star article, I was really upset. The story of Ananias and Sapphira from Acts 5:1-11 came into mind. No, I do not wish the individuals in the above article to drop dead for that judgment ultimately belongs to God. But in the mist of the followers sharing the things they have for body of Christ, how shall we handle the leaders who are misusing God's resources for their own benefits. Yes, in Deut. 28:12 it did say that The LORD will open the heavens to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. But I guess these leaders forgot the second part of this passage, that they will lend to many nations and advance God's mission.

But I'll first remove the plank from eye. Lord, let me be responsible for the resources you have graciously provided for my. My I be diligent in how I use these resources and be of good steward.

The Paradoxical Life

Let [the person] who cannot be alone beware of comminuty. Let [the person] who is not in community beware of alone.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Of one of the many paradoxes in life, we need both community and solitude. "Human beings were made for relationships: without a rich and nourishing network of connections, we wither and die... At the same time, we were made for solitude. Our lives may be rich in relationships, but the human self remains a mystery of enfolded inwardness that no other person can possibly enter or know. If we fail to embrace our ultimate aloneness and seek meaning only in communion with others, we wither and die." ~Parker J. Palmer

In light of what I've been experiencing recently, I have realized that is the essence of "connecting". With my headache and bad back, I have withdrew into solitude. When Rev. Lau challenged me today why I did not seek support from the church and community, I realized one of my weakness have surface. The temptation to solve problems on my own. But the idea of sharing each other's burdens and pains in the process of connecting with others and with ourselves.

Lord, thank you for helping me see my weaknesses.

Vancouver Visit

I cannot contain my excitement. My flight to Vancouver is booked for this summer. I get to see Jenny in:

Will the good guys always win?

From Genesis 39:

The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.
(v 2-4)

The Lord was with Joseph and He blessed Joseph even though Joseph was sold as a slave...

How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
(v 9b, 10)

And Joseph loved the Lord and refuse to sin against God.

Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined.
(v 20a)

The reward for Joseph's love for the Lord? He was thrown into prison.

We cannot help but ask, how come these things happens to those who love the Lord? This is one of the biggest misconception of being a Christian. We grew up reading fairy tales and stories with plots telling us that in the end good things will fall upon the good guys? That's only "fair". But no, Joel, that what it said in the Bible too...

However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today.
~Deut. 15:4, 5

So didn't the Bible teach us that if we obey, we will be blessed? Yes. But are these blessings found in the world? Or is it in the kingdom to come?

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. "
~Mark 8:34

Jesus said if we are to follow him, we must take up our cross... By taking up our cross, we will suffer pain and die. Where's the "blessings" in that? When we love the Lord, the devil hates it, and therefore the world hates it. Therefore the world will try to nail us to the cross, and many time the world will succeed in doing so. But by following the Lord, we are not part of this world, and thus our blessings and rewards in not found here.

Christians, when you follow Christ, don't not expect it will be smooth sailing. I can guarantee you that it won't be. Instead, expect suffering, and rest your hopes in the kingdom to come.

When the kids rules the house...

With mom and dad away on their 30th anniversary cruise in Mexico, the kids rules the house. :P What better than dinner, the kids' style. Lasagna, spring greens with raspberry vinaigrette, and a bottle of 2005 Tarapaca Merlot from Chile.

Simple, easy to make, no parents. :P

Wines from Tarapaca: Maipo Wine

Merlot

Tasting Notes
Grapes are harvested and vinified in mid March, while maceration takes place after fermentation. The wine is kept in French and American oak barrels. Its color is intense ruby-red with light touches of purple. Fruity aroma with wild fruit character; de

Food Pairings
Semi-raw cheeses;duck,chicken, pasta with light sauces;tongue, and savory bouchées.To be served at 20ºC.

Results of a Leadership Test

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

The Black Mush

Every kid had witnessed this horrid experience. This is my version:

I was in Grade 3, for science class we were learning about fruits and we were to told to bring a fruit to class one day. I do not remember what I brought, but I did remember what my neighbour brought to school. When we were told to take out our fruit, by neighbour produced this black shapeless mass. The class responded in a unison "eeeeekkkkkk".

That was the day I learn bananas turns black.

Which is too bad, for now I also know that bananas is such a nutritious fruit. I usually bring 3 with me to volleyball tourneys or have one after a jog. But they get squished so easily.

But fear no more, thanks to www.bananabunker.com, you can now own your very own bombproof case for your banana!

A $5US case to protect your 20 cents banana!?!

Oh boy, what will people think of next?

The Dare

Dare To Move
by Switchfoot

Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next?
What happens next?

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before

Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
The tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened

Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself
Lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened before

At times, life seems like a dare. We can refuse to accept the dare and let life passes us by, or we can take the leap of faith the accept the dare as a challenge. What is the consequences of the dare? If you fail at the dare: Humiliation. Embarrassment. Defeat. Rejection. If you succeed: Triumph. Achievement. Liberating. Growth.

Humiliation. Embarrassment. Defeat. Rejection. These are all extremely traumatic experiences. There is an inert fear in everyone of us to avoid these experiences if possible. Does the exultation of succeeding at a dare out-weights the possibility of these traumatic experience.

Two biblical characters came in mind. Jonah (because we are currently studying the book of Jonah) and Jacob.

Jonah. At the call to witness to the people in Nineveh (Assyrians), the brutally violent most hated enemies of Israel, Jonah refuse to accept the dare and fled. He did not want to face the ridicule of the people of Nineveh, or worst, face to crudity at the hands of these people. Also he did not think these people deserves the mercy of God. What happened to Jonah? In the belly of a fish... good as dead...

Jacob. When given the opportunity of meet face to face with God, what did he do? He took the dare and wrestled God. Is he out of his mind? The consequences of wrestling with God is far more serious than humiliation, embarrassment, defeat or rejection. It could cause him his life. Yet in the end, God blessed him

Jonah seek to save his life, but 'lost' it. Jacob took the dare that could of caused him his life, find life.

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
~Matt 10:39

Do you dare?

Silver medals, but hearts of Gold

Facing the adversity of bad refereeing, the girls took home the silver metal over the weekend, wrapping up their very successful season and concludes the OCCAA league. The match was very excited, the games were neck-to-neck, back-and-forth. Losing 21-25, 25-27, 21-25. I am so proud of everyone of them, they worked hard all season to get to this point and they all have hearts of gold.

A special congratulations to League All-Stars: Natalie Lam and Alica Wilson, and team MVP Jenn Crabe.

Tyndale Men's and Women's are in the Finals, against Redeemer

I am so proud of my girls, easily taking Heritage in 4 sets. Bring on Redeemer tomorrow at noon.