How Much More...

This morning during staff meeting our fearless leader Andy read Jesus' words about not being anxious, or not worrying, but rather to trust that God will provide what is necessary.  Jesus talks about the birds, about how they don't store stuff up, how the flowers are beautiful without even trying.  What God has created in nature He will take care of.  The birds don't worry and the flowers don't fret.  What He has set in motion, He engages and takes care of each and every day.  And if God cares for and takes care of these created things, then "how much more" will He take care of us!

What struck me today as Andy read was that there are many parallels throughout Scripture with that same phrase, "How much more."  Specifically, what came to mind was Romans 5, where the Apostle compares our nature with Adam and Christ.  We are like Adam because we sin and die, and therefore we "feel" as though our nature is sinful because Adam sinned.  But I ask, who's image are we created in?  Are we created in the image of Adam or Christ?  Are we designed and wired to be sinful enemies of God or to be generous and loving, gracious and forgiving like God?  This, of course, is not to suggest in any way that because we are created in the image of God that we are somehow gods ourselves, or that we can become equal to God.  But rather, that we have been created to espouse His character and live in such a way which re-presents God to those who do not yet know Him.

If we are like Adam because we sin and die, then how much more are we like Christ because we are forgiven and liberated from the bondage of sin!  If the sparrows do not worry and the flowers grow into naturally beautiful creations, then how much more does God want those whom He created in His image to not worry and instead grow into beautiful expressions of His love!

Our identities, our confidence, our liberty comes not from who we relate to (Adam), but who we have been created in the image of and who we are called to re-present here on earth.  This is what it means to be participating in Kingdom priorities; that when we choose to put the priorities of heaven before the priorities of earth, we can be at peace knowing that God will ultimately take care of the details.

I sometimes forget how involved God is in everything; how He so intimately loves every part of His creation, and that we as humans are the center, the climax of creation as those created in His image.  Each one of us unique and beautiful in our own way, and together celebrating not only the diversity of God's creative nature but His abounding love for all of creation.

So do not worry, for what will worrying do to make your life better?  Instead of worrying, trust that God not only knows our needs, but loves us as His own children and wants the best for us.

Bringing order to chaos...beginning with me.

I've never had my own space for all my tools.  Well that has changed, and now I have the opportunity to create my own hub from which I can efficiently work out of.  This is just a glimpse of what I've been up to in "The Shop" at Camp.  This is one wall.  It's not even close to being a cover for a Lee Valley catalogue, but the inspiration came from them!

Chanterelles...

Well, today I went out with my good buddy and co-worker Mr. Chris Burdge to go mushroom picking for the second time.  The first time I got just over half a 5 Gallon bucket.  Today I picked more than two buckets worth!

Just another thing I probably wouldn't have done if it wasn't available to me so easily.

Chris has a sixth sense for locating these little beauties.  We hit a pretty good patch today and it seemed like every time you looked up there were more just a little ways away.  I can see how people can get so excited about this kind of stuff.  Out in the fresh air, getting exercise, looking for treasure, riding quads and making a little extra moola (hoping one comes home with the moola to justify leaving wifey at home with the boys)!

I have forgotten on both days to save a few so we could cook them up at home.  Maybe I'll have to buy some off Chris tomorrow.

Small Town Life...

When our family relocated from Prince Rupert to Abbotsford in 2007, we knew that leaving that small town behind meant more than saying goodbye to close friends, but a way of life as well.  For the next four years we were able to coordinate our lives so that school, work, church and life were pretty close together.  But something was missing.

We were busy.

There's the life of stuff and then there's the stuff of life.  Sometimes our lives can get cluttered with stuff.  Usually that stuff is the everyday gotta do it kinda stuff, like school and work and other routines...things we do because somehow we think we either have to do them or because it would seem strange not to.  

Then there's the stuff of life.  These are the friendships, the times spent doing things we enjoy, the ability and availability to be spontaneous...those kinds of things.  This stuff is the stuff that doesn't seem to keep time; that somehow our watches and internal time clocks seem to vanish.  It's those times which often make us late for the stuff we "have" to do.

I've found that living in a small town again has afforded a great deal more time for the stuff of life, not a life of stuff.  Whether it's having time to make breakfast in the morning, kissing my boys goodbye as they leave for school, looking at my watch and realizing I'm late to take lunch because I've enjoyed working, Waffle Wednesdays with friends, drop-in Volleyball, Thursday night dinners as a staff, mushroom picking, or it taking 8 minutes to go to the grocery store and back for sour cream and bread.  

Yes, living in a small town is busy, but it's a different kind of busy.  It's a busy where the time seems to fly by and the routine does not seem as forced or necessary.

Have I also mentioned that we've found a new church to get immersed in?  It's a Fellowship Baptist Church just up the road.  And when I say just up the road I literally mean that it takes longer to buckle up three boys than it does to drive there!  We will be the youngest family there and two of our boys doubled the sunday school size so there will be some adjusting, but it felt like home (at least it did for me).  

We're looking forward to a more intentional life as we adjust to this new season, and I really do think that living in a small town has a big part to play in that.

6.4 km's

That's how far it is from the river to the lake.  

The river = home.

The lake = work.

We're not entirely sure how long we'll be renting this amazing house on the river, so you just might want to stop by sooner than later.  We're so glad our camp friends were able to check it out for us and secure it on our behalf.  There are still a few boxes floating around here and there, but tonight was all about getting our emails finalized and the wireless running (amazing what one letter or number can do in that process).

Below is a view from the new dock the landlords built over this past summer.  When I accepted the position at Camp we were not sure what our accommodations were going to be for this year.  All I knew is that God had always provided for us in the past, and He would provide what we needed.  At that point I wasn't aware that this is what He had in mind!  We are grateful for His provision and we'll enjoy it while we can.

And if that wasn't enough, He thought we might need this so we could host many a dinner too.  Far fewer upper cabinets than we had previously, but oh the counter space and pull out drawers!  And yes, that is a five burner gas (propane) range back there.  We look forward to feeding many mouths from this kitchen.

Then there's the lake; the place I go to work now.  I mean really, someone pinch me!  Oh sure, I don't get to sit around and stare at the lake all day by any means, but it's there, surrounded by grand mountains, wildlife and nature.  I've always enjoyed God's beautiful creation and I'm not sure how else to explain it than to simply say that the special place in my heart which yearns for nature is now at peace.

So to and fro, from river to lake, lake to river, my routine will be from here on in.  At any given time I wont be too far from these two places...except maybe fixing a toilet here and there.

I know what I want to be when I grow up!

There have been two vocations I have thoroughly enjoyed in my life: Working with my hands and being in full time Christian ministry.  Yet, something perplexed me as I pursued these two paths; that being in one meant that I missed the other.  I enjoyed both and have spent a number of years wondering how the two could come together in one vocation...until now!

17 years ago my life was changed at camp when I embraced God's love and plan for my life.

17 years later I am returning to camp.

I have accepted the position of Maintenance Manager at Camp Imadene, situated on the picturesque Mesachie Lake near Lake Cowichan, BC.  I will be serving alongside a multitude of magnificent people, some year-rounders and some during the summer months.  My job is to make it safe, fun and wholesome for campers and staff alike, fixing, building, plungering and picking up around the site.  The job is more than full time so I will be dependant on gracious volunteers who generously give their time and energy serving others in humble ways.

Most campers will walk through, by, on or behind something that myself and the maintenance crew have built, repaired or maintained, likely without much consideration of how much time, energy and cost the camp has committed to making their experience at camp safe, fun and wholesome.  But being behind the scenes is my thing; organizing, preparing and executing a plan with and for a team of people.  As a pastor and coach previously, this dynamic was one of the most exhilarating things I encountered and the reason why I identify with this quote:

"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves." -Lao Tzu


After moving every two years in the first ten years of our marriage, my wife and I are looking forward to moving to a small town on Vancouver Island and rooting ourselves there for a very long time.  I am looking forward to both the buzz of the summer months with emergency repairs, groundskeeping and janitorial duties, and then the quieter off-season months building projects, recruiting volunteers and repairing the effects of summer chaos.  Now, I'm not naive to the fact that ministry isn't a walk in the park, and how working with multiple staff, boards, volunteers and donors can be taxing on the emotional, spiritual and physical levels, and that is why, for me, this is not a job but a calling.

So after several years of bouncing around and multi-tasking career options I believe God has brought us to this place for both a good and long time! When I think about people who wake up in the morning and can't wait to get to work, this position gets my blood flowing.  And I think when people embrace what God has prepared in advance for them to do there is not only a peace, but a wholeness, a sense of shalom which permeates through their life and into others'.  It is my hope that as I serve in this capacity, others will encounter God as we labour alongside one another, building relationships and partnering with God in what He's already doing in the lives of people we have the privilege of serving.

That, my friends, is why I am more than a maintenance man.