Happy Happy Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey y'all!

So a quick update on life since my last post:
- School is going fine. Module 5 is almost done (1st module of 4 of my second year at Chiropractic college)
- My self assessed level of maturity says I could do better but am doing okay. I have been sleeping in too much this module (on time for classes but not taking advantage of potential time awake in the morning to spend time with God and do errands) which is something I can fix.
- With sports, hockey has started on Tuesday nights and our team is pretty strong this year! Our graduating class has also organized a ball hockey league with all the guys and that has been a blast so far this year. Finally, I have started curling again! Curling is on Thursday nights so I am keeping myself busy on top of school.
- Church is doing well with a new pastor from Arizona and our young adults group are doing a devotional reading through the gospels a chapter a day. So that is going well.

Okay now onto the good stuff that has gave me some inspiration for this post!
So I spent Thanksgiving weekend this year at home in New Brunswick! This is the first time in 7 years that I have done this! I decided the pony up the dough to fly out because I wanted to see the family for the holiday because I am thankful for them no matter what! I love my family and miss them so it is always a pleasure to see them and put a smile on my parents faces ;)
Also! There was another little incentive for coming home this weekend. I got to attend the wedding of RB and DM! Well it's now RM and DM :P. The wedding was beautiful as these two have been through so much in their lives and have stayed faithful to God through thick and thin and now they have more joy and peace then they could ever have imagined. Seeing everyone so happy and hearing the heart warming speeches and toasts really made for an emotional yet super happy occasion.
Something else happened to me this weekend. I met a girl who is absolutely stunning and adorable all at the same time. A nice homey girl with a smile that could light up a room. So as I inquired more about her after that day, It turns out she is interested in someone else unfortunately (for me). It does give me hope though! Sometimes I believe all the good ones are taken as anytime I think their is a potential girl for me it turns out she is taken. There is a ton beautiful woman in this world but finding one that loves Jesus and has the right mix of crazy that fits me can be difficult. Since losing SM last year, this girl was the first girl I met that I have had feelings like this for. So that is a good sign I think. The moral of the story is meeting this girl this past weekend has given me hope. My goodness she's an angel I'm sure haha.
God's got my love life under control so it's best not to worry and stick to what I can control and that is my relationship with Him and who I am as a man of God. God will provide me a godly woman to love the way Jesus loves us. I promise that is exactly what I will do ;)

SONG OF THE POST:
This song is a beauty from the very talented Keith Urban and I hope to some day play this for my girl. I look forward to days where we make memories of us. This song does a great job of expressing how I hope to show my woman how much she means to me.

VERSE OF THE POST:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of you faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. - James 1:2-4

Great verse! Lord make my wants and desires match what you want and desire for me. Make me the man you want me to be and that I need to be. In due time all will be complete as I am patient, obedient, and trusting in God. God is good and He does all things well.
Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments!

All the best and God bless,
John

Summer 2013!!

Hello again! It's been a while eh? Well today is the last day of Summer 2013 for me as I am back to school tomorrow! It has been a good summer for sure and because I haven't written a blog post in a long time, I have a ton to talk about. So to summarize I will try to summarize my summer.

First off I have to talk about my job. I worked as a supplies coordinator for a company that put on the Ride to Conquer Cancer event in Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary. It was fun job overall despite the long long hours and sometimes hectic situations but being a positive guy makes me always see the brighter side of things. Thanks to this job, I had the opportunity to travel around parts of Canada to do this job. During the Toronto ride I was at the Toronto lake front, Niagara Falls next to horse shoe falls, and in Hamilton. For the Vancouver ride, we were in Surrey, then went States side to Seattle. Calgary just went out to Okotoks and back but it was still a blast. I got to see things I have never seen before like cities, mountains, prairies as well as do things I've never done before like driving large penske or budget rental trucks! I met and worked with some amazing people and I look forward to going back next year if they would like me to come back!

Next, I was able to do a road trip across \Canada with my parents as they picked me up in Calgary and drove me back to Toronto! Highlights include seeing Canada's sports hall of fame, Drummheller, AB (so many dinosaurs and history!  Saw the badlands and the Royal Tyrell Museum. It was fun trying to comprehend everything and putting it together with the what the Bible says. That's just something I did); the Winnipeg Legislature Building (amazing architecture); My old house and school in Winnipeg (can't believe how familiar it all still looks! Blast from the past!); Met some of Mom's siblings as we visited Sioux Lookout and went through Mom and Dad's memories of that place; Overall seeing the country through prairies, lakes, and small towns. I enjoyed myself and look forward to maybe doing a road trip like that with friends or a special woman in my life :).

Next highlight of the summer is the Christian Waterski camp that I was blessed to be a counselor at. I did not know how to waterski or wakeboard but got the chance to learn a couple times out on the river. To some that may have been the best part but for me the best part was sharing the Gospel and being in a position to help youth come to know Christ. My cabin had some great guys who have bright futures ahead of them and the camp was full of so many great boys and girls who have so much potential to be something truly great in this world. It was so special to share with them that Jesus loves you and that what the world offers you in life may seem good but that the truth is Jesus is the best option. I had the privilege to share my testimony with the kids and it was an experience I would gladly do again. When we had testimony times, there were 3 testimonies shared, my good friend JM, and his mother HM. JM i give credit for bringing me to Christ because he was the one who asked the perfect question to me when I could not give a good enough answer. the question was "Why don't you come to church on sunday?". My answer in my head was that I enjoyed to sleep in so clearly I ended up going to church the following sundays and the rest is history as God molded me through the twist and turns of life. Hearing JM's and HM's testimonies brought people to tears and I am not ashamed to say that |I was one of them. The struggles they dealt with that I never even knew made me wish I could have been there for JM and made me admire both JM and HM for their great faithfulness to the Lord who never for a second let them go. PTL!! The Lord is sooooo good! haha

Finally this past weekend I was in Simcoe, ON for the Gentlemen of the Road tour with Mumford and Sons headlining the 2 day music festival. It was great time with friends, playing and teaching many strangers the game of Kan Jam, the music was good, late night bonfires, playing volleyball in SD's pool. It was an all round enjoyable weekend!

Now this next part is not a highlight for me technically but I feel it is important to share it as it shows how great the Lord truly is! The woman, who this time last year I was having thoughts of marrying someday, got engaged this past weekend! Now that sounds like it would be something sad for me but to be honest, ya it hurts very slightly but how can I be selfish about something so glorifying to God! In the matter of 1 year, SM fell in love with the love of her life! PTL! Since the break up, my prayers have been answered as God is doing great things in her life as she is engaged to a godly Man who loves her with all his heart, she has a dream job teaching in a christian school, and I'm sure there are plenty of more blessings that I just don't know of :P. Sure I'm still single and still going through somethings but God has been so good to His children and my prayers for her to be blessed with work and a godly man have all been answered so swiftly. Now I'm just being patient for, if it ever happens, for my friendship with SM to be mended so we can be united in Christ. After a year though, I know there is nothing I could ever do to mend it and it would have to be something supernatural by God. Hey, as long as God is getting the glory, I'm 100% stoked about all that has happened in SM and mine's lives. Someday I will experience the joys of love like SM and our friend KB. I have no doubt in our God as I am waiting for when the Lord see's that I am ready for the responsibility of caring for one of His daughter's heart.

Anyhow, that is all I have to say at this moment, please comment at the bottom after you read so I know if you liked/disliked, agree/disagree with anything I say.

All the best and God bless you all,
Your brother in Christ
John

It's gonna be a long hot summer!

Well readers, it was a transitional school year and it is finally over! Completed exams this past Thursday and now the summer has officially started with a Brad Paisley concert last night at the Molson Ampitheatre. It was fantastic! One of the best concerts I have ever been too. The visual effects were unbelievable and Brad is an amazing guitarist. The only downside was that despite Friday being a gorgeous day, that evening and night was overcast and we had a downpour at the concert for about 10 minutes! I was soaked but then Brad played "Water" and it was all better haha.
On the agenda today was the conference finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs! It is unfortunate that my boys Blue and white didn't make it but these series' will be some of the best hockey you can wish for.

This post was going to be a bit longer but I interrupted it to send an email to one of my favorite teachers Mr. Ring who is retiring this year. He was an amazing teacher and was my first hockey coach and he helped me through the best and worst times of my life. What a great guy! Our community has been so blessed to have had him in it. Who knows where Browns Flat would be without Mr. Ring.

So the Summer begins for me with 3 weeks straight of work with being a supplies coordinator for the Ride to Conquer Cancer events in Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary. Busy busy busy! After that I can truly be free haha! I cannot wait to spend days laying on a beach or in a park and just relaxing. I also cannot wait to play Kan Jam and Saucer King with friends. I am also looking forward to going home for a couple weeks to see the Fam and neighbourhood.
With school and exams taking up 98% of my time the last couple weeks, I haven't kept up with my Bible reading but I am not going to stop! I hope to pick it back up this month as I will be on the road with no distractions other than work and colleagues.

VERSE OF THE POST:
I put this verse in the email to Mr. Ring as I found it fitting for retirement. Even though he is finishing his career and mine will be starting before I know it, it is always important to remember: no matter what stage of life you find yourself in, remember that you are still running the race. Be courageous and finish as a strong as you started!

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." - 2 Timothy 4:7-8

SONG OF THE POST:
Great song that has been in my head the past week. God is so good to us. PTL!

Your love is like a river - Third Day

All the best and God bless,

John

comment and let me know what you think or what you want to read more about!

The joy of the Lord is my strength

Hey readers! Sorry for the lengthy delay in updating this. I suppose my procrastination has gotten the better of me with this blog. When I started this I wanted to write and now whenever I think of posting on the blog I think about what I could write about and what songs or verses I should put on and think "that's too much work" or "I don't have time for that" or the ever popular "I'll do that tomorrow" haha. Well it is 1am here and I decided to put the excuses aside and just write something quickly.
So last weekend on May 12th, I ran the Tough Mudder up at Mount St. Louie just north of Barrie, ON. Now for those of you who do not know what this is, the Tough Mudder is a 16-18 Km obstacle course challenge. The majority of the distance ran/walked is ski hills. At times it is almost a 90 degree slope (at least that is what it felt like). With hills that steep you were just as fast walking as you would be running. The obstacles in the challenge involve going in ice cold water, climbing over walls, jumping over trenches and fire, and crawling through mud and water avoiding barbed wire or electric shock wires. The finale of the challenge is called "Electroshock therapy" where you have to run through many strands of hanging wire that will shock you. Luckily for me the wind picked up and dodged a fair bit of them. The worse part of all this that definitely added to the challenge is the fact that the temperature was hovering close to 0 degrees Celsius and there was wind, snow, and even hail at times! So during the whole ordeal we had to deal with numb bodies and the possibility of hypothermia! This can easily have been the toughest Tough Mudder in the world since they are usually held in conditions that are more summer like and not winter like. Well I'm just glad that I got through it. Next time I would definitely need to train for it!! Every muscle in my legs was cramping by the end of it and I almost couldn't stand at times. I was impressed by some of the things I was able to do with a body that was trying to shut itself down.
Also, on a personal note, I am currently knee deep in sin. It is pathetic how I fall into old habits and continue to allow myself to sin. I sin as if it doesn't mean anything and I avoid thinking about how it is effecting me. I need prayer from all of you to help me fight the good fight. The sin i struggle with is so common among christian men and based on this stat i'm sure you can figure it out. In the secular world it is no big deal but as a christian I should consider pornography disgusting. It is but I always find myself going back to it like an idiot. It is a huge waste of time and attention. It ruins my relationship with God and it has ruined past relationships with friends. It has and will hinder my relationship with my future wife! Lord give me strength and wisdom to flee temptation went it enters into my life. For so long I had avoided it this year and now I'm back to where I started. Jesus already has victory over sin and I need to keep this in mind every waking hour to ensure that I do not slip up.

Song of the Post:
This song is a gem from Tenth Avenue North. The song begins with a person crying out to God knowing they need Him and the song does a flip into God replying back. It is a beautiful song and I hope you enjoy it!

God's grace and peace be with you all.
Your brother in Christ, John

You're my Beloved

In the midst of my procrastination and studying, I seem to miss writing on this blog. This post is a treat though! So back in April, my mentor BT and I went to see Tenth Avenue North in Barrie and that show was amazing. God's spirit filled that room and it was outstanding! It is too bad that we couldn't stay for the after show because we had school the next day and we weren't sure if it was going to happen or not.
The beauty is that you can see the aftershow on youtube by following the link in this post. I provided this link because of the story Mike tells in it. It is amazing the illustration Jesus gives us through the Israel marriage tradition. Jesus is preparing us a mansion in heaven and is waiting till the Father says it is ready. Jesus will come with trumpets sounding and what a joyous day it will be! Until then, we must show our love for Him by living a life that is glorying to Him. Enough of this idolatry and adultery! We must live as we are His bride and He loves us more than anything. We need to love Him the same.

Check out this awesome explanation of a mind blowing illustration:

All the best and God bless,
John

Maple Leafs have clinched a playoff spot!

Hello readers! I apologize for not posting in a while. I have been meaning to write but just never made time for it and now there is just a ton of things that have happened in my life but for tonight something has happened that is monumental for the city of Toronto.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have clinched a playoff spot for the first time in 9 years! I can still remember the last time the Leafs were in the playoffs! I was sitting on the couch with a broken leg watching the leafs playing the Flyers. that was a heart breaking loss as Roenick scored in OT to eliminate the Maple Leafs from the 2004 playoffs. I am so excited for them this year! They are finally in the playoffs and hopefully they can make some noise! They don't seem to have much of a chance to win the Cup with there being some extremely strong teams contending but you never know what can happen once you get into the playoffs. Praise the Lord for the Leafs making the playoffs!!

One of the highlights from the past couple weeks since updating my blog is that I finally got to see Tenth Avenue North live in concert! It was such an amazing show and I left there feeling so blessed! They speak the Word of God with so much love and grace that you can just feel the Spirit of God fill that place. I am so glad I was able to go!
Anyway I wish I could truly finish this blog post with my usual verse and song but I have to go clean the kitchen and bathroom and finish laundry before bed! Thank you for reading and I hope to update this blog again this up coming week to continue sharing my life with you guys!

All the best and God bless!

Father, give me grace to forgive them.

So this post is inspired from what was preached at church yesterday as well as from what is happening in my life. Currently there is a series being done at church on 2 Peter and how to live to be a strong Christian or something. I honestly missed the beginning of the series as I was at another church. The main passage is:

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection(Brotherly kindness); and to mutual affection (Brotherly kindness), love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins." - 2 Peter 1:5-9 (NIV).

The text I bolded is what yesterday's message was on. The concept of how, as Christians, we should exhibit a brotherly affection or kindness to one another. Other passages used were:

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loves us, we also out to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us." - 1 John 4:7-12 (NIV)

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited (Do not be wise in your own opinion). Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with everyone." - Romans 12:9-17 (NIV)

Now after all the verses I've given, I don't think I will have a verse of the post as I usually do. Now it is time to say what I have been thinking regarding all this. Clearly, a part of being Christian is being filled with the Spirit and having the love of God in us to give to others. God commands us (and tells us that our faith is evident through) to love one another. Now when we all agree on topics and all share common interests and goals, this loving one another comes pretty easy wouldn't you say? Well while I was sitting in church listening to the message, I kept thinking of how other people treat me and not so much of how I treat others. It may be a pride thing but I thought shortly on how I treat others and made a mental note to try and be aware when I'm not being loving and try to do better. Back to what I was thinking though in regards to how I am treated, in particular, by certain Christian friends.
This is something I have been talking to God about today while I was praywalking (praying while walking). I was talking to him about how after relationships or friendships end, people purposely remove people from their lives, for example when people break up, typically they go separate ways and friends of the people involved stick to their respective sides.
Now in my situation, I went through a break up, and SM decided to remove me from her life and friends of hers that I became friends with also began to ignore me for sometime. Now in a worldly view, this kind of makes sense since what would be the point of being friends. But when I think about this, and how in this situation we are all Christians, we should all be united in Christ and love each other as brothers and sisters should we not?
This is something I talked to God about today and hopefully everything will work out in his due time. In my eyes, no matter what happens between people, no matter what the circumstances, we need to put our pride aside and love one another. Sure it may be hard but to think it isn't possible would totally diminish the power of God's love. If we cannot put our pride aside and love one another and continue to purposely alienate people or remove people from our lives, than what makes us as Christians different than the world? If we don't follow God's commandments and forgive others of their mistakes and allow them into our lives in some capacity so that we may show them God's love to help build them up, than what kind of witness is that? We need to come together as the body of Christ and live in harmony and not let the mistakes or sins in our lives hinder our witness to the world. In my situation, I continue to pray for SM and hope she will someday allow me to be her brother in Christ instead of trying to pretend I don't exist.
It is also interesting to think that we can control who is and is not a part of our lives as if our lives are not interconnected. This world is both huge and small all at the same time. God has set up the connections of people in our lives for a reason and uses everyone in some capacity for our benefit. Sometimes the effect is negative and sometimes it is positive but ultimately God uses them to help us grow. I understand also that sometimes people can come and go in our lives and that is out of our control. But my point is as Christians, we should not force other Christians out of our lives no matter what the situation. Allow God to fill us with grace and love to overcome the hurt that we may be united in Christ.
I know someday God may have us meet to talk about how great his guidance and blessings truly are in our lives and He will be glorified then as I try to glorify him now.

SONGS OF THE POST: Yes there is 2!

Tenth Avenue North - Losing

Last fall during tough times and even now when things seem unfair, I am reminded by God to continue to love them and forgive them because God gives me the love and grace to do so. 

Starfield - Light of the World

We are the light of the world. When we put our pride aside and come together we can change this world. Beautiful song by Starfield.

All the best and God bless!

John