TREVOR'S WRITING

I have always had a disdain for wearing socks...however, I do live in Winnipeg and there is the occassional need for them - sandals are uncomfortable in -30 degrees celsius. I go with sandals as long as possible. My son Ben though, he has a whole different level of hatred for socks. He is just starting grade 1 and is slowly adjusting to being at school all day. He is a very social kid though and really seems to like school. He had been going a week and a half and we decided that we would go to Boissevain for Nicky's Dad's 70th birthday, this meant that Ben would miss school on Monday. As we were driving back we asked him if he was sad that he missed school that day...his face lit up and he said, "Nooo, I didn't have to wear socks all day ! My feet weren't hot." Of all the reasons not to like school the only one that sticks out to him is the fact that he has to wear socks and his feet are hot. He is suffering...I know how he feels.

I know radical change does happen, I have seen it. People who change their lives in a moment and it lasts a lifetime. Alcoholics who choose not to drink one day, and never touch a drop the rest of their lives. People, like Zaccheus in the Bible, who are thieves one day and generous givers after an encounter that changes their life. But, I think that this is not the normal way that people change, or the way that God changes people most times. I think change takes time. Sometimes we sit around waiting for God to strike us with lightning or "give us a sign" or a huge experience that forces us to change who we are, and most of the time, that does not happen...and so we are waiting for...nothing. Change is gradual, it is often quiet. If I wished that I was a great hockey player I wouldn't expect to become that after learning how to skate one day, but it seems like if I want to become a great person or Christian I expect myself to change overnight into that person. I h...

My friend dale had this personality test posted on his blog ...I thought I would try it out. ApparentlyI am extremely intuitive and not sensing at all. They describe my personality type as this: ENFP - The "Advocate" Myers-Briggs Personality Types (Free Test) ENFPs are introspective, values-oriented, inspiring, social and extremely expressive. They actively send their thoughts and ideas out into the world as a way to bring attention to what they feel to be important, which often has to do with ethics and current events. ENFPs are natural advocates, attracting people to themselves and their cause with excellent people skills, warmth, energy and positivity. ENFPs are described as creative, resourceful, assertive, spontaneous, life-loving, charismatic, passionate and experimental. This is way more positive then is realistic, sounds more like what I wish I was then what I actually am.

I was listening to CHVN (the Christian radio station in Winnipeg) for a little while the other day and I got really angry. I have always been bothered by their slogan which says, "CHVN, safe and fun for the whole family." That morning the DeeJay was introducing a song and said something like, "now here is Michael W. Smith with Friends on CHVN... SAFE !" and the music kicked in (I don't actually remember the name of the song) He emphasized the word safe as if it was some profound word that stated what the station was all about. I worry about that, since I believe that Christianity is a lot of things, the least of which is safe. We try to make it safe, but...I don't think Jesus intended for following him to be a safe practice...He died for it after all...that doesn't sound safe...Jesus asked us to take up our cross (an ancient capitol punishment tool) and follow him...that doesn't sound safe. I try to make Christianity safe, by shielding myself ...

This post is not some weird theology on baptism...it is just that lately I have begun to understand the allure of bathing over showering. During the time when I had my hand bandaged, I was not supposed to get it wet and so baths were the easiest thing to do, the practice has continued over the last while though. I really enjoy a number of things about bathing. I love that I can take as long as I want and I won't use any more water...I love that I can read while I get clean...I love that it is a private time where I am alone and can be immersed in my thoughts (so to speak). I have been using the time in the bath tub to read the Bible or some sort of spiritually encouraging book and just talk to God about the day, some of my friends and how I can become more like Jesus. It has become the best part of my day...so bring on the bath salts, the bubble bath and the candles...I am bathing for Jesus!

(especially your off arm) Tie shoes Put on socks Get your keys out of your right hand pocket Light matches Type Put peanut butter on toast Chop vegetables Wash dishes Carry anything large, like a laundry basket Open pill bottles Preach (a small music stand, a large Bible and a fan blowing papers around all become huge factors) Dress a two year old Change a two year old's crappy diaper I was able to accomplish all of the above at least once. Cut meat (my friend Colin did this for me once at a restaurant - we got some interesting looks) Grind pepper Hold a new born baby Shake hands properly I was unable to accomplish any of the above.

I have been absent from posting for a few weeks mostly for one reason. I broke my hand. I know, I know it is possible to type with one hand...but I found it incredibly frustrating to do so, I can't stand hunting and pecking! Especially with my left hand. How did I injure my hand? I am glad you asked, since I have only told the story about 1000 times in the last two weeks, so you are lucky number 1001. I was in Pinawa at some natural waterslides close to the old Pinawa Dam(n!). I was there with a bunch of youth leaders as part of a leadership retreat that we were doing. We were having a great time going down the rapids on the (relatively?!) smooth rocks for about 45 minutes. My friend Jason and I decided that it would be a great idea to go down on a tube, together. My friend Matt held the tube for us as we got on and released us down the rapids (I mention names here because there is a pending lawsuit, and I am still not sure who is at fault...Jason for rolling off the tube ...

Folklorama is an event in Winnipeg where you will come to learn that there are basically four parts to a culture - music, food, alcohol and dancing. There could be a little more to culture then that, but since I have now been indoctrinated into Folklorama-ism, that is what I have now come to believe. The last couple of days I have been attending with Nicky and then with Owen and Hannah last night. It is a great festival where countries or cultures put on a show in various pavilions around Winnipeg. Each evening, you could go to 3 different pavilions and take in their culture for an hour. If I were to label myself a specific culture, I would call myself a Mennonite - of course my Dad would say that Mennonite is "not a culture, it is a denomination." Anyway, in the Mennonite "culture" we have great music, the best food (hello wareneki, sausage and schmaunt fat or roll kuchen and watermelon...mmmm...), but we have no alcohol or dancing - both lead to sex, which is th...

I was reading my friend Phil's blog on the news and what is going on these days...the bridge in Minneapolis...Floods in India, Bangladesh and Nepal...and Christian aid workers taken hostage in Korea. I was convicted, because my post on the news ( Minneapolis - Cambodia ) was more critical of the media and the response to all the situations as opposed to caring about people. Sometimes I get too caught up in how things are done instead of how I care about people. These are horrible things that are going on that are affecting real people. I don't know how to respond to these things, but I want the first response to be care for the people. One day Jesus saw a huge crowd, they were a crowd that was not doing well, many were sick, many needed help, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the har...

This week I was struck by two news stories, one that received a lot of attention, another that will/has received very little. There's the incredible (awful!) story of the bridge that fell in Minneapolis where 5 have been confirmed dead and 8 are still missing. Then there is the story of the trials in Cambodia where they are trying the men who are responsible for the death nearly 2 million people in the late 70's. I don't mean to devalue the tragedy that went on in Minneapolis, but I would assume that many times the news coverage, and many times the financial resources will go to helping the victims and to help with the rebuilding, then has gone to the situation in Cambodia (or to other situations in Africa or Southeast Asia). I know that the USA is the power in the world today and they will, of course, look after their own first, I just wish that there was a little more equality. What can we do to make things a little more equal?

I preached today at Church. I was talking about questioning God...I wound up looking up a bunch of stupid questions just for fun, I picked a few that I liked that I was unable to use. I hope you enjoy the questions: You know the signs on restaurant doors? No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service? what if someone goes in with No Pants? Would the restaurant still have to serve them? Why do we sing "Rock a bye baby" to lull our little ones to sleep when the song is about putting your baby in a tree and letting the wind crash the cradle to the ground? Why do sleeping pills have warning labels that state :'Caution: May Cause Drowsiness? Do nudists have pin-ups of people with clothes on? Do people who use sign language see little hands in their head when they think about what somebody said, or do they hear the words in their head? Why are the adjectives 'fast as' and 'slow as' often used in conjunction with hell, is hell slow or fast? Could someone be addicted to...

Earlier this week I had some good discussions with some friends about what people put on the internet, and how it seems that people are willing to put some really private and personal information out there for people to read. It is kind of an odd thing, this internet world, we put our diaries online and call them blogs, we put our personal conversations for all to see on our wall's on facebook. I've read about people talking about how they got away with slacking off at work, and you can see many pictures of people that do not portray them in a positive light. Today, I read a story about Facebook that I thought brings this all to a new level. We can get this false sense of security and suppose that our information is safe, but according to this story, after a glitch in Facebook's programming "some users said that after logging on to their Facebook accounts they could access other people's accounts as well as their mail. As well, some people said they were getting me...

Just got back inside from cleaning up some vandalism to our Church bus. This is not an unusual thing, in fact, when I think about it I can list a few of the vandalism acts that stick out in my mind over the last 3 years: people spinning out their vehicles on the Church lawn (probably about 5 times - and usually when the grass is wet and soft, leaving great ruts) 100's of people spinning out in the parking lot (especially the pastors) but one in particular that apparently lost control and crashed into the bus. Paintballing of the bus throwing rocks at the parking lot lights graffitti on the bus - my personal favorite because they crossed out "evangelical" and wrote "penis" so the decal then read "Winnipeg Penis Free Church." Smashed beer bottles in the parking lot - quite often Apparently last thurs. some kids were on the church yard on their knees while the police handcuffed them for "causing a nuisance" ...still not sure what that was. This ...

This last week we were together with my family to celebrate my parents 40th Anniversary! It is amazing to see my parents marriage. We had a great time celebrating it and just being together. We don't get together often enough. I was talking to my brother (another Pastor) about people who complain about church and all that goes on there. He said that it really frustrates him when Christians say things like, "I hate it that Christians are..." or "I hate it that the church is like this..." I was convicted by this. If you read some of my posts you will realize that I am one of those people. I like to complain about the Church and about Christians. However, I am a Christian, and I am a part of a Church...in fact a Pastor at one! I realized that I need to stop blaming and start taking responsibility, just like I said in my last post, "I am the Problem." Call me on it.

I was reading Blue Like Jazz by Donal Miller a while back, and something in this book has really stuck with me since then. I borrowed the book from someone, who had borrowed it from someone else, who got it from who knows where. But there on page 20 is a 4 word sentence that is highlighted (the only highlighting I saw in the book). The sentence says, " I am the problem ." Everyone (including me) loves to blame someone else for their problems, and few people take responsibility for their actions and yet here in this book is the statement, "I am the problem." We create unions, so we can blame management, we are activists so we can blame other people for environmental, social and political problems. We fire people because we blame them for the organizations problems. We blame the government for everything. We love to blame. However, it does no good for me to protest something or blame someone if I am doing nothing to make the situation better. Miller puts it this way: ...

Because I follow a lot of sports, I hear a lot about steroids. I am always annoyed when Sports Illustrated fills it's magazine with personal info and dirt on the people involved in sports. I JUST WANT TO READ ABOUT SPORTS! Maybe I am insensitive but I really don't care who Derek Jeter is going out with or whether Cecil Fielder talks to his son. Steroids is sort of like that but different...Sports Illustrated had an article entitled "Should We Care" about the whole steroids issue, I didn't read the article but I have often asked myself that question. Should we care if baseball players take drugs that eventually make them look like bobblehead dolls? Should we care if track athletes can no longer perform reproductive activities? Should we care if football players muscles are so big that they break their own bones? If these people want to do this to themselves then let them! But then there's the Chris Benoit story ...a pro wrestler who just murdered his family and...

If you can find Waldo in this link you are amazing! Turn up the volume, there is some good music going on too.

The whole idea of "Christian" music has bothered me lately. There is this whole industry that exists to produce and sell "Christian" music. It's as if the music itself could be Christian...I am pretty sure that music itself does not have a soul (well OK there is Soul music, but c'mon!). I prefer to think that music is just music, sometimes Christians play it, sing it or write it. What if Christians did not have the advantage of having Christian labels producing their music, or Christian radio stations playing their music and Christian book stores selling their music? I think it would be wonderful...I think there would be more "Christian" music on secular radio stations and in regular music stores. There would be Christian artists who are more prepared to be honest about their faith. There would be people outside the Christian circles who might be exposed to some good Christian artists (I think there are a couple of those!?). I think this would make...

We just got back from a week of holidays...a really great time. We went camping in Spruce Woods and then dropped our kids off at their grandparents for a couple days while Nicky and I got to visit the mall and hotel in Minot, ND. One of my favourite moments happened on our very first night. Carberry ( a small town near Spruce Woods) was celebrating it's 125th anniversary. They had a fireworks display and we decided to take them in. It was a normal fireworks show...actually quite good for a small town. Our kids loved them so much, but my favourite was the drive home. Ben kept telling us which were his favourite fireworks. "My favourite was the one that looked like...[pause as he considers how to describe it]...a water fountain...exploding!" "Actually my most favourite one was the one that looked like a squiggly spaceship from Mars, that one was really cool!" "Wait, the best one was the green one, you know, the one that filled my whole window (we were ...

Had supper with our friends the other night, they are people that we have met because Ben is friends with their son at school. They are from Sri Lanka, later from Norway and moved to Canada a few years ago. They actually have family in Sri Lanka that was hit by the tsunami and many people they know were devastated by it. As we were about to leave I had a real good discussion about faith with the father (good discussions usually happen when you are about to leave). We talked about religion in general and how God created us for peace and to care for one another, and almost all religious teaching is about peace and love...yet religion is often the cause of war. He is a very smart man and seems to have read up on everything. I really felt a good connection with him and a kinship in the way that he understands religion. They are a devout religious family who happen to worship at an Islamic temple. It's interesting though, I really feel as though we laid the groundwork to understand each...