Dean Orrell I'VE MOVED! YOU CAN FIND ME AT http://deanorrell.wordpress.com/

I'VE MOVED!

2010-01-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

HEY ALL!

I'VE MOVED!

PLEASE CHECK ME OUT AT http://deanorrell.wordpress.com/

BLESSINGS

DEAN ORRELL

Happy Birthday!

2009-12-09T11:12:00.001-08:00

Today is Sam's 2nd birthday. We had joint party (mine was on Monday). It's kind of cool knowing that, for the rest of my life, my favourite birthday present will always be his birthday.

Happy Birthday, monkey!

I'm just sayin......

2009-12-05T08:39:00.000-08:00

I have noticed a disturbing consistency within the worship leader community that has me feeling like a bit of an outsider. Honestly, it's bothered me for quite some time and I feel like it's finally time to open up that frustration and let the healing begin.

So here it is......

hair.

What's the deal with worship leaders and hair. They all have it! When I survey the landscape of well known worship artists and leaders I struggle to find one that shares my affliction of 'follicular challenge'.

check it out;

Chris Tomlin

Fee

TobyMac

Phil Wickham

Seriously, what's the deal with that! (said ala Jerry Seinfeld)

Now, I understand that it's just a matter of my pride and I assure you I'm working on it, but really, sometimes I wonder if they're intentionally trying to throw it in my face. Brenton Brown, I'm talking to you!

Seriously, look at the hair on that guy!

Oh, one more thing. Those of you saying 'All those pictures are of young guys that haven't had the chance to loose their hair yet" I give you........Paul Baloche. That guy's almost 50 and not a bare patch to be seen.

I"m not bitter, I'm just sayin'.....

Too funny

2009-11-28T09:43:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a while and I promise I'll get on the blog wagon soon, but in the mean time.....this is too funny!

Promo: Band Auditions from NewSpring Production on Vimeo.

Just a thought

2009-10-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

If men and women are supposed to be equal, why does my wife love this thing and I feel like a tool?

Are you ready!!

2009-10-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

Matthew Hawkins, our media director, is a creative and artistic genius and if you have any doubts about that statement, show up to Promontory Community Church on Sunday.

Be prepared!

One of PCC's core values is relevance. To be exact;

Relevance- I use today’s culture to share God’s truth.

At PCC we realize that things change. Cultures change, language changes and people change. For the unchanging message of Jesus Christ to be most effectively communicated churches need to constantly be evaluating their methods, styles and programs. With passion and skill we will seek to connect the grace and truth of Jesus Christ with the un-convinced by creating environments that are relevant to the culture we live in.

Through careful and prayerful planning, this weekend we are living out this value. Using the medium of art, video, graphics and technology, we are transforming what is normally an elementary school into a space that is uniquely PCC.

I've seen the work that has gone into this transformation.

I've seen the prayer.

I have prayed.

I've watched as the Holy Spirit has guided and inspired Matt to create things that glorify His name.

It is not only a privilege to watch God's gifts and talents work for His glory, but also to be part of a church that encourages those gifts and talents.

1 Cor. 1:31

"Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”"

Just a thought

2009-10-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been so caught up in the new, shiny, fancy stuff that you neglected the old, tried-and-true, building block essential stuff?

Too much fun!

2009-10-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

I got to spend this past Sunday afternoon fishing with a couple of great guys. This was my first time sturgeon fishing and I was able to catch a 5' 3" fish. It was awesome!

I also caught a nice Coho, which we cooked up on the BBQ for dinner last night.

Fishing is one of my favourite pass times and this little trip was near the top. Three guys out on the water, talking about church and life and fishing. I am blessed to know each of them.

Thanks, Richard and Glenn, for an amazing afternoon!

Romans 12:9-10
"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."

We need more of this.

2009-10-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

I know it's long but, believe me, it worth it. Once again, I just want to encourage everyone to use their platform, be it the Basketball Hall of Fame or the end of your driveway, to be bold and unashamed in proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ.

We need more of this.

2009-10-02T19:04:00.001-07:00

Barefoot Weekend at Oak Leaf Church from Oak Leaf Church on Vimeo.

We need more of this.

2009-09-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

Steve Harvey; 'secular' comedian at a 'secular' comedy show.

Steve Harvey Introduces The Messiah

This is how we proclaim the name of Jesus. Up front, in public with no apologies. We've got to talk about it and sing about it and write about it until it just becomes a normal and natural thing across the entire planet. That IS what Jesus calls us to do. And whether your audience is a comedy show or a lunch room water cooler, lets make the most of our conversations and then stand back and watch as God moves people to get out of their seats and cheer and applaud the only name that matters, Jesus Christ.

Vital Signs

2009-09-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

This coming weekend, Sept 20, marks the start of the Fall season of Promontory Community Church

It's going to be a year like we've never seen before!

Here's a taste of what's in store this Sunday.

Own the Podium 2010!

2009-09-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

I am now an official Olympic Athlete!

Not quite.

If you've been following my Olympic dream, you'll know that some months ago I auditioned to be a dancer in the opening ceremonies of the Olympic games. It was a supposed to be a joke. My sister sent me this application, thinking it would be hilarious if her and I signed up. Kind of a 'So you think you can dance' thing!

So we did.

and I went.

and then I a got a call.

The selection committee was interested in me coming back for a second audition, not for a dance role but for a speaking part! Unfortunately, my one and only opportunity to audition fell on a date that I couldn't make.

There's one guy out there that feels guilty about this. It's provided some really good leverage!

Anyways, I pretty much figured that was the end of the road and I felt fine with that. The whole audition process was pretty cool and I was glad to be a part of it.

Then, last night, I get an email;

Dean Orrell:

We are very pleased to inform you that you have been selected to be a Volunteer Performer in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Oh yeah!!!

So to all of you former athletes out there who think that you're washed up, over the hill, out of commission, too old, too crotchety, too run down, beat up, I say, never give up on the dream.
Look at me. Who ever would have thought that I would become an Olympic Performer!!

To all of you, I have put together a little clip I call, 'Going for the Gold'

Enjoy!

The Olympic Dream from Dean Orrell on Vimeo.

Just putting it out there...

2009-09-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

If someone invented one of these for a lazyboy that held the remote, a Boston cream donut, and a hamster feeder-like beverage dispenser I would totally buy one!

Happy Labour Day

2009-09-07T10:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Labour Day from my dog, George.

My boys

2009-09-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

These are my boys.

This is Joshua James. He was born on Tuesday, June 23, 2009.

This is Samuel David. He was born on Sunday, December 9, 2007

This is me. Leslie Dean Orrell (yes, Leslie is my real first name) born on Thursday, Dec 7, 1972.

I don't see the resemblance.

Shoulder Check

2009-09-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

I just stopped to take a quick look back at this week so far.

Lifegroup BBQ
Staff prayer time
All morning meetings
Service prep meeting
Birthday party (Uncle-in-law – if there is such a title?)
Pick up Stretcher from St. John’s Ambulance (it’s a secret!)
Breakfast meeting
Mid morning meeting
Late morning filming
Afternoon set building
Set dressing
Dinner meeting
Another mid morning meeting
Service planning
Practice

It’s been a fairly productive 4 days and we still have a lot of things to do before the week is done!

Don’t get me wrong, there’s no complaining here! I love my life, personal and work.

Just thought I’d share.

God is good to me

2009-09-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

Last night, in preparation for our upcoming Fall season, I had all our creative arts/worship leaders come together for dinner. We had two discussions over a great meal.

The first was casting an overall vision of our church when it comes to worship and what we would love everyone to experience in our worship service.

Secondly, we went around the table and talked through the questions “If money wasn't an issue, and I could only plan one service to worship God, what would it look like?” and “What would it take to make it happen?”

Here is what I want to say about the night. God has blessed our church with some of the most creative and passionate people I have ever met. I heard and felt each person’s passion for God and their ministry as they talked about the things they would love to see and have people experience. Not only did I leave with 10 pages of notes but also with an overwhelming sense of gratitude to my God that would allow me to work with such an amazing group of people.

God is doing amazing things at PCC and we’ve just begun to scratch the surface of His plans for us.

Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to be a member of such a powerfully passionate body of Christ followers. Would you continue to bless and guide us.

“Let the whole world sing for joy, because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world.” -Psalm 76:4

Confontation

2009-08-12T10:55:00.001-07:00

I suck at personal confrontation.

The thought of confronting someone or even the thought of a possible confrontation gives me the willies.

I sweat.

I shake.

I get dry mouth.

It takes me a good hour to get the nerve up to make a phone call that may or may not lead to confrontation.

After that phone call, I’m a nervous wreck for at least 2 hours.

My ground breaking, earth shattering advice for those of you who are like me is simply this;

Do it. Get on with it. Pick up the phone or get together for coffee or whatever. Just get it done.

It goes without saying that you need to speak with love and compassion, always knowing that there are 3 sides to every story; yours, theirs, and God’s (my mother-in-law gave me that one).

The nature of my job makes confrontation occasionally unavoidable. In those times I am fortunate to have people in my life that don’t allow me to run and hide; that encourage me, support me and help me to see the lighter side of my phobia.

I wish I could say that over time I think I will get better at it, but I don’t think that I will.

List

2009-07-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

Things I like;

Jesus
my church
my family
my job (re; the first two on the list)
my co-workers
fishing
'92 Jetta with 498 000 km
tying flies (more fishing)
hunting (although, I've only been twice)
carpentry (didn't see that one coming, did you!)
my dog
moose burgers
sports (except equestrian)
reading (even if I'm a little slow at it)
jazz
Homer slippers
laughing
my Lifegroup
curry
Google Reader
silence
my life

....and a few other things.

It's a boy!

2009-06-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

Joshua James Orrell was born on Tuesday, June 23 at 8:27am.

I saw his first breathe.

I can't wait to know what else I'll get to see him do.

The Fine Line

2009-06-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a quote that has the power to completely change your perspective on 'work' and 'life' and how we are sometimes so adamant that the two never meet. It's from the book I'm reading, 'The Fine Line' by Kary Oberbrunner.

"A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both"

-Francois-René de Chateaubriand

and then there were 5

2009-06-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, at 8:10am, barring any emergencies, there will be one more little Orrell running around the Earth.

I've been told, and I've fairly aware that I am not the most excitable person in the world. That's not to say that I don't get excited about things. I think that if you've ever been to PCC and experiences worship through music there, you`ve seen me get pretty excited. I just mean that I normally don`t get all worked up over stuff. Butterflies in the stomach are a rarity for me.

I`m getting a little excited.

It`s a little hard to focus.

I`m not even sure I`ve got all that much work done today.

In fact, here is the total amount of work I have produced all day;

I'm getting seriously excited about this new person about to invade my life.

I'll tell you all about it as it happens.

peace!

"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a worrior's hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!"
Psalm 127:3-5

A glimpse of chaos

2009-06-18T09:15:00.001-07:00

Howdy!!

I'm sitting in my office going over the next weeks of my life, trying to get ready.

Mom's surgery
Sunday service
Baby born
Wedding anniversary
Worship Team BBQ
City Wide Service
winch installation (big ****** project)
Wife's birthday
Blues Fest rehearsal
Foundations team BBQ/Softball game
Outdoor baptism service

...and all I hear in my head is that song from Take 6.

'If we ever have needed the Lord before
we sure do need Him now"

With Love

2009-06-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

I received an email from my wife today that I would like to share with you all.

"Dude,
Update your blog.

We are out of gas for the lawn mower."

Thanks Honey!

In need of a good laugh?

2009-06-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Try awkwardfamilyphotos.com!

Integrity and Maturity

2009-06-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

I recently saw a video posted by Ed Young on his frustration with people using profanity. Here are my thoughts.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Eph 4:29

“Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.” 1 Peter 3:10

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.” James 3:9-10

Ok, those aren’t MY original thoughts, but they are the thoughts of my Lord, my Saviour, my God, my Redeemer, the One I look to for guidance and fulfillment, the One whose example I try to follow, the One whose life I try to emulate……do you see where I’m going here?

It is not ok to swear. It is not ok or funny or cool to use words associated with sexuality or filth or God as a description or exclamation. In fact, all it shows is a lack of respect, intelligence and creativity.

Here’s the thing that I really find hard to understand. How can a person come to church and sing a song like “May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart bless Your name, bless Your name, Jesus” and then turn around and call someone a sexually derogatory name? It seem a simple matter of integrity, doesn't it?

The people close to me know that I do my best not to use this kind of language, but I’m now going to take that stance once step further. I am going to start calling the people around me on their language. Now, I’m not going to go to a hockey game a reprimand everyone there whenever they use profanity, but I am going to call my friends and the people I lead in my ministry on their language. It’s time we used our creativity rather than mindless, uninspired, unimaginative language to describe situations or people. To use words that are loving and uplifting rather than hateful, dirty and degrading. It’s time we started calling each other to be mature Christians.

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, LORD, my rock and my Redeemer” Psalm 19:14

Godward Worship, Part 2

2009-06-03T15:27:00.001-07:00

Hi all;

We’ve been talking about three aspects of worship that we, at PCC, would like everyone to experience.
The first was inward.

Today lets talk about another aspect, outward.

Outward expressions of worship can be a very difficult thing for people. We tend to worship in ways that are suitable to us culturally or denominationally but I think that we sometimes forget that, rather than culture or denomination, the Bible should be our only influence for how we express ourselves in worship. So, instead of trying to make a case for everyone to outwardly express themselves in worship, I’ve have done some serious homework! I have researched 6 forms of worship. Below are those forms and several Scriptural references for each. I encourage you to dig into the Bible for yourselves. See what God has to say about expression in worship. You may be surprised or affirmed. Either way I hope that you are challenged and that the next time you attend a worship service, you will stretch yourselves in your expression of love to our Father.

Standing – 1 Ki. 8:22, 19:11; 2 Ki. 3:14, 5:16; 1 Chron 23:30; 2 Chron 7:6; 9:7, 29:11, 35:5, Neh 9:5; Ps. 24:3, 124:1, 135:2, Jer. 7:10, Rom 5:2

Kneeling – 1 Ki 8:54; 2 Chron 6:13; Ezra 9:5; Ps. 95:6; Is. 45:23; Dan 6:10; Matt 17:14; Mark 1:40, 10:17, 15:9, Luke 5:8, 22:41; Acts 7:60, 9:40, 20:36; 21:5; Rom 14:11; Eph 3:14; Phil 2:10

Bowing Down – Gen 18:2, 19:1, 24:48; Ex 4:31, 12:27, 34:8; Num 22:31; 2 Chron 20:18, 29:30; Esra 8:6; PS 95:6; Is 45:23; Micah 6:6, Matt 27:29, Lu 24:25, Rom 14:11

Dancing – Ex 15:20-21; Judges 11:34, 21:21; 1 Sam 18:6-7; 21:11, 29:5; 2 Sam 6:1,4-16; 1 Chron 15:29, Ps 30:11, 149:3, 150:4; Jer 31:4, 12-13; Matt 11:17; Lu 7:32,10:21,15:25

Lifting Hands – Ps 28:2, Lam 3:40-41, Ps 63:4, Neh 8:6, Ps 134:2, Ps 44:2, Ps 143:6, 1 Tim 2:8; 1 Ki 8:22, 8:38, 8:54; 2 Chron 6:12, 6:19; Ps 141:2; Is 1:15

Clapping – Ps 98:8, Is 55:22, 2 Ki 11:12, Job 27:23, 34:37; Lam 2:15, Ps 47:1; Nahum 3:19

Now, that isn’t a complete list of Scripture that support these forms of worship, nor is this the complete list of forms of worship described in the Bible, by far! There are over 120 different referenced in the Bible to singing. There are 2 references to whistling! There is shouting, laughing, running, the use of instruments, banners, flags and of course silence. The point is that these are all acceptable ways to express our love for God.

I challenge you to explore them all.

And if I hear a whistle from the congregation this weekend I’ll shout out a big ‘Amen’!

The Rich Family in Church

2009-05-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

This is a story by Eddie Ogan. Get out the tissue!

I’ll never forget Easter 1946. I was 14, my little sister Ocy was 12, and my older sister Darlene, 16. We lived at home with our mother, and the four of us knew what it was to do without many things. My dad had died five years before, leaving Mom with seven school kids to raise and no money.

By 1946 my older sisters were married and my brothers had left home. A month before
Easter the pastor of our church announced that a special Easter offering would be taken to help a poor family. He asked everyone to save and give sacrificially.

When we got home, we talked about what we could do. We decided to buy 50 pounds of
potatoes and live on them for a month. This would allow us to save $20 of our grocery
money for the offering. When we thought that if we kept our electric lights turned out as much as possible and didn’t listen to the radio, we’d save money on that month’s electric bill. Darlene got as many house and yard cleaning jobs as possible, and both of us babysat for everyone we could. For 15 cents we could buy enough cotton loops to make three pot-holders to sell for $1.

We made $20 on pot-holders. That month was one of the best of our lives. Every day we
counted the money to see how much we had saved. At night we would sit in the dark and
talk about how the poor family was going to enjoy having the money the church would
give them. We had about 80 people in church, so figured that whatever amount of money
we had to give, the offering would surely be 20 times that much. After all, every Sunday the pastor had reminded everyone to save for the sacrificial offering.

The day before Easter, Ocy and I walked to the grocery store and got the manager to give us three crisp $20 bills and one $10 bill for all our change. We ran all the way home to show Mom and Darlene. We had never had so much money. We didn’t care that we wouldn’t have new clothes for Easter; we had $70 for the sacrificial offering.

We could hardly wait to get to church! On Sunday morning, rain was pouring. We
didn’t own an umbrella, and the church was over a mile from our home, but it didn’t
seem to matter how wet we got. Darlene had cardboard in her shoes to fill the holes. The cardboard came apart, and her feet got wet. But we sat in church proudly. I heard some teenagers talking about the Smith girls having on their old dresses. I looked at them in their new clothes, and I felt rich.

When the sacrificial offering was taken, we were sitting on the second row from the
front. Mom put in the $10 bill, and each of us kids put in a $20.

As we walked home after church, we sang all the way. At lunch Mom had a surprise for
us. She had bought a dozen eggs, and we had boiled Easter eggs with our fried potatoes! Late that afternoon the minister drove up in his car. Mom went to the door, talked with him for a moment, and then came back with an envelope in her hand. We asked what it was, but she didn’t say a word. She opened the envelope and out fell a bunch of money. There were three crisp $20 bills, one $10 and seventeen $1 bills.

Mom put the money back in the envelope. We didn’t talk, just sat and stared at the floor. We had gone from feeling like millionaires to feeling like poor white trash. We kids had such a happy life that we felt sorry for anyone who didn’t have our Mom and Dad for parents and a house full of brothers and sisters and other kids visiting constantly. We thought it was fun to share silverware and see whether we got the spoon or the fork that night. We had two knives that we passed around to whoever needed them. I knew we didn’t have a lot of things that other people had, but I’d never thought we were poor.

That Easter day I found out we were. The minister had brought us the money for the
poor family, so we must be poor. I didn’t like being poor. I looked at my dress and
worn-out shoes and felt so ashamed – I didn’t even want to go back to church. Everyone there probably already knew we were poor!

I thought about school. I was in the ninth grade and at the top of my class of over 100 students. I wondered if the kids at school knew that we were poor. I decided that I could quit school since I had finished the eighth grade. That was all the law required at that time. We sat in silence for a long time. Then it got dark, and we went to bed. All that week, we girls went to school and came home, and no one talked much. Finally on Saturday, Mom asked us what we wanted to do with the money. What did poor people do with money? We didn’t know. We had never known we were poor. We didn’t want to go to church on Sunday, but Mom said we had to. Although it was a sunny day, we didn’t talk on the way. Mom started to sing, but no one joined in and she only sang one verse.

At church we had a missionary speaker. He talked about how churches in Africa made
buildings out of sun-dried bricks, but they needed money to buy roofs. He said $100
would put a roof on a church. The minister said, “Can’t we all sacrifice to help these poor people?” We looked at each other and smiled for the first time in a week.

Mom reached into her purse and pulled out the envelope. She passed it to Darlene.
Darlene gave it to me, and I handed it to Ocy. Ocy put it in the offering.

When the offering was counted, the minister announced that it was a little over $100.
The missionary was excited. He hadn’t expected such a large offering from our small
church. He said, “You must have some rich people in this church.” Suddenly it struck
us! We had given $87 of that “little over $100.” We were the rich family in the church! Hadn’t the missionary said so?

From that day on I have never been poor again. I have always remembered how rich I
am because I have Jesus!

The Fine Line

2009-05-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

Here's the quote of the day from the book I'm currently reading, 'The Fine Line' by Kary Oberbrunner.

"Everything is a spiritual decision, including how I handle my finances and (even though it sounds odd) how I handle my dog (Proverbs 12:10)"

The Fine Line

2009-05-27T09:28:00.001-07:00

I'm reading a great book right now called 'The Fine Line' by Kary Oberbrunner. It's a great read about culture and church relevance based on John 17 where Jesus calls us to be in the world but not of the world.

Here's a taste.

Luke 10:30-35 tells us the story of the good Samaritan, a story that many of us have heard most of our lives. Basically, this guy get robbed and beaten and left for dead on the side of a road. Both a priest and a Levite (Scripture expert) pass the man by but a Samaritan (usually the bad guy in stories) riding by on his donkey, stops and takes care of the man. The only relevant person to the injured guy was the Samaritan.

To sum it up, crudely; Just like the Samaritan, we'll only be relevant when we get off our proverbial $%& (insert 3 letter word for donkey) and love people.

It's a good book. You should read it.

Godward Worship, Part 1

2009-05-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

I recently read a blog that talked about 3 aspects of worship that this leader wanted people in his congregation to experience. Inward, outward and upward.

I'd like to share my thoughts on those three aspects.

Inward

This is where it all starts. Inward worship is all about experiencing the love, mercy, grace and healing power of Jesus Christ first hand and being transformed. When we come to the Father in the true spirit of repentance, asking Him to forgive us of our sins and fill us with the Holy Spirit, we are filled with His overpowering love to the point of overflow. Our response to this filling and experience is overwhelming love and joy and gratitude. We ache to know the Father more, to experience more of Him

Inward worship is that inner desire to be close to God. It's the desire for intimate moments with our Savior through prayer, study, meditation. It's the process of seeking God's face.

When people come to PCC, we want them to have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. We want lives to be changed; that each person would take a step towards Jesus, no matter where they are in their walk with Christ. To do that we must have hearts that are grateful for the mercy and greace we have received through the cross and we must have hearts that are humble, knowing that every good and precious gift comes from above.

True worship is a heart issue, how's yours?

John 3:30 "He must become greater, I must become less"

Own the Podium 2010!

2009-05-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took my second step towards fulfilling my lifelong dream of being a member of the 2010 Canadian Winter Olympic Team.

You think I'm joking?

You would be wrong.

Yesterday I auditioned to be a dancer in the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Games.

You didn't know I was a dancer, did you. Well that makes 2 of us!

Let's back up.

My sister can't dance.....really can't dance. Elaine's dance in Seinfeld is like Barishnikoff compared to my sister dancing.

I few months ago, my sister sends me a link to the application forms for volunteering for the games. She told me that as a joke she had applied to be a dancer and that I should join her. My mother was bent over with tears of laughter at the thought of us dancing.

The dream was born.

So a couple weeks ago I get a call. The call.

I auditioned on Sunday, May 17 at 1:00pm. Due to top secret confidentiality I cannot go into any details regarding the audition. Suffice it to say, the judges were speechless.

I'm looking forward to my call back. I' also trying to find a spandex jumpsuit for my next routine, any suggestions?

Breathe

2009-05-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, I took the family to Othello Tunnels. I could have built a house right there and been totally happy for the rest of my life.

The reason I love fishing so much is because of where it takes you. Out in the middle of now where. I find it incredibly relaxing and peaceful. Othello Tunnels gave me the same feeling.

You should go.

This is a test...

2009-05-07T08:59:00.000-07:00

I love outtakes!

2009-05-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

Genius

2009-05-02T10:44:00.000-07:00

My wife and I just invested in the greatest babysitter in the world! Honey, we're goin' out for dinner tonight!

BTW, that could be the nicest lawn in the interwebs!

Why I'm afraid of public pools

2009-05-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

Preaching; A beginners perspective

2009-04-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, April 26, I preached for the very first time!

Not true.

This past Sunday, April 26, I preached from a stage at church for the very first time!

I 'preach' to my kids all the time. You do it too. We go into long monologues about why it's so important to brush our teeth or finish our dinner or, the big one in my house at the moment, flush the toilet.

My experience on Sunday, however, was a little different.

I felt quite nervous coming into Sunday. I was prepared, had my message nicely typed out with things in bold and underlined to make sure I stressed what I wanted to stress.

I had my slides and video clip ready to go for our media team. I had read and reread my message 20 times.

Still, I was nervous.

It wasn't a public speaking thing. Back in my 20's I had the chance to go on tour with a rock band and I've sang in front of thousands of people. I've had the opportunity on several occasions to be a keynote speaker for an international organization, speaking to groups from 30 to 300 people.

Then it happened. Pastor Jim and Pastor Steve came to me, just casually, and said "How do you feel?" I told them. "Pretty nervous." Before I could even get the words out Jim said "What us to pray for you?" So they did.

The point of this post is not to tell you how great the experience of preaching was, though it was amazing.

or how cool it was to see God affecting His people through that message, though the emails and phone calls certainly tell me He did.

or to tell you how much I would like to do it again, though I certainly would.

the point of all this is to say;

I work with the most caring group of people on the planet

and

please give your stuff to God or surround yourself with people who will remind you to.

He can handle it.

"Come to me, all you who are troubled and weighted down with care, and I will give you rest"
-Matt. 11:28

Bulimic blogger

2009-04-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

I have come to believe that I am a bulimic blogger.

I go for extended periods of time without blogging, and then I purge.

I have a few posted in mind over the next couple of days so I ask for patience as I work on getting them out.

Here's what I'd like to write about;

Easter - what an experience!
Psalm study with my leaders
my first attempt at preaching
my new backyard
band leader vs song leader vs worship leader
children's book '15 animals' and it's theological implications

Those are just a few things rolling around in my brain right now, as well as looking back over the past few Sundays and sharing my thoughts on our teams.

I'm looking forward to a good purge!

Easter

2009-04-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

It's going to be powerful.

Don't miss it.

Graphic Design Guru

2009-03-31T21:37:00.000-07:00

This is the PCC Creative Team (Matthew A Hawkins and myself) giving outlet to their creative collective genius!

Video Tutorial 3D Text Photoshop - Matthew A Hawkins from Matthew Hawkins on Vimeo.

Thoughts on a Sunday morning

2009-03-31T14:07:00.000-07:00

Mar 29

It was the most pathetic sound I've ever heard.

"Good morning. Today we continue our series 'Soul Food; how to feed yourself' with a message called 'Feeding through giving'. That's right folks, we're having the money talk!"

Out of 600 people, maybe 4 people reacted................nervously. The rest, well if you were there you know, and if you've attended a service where the message was on money......you know.

It was a great message and I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of it and share about God's faithfulness in my life and finances. I pray that people would really get this one and put God first in EVERYTHING in their lives.

The worship team did a great job. We pulled out a new song for our church, 'Let God Arise'. Awesome song and gave Rob Murray a chance to lean into his amp and pull some pretty huge feedback. Not something we do everyday, but I could get used to it!

It was a really busy weekend for all of us on staff and Pastor Jim, who regularly plays with this team, opted out. God bless him because he got Luke Pelz to sub for him. Luke played for us last week and I had thought that he was on his way to Alberta. I was more that happy to have him play! He did an awesome job and once again, I am so sad that he's has to leave us. Something in me says that he won't be gone forever, though. I feel like God has a plan for PCC and Luke and I can't wait to see what that is.

Lows
I like having more than one song after our offering time. It allows for transition between songs that begs for response from the congregation. It's not that this can't happen within the frame work of one song, it's just a preference.

Highs
Luke Pelz. God is developing one powerful testimony in that man.

Team
Dean Orrell - vocals/keys
Craig Robinson - bass
Rob Murray - acc/ele guitar
Luke Pelz - drums
Karen Jarvis - vocals
Janet Young - vocals

Songs
Let God Arise
God is Great
Lord, reign in me
Come, let us worship

Thoughts on a Sunday morning

2009-03-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

Morning!

March 22

We continued our series 'Soul Food' with a message about prayer. If you missed it click here. Again, a great message, really focusing on the discipline of prayer. Yes, we are called to be in constant and continual prayer but, over and over in His ministry, Jesus took time to be alone in focused prayer and meditation with God. Beyond the prayers of 'Lord, let there be only green lights on my way to work' or 'Thank you for Tim Horton's coffee' we need to set aside time to be with God; to pray to Him but more importantly to hear from Him. It was a great message.

Jason lead worship this weekend and I had the chance to play keys for the team. It's a different worship vibe on that team, not as 'bouncy' but very heartfelt. I think that this team is really trying to stretch themselves and I see great things in their future.

High
Watching Jason stretch himself as a leader. He's starting to engage the congregation and you can see the impact. Keep it up!

Low
It's not really a low, just kind of funny. We ran 'Better is one day' right into 'All creatures..' and at one point Jason began to sing the 'All creatures...' lyrics to the 'Better....' melody. I love that look that musicians get when, in the middle of a song, they have no idea what is happening!

Bonus
Luke Pelz was our drummer for this weekend. What an awesome story this guy has. With all he's been through he could very well be an angry, depressed guy, but instead he shows us all what it means to have the joy of the Lord as his strength. He was a blast to play with and I would love to have him around for a long time. Unfortunately, it looks like that was the one and only time Luke will play with us, as he's probably moving to Alberta at the end of the month. What a drag for us, but we all wish him nothing but God's blessings in his life.

Team
Jason - vocals/acc. guitar
Dean - keys
Craig - bass
Luke - drums
Debbie - vocals
Shannon - vocals

Songs
Here is our King
Let me sing
Better is one day
All creatures of our God and King
Sweetly Broken

Thoughts on a Sunday morning

2009-03-23T09:57:00.001-07:00

Good morning;

March 15

Let's talk about celebrating the Lord!

We kicked off our new series entitled 'Soul Food; How to feed yourself'. This Sunday the message was about the spiritual discipline of reading the Bible. I've been looking forward to this series and this first message was a good one.

The worship team....let's just say it was a 'whole 'notha level'!!

After our not so inspiring offering off the previous week, I had a quick pep talk with the team. I just let them know that every Tuesday the staff gets together for an evaluation of the previous week, as well as a look ahead to the upcoming one, and the general consensus was that last Sunday was pretty flat. I basically threw down the challenge. This service should be the best service we have ever had at PCC.

Did God ever light a fire in that team! Inspired prayer, inspired vocals, the entire team was focused on worship and leading the congregation. It was encouraging and uplifting and soulful and meaningful. In the words of Pastor Shawn "That's what I want every week!"

High
Sarah Pelz. My goodness can this girl sing. My goodness does this girl love the Lord. A whole notha level!

Low
My sound team somehow didn't record the message. Gonna have to talk to those guys!

Team
Dean - vocals/keys/acc. guitar
Gord - drums
Berkley - bass
Logan - ele. guitar
Wes - keys
Elly - vocals
Sarah - vocals

Songs
All because of Jesus
Did you feel the Mt.s tremble
It is You
To the River
From the inside out

Thoughts on a Sunday morning

2009-03-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hey all;

Let's catch up!

Sunday March 8

We wrapped up our series 'All in the Family' with a message from guest speaker Ken Gaglardi who specifically addressed those members of our congregation who are in their second half. Ken himself began his life as a pastor at the age of 53 and has a thriving ministry. It was a good talk and if you missed it click here.

Looking back on the teams contribution, I can't say it blew me away. There were great moments for sure, but on the whole I thought the whole thing was a little flat. But we learn and grow and move on, knowing that we don't lead by emotions but we lead by faith and I have faith that God used us, even in our 'flattened state' to bring people closer to Him

Low - The team was flat. We needed a lot more enthusiasm and expression.

High - We ended the service with the song 'Take my life (and let it be), no drums, just guitar, bass and keys. As the song is coming to a close I turn to bring the band down and I see our guitar player, Logan, kneeling on the stage. I was moved to tears. Still am.

Team
Dean - vocals/bass
Jim - drums
Logan - guitar
Diana - keys
Karen - vocals
Janet - vocals

Songs
Praise is Rising
Your grace is enough
Let me sing
How great Thou art
Take my life

Sunday Summary Mar 1

2009-03-02T15:18:00.000-08:00

Let's break down yesterday's service.

We introduced a new song to our congregation, 'Here is our King' by David Crowder. It went down really well. This one is definitely a keeper!

Followed that one up with 'All bow down' Chris Tomlin. I love that bass line and it was fun playing that with Gord, our tremendously talented drummer.

Announcement made my yours truly. Now, honestly, you're not going to see me talk on announcements that often, but I do need to 'out' myself, this one time.

I said 'breast' instead of 'blessed'.

Of course it was during a prayer.

You can laugh but be honest.....you've done it too!

We went on and did 'Jesus, lover of my soul' into 'Everything' Tim Hughes.
It was a good moment of worship.

Pastor Shawn spoke on 'Married Life', continuing our series called 'All in the Family'.
Awesome message, based on Ephesians 5:21-30.

We wrapped it up with 'May the words of my mouth'.

High - Really hearing the congregation sing out during 'Jesus, lover of my soul/Everything'. It's always awesome to experience a congregation take the lead in a song. I think that's affirmation that 'invisible leadership' is taking place!
"He must increase, I must decrease" John 3:30

Low - Our sound man left the background cd running during the second service and, although it was muted in the house, it's audible in the background of our recorded message. GRRRR
*****the bright side is that the first service recording was clean.*****

Bonus - Jason got to try out his brand new Ovation 12-string. That thing sounds amazing and really adds a great layer to the sound.

Set list
Here is our King
All bow down
Jesus, lover of my soul
Everything
May the words of my mouth

Worship team
Jason Lattreille - leader/vocals/acoustic guitar
Dean Orrell - bass/vocals
Gord Warkentin - drums
Rob Bakker - electric guitar
Nancy Bukowski - keyboards
Debbie Hawkins - vocals

A quick thought

2009-02-13T19:26:00.000-08:00

With a 10 year old and a 1 year old, lately I feel as though I'm more of a bartender that a father.

I ask "What would you like to drink?" a lot.

I'm constantly refilling bottles and glasses.

I wipe down a lot of counters and trays.

I clean up A LOT of spills.

When the 'patrons' get out of control, I use the 'have another drink' method.

I hear about problems over a cold one.

and at the end of the night someone usually ends up crying or passing out!

All in the Family

2009-02-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

Our current series at PCC is called 'All in the Family'. Matt, Jason (Archie) and I (Edith) had an awesome time writting, recording and filming this. Enjoy!

All in the Family Promo from PCC on Vimeo.

Great words in sports

2009-02-07T10:54:00.000-08:00

I both love and hate the sport rhetoric that athletes spew before, during and after games. It's as if they've all taken some horrible communications course and now are physically unable to say anything tangible.

We have to take it to a whole 'nother level.

We/they/I/he/she really stepped up.

I love these two phrases because, really, you have to step up to go to a whole other level. Unless you have some kind of athletic elevator. Maybe that's what the StairMaster is really for?

One game at a time.

Play within yourself.

It a 60 minute game.

REALLY?!?!? If I owned a sports team I would be pretty discouraged with my players if I had to constantly remind them of the length of the game.

However, if I were an athlete making millions of dollars, I might be tempted to play 3 games at a time, within the guy next to me for only 17 minutes.

Personally, I think I would have made a great hockey player. Check this out.

"Yeah, I think that uuhh the guys really left it all out on the uhhh ice and we put in a pretty good uhhh preformance. We capitalized on our opportunities and uhhh really took advantage of the momentum swings in the uhhhh game. I think that as long as uuhhhh we give it 100% and really keep hungry we'll uhhhh put some solid numbers up on the board and continue to keep the momentum on our uhhhh side."

Lastly, what exactly does 'tremendous upside' mean?

Like a tonn of bricks

2009-02-05T11:39:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while God levels my world.

Ephesians 2:8-10

"God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago."

Max Locado puts it this way.

"In the eyes of the King, you have value simply because you are."

We all try so hard to;

get it right
do it right
be right
be better
do it better
be great
be cool
be cutting edge
be seen
be heard
be watched
be needed
be important
be unique
be special
be invaluable
be different

We so easily forget that 'He first loved us' -1 John 4:19

In the eyes of the King, you have value simply because you are. You are God's masterpiece.

I'm sorry....you WHAT now!?!?!

2009-02-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

This is why you should never miss a service at PCC.

YIn and Yang

2009-02-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

Caught in the battle between good and evil..........

Hey Dads!!!!

2009-01-29T16:53:00.001-08:00

Just a reminder.

MANLY MEN'S DAY

2009-01-16T13:35:00.001-08:00

Friday is my regular day off and now that my wife has gone back to work full time, Friday is officially

'MANLY MEN'S DAY AY AY ay ay...."

My son, Sam, and I get to spend the whole day together.

Here's what we've done so far.

We played tag......I won.

We played hide and seek.......I won.

We played 'where is Sammy'.......I won.

We played push Sam on the toy bus........I killed at that one.

We played a game I like to call 'stop that'.......I didn't really win but he sure did loose!

We played a game called 'fill that diaper'......that's pretty much the only game he won.

Good times!

Constant Contact

2009-01-15T08:45:00.000-08:00

Last summer the staff and various leaders in our church attended the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. This is a two day event where Willow Creek invites leaders from the Christian community as well as the business community to share their advice and experience on the subject of leadership. It's a great event and anyone who is in the position of leading a team, big or small, would benefit from this conference.

Craig Groeschel was one of the speakers. I love this guy! He was saved in college and it seems, through his writing and speaking, that he never actually let go of that 'frat boy' mentality. In his books he talks about farting and practical jokes. His speaking style is hilarious.

Beyond all that, this guy leads one of the biggest churches in world. He has taken giant leaps of faith when it comes to using technology, primarily the internet, to advance the Kingdom. 50 internet campuses in 13 states speaks to the success of his approach. His book 'It' is one of my favourite books.

In his talk at the Summit, he spoke about a challenge that put to his congregation. it was called 60/60 prayer. It's a simple idea; for 60 days you pray every 60 minutes. Not long, drawn out prayers. Simply, thank you prayers or help me prayers or help that person prayers.

Simple idea. It just takes discipline. oh oh...

My folks-in-law (is that a real term?) gave me a watch for Christmas. It has that annoying 'beep' on the hour function.

For the last 15 days I've been praying one the hour, every hour, from 7:00am to 9:00pm and I'm not only connecting with God on a level that I never dreamed of before, I'm also learning a lot about myself.

Over the next undetermined amount of time I'd like to share how this discipline is working in my life. It's been awesome, a little disturbing, somewhat discouraging at times, but ultimately it's forced me to face head on some of my character flaws and is helping me to change the things that I don't like about myself.

Try it, and if you do, let me know how God's speaking to you.

By the way, if you use Twitter, I'll be posting my hourly prayers (as many as possible). I go by the name 'brothermuffins' (I know what you're thinking and it's a long story for another time!)

Brittney vs Paul

2009-01-08T09:08:00.000-08:00

Everyone has their own area of expertise. The one thing they do or know better than anything else. It's all relative, of course, the mayor of Moose Jaw is an expert in politics, just probably not at the level of Kofi Annan (former Secretary General of the UN).

My area of expertise is music so I'm starting a series of blogs on my thoughts and opinions on music; current trends, history, things I like, things I don't.....you get it.

I'll start with an easy one.

Itunes has a cool little feature. It has playlists compiled by various celebrities (musicians, actors etc) and comes with the celebrity's comments on each of the songs.

Today I would like to compare two lists; Paul McCartney and Britney Spears.

From the list of Paul,

Imagine - John Lennon. "When John came up with Imagine, that was one of those moments when I thought 'Oh yeah' and could just imagine him sitting down at the piano...Hearing 'Imagine' is always such a thrill for me and always brings back such beautiful memories and is an inspiration for the future".

Remember that John and Paul weren't speaking to each other when 'Imagine' was released! The Beatles had broken up, there was that whole Yoko Ono thing. I think that this is a really classy statement from Paul.

From the list of Brittney,

Low (feat. T-Pain) -Flo Rida "I always workout to this song, especially when I'm at spin class."

ok...let's think here. This song was released in 2008. What was Britney doing in 2008. Oh right, mental break downs, court ordered psych evaluations, loss of custody of her children. I didn't know that psych wards in California had spin classes.

From the list of Paul,

God Only Knows - The Beach Boys. "I find it very emotional and it's one of those songs that can reduce me to tears. I just think that the chords and melody are very beautiful and the combination of that with the words, which are really meaningful-it's really just a love song"

Here's a guy that, after 50+ years in the music industry is still deeply moved by it. That tells me how much he loves music and a person with that much passion will create with integrity.

From the list of Brittney,

Milkshake - Kelis. "It's so much fun to drive around and listen to. It makes me laugh too."

integri............I can't even get the word out.

It would be nice if integrity would make it's way back into music, wouldn't it?

by the way,

Brittney has an album out and it's climbing the charts (#6 on Billboard), as usual. Paul also has an album out (The Fireman) which is no where to be scene on any chart, anywhere.

FREEDOM!

2009-01-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

I use Google reader, love Google reader, would marry Google reader but that would be polygamy and, really, just weird. The problem is that, over the holidays I fell behind in my reading. Way behind. I mean, when I opened it up this morning I had well over 300 entries waiting for me!

I was overwhelmed. How was I going to read all this stuff. And then it hit me.......just scroll over it!

You see, for those of you who don't use Google Reader (what is your problem!!!) no, no.....sorry

You see, for those of you who don't use Google Reader, once you've scrolled through the article you're reading, it automatically takes it out of your 'to read' pile. You're 'to read' number decreases.

Theoretically, you could just spin that scroll wheel like a game of roulette and reduce your 'to read' count to zero in about 10 seconds.

One catch.........that thought made me feel guilty! Can you believe that?!?!?! It took me about 6 hours before I was ready to scroll away this little piece of stress in my day. But once I started......pure pleasure......like cake (a re-occurring theme in my life)

So here's the lesson....

'His yoke is easy, His burden is light' is not just about the big stuff, heavy stuff, deep theological stuff, keeps you awake at night stuff, think my ulcer is going to explode stuff, we might loose the farm stuff, how is my kid going to go to school stuff, I'm not sure all 4 of us can fit into one cardboard box on the side of the road stuff.......

Freedom comes in all sizes.

Today it was small.

I stole this!

2008-12-24T10:24:00.000-08:00

I stole this from lifechurch.tv. If you want to read a great book, go get 'It' by Craig Groeschel.

A Leader vs. The Leader

Pronunciation: “A Leader” Uh-Leader and “The Leader” Thuh Leader

Just because you are “A Leader” doesn’t necessarily mean that you are “The Leader.”

Just because you are “A Leader” who leads a church of 500 people; doesn’t mean that you are “The Leader” to take that church to over a thousand people.

Just because you are “A Leader” that has a position, a title and an office; doesn’t mean that you are “The Leader” that people believe in, respect and are excited to follow.

Just because you are “A Leader” that people look up to today; doesn’t mean that you are going to be “The Leader” that people look up to tomorrow.

Just because you are “A Leader” on this team; doesn’t meant that you are going to be “The Leader” on that team.

Just because you are “The Leader” to this particular group or faction; doesn’t mean you will be “The Leader” to that group or faction.

If you are “A Leader” and think that you are “The Leader” that can be a problem; know your place and respect your space.

Although both are important, there is definitely a difference between being “A Leader” and “The Leader”

Remember, just because you are “A Leader” doesn’t mean that you will necessarily ever be “The Leader”

If you are “A Leader” who’s determined to be “The Leader” figure it out; Go Lead… Transcend The Isms’

GLORY - PCC Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T08:39:00.000-08:00

Back in the day!!!

2008-12-13T09:42:00.001-08:00

There was a time when this was the greatest show on TV

and I wanted hair just like these guys

and I wanted to be a cool as this guy

and this guy was my hero

I like this better!!!
and I think I`m cooler than that other guy up there!

maybe not......

Political Crisis in Canada

2008-12-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

This will be my only post regarding the current political 'crisis' in Canada.

I think we'll be ok!

Neglected Bloggness!

2008-12-09T15:26:00.000-08:00

Is 'bloggness' a word? If so, did I spell it right?

So here's what happened during my dry spell.

1) I got my wife pregnant. Thank you, thank you very much. This is awesome news. Does anyone have a double stroller I can buy?

2) I went on a hunting trip with my father-in-law (see the entry entitled "CORE"). Now, I'm sure that a lot of you are saying 'Whoa, are you a glutton for punishment, going on a week long trip with you father-in-law. With firearms! Actually, it was a pretty good trip if you don't count the blizzard that we drove through at 3:00am to get there (16 hour drive!) or the -10 to -20 degree weather Celsius(14 to -4 F), the 20 hours of outdoor construction I didn't know about until I got there, the 13 hour drive home or the fact that we didn't get ANYTHING! I'd do it again.

3) My birthday (Dec 7). 36......I'm now officially on my downward slide to 40. Rock on!

4) My son's birthday (Dec 9). 1......He's now officially on his downward slide to the terrible two's. Rock on!

5) Christmas Eve prep.. I am freakin' out, so excited am I about the services we are preparing at PCC. Matt is KILLING this video we're going to start the service with. The band already sounds awesome. The drama is going to be amazing. I really think that people are going to come away from these services with a great sense of 1) the mind-blowing awesomeness (word?) of God and 2) the mind-blowing way that our volunteers love Him. I pray that people come away from these services with the itch to seek God.

I'm excited!!!!! AND, I think that Fred (father-in-law) and I are going to go hunting this Friday so if you hear a loud bang......................................

...and the winner is......

2008-11-06T09:37:00.000-08:00

I, apparently, am a sheep.

a lemming.

a cow following the herd.

Here is my comment on the US Presidential Election.

I don't care if it's President Obama, President Palin or Presidents Choice, the only one that can change the world, and has been changing the world since the beginning of time is...........................drum roll please..................................

JESUS CHRIST.....YES HE CAN

I'll pray for Obama, that God will guide his choices.....YES HE CAN

I'll pray that God brings about healing in a country so deeply divided by economics, race and political opinion because............YES HE CAN

I'll pray that our Lord will restore peace and allow the thousands of military men and women to return to their families safely because.......YES HE CAN

I'll pray that God brings hope to those whose financial future is in serious jeopardy because........YES HE CAN

I'll pray that God would open the eyes of every man woman and child in the US and around the world to the saving grace that is Jesus Christ and that the power of His love and mercy would wash over the planet and clean it of the filth and grim and crap that sin has established on His creation because.............YES...HE...CAN

JESUS CHRIST.....YES HE CAN

Google Reader

2008-10-28T15:24:00.001-07:00

It's all Matthew A Hawkins fault.

We were talking about blogs that we read and he says, "Dude (he says that a lot) you gotta use Google Reader. I love it. I love it like my wife. I love it like cake. I love it like Vancouver Canucks hockey, when they're winning, at a home game, in the playoffs."

OK. He didn't say the thing about cake.

So I signed up on Google Reader.

I really love cake.

A lot.

A whole lot.

My wife makes the best cake.

It's awesome.

Google Reader is close to my wife's cake.

I think I have a problem. I actually check it more than I check my emails now.

help.

Codependency RULES!

2008-10-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

I do some of my best thinking in the shower!

This morning I was thinking about how the ministries at PCC are starting to become intertwined with each other. Kidz Church has youth from the Students Ministry helping out, worship teams have started up in Kidz Church and both Middle School and High School Youth, Kidz Church workers are starting to take lead in their own worship team. With that has come some growing pains. Scheduling has become more complicated as well as the booking of media equipment. It occurred to me that we have become quite codependent!

NOT CODEPENDENT!!!

Isn't that an evil word in our society?? Isn't the goal to become more independent? Aren't people who are codependent sick??

Wikipedia (for what it's worth) defines codependent as;

"A codependent is loosely defined as someone who exhibits too much, and often inappropriate, caring for persons who depend on him or her. A "codependent" is one side of a relationship between mutually needy people. The dependent, or obviously needy party(s) may have emotional, physical, financial difficulties, or addictions they seemingly are unable to surmount."

THAT SOUNDS AWEFUL! Imagine a person who exhibits too much caring! I shudder at the thought of being obviously needy!

Sorry, was that too sarcastic??

Newsflash, we are all obviously needy! We need to be more codependent. We need to exhibit too much caring, if there really is such a thing. I'm so happy that our church is becoming more codependent, that we are obviously needy. We rely on each other. We use each other to have a greater impact on our community. We have 'emotional, physical, financial difficulties, or addictions they seemingly are unable to surmount' without each other but more importantly, without the grace and love of Jesus Christ.

Let's be perfectly clear. I am obviously needy when it comes to Jesus. I have emotional, physical, financial difficulties and addictions (does Google Reader count??) that will only be overcome by living in the fullness of God's love.

I am obviously needy when it comes to Jesus, and I've never been healthier.

Give it up!

2008-10-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

I learned something powerful this week.

The art of letting go.

God has blessed me in many ways. He has shared with me His clear vision of the future of our ministry and He has placed people in our church that are motivated to see that vision come to life.

This fall we started up branches of the worship ministry in both the youth and kidz church ministry. My right hand man, Jason, has taken the lead in the youth ministries and there in lay my challenge.

I'll pose this question;

How easy is it for you to have a vision, cast a vision and then release it to someone else?

For me the answer is........ REALLY HARD!!

As leaders we can be guilty of holding on tight to our visions. Not let anyone else touch our vision, cause you might not do it right!

Can you see the flaw in that statement? Our vision. My vision.

Go back to the top and read the part about God blessing me. The key in that sentence is this; He SHARED with me HIS clear vision...

So I shared my 'exit strategy' to my right hand man, Jason today. I told him that he was doing a great job and he didn't need me around every minute. I'll still check in from time to time and help when I'm needed, but God has placed the same vision in his heart as He did in mine so...

Are you holding on to God vision for your life as if it were your own?

Three words "GIVE IT UP!"

Slices

2008-10-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

We're starting a new message series at Promontory Community Church called
Slices, Taste what life should be

We'll be breaking down the Fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5.

It's going to be awesome and an amazing series to lead into Christmas with!

CORE

2008-10-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I'm going to up my manliness by going hunting!

However, before this can happen I have to pass a test called the CORE - Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Education.

Here are some of the highlights;

1) I learned that it is not ethical to fire into a herd of animals, hoping to hit one.

2) I learned that you don't say 'kill' you say 'harvest'.

3) I learned that, if you 'harvest' a bird, and it's stomach contains peas, look for the pea field and you MAY find other birds.

4) I learned that tying the carcass of an animal you have just 'harvested' to the hood of your car may be offensive to some people.

5) I learned that the muzzle is the part of the gun where the bullets come out.

6) I learned to NEVER look into the muzzle of a gun.

Hopefully, I can take and pass this test on Friday. You could pray for that.

You could also pray that, once I've passed my test, I don't 'harvest' my hunting partners!

The Dreaded Burn Out

2008-10-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

When I first got into ministry I had a lot of people tell me "Just be careful you don't burn out!". I heard story after story about pastors that had 'burnt out'. They had too little help or days off or support or money or time in a day. They were drowning in a sea of ministries or projects or people or meetings. They had a hard time coping with the emotional weight of counseling marriages or drug addicts or teenagers or widows. To the point where they just basically threw their hands in the air and said " I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY MORE!"

I was warned about 'the dark side' of ministry.

Fast forward a year. I have a lot on the go. Three different worship environments, an exploding media ministry, setup, take down, ushers, greeters, hosts, sound, drama, website..........I'm busy.

But I remembered the warning, so I researched a little about this thing we call 'burn out'.

The following is a excerpt from HelpGuide.org.

Burnout is a state of emotional and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It can occur when you feel overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest or motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place. Burnout reduces your productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly hopeless, powerless, cynical, and resentful. The unhappiness burnout causes can eventually threaten your job, your relationships, and your health.

Signs and symptoms of burnout

The signs of burnout tend to be more mental than physical. They can include feelings of:

Powerlessness
Hopelessness
Emotional exhaustion
Detachment
Isolation
Irritability

Frustration
Being trapped
Failure
Despair
Cynicism
Apathy

WOW!

Let's pick apart the signs and symptoms for a moment.

Powerlessness -

Isa 40:29	He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.

Hopelessness-

Rom 15:13	I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Exhaustion-

2 Thess 3:5	May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ

Detachment-

Rom 8:39	No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I could go on but you probably get the point.

Let's try, in the midst of working so hard for Christ, to remember to allow Him to work for us too!

Acts 17:25	and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.

Sun Stand Still

2008-10-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

This weekend we are finishing up our series entitled "What if". It's been a really challenging and eye opening series. Basically a great way to kick off the fall! The message this week will be "What if we dreamed big?" and to illustrate the message the worship team will be playing the song "Sun Stand Still' by Wade Joye of Elevation Church.

The song is about when Joshua, who was leading the nation of Israel in their conquest of the land that God had given them, comes upon an 'impossible' situation were they needed God to do something only He could do; make the sun stand still. So Joshua boldly prayed "Lord, make the sun stand still, make the moon to stop" and the Bible says that "the sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day".

Israel faced an impossible situation. But Joshua knew that 'with God ALL things are possible.' He KNEW IT AND HE PRAYED IT!

The question is....HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD?

Many of us today are facing an impossible situation.

Ask yourself that question.

Impossible situations in relationships?

HOW BIG IS MY GOD?

Impossible situation in my job?

HOW BIG IS MY GOD?

Impossible situations in my marriage?

HOW BIG IS MY GOD?

Impossible situations in my finances?

HOW BIG IS MY GOD?

Go boldly to the Lord. Pray the biggest prayer you can think of. Dream the biggest dream you can muster. Bring it to God and He will do infinitely more than you could have ever imagined.

NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR OUR GOD!

Here I am!

2008-10-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

So, I'm sitting around the lunch table with a couple of guys talking about the wonders of Google Reader, something my good friend Matthew A Hawkins, Media Guru, got me hooked on a while ago, when one of them says to me in a rather incredulous tone "How many blogs do you read?" I tell him that blogs are the best way to get in touch with what's going on 'out there'. To which he says "You should have your own blog".

WHAT?!?!?!

Here's the deal, I have a problem with my mouth. Don't get me wrong I don't go off on a swearing tirade or anything! My problem is that I have the tendency to 'speak my mind'. Sometimes in a not so tactful way. It's an issue and I'm working on it!

I told my friend that it's one thing to say something less than tactful into the air because, over time, air can dissipate! You say something on paper or in the WORLD WIDE WEB and it's out there forever! Not only that, but stuff on the internet seems to have been stamped with the 'it must be true if someone posted it' mystic. Weird...

But in true Dean fashion, I couldn't get the idea out of my head. My thought is, no one is probably going to read this anyways and, it might be good for me to get all this stuff that flies around my head out!

So world, here I am!