To have a body

A thought I had this Christmas season ...

It is a glorious time of year to celebrate and reflect upon the greatness of our Lord to have come and become Jesus Christ for us - the infinite God unbound and unlimited in every aspect of character, metamorphed into the form of one of his own creations. A human being with muscles that cramp, a bladder that fills, a bowel system that moves, eyes that see, ears that listen, a voice that speaks in the physical realm of our world.

But what gets me lately is this: Jesus Christ still has a body! And many of you might say, yeah, so? SO! I have never before considered the ramifications of this aspect of our Lord's sacrifice. I have so often viewed Christ's life here as a gloriously humble life of a little over 30 years, death, a remarkable victory over death and sin and his life returned to him by God our Father with the body he was killed in, then taken from us to sit next to God in heaven. And then we focus on the Spirit coming to help us here, still bound and fettered by our fleshly vehicles until we too might ... might what? Become unfettered? With what did our Lord return to God in if not his body he was raised? Does not Jesus Christ still have his body on? And will he not now have this body wrapped around him for eternity?? Though not directly stated, it seems well implied that when Christ gave of his life, it was not only to gain the ability to die and return from death, but to forever live as we live, forever encased in flesh (a body that now lives forever without disease or death) and so forever upholding our case and need for life and compassion before our awesome God. "Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because jesus lives forever, he has a permanent preisthood. Therefore he is able to save those completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to interecede for them." Hebrews 7:23 - 25 "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. ... And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven." 1 Corinthians 15:42 - 44, 49. "Dear friends, now we are children of god, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." 1 John 3:2

These are some thoughts and it may be that I am in great error. And I will definitely plead a near inexhaustable amount of ignorance on this subject. But it seems to me that, though I do not consider Jesus to be any less limitlessly powerful or limited because of his eternal existance with a body, he made this part of the sacrifice for our salvation: to live forever as we are and will be and were intended to be.

Dust

I have lately been privileged to own a number of short teaching video's done by a young pastor by the name of Rob Bell. They have short misleading names like Flame or Noise or Bullhorn. They are all no longer than 15 minutes or so and focus on a simple theme or concept that Rob explores. They are quite insightful.

One particular video, Dust, is excellent. Through it I have gained a greater understanding of the relationship that Jesus Christ had with his disciples. The video gives some clear description of life in first century Palestine - (Spoiler warning - I am going to describe the video Dust here in detail). If you've never seen the video, I encourage you to do so. Rob begins by sharing what religious education was like for a young jew: first, around the age of 6 or so, young jews were expected to memorize the Torah (the first 5 books of the old testament) by the age of 10. Then at the age of ten they entered the next phase of religious education (each has it's name that I can neither pronounce or spell) wherein they are expected to memorize the REST of the old testament: all 30 some odd books - most of the bible. So then, at the age of around 15 or 16 or so, if they've done well and have shown great aptitude in this oral memorization, they would greatly desire to be apprenticed by any one of a number of Rabbi - religious teachers. The idea being that this young teenager, if they showed promise, would dedicate their life to becoming like their Rabbi! They would then begin to follow this Rabbi around everywhere, living with, eathing with, debating with, learning from this teacher. But only if the Rabbi first thought this young person had what it took to be like him. To become like the Rabbi. To carry his 'yoke', as they called it. If they young person was not shown to have promise to be like the Rabbi, didn't have what it took to become like the Rabbi, they would be encouraged to go home and take up the family trade or business.


Well, when Jesus approached Peter as he was fishing, he said, 'follow me'. That was what a Rabbi would say to a new apprentice who had just been accepted! The reality is, though, that Peter, fishing in the family trade with his father, was one of those who didn't make the cut ... he didn't have what it took to become an apprentice of a Rabbi. He was probably no older than 20 years old! And Jesus, a Rabbi, comes to him, and essentially says - 'I believe you can become like me - follow me'. No WONDER Peter just drops his nets and follows! This is the most coveted and honoured profession of his time and some respected and esteemed Rabbi comes to him and says these words. God is saying to him - I believe you can be like me!

Death

Why is it that when someone dies, those that go to honour that persons death tend to, it seems to me, over-exaggerate their life's good attributes. It's almost as though the deceased was always 'a friend to everyone!' and 'loved by all!'. They could never have done any wrong, it seems, while they were alive. When, as we all know, there is no perfect human being on this earth. I have no problem with respecting life and honouring people and what they've done for others. But why do we remember all these great things - or ...

Perhaps our perspective changes when someone dies, for a few brief moments, or for maybe close to a day or two. While we remember a beloved lost to us, maybe, just maybe, God has made it so that for a brief moment we have a glimpse into the true value of every human being - of that human being that we loved so dearly. And the only way we can seem to describe this new perspective is to hyperbolize their character and relationship to others.

Just a thought.

Haggard

Where the word came from as described in Uncle John's Bathroom Reader. I have to admint, I have found myself spending a ridiculous amount of time reading Uncle John's while warming the porcelain throne.

"Haggard

Meaning: Appearing tired or worn out

Origin: 'When the Normans conquered England in 1066, they brought with them their own style of falconry. The Old French word falcon referred only to female hawks, while the male was called a tercel (that's where Toyota got it). A wild bird trapped for falconry was called a haggard. These haggards were often uncontrollable and difficult to train, an soon haggard was being used to describe unruly, intractable people, and, eventually, the gaunt appearance of an exhausted person.' (From Once Upon a Word, by Rob Kyff)"

Busyness and Morality

Would you agree with this statement: That we put an excessive moral value on the amount of activity we are engaged in ... that is, busyness. We feel pleased with ourselves somehow and are expecting others also to be busy and are somehow pleased with it. After a number of good discussions on this topic with a friend, I've come to view much of my busyness as actually at least somewhat detrimental to my livelihood and general health and wellbeing. There is no greater moral benefit to being busy to me and yet I feel a pressure around me from others to believe there is. Do you agree?

Grif pics

Some shots of Griffin from a little over a week ago at Kari's sisters wedding in Powell River with her family.

Joanne havin' a laugh with Griffin.

Happy Griffin.

The Grifster.

Griffin in his wedding suit.

To spiritualize or to realize

Well, after a whirlwind introduction to a new life and work at Camp Squeah, I've finally found some time to write. So here it is:

I've been doing some thinking lately on how people, Christians in particular, tend to spiritualize things.

Now let me define the word 'spiritualize' for you. And I don't think this is in any dictionary so you will have to bear with me as I attempt to put into words this sometimes difficult concept. To spiritualize is to emphasize or stress the relative importance of a situation, circumstance, person or phenomenon from a spiritual perspective or its spiritual perspective. Or it is used as a verb to give a spiritual dimension to something that might not have been perceived to have such a dimension previously. Therefore, it usually falls to those who believe in spiritual concepts and worlds and relationships to do this thing called spiritualizing. The word, as I've heard it, is often used to describe how one might OVER emphasize the spiritual nature of a concept, to put far greater value on 'spiritual' matters as opposed to, say, physical matters.

It seems to me, also, that there are great number of Christians who do this 'spiritualizing' quickly and with great affect after they have newly come to know Jesus. After perhaps discovering the spiritual component to their lives to be true and real, and perhaps in an honest attempt to make true that which they are just beginning to understand - namely that God is real, He lives in them, that they are saved/being saved of all that was destroying them, they then try to re-explain all of life through their new found viewpoint.

The danger in over-spiritualizing something is that we put too much value on one thing and in so doing take away truth or value of something else. It seems to me some Christians put so much emphasis on supposedly spiritual matters that they separate completely the reality of the world they live in from its spiritual significance. It appears to me that God had never intended for this to happen or for us to do this. The greatest example we have is our own bodies and souls. We are beings created specifically to integrate perfectly the physical and spiritual worlds. Our spirits reside in our bodies, and even Christ resides with us when He comes to us. To separate our spirits from our bodies is to take away life. The separation of body and spirit is death to us! It was never meant to be. God created us to be these wonderful creatures, created with His image, interacting with Him (Spirit) and all other created things around us (Physical) at the same time. Granted our spiritual nature, without Jesus, is corrupt and dying, much as our bodies die, but they are still inextricably interwoven apurpose.

Over-spiritualizing, as I have experienced it, seems to create religious or spiritual fanatics; religious hypocrites; spiritually & emotionally unhealthy people. Trying to find grand spiritual significance in all of life's circumstances only puffs us up to make us seem more 'spiritual' as though to justify our own existence because we're ashamed, maybe, of our lives before Christ. In my opinion, an ungodly point of view. I believe Jesus pointed out these religious inconsistencies with many people, in particular the priests and pastors of his day, the pharisees and other religious zealots whom He described as: "...whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Matthew 23:28. It appears to me that the apostle Paul may also have opposed this issue in Colosse with his letter to them: "Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head [Jesus], from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow." Colossians 2:18,19.

Please do not mistake my thoughts as a devaluing of things spiritual. I find that as I mature and learn from Jesus, I discover more and more how important the spiritual aspects of life are as they relate to the physical aspects of life. In fact, I have found that in the tiniest of life's details, there God is at work to produce in me His character and to teach us who He is. I do also believe that it is unhealthy to focus on that which is dying and decaying, our bodies and temporal circumstances, and other things we have no control over. God is present in so many ways that I am not yet aware of that I'm sure it is only due to my inability to see Him that I do not acknowledge just how involved He is in our world and lives ... and often in ways we never expect Him to be. Most especially in places and people and circumstances that we would quickly dismiss as 'unspiritual'.

I wonder if I've made any sense in my attempt to unveil these thoughts. Comments?

Quote from George MacDonald

"... there are victories far worse than defeats; and to overcome an angel too gentle to put out all his strength, and ride away in triumph on the back of a devil, is one of the poorest."

From George MacDonald's story The Wise Woman

Like a little Santa

I love this photo! Just recently taken.

Doesn't he look like a merry little elf? Ha ha ha!

Disecting perfection

A response to a comment on my recent perfection post:

First off, the post below was something I wrote on the front of my wife's birthday card just a few days ago. It came out of a theme I wanted to get across to her, it being her 27th birthday, and I wanted to impress upon her that to me she was perfect (7 often being a symbol of perfection).

Now obviously I wasn't trying to dupe her into believing she's perfect physically or spiritually or any such unattainable state that would be untrue of any human being. But what I was intending to say, and what came out of that expression, was a truth of perfection in my mind ... or perhaps a different definition of perfection.

God calls us to be perfect. But what does that mean? When we say 'nobody's perfect', what are we saying? Well, I suppose we're saying, no one is God. No one person ever makes a perfectly right choice every time. And no one has flawless character, like God. But I don't think perfect, from God's perspective has anything to do with the outward appearance, though that is a word we've used to describe many physical attributes (workmanship done with hands, the absence of mistakes or flaws, what most people subjectively believe to be beautiful). What I was attempting to say to my wife Kari, was that God's choice for her as my wife was 'perfect'. And I'm not some relationship guru who has it all figured out ... but somehow in the circumstance of our marriage, God's perfectness was a part of what happened. Perhaps because HE was, we see, the prime reason we have each other. There is perfection within our own circumstances.

And then in the indwelling of God within us, one of the greatest mysteries ever, there is perfection then in all of us, living and striving with us to produce in us, through life, godly perfection. Not pharisitical aloofness. Not hierarchical religious pompousness. Not any order created by man. Purely and simply, God's character lived out by God Himself through us. A mystery I love because of its overreaching implications on my person and all those around me. I am forever changed and changing to become the person God intended me to be.

Then of course, we have Jesus Christ. Who is described as even kind of ugly physically, and yet we consider to have lived a perfect life. So then, what does that mean ... ?

Perfection

Perhaps perfection has little to do with the quality of our actions

Perhaps perfection has more to do with the quality of God's choices and His workmanship in us.

New pics and new home

Well, it takes a long time to upload photos, so I'm doing them a few at a time. But anyway, we're well and healthy, if a little stressed from all the changes in our lives of late. The people of Hope, especially our good friends, have been absolutely fantastic in helping us move and get settled in. So, we're into our new (giant) home, though it's only partially finished renovations, and, as my boss says, I'm jumping in head first into my job, which I'm enjoying. Griffin is 28 inches long and 17 lbs at 4 months. Today he laughed for an extended period of time, jumped in the jolly jumper for the first time and I played some sweet music on the guitar which he loved. Lots has happened in a little while but we're well.

On the move

After nearly two years in the town of Hope, Kari, Griffin and I are now moving to a new location just 10 minutes up the #1 Hwy to Camp Squeah where we will live in a newly renovated house. It's a large house, full of rooms for guests and visitors. We're still not far from Hope and if you're thinking you'd like to come and visit on your way through, please stop in!

We have grown to love this little town of highways, mountains, rivers and lakes. And now I'm walking into a new community with people with a history of Mennonite heritage, and a camp that has been in active service since 1961.

The Paddle-a-thon, by the way, was a great success. Weather was good, the river was high (which allowed us to avoid a number of difficult passages on the river), no one ended up in the river and we enjoyed each other as we paddled along. There were 17 paddlers and 18 fund-raisers and together more than $48,000.00 were raised to support volunteer student summer staff! Fantastic! Now we're looking to fill these positions and serve and love the young people that come to enjoy people and place of Camp Squeah.

With the move happening in a couple of days I'm not sure when next I'll be on to post on this blog. We'll be living in a remote area and connection speed is slower, but as soon as I can, I'll let you know how we're doing.

Bon voyage!

Paddle-a-thon 2007!

Now as the new Program Director for Camp Squeah, I'm leaping right into Squeah's annual fund-raiser.

Our goal: raise enough funds to support our mature young leaders who volunteer at camp all summer to serve and love children who are afterwards attending post secondary education.

My offer to you: consider helping us to love and support these young people who give of themselves for others by pledging me funds as I paddle down the Fraser River next weekend! From Saturday until Sunday, from Hope to Fort Langley I'll be paddling with many others. If you'd like to do this, please e-mail me at camp: tim@squeah.com or phone me (604) 869 5353.

Compunction

Easter is the celebration of the event that constitutes the foundation and centrality of our belief and knowledge of Jesus Christ and God. It is the crux of humanity and the reason for our salvation. And even though two statutory holidays are given to us for this time, most people find it difficult to invent ways to celebrate it. The best our depraved society can deal with it is to throw a bunny on a poster and encourage you to buy chocolate eggs? What does that have to do with God sending his son who dies condemned to death and then rises from the dead? (Just a little of my own frustration coming out here).

A few days ago a renowned teacher, who I respect and am growing to appreciate more and more, proposed the idea that compunction (or pain of the soul) is the desired means by which God moves us towards intimacy with himself. That on our journey of life that we all must travel, not only can you not escape compunction and pain, but that it is actually thrust upon you through life's circumstances ... maybe on purpose ... by God who loves you. This compunction, as I understand it, comes in many forms. We all experience it. Most commonly we experience compunction as the pain of longing - we all long for something/someone. It is a pain because it is a need that is not fully met or filled. And as there are many types of travelors, there are as many ways of attempting to alleviate this longing and pain.

We are MOVED by God through pain. Through 'unfullfilledness'. The ancient Jews saw all aspects of life as given by God, for good reason. Job replies to his wife's despair by saying, when all his world had fallen in around him, "... Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" I wonder if we ought not to spurn the pain of our hearts by shaking our fists at God, but to contemplate the truth behind the pain. The reason for our compunction. For that which pricks us to travel. For we do not move ourselves close to Jesus; Jesus moves himself closest to us through the greatest pain imaginable - death. Through his own great compunction, an unresolved relationship with us his loved creation, God allows a separation of his own, a pain so unbearable it is unimaginable to restore what was broken.

I wonder at times if there is perhaps much more to the phrase: "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowsip of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." That in sharing in Christ's sufferings, we accept the 'pains' God thrusts upon us as loving prods towards greater knowledge and intimacy with the Creator of all.

Some shots from our trip to Victoria

I love this shot!

Travelers

In the journey of life there are all types of travelers. There are those who wander aimlessly, with little knowledge or desire to look for a path to follow. There are others who travel purely for the pleasure of seeing the sights. Still others seek fame and fortune, or perhaps a chance to have a trail named after them in their memory for some great deed. And there are those who walk with determination but with longing to live within the journey as it comes to their feet; helping others along the way. Are you wayfarer, tourist, hero or pilgrim?

Position vs. Person

I find it remarkable how great at classifying people we are. And a great majority of our classifying often comes as a result of observing what it is people do. But how is it that we somehow justify our perseptions and observations of a persons character and personality because of what we know they maybe do for a living.

This seems to me to be exceptionally true in evangelical christian churches. Though it's true elsewhere as well. A 'pastor friend' of mine and I were walking into a building one day and we happened to see a few people from the church we go to in the parking lot. One of these persons was smoking. After we had entered the building my 'pastor friend' asked if I had seen what had just happened as we said hello to those people in the parking lot. I said I hadn't. He said 'The one person smoking instincivley ducked down behind the car when she saw me.' And he looked at me and we both laughed. I have seen these people smoking before and they have felt no obligation to hide it from me, but when a 'pastor' sees you, it's somehow worse. Or perhaps Pastors are the morality police? As though wearing that particular title makes them something different than what they are already ... human.

We can't seem to help to do this, can we. We think mathmeticians are dull, construction workers are crude, pastors are 'holier than thou', car sales people are conniving, lawyers are swindlers, doctors are 'all knowing', etc, etc. These are our prejudices. We even pass them onto ourselves! I know that at times when I have taken a particular role or job, I have tried to assume characteristics that I though I ought to have because of the position I carried. But often those characteristics have nothing to do with who I am. Sometimes, especially in christian circles, others try to force us into particular moral molds because of a position of authority we've been given.

Are we purely what we do? I sure hope not.

Birdie blooper

So ... today I heard a story.

Lately, a lady brought a pet blue bird in to the veterenarian for some special treatment. Apparently the bird had beak fungus! How does a bird contract beak fungus? Anyway, so the bird has a fungus and the vet's solution to the idea was to fry the fungus off. He's going to cauderize the beak ... that can't feel good. So, to prevent the bird from flipping out for getting roasted for its beak fungus he decides to anesthetize the bird ... with ether. Which apparently is an anesthetic.

+

+

=

What the vet didn't calculate was the effect high temperatures have on a highly volatile and flammable gas-like substance such as ether. Ha ha. Next scene: a giant POOF and the vet promplty walks out of the room covered in blue feathers! Bye bye birdie :).

Bookkeeping

Bookkeeping. It's the only word in the english language I have seen that has three letters repeated twice in a row. But that's not why I have it as a title ...

Bookkeeping. It's what we do to manage our finances and keep everything legal and within the laws and guidelines that are proscribed for us as Canadians. It is also, I have been challenged to believe, something we do psychologically/mentally to provide a basis for our own worth and value as human beings. We bookkeep. That is, we keep record of certain things in our lives, and the lives of others, to make it easier for us to provide a foundation by which we judge what is valuable ... or not. Or WHO is valuable ... or not as valuable. This thought was a challenge by my good friend Pat Wiens one Sunday evening.

So it got me thinking. Do I do my spiritual and mental bookkeeping for myself or do I let God provide for me the basis by which I value myself and others. Let me go into a little more detail on what this term 'bookkeeping' means. It means I am prone to keep a record of things I have done or not done and I log them into my person to make myself either feel better or worse. So by doing good things for others, I log them as things that make me a better person, particularly in God's eyes (since I profess to love and serve Him). And alternatively, when I do things that harm others, I log them as things that ultimately make me less of a better person. But we are challenged that we ought not to view ourselves this way at all! That God does not keep books on our rights and wrongs. But doesn't He??

So I looked up some passages ... "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will rewad everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free." Eph. 6:7,8 "... great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; you reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve." Jeremiah 32:19 "For the Son of Man [Jesus] is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done." Matthew 16:27 "The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labour." 1 Corinthians 3:8 "The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. ... " 1 Samuel 26:23a "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. ... If anyone's name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:12 - 15 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." John 5:28,29 A good many of these quotes mention the giving of a reward according to what has been done. A reward is not something you consider getting for doing something evil or wrong or bad. It is associated for that which you do that is good and right.

It seems to me, from what I read here in the bible in many places, that there is a record and 'bookkeeping', if you will, of things done by us. It is also mentioned that our words are not forgotten, especially the careless ones: "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:36,37

And then I find this also in the bible: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered , it keeps no record of wrongs. ... " 1 Corinthians 13:4,5 And if it is true that God is the embodiment of true and pure love: " ... God is love. ... " 1 John 4:16 Then if God is love and if love truly is as Paul has described it, it would not be God's character to keep any record of wrongdoing. Therefore it would seem to me to support the description of God's character to be patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish. So then what is this record of what we have done? What is it that we have done or not done that will be judged and will either acquit us or condemn us? To answer this I will point to the words of Jesus in the book of Matthew again: "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25:40

Is it maybe not so much the deeds we think that matter, but rather the heart that overflows with that which God has already put in it: overwhelming love and faith in a Creator and Friend who, by His death and resurrection, has made a way to live forever free. For our salvation is not dependant on our deeds. Nor is our complete acceptance by God dependant on what we do. Our deeds are the evidence of who we already are and who we are becoming.

Griffin visits his Great Grandparents and other relatives

Griffin in his sweater knit by Great Grandma Neufeld

Griffin & Great Grandma Neufeld (below)

Grandpa, Grandma, me & the Grifster






















Great Grandpa Neufeld and the Fin man

Griffin's second cousin Veddar






















Uncle Dale with the little man























Cousin Tracey holding Griffin in anticipation of her own little one (due March 4th!)

























Great Grandnana Larson :)





My cousin Devin & I with our sons. Doesn't it appear that Veddar & Griffin are chatting it up.





Auntie Linda MacGregor (soon to be Grandma) chatting with the Finster.

Sorry

Sorry folks,

I had accidentally disabled the video below but have now enabled it. Simply click on it to view it. The video will open in a new window in You Tube where it will begin playing. Thank you for your patience with my blog inexperience :).

Smily

What a great smile :). The red line on his forehead is from his own fingernail! They may be small but they're sharp.

Interview with a Griffin

Posts coming

I have a number of thoughtful posts in draft mode currently but I have not had the time between changing jobs and avoiding sickness and family matters to spend the time I would like in thought on these various topics. Hopeful soon.

Griffin pics

Watching Worship

From Louie Giglio's The Air I Breathe,

"Worship is a verb - at least that's what author Robert Webber says in his book by the same title. I think he's right. Practically speaking, worship is always a verb. Worship is something you do.

Worship isn't something you watch, contrary to the thinking of many of us who attend church. That may be hard to believe, given that in most churches the rows of seats (or pews) are arranged with sight lines in mind. The lights also point to the stage. And to help you with your viewing pleasure, you're handed a program at the door - a lineup card for what's happening up front in today's 'show,' if you will. After all, it's all put on for you, is it not?"

Larson update - a new job and a new camp

Well, another change has come to the Larson family again. It's been a whirlwind of change of late and the latest twister has set us to moving to Camp Squeah within a couple months. I have recently received and accepted the position of Program Director at Squeah. Since my tenure at Camp Kawkawa ended, it had often been a thought in the back of our minds that this might be another possibility down the road. And now we've traveled down the road far enough to see that it's happening! So we'll be moving to the camp in a little while. It is located about 10 - 15 minutes north up the #1 Hwy from Hope (halfway between Hope and Yale). The position, officially, is interim for 2 years because the Executive Director is in a 2 year interim position as well as the whole camp goes through transition after losing their long-time Director Rudy Kehler last Spring. Camp Squeah comes under the umbrella of the Mennonite Conference (not that I'm given to any particular name or denomination). This will have been the 6th camp in 12 years that I have worked for as a Director or other position. Homewood, Pioneer Pacific, Imadene, Kawkawa, Nazarene church camps and now Camp Squeah. I feel I'm getting a good taste of a number of different camps and ways in which to make the best of what it is we do in Christian Camping.

Anyway, just thought I'd pass on the good news.