Maybe

There was once an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day, his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbours came to visit. "Such bad luck," they said sympathetically. "Maybe," the farmer replied. The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it two other wild horses. "Such good luck!" the neighbours exclaimed. "Maybe,"replied the farmer. The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown off, and broke his leg. Again, the neighbours came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune. "Such bad luck," they said. "Maybe," answered the farmer. The day after that, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army to fight in a war. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. "Such good luck!" cried the neighbours. "Maybe," said the farmer.

Christmas 06 come and gone

My 30th Christmas has come and gone. Kari and I spent Christmas Eve at my Auntie Ellie's in Abbotsford visiting my Mom's side of the family. Christmas day we were at my Nana's (Dad's mom) place with 30 or so people crammed into that little house rejoicing and celebrating with each other.

Here I am with my very own tree cut from the bush for our house. You may not be able to tell, but I'm a little upset because I have already taken a few feet off this tree in all dimensions but it is still a little too large for our living room. My wife thought it was such a gas she laughed hysterically at me for a good half hour. Needless to say, after repairing my bruised ego I decided to break down and purchase a tree from our local store.

Instead I acquired this beautiful Scotch (White) Pine tree. It is a little prickly but at least it was full and of the correct dimensions.

We enjoyed our own family Christmas here on the 23rd. There is something magical still about Christmas and I'm not sure what it is. Even after learning Santa was a fake, and that our traditions had some little to do with the reality of Christ's birth, I still have a great love for this time of the year. I think a greater part of that joy comes from the time with family. For some reason, as I grow older, I grow to appreciate those whom I have loved and have loved me throughout my life all the more. And this is just one of too few times in the year to reciprocate that love with others.

Here's Kari opening some gifts.

This is a crib that my mother's husband Dave made for us. He's an excep-tionally gifted furniture finisher. This crib was made from pine taken from the Northern BC on one of their many hunting trips. Some of it tainted blue because of the Pine Beetle. The blanket inside is the receiving blanket my Grandmother made for my mother to take me home from the hospital after I was born! What a great gift. I'm a sentimental person so I loved it!!

Well, still no sign of baby Larson yet. only about 3 days to go 'til due date. Soon this crib will be filled with a brand new life!

I want to thank you again for all who remembered Krista, Kari's sister, this past little while. With much testing and worrying going on it has been found out that Krista was alergic to all the drugs she was prescribed which were not helping at all. Recently she has been able to eat some solid food and should be on her way home shortly.

Prayer for Kari's sister Krista

Here are Myself, Kari, Kari's sister Krista and her fiance Dean.

We would all appreciate your prayers on behalf of Krista who is currently suffering from the Norwalk virus. Although normally just a violent flu like disease, it's much worse for Krista because she also has Ciliacs Disease which has recently depleted her immune system. So, she's not doing well and we thank you for your prayers on her behalf. She'll probably have to spend Christmas eve in the hospital. Not a wonderful prospect.
Thank you all.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

May your Christmas be full to the brim with love, family, joy and the understanding of God’s wonderful mystery to come as a child to live with us.

Fire

Fire is an amazing thing. Essentially, the bi-products of a reaction when certain materials reach a particular temperature in our atmosphere. Heat and light seen as dancing liquid forms.

Fire is extremely captivating. I can sit and watch a fire for hours on end. Until it dies out. And I've been known to do this with a lot of other people. And we don't say anything while we watch the fire. We just stare into its red golden hue and become transfixed on the slowly changing composition of what it is we are burning.

Fire is change. It is an object reacting via temperature in our atmosphere and becoming something completely different molecularly. Well, wood, for instance, is mostly hydrocarbons. (Now I'm venturing into waters I know little about. I'm not much of a chemist). We are too, I am told. But when wood combusts and burns, those molecules are separated and unite with oxygen in our atmosphere to produce Carbon Dioxide CO2 (smoke) and Carbon - C (ash). Well, I don't really know what ash is made up of but I'm led to believe it's mostly carbon. I wonder if that has something to do with why we like to watch a fire burning: because it is a process of change that fascinates us.

Fire is dangerous. Starting one intentionally in the wrong place is a serious crime in most places. People once used fire to execute people for horrible crimes, or just to be terribly cruel. It is, in my opinion, one of the, if not the most, cruel form of death.

Fire is essential! The sun is something like a giant fireball that feeds our planet the warmth, vitamin D and energy we need to survive. Without the ability to make fire, most people would/would have perished during the colder months of the year.

Fire destroys. Like I've said above, fire can easily be used to destroy that which we've built or made. Fire is analogous with a life without God and eternal punishment: "It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire." Matthew 18:8

Fire is used to refine objects to their pure state. God Himself is described as fire-like: "... for our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:29, "By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men." 2Peter 3:7, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare." 2Peter 3:10, "If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire willtest the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." 1 Corinthians 3:12-15.

God is a fire of refinement. It seems to be His great desire to mold us into loving, selfless, goldy people and He is excellent at it.

What an amazing thing fire is. I'm sitting here in my living room, writing to you and enjoying the warmth of my own fireplace with a fire going. I love the smell of wood smoke. It changes the atmosphere in a room or even outside. It is something to focus on. It creates a place of comfort and safety. It is something to be thankful for. It is beautifully dangerous. We have even taken the essentially beneficial qualities of fire (light and heat) and reproduce them for our own effecient benefit. And yet in doing so, I feel you lose something of the great mystery and fascination that comes with enjoying the blaze of a hot fire on the hearth.

Devotion

I just recently read a quote from a youth pastor I once knew who was lamenting his poor devotional life. What I mean by devotional life is that aspect of life as a Christian wherein we are expected to spend a certain amount of time (usually daily) reading the bible, praying and generally improving on our relationship with Jesus Christ and the Almighty God. The lament was about inconsistency and lack of structured time. Although he admitted he's memorized a goodly amount of the Bible, been to Bible College and read the bible all through at some point, it seemed to me he felt his relationship with God, in general, was suffering because of the inconsistency of his abilities to conform to a ritualized structure evangelical Christianity has advocated for a few hundred years.

Now ... before I continue, let me say I applaud this pastor's honesty and desire to know Christ through His Word. He is a devoted man who knows God. And I believe there is immense gain in understanding and knowing Jesus Christ and God's character through the Bible. I am not advocating for reading less of the Bible, but rather more of it in light of what His character truly is. Please be aware I'm about to rant a bit here.

At what point in our history did we transfer all the responsibility of our relations with our Creator on us??? How is it that if we aren't reading a book and praying by our bedside for 10 minutes a morning 7 days a week we're letting down God and ruining whatever chance we had at knowing (and I mean really KNOWING) Jesus? Is God limited to the Bible? Does He reside in the pages of the book? Is He only really listening and speaking to us in the darkness of a room in the early hours of dawn?

The guilty thoughts that often come of this failure to comply (which I have suffered from, and occasionally still do, I might add) smack largely of a pride of the most devious kind. Without degrading God's Word (which I value to the extreme) or the importance of applying what we know to our lives in understanding who God is through God's story, we have missed the mark greatly if we put all the onus on a particular act that is completely dependent on humans. In fact, I view it not far off a traditionalist way of thinking that unless you go to the church and perform the rites and rituals ordained through the priests, your relationship with God, suffers and eventually ends in disfavour.

I have a cousin who has read the Bible from cover to cover at least once. He does not believe Jesus Christ died to save Him or that there is a God who loves Him (at least, that was his belief last I talked to his family). What then? Is my cousin only slightly better than other people because he has at least taken the time to read the Bible?

Reading the bible is not a relation-o-meter by which I can deem myself a good and successful or a poor and failing Christian! What a horribly modern, humanisitc view of relating to the creator of the universe and all life. Since when did God create a hierarchy of goodness for us to compete with each other over? What an awfully humiliating and shameful view of the greatest story ever told! I have come to know the Almighty God through so many aspects of life that to boil my own friendship with Jesus to my ability to read words on a page would only bring insult to my Saviour and friend. In truth, I have rarely taken the initiative to be intimate with God ... that is the nature of all humans. God comes to meet with me: through the Bible as I read and seek to know Him, through my friends and family, through my circumstances, through all created things, through my history as I meditate on past experiences and so many other people and books and ... the list goes on. I have learned more of God and Jesus Christ, His character, through other people, than I ever have through reading the Bible. God is here and His character is to be found by those who earnestly seek Him. I would not consider myself an earnest seeker and yet I have met Christ in personally moving emotional ways that have nothing to do with human contrivance or manipulation. The Bible's words are made true in my life as I learn to trust the God of life and love. Then I come to understand these phrases: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Denominations often have in their doctrine a statement that mentions that the Bible is the final authority for all life conduct on earth. How we aught to live and treat each other. How we are to know the promises and truths of God and of Jesus Christ His son. The Bible is the Story of stories. A book that I believe to be inerrent in that it is God's revealed truth on pages for us to easily see and understand His love, will, purpose, desires and character. But God is NOT contained/confined in those pages. Those words are a glimpse of a God far greater and majestic than we are able to perceive. And yet there is an inexhaustable store of discovery in the Book of books. In the words of the apostle John: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." John 1:1 This is the Word that I want to know, Jesus Christ.

Personally, I do not have 'devotions'. I have devotion to my Saviour and God which exhibits itself in a plethora of passions and actions. And they are excersized all day long when I choose to love my God. I do not have 'prayer time'. I pray. I am not saying I'm perfect or better. My attitude is different ... or changing, I suppose. Because I also believe that devotion must be accompanied by action to be made true and real. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22

"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." John 21:25

Phew. Well, have I struck or broken any chords out there?

Advent Prayer

By Henri Nouwen

Lord Jesus,

Master of both the light and the darkness,

Send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.

We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces

To hear your voice each day.

We who are anxious over many things

Look forward to your coming among us.

We who are blessed in so many ways

Long for the complete joy of your kingdom.

We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence.

We are your people, and walking in darkness, yet seeking the light.

To you we say,"Come Lord Jesus!"

Amen.

How many Tim Larson's are there in the U.S.?

Isn't this crazy. Though I've always wondered how many Timothy Larson's there are in Canada. I've met one other Timothy Gordon (with my middle name) in middle school once. But never a Timothy Larson or Timothy Gordon Larson.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 423 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Autobiography

I have begun writing my autobiography. I know I'm only 30, but I figure that I'll be able to remember far more now of my first 30 years of life, than when I'm 60 (or however old I am when I decide to finish it). I'm not revealing it or its contents until I'm gone from this life but I will share with you my three reasons for writing it. Here is an excerpt from the beginning:

"This autobiography serves at least three purposes, and may serve more that I do not know. Firstly, this account will be for the interest of my family and hopefully will be passed on from generation to generation. I am not hoping for publication. I desire that those who will pass on after me will have the opportunity to look into their own history through my eyes. I desire that they may gain understanding of themselves and some satisfaction in the knowledge of who I am. For to know someone, truly, is, I am coming to believe, the single greatest privilege we have as humans.

Secondly, this account is for the pleasure of God Almighty, who is writing all our histories into His grand tale to be unfolded at the end of all things. Mine is but a thread of wool among billions that will weave a pattern more deliberately intricate than we will ever imagine. May you glimpse the shadow of His image through the quill of His hand as He has written my tale.

Thirdly, and summed up best by the phrase: ‘Lest we forget.’ I have recently been perplexed and mildly alarmed at the lack of knowledge I have lost already in my family. The passing of my Papa Larson and Dan Krestinski and just a few other friends and acquaintances has made me acutely aware that with each death much is lost in wisdom and lore through the gift of life. I would think it a terrible tragedy if my family members did not have a better glimpse into at least one life they have known. It is also a tragedy, to me, to lose the knowledge of your own family history. Mine is a generation that remembers World War II, but only distantly because our grandparents fought in that great struggle. What will my children and theirs consider relevant when reading such history? Will we lose the lessons we’ve learned over time because of the passing of time?
We have the obligation and grand privilege of sharing our lives with others. That is our great lot which most are ignorant of or stingy with. So, even when I have left this body and am long retired from the earth, others may gain from my life. For life is not to be hoarded and shelved but intentionally and vigorously given."

May you also realize the significance of your own story. Share your life with others, for it is God's great gift to you to be given.

What is truth?

In 'A New Kind of Christian', Brian McLaren states (as part of a discussion between two fictitional characters) that '... all truth is contextual.' The context of that statement is the sincere attempt to understand scripture (the Bible) not just in a modern, North American, middle class view but as it was first intended - to a specific audience for a specific purpose.

But the statement stands: is all truth contextual? That is, is all truth only truly understandable through the context that it is said, by whom it is said, when it is understood or discovered, given etc.. A friend of mine once said that all truth is contextual because it is interpreted by beings immersed in their own contexts: culture, gender, biases, history, opinions, religion, etc. We can't escape it.

And yet I'm propelled to say that there are many truths that are far outside of any context we understand. For instance, the statement: 'God is good' is, as I understand it, a true statement in any age to any person or people. Or even outside of people or the history of the human race. I believe God was good long before there were people. And, of course, my language fails me quickly in my attempts to express this truth. But given the barriers of language, it is still true. And it is true in many more and deeper ways that I will never understand. For to know God is good, or to know Him as He truly is, I see Him and understand Him only through my little eyes and brain. And even understanding that I am made in His image, I am only one very small (significant) incomplete example of the image of God. And there are billions of examples of the image of God running around for us to know. Albeit misconstrued and incomplete examples.

So then, for us, perhaps all truths are contextual because we cannot escape the time and culture and places we are alive in. But that does not nullify the truths that are outside of our contexts. Does it?

By the way, the picture above was not altered in any way.

The church exists ... why?

What do you think about this statement on the purpose of the church and . This is a quote from Brian McLaren's 'A New Kind of Christian'.

"The church exists ... to be a catalyst of the kingdom. In other words, it doesn't just exist for its own aggrandizement. It exists for the benefit of the kingdom of God, something bigger than itself. Of course the church must grow, numerically and spiritually, but that growth matters so the church can become more and more catalytic for the kingdom of God, for the good of the world. This means that the world doesn't exist for the benefit of the church, as if the world were a mountain that we strip-mine to get ore to process in our spiritual factory, for the church's enhancement. No, the church exists for the world - to be God's catalyst so that the world can receive and enter God's kingdom more and more."

Oneness in Hope

I, today, have experienced something I have never experienced before. This morning we joined together for a morning service at our church building with the other two churches that share the building. A Harvest church, Anglican and Nazarene denomination came together to worship God and celebrate the birth of Christ all at once! Fantastic!

Hope has a very unique spiritual atmosphere among the church-going populace here. There is, in general, an air of working-togetherness for the same purpose. I have often been astounded, because of the relations of Christians in other urban centres I have witenessed, how much they often work and help each other here. If a pastor from the Baptist church needs a fill in one Sunday, they might phone up the Harvest church pastor to help. If the Nazarene's need a worship leader, they might ask the Baptists, and so on. I love it! And today, at the ANGLICAN'S request, we all got together to worship Christ the King. The Harvest did the music, we did communion and the Anglican's expoused from the Word of God. And Pat, my good friend and pastor of the Nazarene's commented saying [summarized]: "Isn't this great, that we can set aside our names and titles to come together and worship Christ. God doesn't see our denominations when He looks at us. He's not looking down and going, 'There they are, and there they are, and there they are and ... who are they?'"

How true, that we enjoy categorizing ourselves, often to our own detriment. It was great to set aside those insignificant differences to remember that we are one people under Jesus Christ.

Painting Party

Before

During

After
For those of you who enjoy updates on the Larsons, here is our most recent adventure: painting three rooms in our house. The green is the baby room (peeled pistachio), the brown is the living room and that bright orangy yellow is our bedroom. They all look great and Kari is very happy, which makes me very happy :). The staff of Camp Squeah put on this painting party to help us in our endeavor but also as a going away gift for Kari for the 10 months of work she did with them this year.

Thank you Rob, Liz, Dan and Brittany for helping us out! Thank you Lavern for lunch and thank you to those who put money towards paint (it's not cheap!).

Less than a month to go!!!

Wow, I can't believe we've gone through 8 months of pregnancy and we're less than a month to our due date! We're both getting excited and nervous as we discuss all the 'what should we do's and the 'what should we not do's. Baby car seat, buggies, crib, blankets, swing and a few clothes line our basement in anticipation of a new addition to our world. (I know you all are thinking I'm going to tell you what his/her name is going to be ... but I'm not).





Today we traveled into Chilliwack to get another Ultrasound done. Normally this doesn't happen but due to a routine check of the baby's health a few months ago, there was something that was needing some check up on it's progress in growing. So .... we have the latest pictures of our little baby. The top picture is clearly its chubby face, looking straight at you (lying down); the second picture is a profile of its face.

Ethics vs. Morality

A quote from a website of an emerging churches core value on character. I'm interested to hear your comments on their take on morality from this excerpt:

"We think that a person’s character is best judged by ethical standards as opposed to moral ones. Morality seems more concerned with specific behaviors (drinking, smoking etc) whereas ethics are more concerned with principles such as love, justice and humility. In determining the quality of a person’s character, we are far more concerned with the answer to the following question “what is this person like to live with?"

Is morality something that can be relegated to the backburner of Christian living?