VBStress Produces VBS!

I will admit with complete honesty that I do not like getting ready for VBS. I am not sure why I dread it, it is never as bad a I anticipate but there is just so much to get ready and I am always stressed that everything is done, done right and looking good. It gives me a condition that many of us now affectionately call VBStress!

There are people who think that all ministry activities are a joy and believe to refer to it as stressful is sinful and we should count ourselves thankful to minister in such a free environment. Believe me, I do count myself lucky to live in a place where I can have a full time job as a minister in such a great church. I will not however contend that ministry is not sometimes stressful. We are dealing the eternity of all people here. Define stress!

What I will say is that ministry is always worth it. You see, mentos produce mass carbonation, ministry produces fruit and thus VBStress produces VBS. I love VBS and I believe that it is a valuable ministry that plants seeds that will be watered throughout the rest of life hopefully leading them to Christ and ultimately to heaven.

V.B.S.T.R.E.S.S.

Vacation Bible School's True Reason: Essentially Saving Souls

Randy was Right!

I don't believe it!

Extended warranty

I will attest to the fact that some of the dumbest words ever spoken are "Extended warranty! How can I lose?" I know that many companies make loads of extra cash off of cautious customers who want to make sure their stuff is maintained and covered should anything out of their control happen to it. The tough part with this stuff is figuring out if it is worth it.

Well about a year and a half ago my Mother tricked me into picking up my own Christmas gift. She told me that the Future Shop in Moncton had 3 Canon A60 digital cameras left and she wanted me to pick them up for some gals at work. One of them was for a gal at work and the others were for my brother and I. When picking them up I called her and asked about putting on the warranty. She didn't want to. Most of the time its a rip off. I usually get it though. Maybe I'm a sucker, an easy sell or just cautious but I most often get the extended warranty. So after much convincing I put the warranty on for some extra cash and covered the cameras for 2 years.

One of those cameras is mine now and here we are a year and half later and my camera died last week. Lens went and every picture looks black. However, because I have the 2 year warranty, it is completely covered. I hate to say I told you so Mom... so I won't.

This made me think, I am glad that when I gave my life to Christ that he put an extended warranty on me. In giving my life to him, he promised that no matter how bad it looked when he got it and how much I still abuse it, that he would give me a new one at the end. Free of charge. My camera is only covered for things that are not my fault for two years. My life is covered no matter what, forever.

Extended warranty... sometimes it is worth it.

ION

I know that I haven't been posting much lately and the posts that I have put up are all about Spider-Man, but given the title of this blog you really shouldn't be all that surprised. On to my life.


So last Thursday I bought a car, a Saturn Ion Sadan. It is a 2.2 4 cylinder. I was going to tell you that it was black but you can probably see that... unless you are colour blind... in which case every car is black... actually that is a very poor understanding about what colour blindness is... good thing this post is about my car and colour blindness.

Anyways, it is an awesome little car and I love it. I must also say that Saturn of Fredericton has got to be the best car dealership in the maritimes. They are so helpful and friendly. We bought our VUE from them and couldn't be more pleased. They really are a different kind of car company. And this is a different kind of post because finally there is content and no video. Enjoy!

I Can't Get It Out Of My Head!!!

Ok ok ok, I promise the next time I post it will not be a video but an actual post with things you can read about... BUT I cannot get this Spider-Man business out of my head. I have watched both Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 over the past 2 weeks and I can hardly stand waiting until May for the next one to come out. This is kind of a trailer but not really. Whatever it is, it is awesome!

I Cannot Wait For This!

I don't know about you but I can hardly wait for Spider-Man 3 to come out! I saw the "coming soon" sign for it at the mall today and I am pumped!!!

The Theme is Red

Today the theme is red. First of all because last weekend two of my best friends in the world got married and it was really awesome. I had the privilege of standing up with my buddy Dave as he married his beautiful bride Anna. It was a really special day and I am totally happy for them. What does this have to do with red you ask? I guess you would have to know/see Dave.



While away I also attended a preaching course taught by Dr. Jeff Snell who works for Lincoln Christian Seminary, whose school colour is red... I know that's stretching it just to keep the theme but I don't care!! Anyways we basically sermonized all week and it was awesome.

What kind of sucked was that while I was away to PEI I got a sinus infection and had to go to the clinic and get prescribed the "red" penicillin pills. As it turns out after 7 days of taking it that I am allergic!! I am a giant rash... from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet and I wish that I was exaggerating... I am red. It really sucks.

Anyways, I am glad you "red" this! hahahaha uggg. (scratch scratch scratch)

Upon Request

Well upon the request of my half-wit brother (actually he would have to be twice as smart to be a half-wit!) I have now, in the midst of all my installing of appliances, installed a tool or unit to wash my clothes! Yes, yesterday my good friend Corey and I carried a washer and dryer up the stairs into our laundry closet. My dad helped me get it up and running while Janelle helped me clean it up so it didn't ruin our clothes and Janelle's father helped me finish the job today.

In other fun and exciting news, yesterday was Canada Day and we went downtown to enjoy the biggest block party in Canada, or so they say. Man what a parade!!!! Man did it suck, it was one of those things where it just looked like a bunch of strangos happened to be walking down the street at the same time the police happened to be around. However, I will say this. The fireworks were really good. Shut up, I am not being sarcastic. At the Fredericton fireworks you can usually tell its the finale when five minutes have passed and they shoot off two at once! But this year they were close to a half an hour and I thought the finale had come twice before it did. It was really impressive.

Well I guess that is enough excitement for now, have a BIG day.

My Wife The Pharmacist

Well well well, for the last four years my lovely wife Janelle has been slaving away at the books studying to become a pharmacist. She's been eating the vitamins and saying the prayers just like Hulk Hogan says but at the end of four years and a bachelor of science in pharmacy, it all comes down to one test.

To become a licensed pharmacist you have to take a licensing exam. The tricky thing about it is that you not only have to pass the exam (duh) but you cannot be in the bottom 15% of all who take the test at that time (they do it twice a year). So you could get a great mark but if you are among the bottom 15% in the country you fail and are not issued a license. Well this morning the results were in and Janelle called to find out she is licensed. She was so excited, I never doubted for a second!

So that means in 2 weeks I am no longer the bread winner anymore but that is ok... I married a pharmacist.

Drilled

Well just call me Mr. HandyDan because the ol cordless drill has never seen as much work as it has lately. This goes for all my tools actually. At Christmas time there was a tool theme in my gifts, I got like two of everything: cordless drills, tape measures, hammers, saw, level, you name it. Now they are getting good use as the "man of the house" ,which I was in PEI too, is installing everything in the house. So if anybody needs a space saver radio installed, a bed put together, picture hung or a tie rack put up, just call Dan the "handy" man.

Table Talk

Well yesterday Janelle and I had our first meal in our place that wasn't over the cupboard or sink and not on the couch. That's right, we ate at our very own kitchen table. This may not sound like a big deal to you but it is to me. Our place is looking better every day and having the table in the kitchen is awesome to me.

In addition, the handy man of our household (that's me so don't ask CREEP!) installed our space-saver radio/CD player underneath the cupboard with my handy dandy cordless drill. I am patting myself on the back as you read (maybe).

Anyways, I can't really compete with my cruise stories but this what you are going to have to get used to! Sorry I forgot to take pictures.

Back

Well we are back in Fredericton NB and trying to get our place set up. Today's project is to get the phone hooked up... thus we have no internet LISA! haha. Anyways our townhouse looked great until the wedding but now that we are married and have another slew of gifts (I am not complaining in the least!) our place is once again a mess. It is good though. It is actually kind of fun to get everything unpacked and put in place when it is in fact your own semi-perminant residence.

Well on my trip I had all kinds of neat and interesting things happening around me... today I am setting up my new office...

Here are some dolphin pictures!!!

An Update (Part 11) Packing It In

Today is our last day at sea. We have started packing and it is kind of sad but it will also be nice to get home. We did some more sunning on deck nine and had lunch in the dinning room for the first time on our trip. It was great. No real big happenings today. Mostly trying to get organized so we can get off the boat with no hassle from customs. If you are not a USA citizen there are a lot of extras to take care of. Oh well, it is certainly worth it.

Well tomorrow after we port, our flight leaves La Guardia New York at 3:40 PM EST and arrives in Portland at 4:55 PM EST. We are planning to eat at the Olive Garden in Portland and then truck it home so that will put back in Freddy in the wee hours of the morning. Should be good though!

It has been a great trip! What a Honeymoon!

An Update (Part 10) Lazy Day at Sea

(picture 131)
This will be my last update from the ship as the internet is getting expensive! I’ll blog about the last day at sea when we get home. Today was kind of a lazy day. We got to sleep in which was really nice. It is really cool to wake up and look out the window and see nothing but sea, sky and sunshine. We had breakfast on deck nine, (I had corn-pops!) and soaked up the sun for most of the morning.

Around 2:00 we went to try and get on the “Newly and not so newlyweds game” but didn’t get on. This ended up actually being a good thing as some of the questions were not ones you would want to answer in front of a lot of people. It was funny by times though. Then we took the galley tour. This is where you visit the places on the boat where most of the food prep happens. These are really big. It was a long wait but kind of interesting. To clean these rooms they completely empty them and then fill them with water and soap and then drain them!
(Picture 322)
We also got to see a small demonstration of how they fold the towels into animals and the napkins so neatly. You could by a book that showed you how to do them too but we didn’t buy it. Not too likely to be folding them that way for the closet!!

Tonight was formal night again and this is the last one. (picture 114) Once again our waiters are awesome and I am confident in saying they are best on the ship. We also have the best table. (Picture 248) Joy & Trevor and Eric & Sarah are so nice and great to talk to. All six of us have had an awesome time together. (Picture 249)

After supper we bolted to see game seven on the big screen they use to show movies. They served poutine in honour of all the Canadians there and of course Edmonton lost… so to cheer ourselves up we went to the biggest buffet you have ever seen in your life. (Picture 336) Some of the desserts took 18 hours to prepare. It was awesome and I think I am going to be sick. Chocolate is coming out of my ears!

I must comment on this as well as I get ready for bed. The water is rough tonight, it was last night too. I love it when the water is rough at night. It makes you feel like you are sleeping in the world’s largest hammock. Well it feels that way for about 5 minutes and then I am dead to the world in the 9th stage of sleep. I will be there soon.

Good night.

An Update (Part 9) Swimming with the fishes in Tortola

(Picture 285)
Well this morning we woke up in Tortola, a British Virgin Island and things went quite swimmingly. Much like St. Thomas the water in the harbour was crystal blue and the landscape was beautiful. Not much to do when you walk right off the boat, especially on a Sunday but it was interesting to note that chickens and roosters were just out walking all over the place like pigeons or something but not as many.(Picture 261) We could have taken a cab to the beach on the other end of the Island but opted not to because we had an excursion at 11:45AM and did not want to be late or miss it.

Now I understand that the title “Swimming with the fishes” sounds a lot like what we did yesterday (snorkelling with tropical fish). Today we swam with fish again… but they weren’t tropical fish and we didn’t use snorkels. Today (are you ready?) we swam with DOLPHINS!!!!!!!!!!! It was one of the most amazing things I have ever done in my life! They love people. They actually remind me of dogs in a lot of ways. They are so excited to see both familiar and new people, when we walked out on the deck they swam right up to us and started… well making the noise that they make. They loved to be touched and played with too. The dolphin we worked with was Hercules and he was awesome. He was the youngest dolphin there at five years old and as a result he would sometimes disobey. This wasn’t bad though (for us). It just meant that sometimes when she told him to go do something, he would come to us for a belly rub instead!! We all got to rub his belly and back. Then we had a water fight with him, which he clearly won. We got to be kissed by him and kiss him back. Janelle got to dance with him (her and only one other person). The highlight for me though was that we got to call him over, grab a hold of his fins and let him pull us through the water! It was SOOO much fun. Unfortunately due to how wet this excursion was we couldn’t take any pictures to post. (Picture 287)


By the time the excursion was over it was time to get back to the boat which headed for New York, New York at 2:00 PM. Supper is a lot of fun. Tonight the waiters danced for us again and made, as many that would, ourselves included, join in a conga line. Really fun stuff.
(Picture 267)


Sorry again for no pictures, I will go back and edit these when I get home and I don't have to pay by the min for internet!

An Update (Part 8) Oilers Win!!!

Just so you know we still get to watch the games here! There are a ton of Canadians on the boat, especially on staff and they are seeing about putting game seven on the BIG SCREEN!!!! Too much fun!

An Update (Part 7) Hot in St. Thomas!

Today we ported in St. Thomas, perhaps one of the most beautiful places on the planet. It literally gave me goose-bumps to look out the window of our ship and see the picturesque landscape of the port. One of the first things we noticed was that unlike New York and San Juan the harbour was so clean, it was crystal blue.

We also went on our first excursion today! This was snorkelling in the Caribbean Sea and it was really fun. We got on a catamaran and sailed for 45 minutes out to Buck Island and snorkelled there for an hour and a half seeing all kinds of sea creatures and tropical fish. I was hoping to see a sea turtle but no such luck. We did, however, see a… well I forget the name of it but the kind of fish Dori is on Finding Nemo, yeah. It was awesome. After our excursion was done we came back on the boat to eat where it is good, safe and FREE! Well not really free because we paid for it to begin with and… So anyways after lunch we went to Magan’s Bay Beach. This was the most beautiful beach I have ever been to in my life and I am pretty sure the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. The water was like… it was like when you draw yourself a bath but get used to it too quick so it is warm but not hot. That is what it was like. The water was blue and clean, the sand was soft and, despite the intense heat, didn’t burn your feet! It was amazing.

Well I know this is not a complete day but the internet is cheap right now so I am blogging now to save cash!

We love you all, thanks for commenting and keep them coming, we love to hear from you!

*Once again blogger needs to start working so that all my pictures work

An Update (Part 6) Greetings From San Juan!

(Picture 148)
Today we slept in for a while and had a late breakfast on the back deck. You should see the guys make omelets! Really cool. Anyways after breakfast and a little sunbathing we ported in San Juan Puerto Rico. Now in every stop there are excursions that you can do and they can be quite pricy. There was really only one in San Juan that interested us and it was a walking tour of the rainforest here… a four and a half hour walking tour. We decided not to go. It seemed like a lot of walking in a very hot climate so we opted not to take any of the expensive tours and decided to just walk around ourselves. (Picture 154) That is until we ran into Albert. I said, “Watch it buddy or we’ll be sending your butt back to Porto Rico!” (That was for you Ben!) Just kidding. He was a local tour guide who offered to take us all over the city to see the sites and explain the history for only ten dollars! So we did. It was great and he was really funny. It rained a lot too so we were glad to be on a bus!

Once we got dropped off we hightailed it for the boat to escape the rain. (Picture 161) I will say this though, the rain was warm. And I don’t mean like at home, this rain was really warm. But there was a lot of it and I had my camera so, what can you do?

Once on the boat we had a little nap and then hung out on the back deck… we do that a lot eh? Supper was excellent as always and I must comment that we really enjoy who we are sitting with. Trevor and Joy have only been there twice but they are great and we see them around the boat quite often. Eric and Sarah have been there every night and they are great too. Supper time has been a treat to look forward to each night and not just because of the food… by now you are well aware of my thoughts on the food.

After supper we went to the show which featured the village idiots and holy cow were they ever funny! I mean I thought I was going to die! They did tricks and stuff but Wally the Great’s one-liners were killer! Like when the two of them were juggling 6 knives between them, picking them up one at a time, he said “Watch as I grab the sixth knife with my tortoise like reflexes and arthritic grip!” It was a great show.

(Picture 117)
After the show we went to the sail away party on, you guessed it, deck 9 which was a Mexican theme. HUGE Mexican buffet and a lot of dancing! We are a sweaty mess!
(Picture 181)
Having and unbelievable time,

Good night.

Ok so blogger seems to be having mega problems with pictures and internet is expensive so you will have to wait untill I get home to see these I left the #s later.

An Update (Part 5) Sunny Day!

What a beautiful day it was today, WOW! We woke up this morning to the bright Caribbean sun and it was hot… really hot. We got up and had breakfast out on the back deck. What an experience. Yesterday we had breakfast in the main restaurant and it was really good. This morning we got our food from the main buffet and wow it was amazing.

A lot of today has been just hanging out on the deck and sitting in the pool. It is really nice out and Janelle and I have been soaking up the rays! It has been super relaxing. Another perk was that I got on TV today. Just in-boat television but still. I was teasing the guy who was giving the shopping talk and he called me up on stage and gave me a prize for being married only a few days. That was fun.

The only real thing we did today that took effort was swing dancing lessons! That was super fun. Janelle and I got most improved as the instructor said that I started out with 12 left feet!

Before supper we went outside and watched the sunset. This was amazing. Sun and water as far as the eye could see. Supper tonight was also special. The food and service were exquisite as always but tonight the waiters all danced for us and SO DID JANELLE!!! They all sang “Won’t You Be My Girl” and it was frigging hilarious. Our waiters are awesome. After dinner Janelle and I skipped the show and danced on the back deck instead. This was a beautiful setting which was lit with stringed lights and stars. We had the whole deck to ourselves and finished the evening in the hot-tub on the same deck with some other newlyweds. Great day.

*Once again, blogger keeps messing up so I couldn't put up all the picture I wanted.

An Update (Part 4) First Full Day at Sea

We woke up this morning to the light reflecting off the ocean shining in our cabin. Absolutely breath taking. It wasn’t very nice outside weather wise but that didn’t really bother us that much. There is so much to do inside that it was nice to have a day to take it in without worrying that you were wasting such a nice day. I will spare you the details of everything that we ate today and just say that it was a lot! I can’t say enough about the food.

In the afternoon we went to the middle deck to see if I could play survivor but I didn’t get called. It was still fun to watch though, really funny. Then we went to a game show in the lounge witch I didn’t get to play but once again fun to watch.

This evening we met the captain of the boat at a cocktail party with free drinks and hors d’oeuveres. Tonight was also one of two formal nights where we got dressed up for dinner. Don’t we look nice? Thanks mom! After dinner we went to a Vegas style production which was pretty good.

At the end of the night we came to this little critter on the bed… hope he doesn’t bite!!!

Good night

An Update (Part 3) Wow...

Ok, so we have been on the boat for approximately 11 hours now and we are so glad that we came!!! As soon as we got on the boat we went to our room and it is really nice. Then we immediately went to the unicorn café. Here you can eat pizza, sandwiches, salads, Asian food, bistro style, burgers, desert bar, ice cream parlor… those are the options that I can remember! So good. By the way, at this point the boat has not left yet. When it does leave we cruise by Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty which was really cool. Then we went back for a little tour of the boat by got sidetracked by the unicorn café and more food! Then supper! Notice a theme here? At supper we sat with two other couple and really enjoyed their company. For appetizers, I had hickory smoked salmon and a romaine and cherry tomato salad with ranch sauce while Janelle had chicken skewers in peanut sauce. For the main course she had the sirloin steak with three peppercorn sauce while I had the zini pasta with sausage and bell peppers in tomato sauce with a side of sirloin steak with three peppercorn sauce. For desert we had milk chocolate champagne truffle cake and it was awesome. Before serving desert they asked if anyone at our table had a birthday, anniversary, honeymoon or anything of the sort…. You have not lived until you have had 2 Slovaks and a Chinese person sing “happy honeymoon to you” followed by, “boom boom boom back to the room!” After having our picture taken 18 times, including by one guy who just wanted Janelle in the picture (I don’t get it!), we went to the evening show with a New York comedian. He was really funny. Anyways, I am really tired and ready to turn in. Going to wake up to the ocean, no regrets, so far this is worth every penny!

... well for some reason Blogger is being stupid and won't let me put the rest of the pictures on, I'll try later.

An Update (Part 2) All Aboard

Hello all! We have just boarded the Carnival Legend! Unbelievable and we haven't even done anything yet! Just wanted to let everyone know that we are on with no problems and I will give you a better update later!

An Update

Well well well, right now I am in New York, New York at a Best Western with my new wife! Today is the first day of our honeymoon and we are having a great time. We didn't do much today really, lots of traveling. We drove from our place in Fredericton to Portland and stopped at the Olive Garden to eat. WOW! That has got to be my favorite restaurant! As you can see I was stoked to be there and Janelle was loving the food!. This was easily the highlight of the travel. Then we arrived at the Portland airport and had to carry all of our stuff... my back and shoulders are sore. Anyways, they, for some reason, never gave us seats so our tickets had us in seats not really near each other. A little friendly conversation later and we had side by side seats in the front row. Took a little while to get our bags and then finally get picked up and taken to the hotel but we are just settling in and having a great time.

That's all for now!

The Reason Why

I am going to tell you right now that I will probably not be blogging for a while because tomorrow I am getting married to the the most wonderful gal in the world. So LILY before you start leaving comments about how this post is old and how I'm old and (insert something exeptionally funny and or clever here), that is the reason why.

On a personal note, thank you in advance to everyone who helped out with my wedding. I have the best wedding party ever.

Little is Much

What is the measure of a life well lived
If all I can offer seems too small to give
This is a song for the weaker, the poorer
And so-called failures

Little is much when God's in it
And no one can fathom the plans He holds
Little is much when God's in it
He changes the world with the seeds we sow
Little is much, little is much

Who feels tired and under-qualified
Who feels deserted, and hung out to dry
This is a song for the broken, the beat-up
And so-called losers

Consider a Kingdom in the smallest seed
Consider that giants fall to stones and slings
Consider a child in a manger
Consider the story isn't over
What can be done with what you still have

This is a song by Downhere that really inspired me. God really does use litte things and underqualified people to acomplish big things in his kingdom. That is the only reason I am in ministry today.

Moving On

If you've been wondering what I've been up to lately the answer is MOVING!!!! This is what I do. I moved home from PEI and helped Janelle move home from Halifax and have been storing things in my Dad's basement as well as Janelle's parent's basement. I am now in the process of moving things from these basements into my townhouse. Then getting everything else set up.

When I moved home and got settled into my new job I moved things back in my office and am now in the process of moving things into my new office down stairs! So I go to work and move and come home and move some more. So much fun. Anyways, I will post some pictures of my new place and new office soon.

A Weekend To Remember

I can tell that you are already thinking that this is another post about Ben's wedding because that certainly was a weekend to remember but this is not. You see, when you don't post for long periods of time and have limited internet access, things that you want to blog about happen but you don't get a chance to post them... Until now!!!

So a few weekends ago Janelle and I attended the Family Life Marriage Conference A Weekend To Remember and that it certainly was. We had a lot of fun but more important than that, we learned some very practical things that will be a huge advantage for us as we enter married life. They basically just teach you how. How to communicate, how to resolve conflict, how to fight fair and so many other helpful things. They would say things like, "You may do this..." and I would be thinking, "I do that..." Janelle and I already refer back to what they said on a regular basis and it has helped us a lot. I really recommend that you check it out and if you are married, engaged or even dating very seriously I highly recommend that you go. This thing has even saved marriages that were all but over. They have had couples arrive in separate vehicles, staying is different hotels who had not been living together for two years leave the conference with hope and a new start.

On another plus side the one in New Brunswick is at the St. Andrews Algonquin. Wow! That place was awesome! They must have ran out of regular rooms because they put me in a room with a KING SIZE BED! I was stoked! Free soap, free shampoo, free shower cap, free shower curtain, towel robes. It was really cool. The bed was so big that when I got up in the night to use the bathroom I got back in on the other side! It was like getting into a new bed, all cool with new pillows... good times had by me.

A Big Day

Well this past Saturday was a BIG day! My twin brother Ben got married to Jacquelyn. It was an awesome day. He looked great, she was beautiful and they made a covenant promise to love each other.

I was an emotional wreck because I was so happy for them and at the same time kind of sad because this is an end of an era for Ben and I. Twenty-two years together and now instead of living in the same residence we don't even live in the same province. We will definitely keep in touch but I will miss him a lot. He is the best brother a guy could ever have and I am grateful to God that we had the amazing opportunity to grow up together.

I love you Ben!

Some Much Happens

I know, I know I haven't posted in ages, blah blah blah, who wants to read another post about that? You? Me neither.

So while I was away. During the break I did not accomplish all that I wanted. Big surprise. So fast forward to the choir tour. What a blast! All the MCC students live on a bus for a few days, hang out, watch play offs, play skunk and then there are a few shows thrown in there too. So much fun.


Next, one of my best buddies, Corey, gets married. What a fun day that was too. It was totally exciting and we had a blast getting together and hanging out again. So a big congratulations to Corey and Claire Dickinson!


Then, the next day, I graduated! Also cool. My brother Ben (check out his blog)was the valedictorian and he did an amazing job.


Anyways, I would like to say that I will be updating this more frequently from now on but I have made that promise before and we both know how it goes...

See you next time!

Maybe Spring... But not so much a break.

Today marks the last day of classes before spring break and it's a pretty full day with class, large group devotions, choir tour practice and a huge test in my 3 hour night class but at 10:00 PM ET I am done class for a week! YEA!! ahem...

This is the thing though, although the first day of spring is during the break and I have been able to wear shorts a few times so far, it doesn't really look like spring outside. In fact it snowed last night. This I can deal with, I know I know, complain to the clouds if you want to but it won't change the weather. I'll wear shorts when it's 2 degrees out, so no big concerns on that end.

The break is what brings me to my breaking point... see what I did there? Nevermind. You see, it is in actuality no break at all. It is instead timed to work 11 hours a day catching up on school work without pestky class getting in the way. I have set for myself the noble goal of getting everything done over the break but although I am confident in my ability to get lots done, everything is a bit of a stretch. I have 11 things left on the list and over half of them are for one class which is my top priority.


Anyways, pray for me that I don't lose my mind, and break me off a piece of that Kit-Kat Bar!

I Don't Know What To Say... Ode to Jose

10 years ago I watched the first two periods of a Montreal Detroit game where Mario Tremblay, the idiot, made an example of my long time hero Patrick Roy. The next day we traded the first round pick to Colorado. I couldn't believe it, it was the worst ever. Ten years later, my new hero, Jose Theodore, has just been traded to, of all places, Colorado. I don't know what to say.

Theo has had a tough year adjusting to the new pads, but still showed signs of brilliance. The former heart and vezna trophy winner has fallen on some tough luck lately with stupid drug tests and his family being in the news and finally falling down the stair and breaking his heal. He is still a great goalie and I can't believe we traded him.

He came into his stardom in 2002 when Jeff Hackette hurt his back. The young back up came in and took a regular season team almost to an Eastern conference final before another stupid coach blew it.

Theo is an amazing goalie and I wish him all the best in Colorado.

Good luck buddy!!

(uncontrollable sobbing)

Profile

Ok, the entire reason for this post is a profile pic. I know all you new bloggers have profile pics and think, "Wow Dan, what are you stupid or something? Can't put a blog profie pic up?" And to them I say, "Shut up!" It was harder when I stared blogging and now I can't just up and fix it! I remember back in my day when we had to download a program to post pictures and we used to have to use bullitin boards to post posts! And when the word blog was slang for a paper journal! Why back in my day we... nevermind, here is my picture -------->
Hey look its up there too! Sigh.

Ever Wonder Why?

Remember that show Wonder Why? You know, that jerk with the glasses who would get on your nerves at 7:00 in the morning when all you really wanted to do was watch Inspector Gadget? Sure you do. Well maybe he has a point because I think with a lot of things we really do wonder why. I know I do.

For example: I ordered some books on amazon.com recently, three copies of G.K. Chesterton's Orthordoxy, a book I am sure both readers of this blog are dying to read. I made my order on February 1st. Just to clear the air a little bit, I did not buy three copies of this book because I have desperately wanted to read it and put the other 2 copies up on my mantel... I don't even have a mantel! I ordered them for myself and two classmates who are all in the same Christian Literature course at MCC. Getting to the wonder why part, why does it take 8 weeks to ship 3 books? Yes Mr. Host of Wonder Why, why are my books not coming till the end of March? If someone knows, feel free to comment and tell me! Especially if you are the host of that show, who's name alludes me at the moment. Anyway, I am wondering why.

There are a lot of things that make me wonder, like how a God who created the heavens and the earth could know me, love me and genuinely be concerned about my life. I scarce can take in when I find myself deep in wonder over the hugeness of God and his love for his rebellious child. Love so great that even while I still rejected him, he commanded his love toward me and allowed his Son to die in my place. Wow... really makes you wonder.

The End is in Sight

Tomorrow is the last day of February and I am scared to death. I look at my task list and panic. I shouldn't, things always seem to work out and get done and so on and so forth but this time I am really afraid.

It will be ok though, I still have most of my sanity and enough to get me to the end of the semester, as stated, the end is in sight. I have little things that help me though. Janelle makes me awesome food everyday and just having her here is a huge help. I have also been playing hockey like three of four times a week which is a good release for me and a good chance to do something active. I feel like I am always improving too which is encouraging.

But still I think we all let the work and stress build up on us once in a while. I just have school, work, getting married, buying a house, paying for a car, moving, 8 weddings to attend and buy gifts for, paying for all of this... (breathing heavy)...


Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey

Ahhhhhhh

That's better

In Like A Lion (Always Winter)

It's always nice to look out the window
And see those very first few flakes of snow
And later on we can go outside
And create the impression of an angel that just fell from the sky

When February rolls around I'll roll my eyes
Turn a cold shoulder to these even colder skies
And by the fire my heart it heaves a sigh
For the green grass waiting on the other side

It's always winter but never Christmas
It seems this curse just can't be lifted
Yet in the midst of all this ice and snow
Our hearts stay warm cause they are filled with hope

It'd be so nice to look out the window
And see the leaves on the trees begin to show
The birds would congregate and sing
A song of birth a song of newer things

The wind would calm and the sun would shine
I'd go outside and I'd squint my eyes
But for now I will simply just withdraw
Sit here and wait for this world to thaw

And everything it changed overnight
This dying world you brought it back to life
And deep inside I felt things
Shifting everything was melting
Away oh away
And you gave us the most beautiful of days

Cause when it's always winter but never Christmas
Sometimes it feels like you're not with us
But deep inside our hearts we know
That you are here and we will not lose hope

Lord Help Me!

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

Its Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

Ok, so not really. It has rained everyday for the past two weeks and I have yet to see any Christmas decorations or anything that even resembles snow. But too me the season has arrived. I have already had the Christmas music* out for a week and we are less than two months away.

More than looking forward to Christmas day, I am looking forward to the Christmas season. I can't wait for snow. I can't wait for lights, I can't wait for Christmas carols on the radio and I can't wait for egg nog! I absolutely love the season and I get into it early.

I am really hoping it will be a time to relax a little. School has really stressed me out this year and I think I am just now getting in the "zone" which is late but better late than never. This coming Christmas does present some questions for me and some potentially stressful situations but I am praying that the relaxation and joy of the season will wash those away.

This should be a season of joy. After all it is when we take time to celebrate that God loved us so much that he sent his Son to the earth to save us from ourselves. What a great reason for joy. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season filled with family and turkey and let me be the first to wish you a Merry Christmas!


* If you need some awesome Christmas Music to listen to on your PC the click here: Christmas Music

My Brain

Well well well. Have you ever wondered what my brain looks like? Or have you ever been so mad at me you wanted to find out? I hope the latter isn't true but if you want to know, here it is!

This is the organized part of my brain which believe me is non-existent in my head. If you have organizational problems like myself then this my friend is the answer! My palm keeps my calendar, agenda, to-do list, contact addresses, phone numbers, emails and all of that fun stuff.

See I had to get a new one* recently because I am an idiot and broke mine by falling on it while trying to catch a foot ball. I thought I could go a while without it but after never knowing anything and forgetting about a test (that I failed because I forgot!) I decided to get one again... no regrets!

Well that was kind of boring but maybe Palm.com will read this and pay me for endorsements... and maybe not.

* The new one is a PalmOne Tungsten E2 - I love it!

The Biggest Family in the World

So many of my blogs end up being about how slack I have been with blogging so I am not even going to draw attention to that in this one because we both know I'm slack...
(actual post)
A lot of people say that they have the biggest family in the world. Especially after they get married as they take on an entire second set of relatives. This can be a substantial addition as I am learning while Janelle and I make the invitation list for our wedding! When most people say that they have the biggest family in the world however, they are mistaken... they don't. I do.

Now wait a minute you say, you haven't met MY family! And you are probably right, I haven't. Unless this is you Mom in which case I have but when I say I have the biggest family in the world I am not talking about my relatives. I am talking about my brothers and sisters in Christ.


In the summer I attended Worship East 2005 (as you know if you read this thing!) and while we were there they told us to go find someone we didn't know and talk to them. So I did, that is no problem for me. I met this guy named Adam who is from PEI but goes to school in NB. I found this interesting because I am from NB and go to school in PEI. We had a great chat and parted ways. A month later I found myself at a Three Season Ant concert in Charlottetown and this guy was there, spotted me and come to chat with me again and I ended up seeing him again at Dariy Queen. It was so encouraging to talk with him about the Lord and worship and other things and I thank God that I have family like this all over the world. People who I don't know but share the most important bond that anyone can have.

In closing I just want to say:
I'm S'glad I'm a part of the family of God!

In The Zone

Well I was going to title this post "Happy Birthday Mr. President Part 2" because just like last year I was recently named the President of the Student Association at Maritime Christian College and today is my birthday... but then I realized that was really the only thing I really had to say about it... so now to the point.

I seem to be having a really hard time getting in the zone lately. Do you know what I mean. That place where you really just get in the swing of things and are productive and efficient and all those great and wonderful things that help you do so well in life. I just can't seem to get myself back in there. I just feel like I'm really swimming against the current lately. Today was my birthday and that's all well and good but I just kind of had a unproductive and down day. I guess I have a lot on my mind. It's just sometimes when you think you have something beat or accepted in your head, your heart tells you that you really don't.

You probably have no idea what I am talking about but that's ok. I'm not batting for sympathy here and I am not trying to be negative. Anyone who knows me knows I try to be positive and tell everyone else to do the same.

The great thing is that even though I struggle with things and sometimes I have down days, my joy is found in God who is my refuge and strength and a very present help in trouble. Joy is so different from happiness because happiness is fleeting and joy is eternal. All in all, it's a good life. But pray for me just the same, that I will get back in the zone.

I Miss My Dog...

Well I have been back in Prince Edward Island for a little over a week now and I should be getting settled back into the routine and I guess I am. Once again reading is my life unless I am in class or doing an assignment and as I have stated in previous blogs I really don't mind it.

I think I am a little homesick though because right now I really miss my Dog. If you don't have a Dog or have never owned one then you probably won't get this but she is a part of my family. I love her to pieces and if you think that's lame then I guess I'm lame.


Her name is Shelby, and I bought her for my Dad a little more then a year ago. I asked for the friskiest female they had and boy did I get her! She is a little fireball that is full of energy. She is too much fun and loves to play but she is so gentle. She's my bud and we spend a lot of time together in the summers. I helped train her and I just kinda miss her right now.

I still kind of miss my other Dog too. See even a little longer ago I lost my almost 15 year old dog Chimo. This was the most amazing Dog the world has known to date. She was one the best friends a boy could ever have. I got her when I was five and she really was the best... anyways I don't really want to get all emotional before I go to bed so I guess I better stop there.

Happy Birthday Blog!

Well today it has been exactly one year since I started a blog of my very own. What an accomplishment. I am sure you are impressed. I originally started this thing because I have always wanted to journal and have lacked the discipline to do so. Sometimes I've been pretty good at a few a week and others pretty brutal with one a month... or less. Then there was that whole incident were every post was about my frustrations with internet! I still struggle with that sometimes! None the less I press on and hope to still be writing this stuff next year... for you the faithful reader... thanks Mom!

Well last year at this time I was informing you that I had just cut my hair all off. What a sad day. I am pleased to announce this year however that I have only had one hair cut since! Man do I look good... ahem.

Well none the less it has been a good year. Happy Birthday blog!

Back to the Books at MCC

Well here I am on the first day of classes at MCC. I only have one class today but I have homework already from a class I haven't even had yet! Oh well, I guess that's the way it goes sometimes! I know that there is a lot of moaning and groaning when it comes to hitting the books again but I really don't mind it that bad. I am actually pretty excited about most of my classes and I do enjoy reading and learning. Plus, this is my last year at MCC and I plan to make the most of it.

I think that is what you have to do with most things, just make the best of it. If you go into anything with a "this is going to suck out loud" attitude then it probably will. Most things in life are what you make them to be. I never wish my time away no matter where I am and I really think that's the way to do it.

Well I guess that is enough for now. Have fun at school or work or whatever you do, and I will try to do the same!

MCC you later!

Ugg that was bad...

Packing it in.

Well here I am at the office for one of the last times this summer. My job actually finished on Friday but I am preaching this Sunday and this is the place I get my best work done. I really can't believe that this is it. I am all done for the summer. My next visit to the ol office will probably be to pack up my stuff and get ready to head back for Maritime Christian College.

This has been a summer of new experiences. I had never been so busy in my entire life. I really think that this summer more than ever has given me a taste of what work in ministry is really like. See, there are times when I can't believe I get paid to do what I do and others when I wonder what I would make if I was paid by the hour. Don't get me wrong I love what I do. Even when there are things that are amazingly difficult, it is my desire and passion to help people and to minister to them.

They tell us at MCC, "If you can see yourself doing anything else, by all means, go do it." and I can't. This is what I have been called to do. To all of you who I have worked with this summer, thank you for the opportunity to minister and to grow.

So as I pack it in another summer is in the books. MCC, here I come.

The Way It Should Be

Well this past Saturday you would have found me, if you were looking for me, on Baseball Hill in Marysville. Some of you have already guessed at this point that yes I was at Worship East 2005. Man It was a blast! I had a ball. The bands were great and put on some awesome shows, the weather was perfect and I really enjoyed myself.

The best thing about it was this: It was the way it should be. You could bring all your stuff and put it where you wanted to sit and no one would bother it. You could talk to anyone and they were friendly and talked back. I didn't hear one negitive comment or curse or anything like that. It was just an enviroment where people who loved God or were seeking him could gather together and sing and dance and worship. It's great to be able to run around and act foolish for God and no one cares... not that that would stop me anyways but still.

Anyways, it was a blast and if you live anywhere near the atlantic provinces or in one yourself I hope you come next year to Worship East 2006!

Camp is Fun

Alright alright, I'll spare you the sorry I haven't blogged in so long because I've been so busy, even though I always believe my reasons (not excuses) are legit! So if anyone actually still reads this thing then here we go.

Camp is fun. Some of the best times I ever had growing up were at camp. I remember going to Bayview Christian Camp for so long as a camper and I now counsel there just about every year. There is something about camp that just makes me lose control. For example, I just got back from camp on Sunday and it was only a weekend camp and still I manage to pull every muscle in my body and lose my voice. I just can't help myself, I have way too much fun.

If you don't go to camp I would encourage you to check it out and if you do you know it's a blast.

I also wanted to mention that I was totally thrilled to be counseling with a guy named Jason who was one of the first camp counselors I ever had as Kid. I have also counseled in recent years with my buddy Brad and I just wanted to say thanks for giving to the Lord you guys. It was guys like you that made me want to do it too.

Camp is great eh? Any camp memories?


Here is one from me!

Have a Big Day

Yesterday was a great day! I got up in the morning and got ready for church and Janelle made my breakfast. I was a bit nervous because I was preaching yesterday. I don't usually get too nervous when I have to preach. I have been doing it for a few years now and most often just get the awareness of the responsibility nervousness but yesterday I was trying a new kind of sermon. I usually do expository deductive 3 point sermons as that is they style I have the most training in. It's a good and sound style that works. Yesterday however, I was a little apprehensive because I was doing a spiral inductive sermon. I am aware that right now some of you are scratching your heads and thinking, "I didn't even know there were different styles of sermons to begin with" hang with me. This is where the point of the sermon doesn't become clear until the end. Anyways, I felt that it went well. Much greater than that, two youth came forward at the end of the service to express a desire to have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. What could be more exciting?

Then I went home and had lunch and slept most of the afternoon visiting. It was a big day and I thank God for it.

A lot of people ask me what I mean by "Have a BIG day!" This is a good example - I hope your day today was as good as mine!

Have a Big Day!

Look At Me Go!

Well folks, I am officially on the internet for the summer... I think... I hope. I'm pretty sure this time because I had a guy who does it for a living come and get me hooked up. So all is well.

In addition I am learning how to do some of this internet stuff. For a guy as young as I am, I really don't know very much about computers and such but I am learning. I just put up a post on The "X" blog that has links on it and they actually work! Look at me go.

I guess the way things really work is whatever you spend time on is what you will be good at and what you will be knowledgeable about. So you spend time on computers, you will get better at it. If you spend time on your hockey skills, you will get better at it and if you spend time on your pie-eating skills you will get better at it. The same concept applies with God's word. The more time you spend in the Bible the better you will know it and be able to use it. The question of the day is: What do you spend time on?

Cause X Marks The Spot

A recent comment has inquired about what the "X" is. The "X" is the youth group at the Burtt's Corner Church of Christ. It is a weekly meeting on Monday nights where we hang out, talk, sing, do the beaver dance, learn about God, make fun of each other, eat food, play Parcheesi and other interesting things you would have to see to believe!

I have actually just set up a blog for the X so if you feel so inclined to check it out then feel free to do so!

www.causexmarksthespot.blogspot.com/

Almost There

Well folks I had internet for a few days back in May and then we got High Speed but of course I don't make smooth transitions when it comes to this kind of stuff... ever. So I now have access to a computer that has the internet but I still don't have it on my notebook. But I should tonight and if I don't well... I guess you and I won't be all that surprised. Anyways, I think I am almost there.

In other news, I am going to see the power team tonight. They are this team of huge guys picking up heavy stuff and breaking ball bats over there knees and chewing up nails and so on, all with a spiritual connotation of some sort. I should be good, I'm looking forward to it.

Wow this post is pretty boring... I must be getting rusty.

Better post later