Blessing Rains!

There are struggles that lie ahead and there are those that lie behind. The last few weeks have been quite weary with so many impending changes occuring in my life. But as my wife and I spent some time in the heart of Banff today picking up some food from the Bison and the Salt Lick, I couldn't help but relax and simply enjoy our time together.

After picking up our tasty meal, we took a few moments to visit a bikestore that my wife had noticed a few weeks ago and I admired the bikes that were on display. This is Banff so they were mostly mountain bikes (full suspension models) from Giant. However on the wall overhead were a selection of Cervelo Tri-bikes. Very nice product indeed.

After doing the commuter/bike messenger thing in Toronto I still love hybrids and I lean more toward speed models such as Trek's Portland or the Gary Fisher Mendota. Which is why I'm really excited about the the updated Cannondale Bad Boy line which now offers a 26 inch speed model. Essentially everything I did to the my 2005 Specialized Sirrus Sport Disc back in 2006 has been done to the stock Bad Boy but now with the capability to go offroad with simple swtich to knobby tires. Result: my new dream bike!

Tess and I are slowly but surely settling into our Condo here in Banff. I am still amazed that we found this wonderful place and that God has made it possible for us to live here. I am still very touched by the generousity of our neighbors and I know without them we'd have to struggle that much more to make it. I only hope we can repay them by giving our humble service in return should they need it.

I am a bit envious that my Dad is in Toronto spending some time with my younger sibling. I really wish that Tess and I could be there to attend the Bramalea Church Anniversary. I know that members of the worship team of WBFM as well as the soon to be new Corpus couple will be there to lead the afternoon worship service. Music: truly one of the things I miss from the T. dot.

I believe one day we will indeed reunite and the good times shall return. God is faithful and merciful. He continues to bless and to fulfill His plan on His schedule and if anything patience and faith have been rewarded consistently.

I pray for everyone tonight and I pray we continue to strive to draw close to Him.

My love goes out to you and

may the Blessing Rains never cease to fall!

Where a Line Becomes a Bridge...

There are no sides.

This little tidbit of wisdom came from a conversation I had with my younger sibling this evening. How true. Centuries of war would have been negated had humanity transcended and risen to a higher plane of existence by grasping this simple truth. Muslim would share with Hindu. Buddhist and Christian would walk side by side along the path. And peace would rule the West Bank.

Does this mean I am abandoning my faith? On the contrary, I think if one grasps the truth about God’s love, one would see that all are loved by Him. Over time many have passionately claimed that “God is with us”. God is indeed with us and for us.

But that means ALL of us.

The greater truth is that He is even there for those who choose not to believe in Him! He will not take away your power to choose but the gate is open yet.

For God so love the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life!

John 3:16

[For those who argue about a genderless God. You do have a point. The Bible lists the characteristics of God and “He” possesses both male and female qualities. ]

My point is that God does not choose sides. Why should we?

Closer to home…

It is so easy for us to be sucked up into a world, an environment, and popular culture that seems to encourage mistrust in the guise of promoting self-esteem and the power of the individual. In short, we live in a very me centered world.

It is no wonder that many relationships are going through tough times. By this I don’t only mean marital or romantic relationships but friendships as well.

Maybe it’s a subconscious thing but we are so quick to pick an opponent, the bad guy; our nemesis.

Hidden in one of the most violent yet moving films I have ever seen is a kernel of truth that destroys this notion…

“Victims aren’t we all.” - Brandon Lee, The Crow.

The truth is we have all have wronged in and been wronged. There is no one perfect amongst us. No one deserves to sit in the seat of judgment.

Judgment is not the answer anyway. I submit that mercy and forgiveness are.

By no means is this a passive suggestion. I do not condone hiding wrong. These must be addressed.

But should vengeance be replaced by mercy.
Should anger be overcome by forgiveness.
Should the line drawn in the sand
be replaced by a bridge.

Then a ray of hope
Can indeed conquer the darkness
And become the light
Of day.

Tour Reflections and Dreams of 3D Flight...

Hey all!

I would like to start this blog entry off with my thoughts and reaction to the 2009 Tour De France. So here we go…



I think the best guy won. Alberto Contador is a rider with the God-given talent, physical makeup, and discipline to assume the mantle of #1 in the world. I say this not only because he has once again proven himself in the Tour De France, but also because he has won the Giro and the Vuelta as well. This sort of performance echoes the accomplishments of Eddy Merckx (for you newbs, Eddy is considered by many to be the greatest rider in the history of the sport) more so than Lance Armstrong’s 7 Tour wins.

Speaking of Lance, one cannot discount his 3rd place performance. In a sport where most people peak in their late 20s seeing this guy throw in a ride like this at age 37 is still commendable. Granted he had an amazing team and director behind him but the talent that exhibited itself at age 21 is still there.

I think the real show down will come next year when each of these riders will have their own respective teams. I hope that Alberto will have the equal support that Lance Armstrong will have with Team Radio Shack. Lance will have the help of Andreas Klöden and Levi Leipheimer who are both awesome riders in their own right. I wonder where Alberto will go.

Here is an idea… Why not get Bjarne Riss to resurrect team CSC and get all the members from the 2004 squad like Jens Voigt, Bobby Julich, and Ivan Basso to support a Contador Effort? This was team that took on U.S. Postal during the Lance Armstrong 7 year reign and nearly beat him!

Anyway I’ll be tracking these guys through the onset of next season in anticipation for what should prove to be a kick ass tour next year.

Hobby Update



While cruising Youtube I stumbled upon some R.C. Helicopter flying videos that totally blew me away. Advances in carbon fibre manipulation, and electronics have produced machines that are capable of jaw dropping aerobatics. While many often say the sky is the limit, the well-seasoned pilots who guide these machines demonstrate that this arena may in itself have no boundaries.

It used to cost an arm and leg to simply own a hobby grade helicopter but I was surprised that pro level machines like the carbon fibre based Walkera Creata 400 are quite reasonably priced. This all got me thinking of signing up for a new hobby.



I’ll fill you all in on what I’m discovering about it through my research online and at the local bookstores. I figure I should be as informed as I can be before I invest anything into it...

Ice, Antidote, Siblings, and Other Precious Things...

So I finally got to see the Columbia Ice-fields with my wife and few of her friends this past weekend! Needless to say I was blow away by the shear majesty of the Athabasca glacier. As the pictures depict, I think I was a pretty crazy because I had to be the only dude on the ice wearing shorts! I think this is further evidence that I am truly adapted to being a Canadian now.

For those of you who have considered taking the H1 to H39 drive to Jasper… I highly recommend it. This is a journey where you will not only enjoy the ride but also the destination. I enjoyed our stops at Lake Louise, Lake Peyto, and especially the Athabasca! My only recommendation is that you take a decent car on your trip that can handle some of the steep climbs into the mountains.

In other news…

Stage 15 of the 2009 Tour De France is complete and Alberto Contador has made a powerful impression by attacking during the tail end of the stage and separating himself from 2nd place Lance Armstrong by a margin of 1 minute 37 seconds. This is big enough of a lead to all but guarantee a win for him in Paris.

I respect Lance Armstrong’s accomplishments. He has left a lasting impact on the world of cycling that is evident in the technology used in the sport, the way teams are run, and the training involved in getting ready for a race. Much like Greg Lemond during his time in the early 90s, Lance brought change to the cycling world and his contributions will be felt for years to come.

But now it is Alberto’s time and I think he deserves to win. He has proven that he isn’t scared to stand up to his rivals even though they might be his idol Lance Armstrong. He has won the Giro and the Vuelta. He is the real deal!

And...

I’m working on my first sermon in a few years. I will be preaching this Sabbath at the Canmore Seventh-Day Adventist church and the title of my sermon is “The Antidote”. I ask for those of you out there who know the valley of decision that I am to pray for me as I take this important step to answer an important question...

Also…

I’m praying for you younger sibling and all my family as well. May God bless you with a long life filled ith promise and purpose!

Really finally…

I love you my dear wife and I’m praying that the plans that we are making will be fulfilled. I AM blessed to have such an amazing person in my life! I AM the lucky one!

Fall Fitness 2009...

My boss reminded me yesterday that our location would not be open today till 1 pm due to Westerner Days (as far as I know it is Red Deer's own little version of the "Stampede"). I was happy about this because it meant I'd have a free morning and this would be short work week. A short work week means more opportunity to get other things off the ground.

This summer has flown by and fall is really just around the corner. The transition from our wedding through to the campmeeting has practically eaten up the summer. While I took some time to recover, it is now time to get down to business and and really focus on what comes next. I cannot really say anything more on the subject until I have some concrete plans but I'll be sure to do so once I do!



I've been keep track of this year's Tour De France mainly because Lance Armstrong is back racing. I've kept track of Lance's racing career since about 2002. I have a number of books authored by him and others that cover his story. He was one big reason I got back into cycling in back in 2006. During that turbulant year between 2006 and 2007, I must confess that the happiest moments I experienced were on the back of my bike and I gobbled up everything that was Lance.

Lance is doing well and even if he does not win the overall tour I think he will place high in the general classification. That is pretty amazing for a 37 year old rider who has not ridden for 3 years. This year there are others who deserve to win including Alberto Contado and Levi Leipheimer who both ride for Lance's Team Astana. I would be happy to see both do well.

There is a hunger in me that simply wants to be back on the bike and also back on the road of health. I made great strides when I first moved out here last year but a few things have stalled that progress. I believe more than ever, I need to be strong and healthy.

ANYWAY! =) More later! Oh... and a quick shout out to the siblings! Love you and miss you!!!

Just Call My Name...

So the last two weeks have sort of been chill for me. I haven't done much except enjoy a few DVDs and surfing the net during my time off. The weekends I've spent with my wife and even those have been a bit low key. I guess we're in recovery from the buildup and execution of our wedding.

Meanwhile the world has truly suffered a great loss with the death of Michael Jackson. Whether one turns on the TV, radio, surfs the web, or grabs the newspaper he is the source of all the headlines. While I think it is right to acknowledge and pay respect to the man and his talents, I find it equally sad that there are people out there who are exploiting him even in death.

I was also a bit more saddened when he was brought up amongst church members recently and a certain pastor's wife complained that on the night following his death she couldn't find a channel which was not broadcasting something about it.

"I wish they woudn't broadcast that crap!" She said disdainfully." Why are we paying so much attention to a sick and disgusting man."

I kept silent mostly because I was truly horrified at the way she said those words. I have no relationship to Michael and I am certainly not a hardcore fan but there is no reason to be this disrespectful of any human being. Whether this lady realizes it or not Michael is a member of the human race and thereby is also a child of God. If anything his passing is a stark reminder that death comes to us all and the results of sin scar everyone. Some of us are fortunate to hide these scars within. I believe it is poignant that Michael wore his on the outside and we as a world were often repulsed by them.

My parents were very conservative when I was growing up. I could only listen to the Heritage Singers and other religious groups. But the one pop song they allowed me to listen to was We are the World. The lyrics spoke of hope and a longing to join together to heal wounds. As Christians we know that this will never come to fruition before our Lord's return, but while we are here, it is something worth striving to be a source of healing to those we come into contact with. I believe my parents realized the intent of this song and respected it.

There is a video posted on Youtube which captures the recording studio session where Michael lays down his tracks for We are the World. The tape is raw and unedited. In it we see a young man who is full of joy, life, and indeed hope. There is also an uncanny sense of innocence coupled with the willingness to work hard and a desire to please. I saw the same energy in the kids I worked with during my time at WBFM in Brampton, Ontario. There is indeed a thin line that seperates us all.

I have often wondered why God made the penalty for sin so harsh. Death. But recently I realized that even in this God shows his mercy. Death is peace. No longer does this man have to suffer from the demons that have troubled from within and without. He is also spared the further horrors that he would have brough upon himself through the numerous plastic surgeries that he self inflicted. I honestly believe he would have continued to walk down that dark path were he to continue living. No one wants to grow old and face the march of time in the mirror. Especially a person who never truly believed he was beautiful.

Rest in peace child of God. Those of us left behind soldier on. Maybe the best lesson we can learn from you is that while we are here, despite our pain and suffering, let it be our purpose to uplift others to a better and brighter place.

Just like you did.

Birthday Musings...

There was a time when I thought my life would be all together at the age of 25. Well here I am, almost a decade later, on my birthday, and I am laughing at how things have turned out. One can honestly try to predict what the future may hold but diverting from pre-conceived ideas is not necessarily a bad thing.

Due to work schedules Tess and I won’t be able to celebrate my birthday in person today. But we plan to a bit of this coming weekend. She did give me a call around lunch time to wish me well which was really nice. I miss her.

Instead Mom, Dad, and I did lunch at the Red Deer Buffet and I had my fill of standard Chinese food. Yum. I have to admit that the oatmeal raisin cookies they serve there are really quite good. I think that it is a mission of mine to identify all the places that serve the best oatmeal raisin cookies. I love ‘em.

No birthday cake this year but while window shopping in Bower mall this afternoon I had myself a Cinnaroll to mark the occasion. Again, yum!

No real presents to speak of but my mom pointed out, as my Dad and I stopped by RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) to deposit some money, that Tess and I should be proud that we paid off our wedding with little to no assistance form outside sources. I hadn’t thought about it but she was right and I do feel good about that.

This past year has been full of change. Although truly tough at times, I am glad to report that it has all been good in the end! Now I feel the winds of change blowing again and I think I’m very excited about that. Tess and I have plans and I think they are good plans.

We pray every night that we are led in the right direction and that we fulfill God’s purpose in each of our lives as well as our lives as a couple. Friends, family, and one to love for the rest of my life. What more could a guy ask for on his birthday?