Leading Influence Ministries

It's Time

2012-02-10T12:32:00.000-08:00

Our vision is to be a national ministry that provides pastoral care to elected officials at the Provincial and Federal level. For the past 5 years we have spent our time building, learning, networking and growing LIM here in BC. I don't know that we have it all 'figured out', but we know more than we did when we started about what works, why it works and how it works.

Late last year, I began to feel like it was 'time' to start the process of building the ministry in Alberta and so I began the process of praying, planning and thinking through the challenges of doing that. During that time, I discovered that the Alberta District of the PAOC was holding their annual conference in Banff in early February.

(I know what you're thinking... Banff... in February.... that must be a real sacrifice.... All I can say is that missions work sometimes requires us to make sacrifice....)

I returned home last night after 3 days of networking, connecting, relationship building and sharing the vision of Leading Influence Ministries with pastors and leaders in Alberta. We met some great people who were very friendly and caught the attention of some influencers who are willing to help us learn what we need to know in Alberta to be effective in ministry there.

As I flew home last night, I began to make a list of all of the things that need to happen so that LIM Alberta can become a reality in 2012. It's an enormous list that reminds me of the mountains that surround Banff. They are tall... big and in the natural, very 'unmovable'.

The main conference speaker was Denny Duron from Shreveport, LA. I last heard Denny preach at a youth conference in Thunder Bay, Ontario about 32 years ago. It was at that Conference where I decided that regardless of what it might cost me, I was going to give the rest of my life to living for Jesus. I was able to have a coffee with him during the conference and share that moment with him.

One of the 'take-away' statements from the week that Denny shared with us gives me great hope for the future. 'GOD is ALWAYS doing MORE than YOU think He is.' If you say it slowly and ponder the emphasized words, it will encourage you too.

When we began LIM in BC, we had no network, no experience, no history, because no one had done anything like this before... and no successes. We were launching on the simple faith that God had called us and that HE was going to do something with us. Upon arrival, we discovered that God had been doing MUCH MORE than what we thought He was doing and the ground and hearts of people had already been prepared to receive what LIM was offering. We believe the same is true in Alberta. We believe that EVERYTHING we need to be effective in Alberta is already provided for us. The people, resources, networks and opportunities to see this transition from a dream into substance are already in place. We just have to take the steps to see it happen.

I have 3 things I'd like to ask of you. The first is that you would pray for us. We need significant prayer support to make this a reality. Secondly, tell your Alberta friends about what we are doing. We need to develop a network of people who will help us get LIM off the ground in AB. Finally, some of you may be stirred to help us financially. In the early stages, I will be the primary contact and 'face' of LIM AB. That will help us get started. It will also be very costly in terms of travel expenses because neither WestJet nor AirCanada has begun a free ticket initiative, but we keep hoping.... In the meantime, if you'd like to help us, click here. You'll be taken to our CanadaHelps page where you can give by credit card. If you'd like to give by cheque, you can mail to:

Leading Influence Ministries

626 Blanshard St

Victoria, BC V8W 3G6

The City God Builds...

2012-01-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

From To Transform A City (Swanson and Williams)

Have you ever asked yourself 'If God were to build a city from the ground up, what would it look like? Amazingly, there are actually passages of Scripture that describe such a city. These elements come from Isaiah 65:17:25

1) There is joy. (v. 19)

2) There is absence of weeping and crying. (v. 19)

3) There is no infant mortality. (v. 20)

4) People live out their full lives. (v. 20)

5) People will build houses and live in them. (v. 21-22)

6) People will sow and reap. (v.21-22)

7) There is fulfilling and work (v. 22)

8) There is confidence that the next generation will have a better life. (v. 23)

9) People experience the blessing of God. (v. 23)

10) There is intergenerational family support with family structures intact. (v. 23)

11) There are rapid answers to prayer. (v.24)

12) There is an absence of violence. (v.25)

The Year In Review

2011-12-16T16:16:00.000-08:00

Near the end of December, my sons and I sit down and watch multiple versions of the best sports Plays of the Year. We laugh, cheer, replay and 'wow' our way through at least one hour (but usually several...) of some of our favourite moments. As much as I enjoy that time, the opportunity to recall the good things that God has done for LIM in the past year is much more satisfying to me. God has been very good to us in 2011. Because of what we do, we aren't able to share everything with you, but here the best of what we can. We hope you enjoy it!

January - With the help of some good friends, we revamped all of our print and web material and developed some new tools to assist us in resource development. That might not sound very exciting, but we were in desperate need of some help in this area. God brought some key people to us at just the right time.

February - The Legislature resumed with a very unique climate. Both parties were in a leadership race. In the midst of it all, we were able to renew the ever important ministry relationships that are the foundation of our work.  I was also able to attend the Liberal leadership election in Vancouver.

March - I attended the swearing in ceremony for the new Premier and Cabinet at Government House. It's always an honour to be present for special moments like this. It gives us opportunity to connect with new minister and communicate our intention to serve them and pray for them.

April - The NDP selected Adrian Dix as their new leader. The Legislature resumed regular sittings at the end of April in yet another new environment. It would be safe to say that change was a constant factor for us through the spring.

May - We hosted our 5th Annual MLA Prayer Breakfast. This is our showcase event and we had our best response ever. 23 Members and a total of almost 150 guests joined us for breakfast in what has become a highlight for the Members. Our speaker was Corey Toews from Level Ground Coffee. Corey did an amazing job for us. If you see Level Ground Coffee at the store, buy a package and support a company with a conscience!

June - Featured our first ever Ironman of Golf. Tim played 100 holes of golf in a single day as a fundraiser for a travel budget through the summer. Because of the infrequency of sitting days in the spring, we wanted to have the freedom to connect with members through the summer. Olympic View Golf Course was a fantastic venue and the event was a huge success because so many were so generous. Thanks again for your support! Wait till you see what happened in July because you gave!

July - Was INCREDIBLE! Tim and Barb were invited to attend a Caucus retreat at Harrison Hot Springs. (it's tough, but someone has to go!) This opportunity may have been the most important 24 hours of our summer. By God's grace we saw a marriage restored and an MLA's wife come to faith in Christ over the week that followed because we were able to be present and provide them with the support and ministry that they needed at that time.

August - We took some vacation time and visited a number of churches to share the work and vision of LIM.

September - Marked the beginning of fundraising season. We help fundraisers in Kamloops, Langley and Victoria. We are always appreciative of the support that we receive at these events and more importantly, the relationships that we begin, strengthen and renew. The relationships are always the best part.

October - The Legislature resumed with a new Throne Speech and Agenda. It also marked the beginning of our best fall season thus far. Not a day has gone by without some meaningful interaction with at least one MLA. In the first 2 weeks of the session, I was able to pray with at least one MLA every day. This is another remarkable first for us.

November - Early in the month, I received word from a Minister's aide expressing interest in starting a bi-partisan prayer meeting. This is an answer to a long held goal. Our initial meting has been re-scheduled to late December, but I'll keep you posted. On another note, we were able to assist Christian Embassy from Ottawa by coordinating a meeting between an MLA and two visiting Ambassadors. We met in the Cabinet offices in Vancouver which was another first for us.

December - Our December story has yet to be written, but we are confident that it will be as remarkable as the rest of 2011 has been. Our hope is to finish the year in a strong financial position that will allow us to be positioned to launch LIM in Alberta in 2012.  Click here if you would like to partner with us by giving online. If you would like to give by cheque, please ensure that your gift is postmarked by Dec 31.  We know that God is faithful and good and are confident that we will reach our goal!

Our prayer for you in 2012 is that it will be abundant and overflowing with God's goodness and blessing in every part of your life, home, business and relationships. Thanks again for your partnership and for standing with us!   May you be abundantly blessed in the New Year.

Trip #50

2011-11-17T15:31:00.001-08:00

On the day I turned 10 years old, I had something of an 'aha' moment. I remember pondering the fact that at point in my life I had travelled around the sun 10 times. 10 winters, 10 springs, 10 summers and 10 falls, over half of them spent in Ignace, Ontario. In my 10 year old mind, it seemed like that everyone one of those trips took a long, long time.

I begin trip #50 around the sun today. They don't seem to take as long as they used to. On the contrary, it feels as though time has accelerated in so many ways. Where my summers at 10 were filled with vacations, lake days and trips to the farm, today my summers are filled with shuttling sons to baseball, travelling to speak in churches with a couple of weeks of downtime at the beach. Gone are the 'farmer tan' arms that used to mark my summer seasons. When I was 10, I thought I might want to have an 'outside' job. After 30 years of working, I'll say that there's nothing wrong with an outside job, but I am really thankful for an 'inside' career on days when the rain is going sideways.

As part of my job at one point along the way, I met an elderly lady named Mrs. Wilson. When you asked her how old she was, she would respond by telling you what 'year' she was in vs. what birthday she last celebrated. When she was 89, she spent a whole year telling everyone that she was in her 90th year. With respect to Mrs. Wilson, I've been thinking a lot about what I want to accomplish in my 50th year. I know enough about human nature in general and my nature in particular to know that the likelihood of achieving the things that I want to accomplish increases dramatically if I write them down and tell someone. These are in no particular order. Consider this both the writing and the telling.

1) I want to complete a book. I've been thinking, talking and dreaming about this for a long time. Somewhere on a CD or hard drive the 'bones' of the book already exist in file form. I am not getting any younger or any less busy. I will complete my book before my 50th birthday.

2) I've lost just over 20lbs this year through changing my diet and by exercise. I competed in my first half marathon with a respectable time of 2:05:30. Before I am 50 years old, I'd like to lose another 10lbs, complete a marathon and challenge the same Half Marathon in the fall and come in under 2:00.

3) I will become 'kinder and gentler'. I have heard two statements about other people that have challenged me significantly in the past few weeks. The first is that apologizing doesn't mean you are wrong. It means you care enough about the relationship to do whatever it takes to preserve it. That has been very challenging. I heard the 2nd statement at a funeral yesterday. 'He combated thorns by planting roses.' If nothing else, I'd like to give myself to planting roses in the lives of other people. They look good, smell nice and communicate value.

4) I need to 'go deeper' in my walk with Christ. The longer I do what I do, I come to the conclusion that in order to do this well, I need to become much more like Jesus. At a distance, 'what would Jesus do?' is easily answered. The longer I am engaged in this role, the more elusive the answer becomes because this is not a black and white world and yes to some good things often means 'no' to other good things. I need to dig deeper wells that will sustain and renew me as I serve where I do.

5) By this time next year, I want to see Leading Influence established in at least one other province. We are at a place where it's time to take the next step. In order to do that, we need to find entrepreneurial, risk taking leaders who are willing to take on this kind of a challenge. It's not easy, but it's very worthwhile! It's time to get it done.

Thoughts from the Trail

2011-10-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

Many of you who read this blog know that I have taken up running this year. It's been a rewarding experience with some weight loss, an improvement in my overall health and the rewards of reaching goals and milestones. This morning was particularly rewarding as I ran along a leaf covered trail surrounded by the magnificent fall colors. As I ran, I was reflecting on what I've observed at the Legislature over the past month when I had something of an 'aha' moment. The thought crossed my mind that politics has supplanted governance as the main focus of our elected leaders. Sadly, it means that most decisions are made on the basis of what is most appealing to the electorate vs. what is best for the citizens as a whole. Some believe that this is a paternalistic approach to governance. I disagree. I say that we need a shift in our political leadership culture that moves away from pandering to the interest groups that support you and towards a more serious commitment to the common good and in particular the needs of those who are most vulnerable among us.

As Europe teeters on the brink of financial collapse and America wanders through the doldrums of a painfully slow economic recovery, it's time to recognize (again) that we find ourselves in a difficult situation as a province and nation. We do not exist in a vacuum and what happens south of the border and across the ocean has a significant impact upon our economy. That impact will ultimately affect health care delivery, education, transportation, infrastructure and the list goes on.... No amount of political rhetoric, chest pounding or desk thumping is going to provide what we so desperately need.

We need leaders who are willing to risk political pressure from party insiders in order to ensure that the poor, weak and oppressed among us find justice, support and help. We need leaders who can step away from outside political pressure and being owned by special interest groups to address the pressing issues of our day. We need leaders who are able to move beyond their personal interests and 'hobby-horse' issues and find a way to work pro-actively towards solutions that appeal to the broad base of the population. Ultimately we need leaders who are willing to show leadership rather than vote hungry politicians whose decisions are based on gaining or retaining power. What we need is particularly challenging to find in an adversarial system designed to score points by making the people on the other side of the aisle look bad.

A number of years ago, a Cabinet minister asked me an important question: "How do I serve God in this place?' It's challenging to say the least, especially in light of what I've written previously, but I firmly believe that the Church has a key role in supporting those who seek to govern from that stance. I don't necessarily think that our answer is in 'taking over government' with our own political agenda. At some point we need to recognize that the kingdom is not of this world and that our primary concern is to be salt and light within our world. I do think that the answer is found in the church taking up it's role as priest within our nation.

Priests fill the role of intercessor through praying for those who lead. We must pray for those who are entrusted to lead our province regardless of their political ideology. Priests fill the role of advocates and a voice for those who are oppressed and experiencing injustice. We need to speak for those who can't speak for themselves. Priests 'stand in the gap' between those who are separated by ideology. We need to find ways to build bridges towards a more proactive approach. Finally, we need to be servants. There are tremendous opportunities for the church to serve it's leaders and it's community by meeting the tangible needs that surround us.

Get involved. Get engaged. Change your world. Make a difference.

My First Half Marathon

2011-10-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

A year ago, we all got in the van and went downtown early on Thanksgiving Sunday to cheer Barb (my wife) on in her first ever Half Marathon. I was supportive and loved the energy associated with that many people getting ready to take on a personal challenge. She did well and we all enjoyed a hot drink while she ran her 21 kms. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that just 52 weeks later I would be standing in running great waiting to take on my first half-marathon.

I started running in January. I did it as a weight loss strategy. In the beginning it was all about running a mile on the treadmill at the gym. It was a good start but I soon grew tired of looking at the same parking lot. I graduated to running around small lake in our area. I thought it was reasonable. In retrospect, it's a challenging, hilly course. Barb convinced me that running near our house might be a better option and so I began to run more regularly and for longer distances.

By early May I had determined that I would prepare for the GoodLife Fitness Half Marathon scheduled for this past weekend. I trained through the summer and things were looking good. In late August I ran 18kms for the first time.

On Sunday morning I stood with about 6000 other people who had prepared to challenge themselves, the course and those around them over a 21km course. One man was 89 years old. The gun went off and we began to run. I ran with some friends, one has done many races and is a coach. She was amazing at keeping me on track for 5kms. I got separated from them in the crowd after that and couldn't catch up. I carried on at my own pace and enjoyed the run along Dallas Road. I did well until I got to the area where I thought the turn around should be. When it wasn't there and all I could see was the crowd in front of me turning in the opposite direction of where I thought the course should go, I began to struggle mentally. I was discouraged and questioning whether or not I could finish. When we finally made the turn, the trip home went by quickly. (The trip home always feels quicker...) When I passed the 18km mark, every step was a personal best. As much as my hip flexors and feet were hurting, the pain was secondary to the reward of finishing. At around 19 kms our kids were standing on the sidewalk cheering me on. They said that I wasn't as happy as I'd been earlier in the race. My smile had been replaced with a grimace! That said, I was making good progress and the end was near. I ran past Ogden Point and began to pick up my pace. Fisherman's Park is 1km from the finish line. Because we were close to the end, the crowds were fuller and people were cheering, clanging cow bells and waving signs. In the last 500m, something took over in me and I began to charge the finish line. (Sprint would be a strong word...) I started passing people and closing the gap. My goal was to finish at around 2:00 hours. I finished at 2:06. My pace was 5:58/km. My fastest km was my last one.

Having never done this before, it was a tremendous learning experience for me. I was reminded again of the power of encouragement. All of those people standing along the road holding their signs, ringing their cowbells and shouting encouragement really make a difference! The high fives I got from my kids at 5kms and again at 18 kms helped keep me going. They said I was smiling a lot more at 5ks than I was at 18....

I'm kind of competitive.... okay... I'm a LOT competitive. I like winning more than losing. This race helped me see something more important. I had turned the corner and was on my way back to the finish line and was still meeting people who had started with me but were well behind me. I saw one person who was significantly overweight running slowly along at a pace that worked for her. I had tremendous respect for her and shouted some encouragement as we passed on the road. She was had taken on the same challenge that I had and while we were at different places on the road, her progress and pace was significant to her. I was proud to run in the same race.

My most inspiring moment happened when I turned the final corner and came onto Belville St. By this point the pace had quickened as everyone gave it one last push. I was no different. I gave it everything I had. (In my mind I was tearing up the road. On video, it's not as impressive.... LOL!!)The crowds were larger, in some cases 3 and 4 people deep, there was more cheering and most importantly, 500M away was the finish line. All of my training had been for this moment.... I focused on finishing well and gave it everything I had.

On the morning of the race, a friend tweeted Heb 12:1. The verse speaks of our lives as a race and the picture is of a stadium full of cheering crowds. We are running the race, with Jesus at the finish line waiting to welcome us in. Those who are cheering were just like us, except that they have finished the race and they want us to finish well too.

As you probably know, Steve Jobs passed away last week. He's been quoted as saying 'Live today as though it is your last.' For the most part, we don't do that. We live as if our last day is many days away. Reality is that you just don't know when your last day will be, so live like this is it!!

Live Well... Run Well... Finish Well!

Game On!!

2011-10-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends. It's Thursday morning and I feel a bit like I've been running a sprint over the last 3 days. The Legislature resumed on Monday with a Throne Speech and all of the associated pageantry. Throne Speech is one of my favourite events of the year. There's so much to see before it starts and so many people to see after it's over. It always feels a bit like a high school reunion at the reception after the speech. The room is buzzing with conversation, laughter and general pleasantries.

All through the summer, we had a distinct sense of momentum and increasing blessing on the ministry. There were certainly some significant 'firsts' for us that I can't share here, but there was something else happening that was hard to quantify. It just felt like something had 'shifted' for us. I found out on Monday afternoon that we had crossed a significant threshold.

Normally, I have to 'work' the room at the post-speech reception and wait my turn to speak to members as they are visiting with their guests and friends. I don't mind that, because I understand that they have a job to do even in that setting. What told me something had changed for us was when I entered the reception area and people began moving towards me to extend their welcome and appreciation. My intent is not to boast so much as it is to give God glory for His faithfulness to the ministry. Something significant has shifted for us and there is a new level of trust, openness and confidence in who we are and in what we do. That trust and openness has translated into some remarkable conversations and opportunities this week.

I'm excited about what God has planned for those who lead our province in this session. I'm more excited to be a part of seeing it unfold. Keep tracking with us. It's going to be an amazing Fall Session.

Hitting 'Reset'

2011-09-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

On Oct 3 the current session of the BC Legislature will come to a close. Members will return to Victoria for a morning session that will officially bring the session to an end. It will hopefully mark the end of a season of turmoil, intrigue and political uncertainty on both sides of the House.
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On the afternoon of Oct 3, the Lieutenant Governor will attend the Legislature and read the Throne Speech announcing Government's new agenda, priorities and vision. In this case it will be a lot like hitting the 'reset' button on your smart phone that hasn't been working properly. The hope is that a fresh start will result in things beginning to work they way they are supposed to. Only time will tell if the intended goal will be achieved.

It's not only governments that seek the opportunity to reset the agenda in the hope of a fresh start. There are people everywhere who long for a fresh start. Sometimes life just becomes too complicated, messy and challenging and we need to hit reset. Depending on who you are and where you look, there might appear to be many ways to accomplish that. We have tried for years to find a reset button that suits our preferences but rarely completely meets our needs.

The New Testament carries a central recurring theme around the idea of 'reset'. God knew that at some point we would all long for a fresh start. He made us to crave it. And so He sent Jesus who talked about new life with people from every social strata. The apostle Paul talked about becoming a new creation and John wrote about the tremendous forgiveness available to anyone who asks for it.

The big difference between the government's reset and this one is that the government's reset is based on the hope that certain outcomes will result. It may or may not be successful. God's 'reset' is guaranteed to give us a fresh start. Every time.

Need a fresh start? Ask God to hit the 'reset' button in your life! You won't regret it!

No Election Until 2013

2011-09-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

Premier Christy Clark brought an end to months of speculation yesterday by announcing that there would be no fall election. I confess that I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I am thankful that there will be no election for at least 20 months. It will be good for our province to have some political stability after the drama around the now failed HST. That said, it's obvious that the Opposition has become very optimistic about their chances in 2013 so it's safe to say that we are about to experience the longest election campaign north of the US border.

While elections are part of the democratic process, I'm relieved that the Premier is waiting until 2013. In terms of what we do as a ministry, a stable political environment makes it much easier to serve and minister to MLA's. Elections create significant pressure, stress and tension for politicians.

This window allows us to move forward with some exciting plans to ehance our ministry effectiveness. Over the next few months we will be working towards building some important relationships that will allow us to invest in MLA marriages and homes. We are excited about this tremendous opportunity.

We will also be working on a hard copy prayer guide for PrayBC that will feature MLA profiles and daily prayers. We keep getting requests for a hard copy version of what we do and we are thrilled to be able to move forward with that option this fall.

No election means there will be a fall session of the Legislature. This allows us to build on our progress we made through the Spring session and over the summer months. It's going to be an exciting year of ministry and I can't wait to get started!!

And Suddenly....

2011-08-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe this, but Christmas is only 4 months away. (I can hear the groans and cheers from here!) I was reminded of a sentence in one of the records of the first Christmas. 'And suddenly a great crowd of the heavenly host appeared....' I haven't seen any angel choirs recently, but I feel a bit like the shepherds might have felt on that night.

Things have been remarkably quiet on the political scene over the past few weeks. This is usually a time when MLA's and their staff take vacation time from their hectic schedules. Not a lot happens in August which is why I usually take my vacation at this time of year.

Last Thursday was my first day back in the office. I was preparing for some Fall Fundraising events when my twitter feed popped up on my screen with a note that Barry Penner had resigned as Attorney General. It's big news whenever the AG resigns and this was no exception. Mr. Penner resigned so that he can spend more time with wife and family. He's done a great job, is well respected and has made an excellent choice at this point in his life. The Hon. Shirley Bond is taking on a new role and becomes both Attorney General and Solicitor General. She is hard working, dedicated, wise and full of integrity. She will do a fantastic job! She also is the first woman in BC to be both AG and SG. That is quite an accomplishment!

I woke up early on Monday morning and heard the sad news that Jack Layton had passed away. His passing will have an enormous effect on the federal political landscape and leaves a leadership vacuum in our nation. Mr. Layton had a vision of Canada that ensured that the poor, weak and oppressed were cared for and empowered. These are values that resonate with the heart and passion of Jesus and Jack Layton should be celebrated for having them.

On Wednesday Iain Black announced his resignation as member for Port Moody Port Coquitlam. He will be the new President of the Vancouver Board of Trade. Mr. Black has been a remarkable MLA and former Cabinet Minister. He's also a family man and a job that allows him to be home every night is a very good thing for him and his family.

On Friday, we will hear the results on the HST referendum. After 2 long years, the people will have their say and we will live with the decision of the majority. In whatever happens, my hope is that our expression of grass roots democracy will be seasoned with wisdom rather than the anger that sparked the referendum. Generally speaking, angry people don't make wise decisions.

Wednesday's here. Friday's coming. Who knows what can happen in between!!

Jack Layton Passes Away

2011-08-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

There are times when you hope (desperately) for a better outcome than what you really expect. When Jack Layton announced he was stepping away from the leadership of the NDP this summer to battle a 2nd cancer diagnosis, I hoped for a positive outcome. I think Canada needed a man and leader like Jack Layton. He was passionate about ideals. More importantly, he was undeterred by the challenges that stood in between what he saw could happen and what he saw did happen. I admire his tennacity and commitment to care for the poor, the weak and the oppressed. Jesus was passionate about those same things and somehow along the way, that same passion and vision resonated with Jack in a meaningful way.

I met Jack Layton a few years ago when I was President of the Kamloops and District Chamber of Commerce. He struck me as a genuine and humble man who was more interested in being real than he was in pretense and posturing. My hope was to meet him again in my new capacity and pray with him in his office. It was not to be.

I heard the news of his passing early this morning. I had hoped for a better and brighter outcome. It was not to be. While his family has experienced a great loss, our nation has lost a great man who brought balance and wisdom to Canadian politics. He will be missed.

I read Jack Layton's Letter to All Canadians earlier today. I don't know if I've seen approach death in a more dignified and balanced approach. Consider his last words to all Canadians....

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear.

Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic.

And we’ll change the world.

On behalf of the board and partners of Leading Influence Ministries, we express our sincere condolences to Mr. Layton's family, his colleagues and his peers. Your loss enormous and our prayer for you is that the God of all comfort will be near you in every way. We have lost a great Canadian who inspired us, challenged us and left us with the hope that things really can be different than what we see around us.

IronMan Of Golf

2011-06-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

It was still dark when I pulled out of my driveway at 4:20 on my way to start the IronMan of Golf. On the way I learned that McDonalds doesn't serve breakfast until 5AM and that there's a line up at Tim Hortons at 4:30. (Desperate times call for desperate measures...) I arrived at Olympic View Golf Course at around 4:40 and teed off at 4:55. The first two rounds were spectacular because there was no one in front of us. It's the way golf should be played! Round 1 was complete by 6:55 and Round 2 was done by 9:30. Round 3 wasn't quite as fast and it just went downhill from there in terms of time.

I learned some important lessons. The first was a good reminder that adventures and challenges are always better when they are shared with someone else. A special thanks to my caddies and drivers, Wally Berndt, Cathy Hallam and Tyler Schindel.

Success happens when a lot of people work together. Thanks to our many sponsors, donors and friends who contributed to the financial success of the day. We are at just over $5500 on the day. This is what we know of. Others are pledging after the fact which is fantastic. If you would like to support this event, click here to make your donation by credit card. If you prefer to mail a cheque to us, just use our regular mailing address.

Leading Influence Ministries

626 Blanshard St

Victoria BC V8W 3G6

The staff at Olympic View was nothing short of incredible. They cared for every aspect of the day and all I had to do was keep hitting the ball. By my calculations, I probably had over 500 strokes on the day. It felt like 1000 by the time I was done ...

You can accomplish more than you think you can if you just put your mind to it. I hadn't swung a club in 3 years and wondered if I could make it. By the time I was done, my legs, shoulders and arms were very tired, but I completed the 100. (Tyler wanted to do another round but after a short snack, dad was ready to call it a day....)

I believe in generosity. I started with 120 golf balls. I came home with 40.... There are 80 balls out there somewhere just waiting to be found.

Remarkably, I only lost 3 to the water and just two went into the sand. The rest are just scattered in the trees. If you play OV, happy hunting!

I scored 15 pars on the day. That might sound impressive (and it would be if I only played 18 holes....) At 5.5 rounds, it's not nearly that exciting!

For those of you who are wondering how I feel, let me testify to the medicinal qualities of A535, Advil and some very warm baths. All in all, it hasn't been as bad as I thought, but I know that I did it....

Thanks again to everyone who helped make this happen!

And In Other News...

2011-06-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

I was in Vancouver for Game 7. We were in the large crowd about 1/2 a block from where the riots started. We left early and stayed up late watching the news and listening to the police helicopters. It's a sad moment for Vancouver. Call in shows, TV experts and the print media had a single focus all day Thursday and they missed the real story. Hooligans and anarchists saw and seized an opportunity to exploit the situation. They counted on a mob mentality taking over. They hoped correctly and got their desired result. They rioted for 6 hours until police got the situation under control.

The collective hand wringing, apologizing and prognosticating of Vancouverites and Canadians at large has now gone on for well over 24 hours. We are embarrassed, humiliated, etc, etc by the actions of a relative handful of trouble makers. In true Canadian fashion we will probe what has gone wrong with society, how this could happen and what should be done about it.

Lost in the shuffle are the heroes in Vancouver. Hundreds of police officers showed tremendous restraint in dealing with the rioters. Hundreds of Vancouverites volunteered, organized and came downtown to serve their city and assist in the clean up. My son and I drove through the area on Thursday morning. The street were clean. Windows were boarded up and people were orderly, calm and sweeping and cleaning. As we got to the Bay Store that was looted, people had begun to write thank you notes on the wood to those who had stepped up to keep things from getting worse. It's now called 'The Citizen Wall'. Click the link to see what people have written. Last night, a police officer left his vehicle unattended only to return to see his car surrounded by a crowd of people. Fearing the worst, he was relieved and delighted to see his cruiser covered with sticky notes expressing words of thanksgiving and appreciation.

The Vancouver media could do the city a huge favour by shifting their focus solely to the actions of the heroes. The world needs to hear about the great people of Vancouver who refuse to be defined by the violent actions of a few. Use your influence to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism that didn't need a committee to respond to an obvious need. Send the message that represents the true spirit of your great city.

Oh yeah... and Go Canucks! (from a Blackhawks fan who thinks you can do it next year...)

Spring Session Ends

2011-06-06T13:36:00.001-07:00

The Spring Session ended last week. The media says it was 24 days long. It has been a very unique session. Both parties have new leaders so in many ways it's a brand new day. There are new voices, new ideas and new approaches and at least one new member (Premier Christy Clark) who seemed fairly excited to take her seat last Monday. I confess that I keep waiting for her to say something like 'We'll be right back after this break....' during QP, but I don't think it's likely to happen.

I've learned some new words this session. My favourite is 'jiggery pokery'. My friend MLA Bill Routley (Member for Cowichan and aka 'The Silver Streak' or 'Brother Bill') used it liberally in his speech on the HST just before the government invoked closure. I've never heard the expression before, but it sounds very good when used in an impassioned speech accompanied by the waving of arms.

This has been a good session in terms of ministry fruitfulness. As I reported several weeks ago, we had 23 MLA's come to our annual Prayer Breakfast. This was our best response to date. It's a reflection of 4 years of full time ministry to MLA's. We have become known, trusted, respected and most importantly, deemed to be 'safe'. It's an important milestone for us and puts us in a unique place in the lives of leaders. The response to the Prayer Breakfast is indicative of the growth we are seeing behind the scenes. Doors continue to open for us into the lives of our elected leaders. It's quite exciting to see what God is doing.

We have some important plans for the summer. We've built some important bridges and we want to expand on that through the summer months by visiting as many MLA's as possible this summer through personal visits and contact. At present I have trips planned to Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the Okanagan. I'm hoping for one more trip to the Cariboo as well. It's going to be a full and busy summer.

Travel is always costly and it is especially costly in the summer. In order to provide for that budget, we are holding our first ever 'IronMan of Golf' on June 22. Starting at 4:45 AM, Tim will play 100 holes of golf on a single day. You can sponsor Tim on a per hole basis or on a event sponsorship level. You can support the event by clicking here or by contacting our office directly.

MLA Prayer Breakast Report

2011-05-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

On May 19 we held our 5th Annual MLA Prayer Breakfast. This was a milestone morning for us and we wanted it to be special. We just had no idea how special it was about to become. Five years ago, we held our first breakfast in a small room in the Union Club of BC. It was a great starting point for us. We had 45 people and 7 members. We were thrilled! As we began last week we had a total of 4 MLA's confirmed. Needless to say, we were a bit concerned. As we began to make contact with our regular attenders we were thrilled to discover that not only were they coming, but that they were bringing some friends along as well. The evening before the breakfast, we were expecting 17 members to join us for breakfast. On the morning of the breakfast, they all came AND brought 6 more of their friends. We had 23 members in total which is almost 30% of the members in the Legislature. We've come a long way from 7 members!

We were thrilled to have Stacey Toews from Level Ground Coffee join us for the morning. Stacey connected very well with our guests did a great job for us. To learn more about Stacey and Level Ground, click here.

You can see pictures of the breakfast by clicking here.

LIM IronMan of Golf

2011-05-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

One man. One Day. One Hundred Holes.

On June 22, Tim is embarking on the First Annual LIM IronMan of Golf. He will play 100 holes of golf in a single day on Victoria's beautiful Olympic View Golf Course. Our goal is to raise $15,000 to support the work of Leading Influence Ministries. These funds will position us to be prepared for a strong second half of ministry in 2011 and to ensure that we are able to continue to invest in the lives of our leaders.

We need your help! You can sponsor Tim by the hole or for the entire event simply by clicking on the Chipin widget on the sidebar of this page.

Thanks in advance! You can check back on our progress at any time by visiting this page!

'Spinter' About to End In Victoria

2011-05-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

It's been an unusually cool spring in Victoria. Someone referred to it as 'Spinter' the other day. Winter doesn't want to let go and spring seems a bit shy in appearing. I think I may know the reason for the chilly weather. The usual February to May spring session of the Legislature has been reduced (up until last week) to only 4 days. The lack of heat usually generated by thirty minutes of intense political rhetoric has impacted the local climate considerably.

However, things are heating up in Legislature as normal sessions resumed last week and I predict that in no time at all, Victoria in particular and British Columbians in general will be enjoying our usual balmy spring weather. The projected high for today is 15 C which is up considerably from last week. I have heard that we can expect a much warmer late May and June.

Expectations are that things may heat up even more on Thursday after the By Election in Vancouver Pt. Grey, especially if Premier Clark wins her seat in the Legislature.

There's never a dull moment in BC politics!

LIM Announces Board and Staff Changes

2011-05-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

I'll never forget our first board meeting for Leading Influence Ministries. I sat in my 'office' formerly known as 'the closet' and chaired a teleconference meeting. Six of us were scattered from Kamloops to Victoria and we spent our time talking and planning about how we could make the vision of ministry to MLA's become a reality. In those days, LIM was little more than a fuzzy vision.

I am very grateful to the people who stood with me as we began the journey towards establishing a viable and credible ministry to elected officials. Donna Pechie and Dave Hauser were two of our original members. I have very mixed emotions as I announce their resignation from the board of LIM. I have known and enjoyed longterm friendships with each of them. They have been tremendously committed to establishing LIM and I am very grateful. Apart from me, they are the last two remaining members from our original team. If we ever do a 'Hall of Fame', their pictures will be on the wall. Beverlee Caron has stepped away from the board as well. I also want to thank Beverlee for her sacrifice of time, energy and faithful service to the ministry.

Change can be unsettling, but it also provides an opportunity for growth and expansion. I'm pleased to announce that our board has appointed Janice Grunert from Kamloops, Dick Knight from Victoria and Dan Smith from Vancouver to join our team. They will be joining Paul Vermes (Victoria) Dr. Len Demarchi (Kamloops) and Dan Cousins (Nanaimo).

I'm also very pleased to announce that Dick Knight and his wife Jacki will also be taking on the role of Prayer Coordinators for LIM and providing leadership to PrayBC.

Finally, I'd like to introduce Cathy Hallam. Cathy has joined our team as ministry coordinator. She is serving in a short term volunteer role at the moment, but we are working hard to raise the support necessary to compensate her appropriately. She has been an enormous blessing already and I'm confident that will only increase as we move forward.

Who Would Jesus Vote For?

2011-04-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

With the Federal election less than 10 days away, I've been thinking about who Jesus might for if He was living in Canada. Unlike the USA with only two options, Canadians will have at least 4 or 5 options and in some cases as many as 7 or 8 choices, we're just that much better a country!!

So... in terms of platforms and ideology, how might Jesus vote? In the interest of fairness, I thought that the best way to do this would be to evaluate each party alphabetically. Some of you may not like what I'm about to say, but we live in a free country so feel free to disagree and share your comments.

The Bloq....
I'm a Westerner by birth and by choice so it's a bit hard to fully understand why anyone would want to leave Canada because I think it's the best nation on earth. That said, if I put myself in the shoes of a Quebecois, I think I could understand the rationale of the Bloq. Westerners periodically float the idea of a Western based party to represent our interests alone. That's really what the Bloq does for Quebec. Like it or not, Quebec has and is a unique culture and partner in Confederation. They represent 25% of the Canadian population so there's certainly room for a unique place within Canada. Would Jesus vote for the Bloq? I think He might, if he was a Quebecois. Jesus knew what it was like to be a member of a unique culture in a much larger country and I think He might vote to protect language and a unique cultural identity while at the same time calling people to commit to a higher kingdom.

The Conservatives....
I know many Christians who believe that Jesus would vote for the Conservatives. There are certainly values within the Conservative party that are aligned with values that are important to Jesus. One of several would be a commitment to good financial stewardship. Another could be the promise to create an Office of Religious Freedom. I think that Jesus would support things like that.

The Greens....
Over a million people voted for the Green Party in the last election. The Greens are committed to environmental stewardship. Many Christians are dismissive of the environmental movement, but I think that Jesus might think differently than most of us do. God has entrusted the care of the earth and it's environment to people. As His people, we have a responsibility to practice proper stewardship of the earth. I don't think anyone is more committed to good stewardship of the environment than the Greens so maybe Jesus would walk, ride a bike or take public transit to the polls where it's possible that He might vote for the Greens.

The Liberals....
The Liberals are about an ideology that says that if we all work together, regardless of our culture, language, color and geography, we can build a better nation. They are more 'liberal' in their social policy and have more of a 'government will provide that for you' approach than the Conservatives. Would Jesus vote for them? I can see that happening. Jesus is attracted to people who seek to build unity and in the process give themselves to building a better nation.

The NDP....
The NDP is on a tear during this campaign. As of last week, they had risen into 2nd place in the polls. They certainly have momentum and their leader is having what I'm sure is the time of his life as his party enjoys unprecedented success in a campaign. That said, would Jesus vote for the NDP? Wait for it .... He might....
For some people the idea of Jesus voting for the NDP might be beyond the realm of possibility, but here are some things to consider. The NDP was born in church basements around the idea that someone needed to represent the poor, the oppressed and the underprivileged. To a large extent their ethos still revolves around that basic principle. Jesus cares deeply for the poor, the widow, the orphan and the oppressed so He just might cast his ballot for the NDP.

Reality Check...
Jesus can't vote in the Canadian Election. He's not a Canadian Citizen because His kingdom is not of this world. That said, He's expecting His people to show up and vote. In a world where people are literally dying for the right to vote, it's the least that you can do. How you vote is a matter between you, God and your conscience. Make your choice on the party or candidate that you believe best represents your vision for what you believe Canada should be and the values that best represent who you are. Make that decision prayerfully. There is a right way for you to vote. Find it!

Nation Changing or Nation Building?

2011-04-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

I was listening to CBC's 'Cross Country Checkup' and heard one of the guests share how he tells young people that they could become politicians and change our nation. I've been thinking about it ever since.... I've come to the conclusion that rather than Nation 'Changers' what we really need are Nation 'Builders'. Here's why...

It seems to me that 'Nation Changing' is largely a self serving pursuit. Nation Changers seek to shape our nation to suit their vision, values and ideals. The wonder of democracy is that if your vision, values and ideals resonate with the majority, you are empowered to make the changes that you have put forth. The upside, if you are on the 50% plus one side is you have the opportunity to change the nation as you see fit. The downside is that 50% less one of the population are left on the outside looking in. The risk for the Nation Changer is that in most cases, the electorate is impatient and unwilling to pay the price necessary for change. Inevitably, a new Nation Changer emerges with fresh promises of a better nation and the electorate, tired of the last 'Changer', votes in the new one based on the newest promises.

I have grown weary of 'Nation Changers' making grandiose promises. I am fearful of their arrogance and suspicious of their motives. We are a diverse nation. We are a nation of immigrants that have formed a collective identity of tolerance, acceptance and cultural harmony. We have become who we are through a combination of leadership from Conservatives, Liberals, NDP'ers, the Bloq and more recently the Greens. For our almost 144 years as a nation, Canadians from every political stripe brought their best to the table and did what they could to make Canada a better place. God give us more of the same!

Perhaps our nation doesn't need to be changed as much as our nation needs willing servants who are committed to building a future based on our collective values and vision. One of my favourite BC MLA's was Corky Evans. Corky was the member for Creston. His speeches were a blend of warm folksy stories used to make subtle (and sometimes not so subtle....) political points. In one his most memorable (to me) speech, he said something like this. 'Mr. Speaker, we come here from different parts of the province with one thing in common. We all want to make BC a better place to live. We just have different ideas on how to get there.' I think he's right. I also think that it takes a variety of people from a diversity of social, ethnic, religious and political backgrounds working together to build a great nation.

I'm leery of any party that wants to 'change' our nation. No single political party as 'the' secret to building a great nation. It's like anything else, our blindspots exist within our strengths. Our strengths may even create our blindspots. I think that's particularly true in politics.

My hope is that rather than nation changers, nation builders arise among us with the commitment and courage necessary to help us remain the greatest nation on earth!

Ballots Are Cheaper Than Bullets

2011-03-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

Like a lot of other people, I'm watching the federal political scene with interest. It's no secret that the possibility of a federal election was very real, especially since the Conservatives are in a place where they can win a majority. I'm mostly fascinated by what I heard on call-in shows yesterday. Talk show hosts are stirring up the masses by asking if they really want an election. The masses are responding appropriately by complaining about the cost of yet another election.

A federal election will cost taxpayers approx. 300 million dollars. (I got that number from a talk show host so it may or may not be accurate...) That's a lot of money that could be used in other places for things that on the surface seem to be much more important than another election.... Until you think about it in broader terms.

Hosni Mubarak, former President and dictator of Egypt ruled for 30 years with no elections. You could argue that the nation saved 300 million dollars every time they didn't vote but that didn't happen. Instead, Mr. Mubarak was 're-directing' government revenues into his own offshore accounts.

Muammar Gaddafi, president of Libya according to those closest to him is a terrorist, murderer and thief. As I write this, he is waging on war on his own people who dare to demonstrate in their desperate quest for democracy. They haven't spent money on elections in years and blood literally is being spilled on the streets to ensure there aren't any for a long time to come. The government is saving millions and millions of taxpayer dollars by not having elections but spending millions on bombs and bullets. Bullets might be cheaper than ballots in the short term, but in the long run democracy is a much better deal.

Over the past almost 4 years, I've attended the Legislature every day that it has been in session. At times democracy is loud and obnoxious. At times it is painfully slow and tedious. (It's like watching paint dry, except that you know within 24 hours, the pain will actually be dry ....) At other times it is a study in how to change a province or nation without a single shot being fired.

4 Elections in 7 years feels like a lot but give me a nation where I am free to choose and a system that allows me to choose without a shot being fired. Men have died, are dying and will die in the pursuit of freedom and the right to choose our own destiny through a secret ballot. Freedom is always worth the sacrifice. In the end, ballots are much cheaper than bullets.

In spite of it's messy dysfunctions, LONG LIVE DEMOCRACY!

Standing With You

2011-03-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

I was speaking with the Missions Coordinator of a partner church today. As we were talking, he commented that I was a part of them and they were a part of what I am doing here in Victoria. He said 'There are 3000 people standing with you Tim. We believe in you.'

While I love what I do and am very excited about the many ways in which the ministry is expanding and growing, I needed to hear that today. When I started adding up the many who stand with us either directly or indirectly through the financial and prayer support that their church provides, there are probably over 8000 people who are involved with us in some way. It's been an exciting realization. It's incredibly humbling, inspiring and frankly mind boggling to me. I feel a bit like Elisha's prophet who was thinking that he and Elijah were all on their own until God opened his eyes and he saw the armies of God standing by to protect and go to battle on his behalf (2 Kings 6).

I'm feeling inspired, strengthened and renewed because of what my friend shared with me today. You are reading this blog or email post today because you are one of the many who stand with us. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! We are serving, encouraging and blessing leaders together!

A New Beginning

2011-03-14T17:27:00.000-07:00

I attended the Swearing In Ceremony for Premier Christy Clark and the new Cabinet today. It's always a privilege to attend special events like this and I'm grateful for the opportunity to be there.

Today was unique in many ways. While I've attended previous swearing in ceremonies, this felt more like the swearing in of a new government. It's very obvious that there is a new leader at the helm and that she is intent on making her mark. That shows up in the smaller cabinet with some new people in the mix. While I was sad to see some members not return, I was very excited to see my friend the now Hon. Dr. Terry Lake be appointed to the Ministry of the Environment. I've known Minister Lake for some time and am thrilled to see him named to Cabinet.

The Lt. Governor brings a very personal touch and warmth to ceremonies like this. He did it again this afternoon with a few memorable remarks that were both full of wisdom and marked with his unique humour.

The Premier spoke today of a new beginning and a new relationship between the government and the citizens of BC. She spoke of families becoming the key component in decision making and she spoke of a fresh commitment to education. These are significant and honorable goals and would mark a dramatic change in the course and direction of the government. She will need tremendous wisdom and courage to make it happen.

Our new Premier will need the prayers and encouragement of the many who partner with Leading Influence Ministries as well. I'm proud to say that I'm confident that we can do our part to deliver those things to her and her government. We will do it through providing onsite pastoral care to members of the Legislature on both sides of the House. We will do it through continuing to champion a prayer movement that encourages and resources daily prayer for MLA's. We will do it by informing and encouraging our partners to be a blessing to their MLA's at a local level.

Premier Christy Clark Announces New Cabinet

2011-03-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

Premier Christy Clark announces cabinet

VICTORIA – Premier Christy Clark today announced a new, smaller cabinet focused on putting families first, creating jobs and changing the way British Columbians engage with their government.

“Our new cabinet will reflect the priorities of British Columbians and put families at the centre of all our decision-making,” said Premier Clark. “Together, we will focus on creating jobs and building a strong economy because that is the single most important thing we can do to support families and ensure we can invest in critical services like health and education. This is a team that will work hard to ensure that prosperity and opportunity extend to every region of our province.”

The new cabinet is made up of 17 ministers plus the premier, reduced from the previous total of 24. This includes the new Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, which will bring together many of the functions in government focused on job creation under a single ministry. As well, three new cabinet committees reflect the priorities of government – the Committee on Families First; the Committee on Jobs and Economic Growth; and the Committee on Open Government and Engagement.

Responsibility for colleges and universities has been recombined under the Ministry of Advanced Education; responsibility for mining has been returned to the Ministry of Energy and Mines; Labour and Citizen Services have been combined; and Forests and Lands has been combined with Natural Resource Operations.

The new cabinet appointed and sworn into office by the Lieutenant-Governor in a ceremony today is:

Premier – Hon. Christy Clark
· Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance – Hon. Kevin Falcon
· Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation – Hon. Mary Polak
· Minister of Advanced Education – Hon. Naomi Yamamoto
· Minister of Agriculture – Hon. Don McRae
· Attorney General – Hon. Barry Penner
· Minister of Children and Family Development – Hon. Mary McNeil
· Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development – Hon. Ida Chong
· Minister of Education – Hon. George Abbott
· Minister of Energy and Mines (minister responsible for Housing) – Hon. Rich Coleman
· Minister of Environment – Hon. Terry Lake
· Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations – Hon. Steve Thomson
· Minister of Health – Hon. Michael de Jong
· Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation – Hon. Pat Bell
· Minister of Labour, Citizens’ Services and Open Government – Hon. Stephanie Cadieux
· Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General – Hon. Shirley Bond
· Minister of Social Development (minister responsible for multiculturalism) – Hon. Harry Bloy
· Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure – Hon. Blair Lekstrom

Additionally, 10 MLAs have been named as parliamentary secretaries, and will work with ministers to focus on key initiatives of government.

Rich Coleman will serve as the Government House Leader and Terry Lake will be the deputy Government House Leader. Ben Stewart will be the Government whip.

“We want British Columbians to have the opportunity to be more engaged with government decision-making,” said Premier Clark. “We will work with citizens to find solutions to problems, set priorities openly and explain why we make the decisions we do. British Columbia is starting from a position of strength. It is up to us to build on this strength for the betterment of families across our province.”

Change Has Come... To British Columbia

2011-02-28T13:52:00.000-08:00

I realize the title is a bit 'Obama-esqe', but I honestly believe that something dramatic happened in Vancouver on Saturday evening. Christy Clark won the Liberal Leadership race and will likely officially become BC's next Premier sometime this week when she takes the oath.

I was in the room as the announcement was made and while she gave her first speech. I realize that politicians say many things but the sense I got was that she has some very clear ideas about what needs to happen with government. The irony in politics is that while it's all about serving people and leading people, the reality is that sometimes politicians become isolated from the very people they have been elected to serve. That's not a knock on the people who do the job. It's just an observation about the nature of what happens to people who do the job over time. What's interesting to me about a former politician, columnist and talk show host becoming Premier is that for the past few years, she's had the opportunity to hear what the voters really think and what they are really saying. (I don't think you can get a much rawer sample than what happens on talk radio....) In my mind that's a distinct advantage in the short term, especially if she's able to remember what she's heard people say for the past 3 years.

The downside of being a former talk show host who has now become Premier is that you've said a lot of things, some fairly provocative and outrageous that are all a matter of public record. I'm guessing there will be a few things our new Premier might regret having said over the past few years. (There's probably an easy lesson in there about the power of the tongue, but we'll leave that for another day....)

There are some significant challenges. She has the uneviable task of building a team made up of people who were hoping someone else would win. She needs to form an inner team (Cabinet) that will help forge a new vision and direction. She needs to win a seat...

These will be interesting days in BC. We need you to pray. The future depends on it!

They're BAAACK!!!

2011-02-16T18:43:00.000-08:00

After 253 days, the Legislature resumed sitting. I said to someone that it felt a bit like the first day of school. Given the current leadership races, the session is a bit unusual in several ways....
1) It's only a 4 day session and two of the days have been completely dedicated to the Throne Speech and the Budget Speech.

2) Many of the usual players during Question Period aren't asking or taking questions. They are also all sitting in different seats. It's a bit like musical chairs at the Legislature at the moment.

3) While the current session is more of a technical necessity, that things are quiet on the political side. On the contrary it's an intensely political time with everyone posturing and positioning themselves for the leadership race. It's important to align yourself with a winner and no one wants to make the wrong choice.

4) The Liberals will choose their leader on Feb 26. We want to encourage you to make this a matter of prayer next week. We will be publishing a special prayer bulletin on our PrayBC blog to help you participate with us. Over 90,000 BC Liberals will be choosing a new leader next weekend. It would be great to have at least that many praying about that decision over the next week. Please join us!

Missing In Action

2011-01-27T23:27:00.000-08:00

I was listening to CKNW this morning. Joy McPhail was the guest. Ms. McPhail is a former cabinet minister and leader of the NDP. She was announcing her support of Adrian Dix for the position of leader of the NDP. I've met Mr. Dix. I think he's a good and decent man.

During the call in portion of the program, a caller raised some concerns that he has about decisions Mr. Dix has made in the past. He felt that those decisions were a reflection of Mr. Dix's character. In attempting to come to his support, Ms. McPhail's response to the caller went something like this: 'Your standards are too high. You need to relax. If you insist on having people of impeccable character to lead you won't find anyone to serve.'

It's hard for me to define which part of her response was more disconcerting. Her response was so adamant and shocking to me that I pulled over to make sure I was really hearing what I thought she was saying.

I passionately disagree with Ms. McPhail. I think most British Columbians would as well.

I believe that our province should only be led by people of impeccable character. I don't think it's an unreasonable or unrealistic expectation. The irony of her statement is profound to me. The Legislature is built around the premise of honourable men and women doing honourable work. I realize that the public perception of politicians and politics is quite different, but if those who lead us are anything less than men and women of character, the future of our province is in serious jeopardy. We deserve better than the substandard quality of leader that she is suggesting we should embrace.

Character might be missing in action in Ms. McPhail's world but I believe it is alive and well in the hearts of many British Columbians who are committed to living at a higher and more excellent standard.

God, give us leaders of impeccable character who will cause our province to prosper!

Leadership Essentials - Part 3 - Humility

2011-01-24T14:42:00.000-08:00

Knowing that I needed to write this article as soon as my hair appointment was done, I asked my stylist what she thought was the most important quality that a political leader should have. She responded that the most important quality of a leader is the ability to say they were wrong. I think her insight is impressive.

I spend enough time at the Legislature to know that the statement 'I was wrong' or 'We made a mistake' isn't commonly heard. That's not to say it never happens, but it probably doesn't happen often enough. Before I go further, let me say that I believe that there's a difference between an unpopular decision and an error. The most dangerous politician is the one who always seeks to make the popular decision. Leadership isn't about being popular, but unpopular decisions need to be made and presented with humility as well.

In the political realm, the admission of error can be extremely hazardous to your political health. In some cases it can cost you your job but for the most part, it's really just a matter of pride and ego. The irony is that in most cases everyone knows a poor decision has been made but the leader carries on as though nothing happened. The need to be right for the sake of politics and optics too often outweighs the value of humility and the admission of error. In the process, the leader loses the respect of those he leads and consequently loses the moral authority to lead.

The prophet Micah spoke about what God seeks in the life of the leader. Simply put, it is to walk humbly, do justly and love mercy. Humility is a stablizing force in the life of a leader. The humble leader is ever aware that in spite of his or her best efforts, they may still make the wrong decision in the situation. In my mind, the value of a sincere, 'I was wrong' and I'd like to hear from you about what might work instead would do wonders to restore credibility and confidence in politicians and our political system that anything else.

A leader who walks in pride will ultimately bring destruction on the very thing he/she is seeking to build. A humble leader will find a way through the difficulty through interaction, consensus building, an open door and a flat pyramid.

God, give us humble leaders, who will lead us forward into all of the goodness you have prepared for us in our great province.

Leadership Essentials - Part 2 - Justice

2011-01-17T12:20:00.000-08:00

Today is Martin Luther King Day. America stops to remember and honour the life of a man who successfully shifted the social and moral conscience of a nation through the power of his leadership, courage and speaking ability. King was motivated by the conviction that all men are created equal and should be treated with dignity, respect and honour. He was committed to obtaining justice for his people in a culture that accepted discrimination and segregation as a fact of life. While King didn't live to see the fulfillment of his dream, his dream came to pass because of his unswerving pursuit of justice.

The prophet Micah lived 750 years before Christ. In his day the leaders of his nation made a practice of exploiting and manipulating the people for their own purposes and profit. In working towards finding justice for his people in his day, Micah defined a timeless leadership essential when he wrote these words:

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 4:6 (NKJV)

We live in a different day than Micah or even Martin Luther King, but the need for leaders who are committed to 'doing justly' is just as desperate because injustice is as rampant as ever. In Micah's day, it was the population in general, in MLK's day, it was the blacks. In our nation, injustice is experienced by First Nations people, the poor, the weak, the widow and the orphan. For the most part, they are people without the ability to influence or shape public policy that can effectively address their needs and concerns. Those who lead our province and nation, must be committed to ensuring justice for those who are so often on the outside looking in. This is not an easy task nor is it work that is ever completely accomplished, but it must be done.

God, give us leaders who are committed to ensuring that the least of those who live in our province, nation and cities are treated justly, fairly and with respect.

And God Said...

2011-01-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

Someone asked me this morning how things are going in the political realm. My usual answer involves a careful, non-partisan response that hopefully satisfies their curiosity. This morning was different... I paused for a second and said 'and the earth was without form and void'. (Gen 1:2)

It's a strange time in BC politics. Three parties are looking for leaders. (LIB's, NDP, BC CONSERVATIVES), there are at least 2 recall initiatives underway. One is approaching what is being reported to be a likely unsuccessful outcome. The other began last night in Kamloops with promises of remaking democracy. Promises, promises, promises....

There were two interesting news moments today. The first was that BC is expected to do better than expected in terms of economic growth in 2011. That's good news. Immediately following that story, I heard an MLA on the radio who was doing his best to make it sound like the sky is falling over BC. (It's not...)Suggested reading for the member in question: 'The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf''. (Just putting it out there....)

I love the fact that when we don't know what the future holds, the God who said 'let there be light' into the darkness and 'let there be order' into the chaos is still RULER and LORD over all. While the resignation of two leaders within weeks took us by surprise, He knew that it was going to happen and He knows who will replace them. It's going to be a lot of fun watching Him work it out, even in the lives of those who don't acknowledge Him.

Leadership Essentials - Integrity

2011-01-10T17:49:00.000-08:00

When most of us hear the word 'Integrity', we think of adherence to a moral code and ethical principles. We expect (and for good reason...) that those who lead will be people whose integrity is impeccable. Simply put, it's not in our best interest at any level to be led by someone who can't be trusted to hold to their stated morals and ethics. In this context, we need leaders whose 'yes' means yes and whose no means 'no'.

Integrity has a much broader meaning. In it's purest sense, it's a technical term that speaks of wholeness, soundness and stability. You don't want to cross a bridge or live in a house that lacks structural integrity. At some point there will be a catastrophic failure and the impact will be significant. Effective leadership requires more than idealism and passion. Leading at a high level is a demanding and unforgiving task. It's not unlike running a marathon that never ends. This underscores the importance of integrity in the life of the leader because without it, the leader will inevitably and needlessly fail. Soundness, wholeness and stability are key components in the life of any leader.

Jesus told a story about two men building two houses. The first man built his house on sand. It was completed quickly and looked great until it encountered it's first major storm. Then it collapsed with a loud crash. The second man started out by digging out a foundation. One translation says he dug down deep into the rock. His house went up slower but when the rain and winds came, the house stood strong. Jesus was making a point about integrity and the need for a solid foundation. He said that the man who builds his life on the solid bedrock of His words and teaching is like the wise man who builds his house on a rock. The strength of the foundation gives integrity (strength and wholeness) to the entire structure and enables it to withstand the stress and pressures of both life and leadership.

We need leaders (and in the context of this post a leader) whose life is firmly rooted in the words and teaching of Jesus. It's not a leadership panacea by any means but it's a crucial piece of what's necessary to lead well. Be a leader with integrity. Build your life is built on the unchanging and unfailing words of the eternal Jesus. Those who follow you will be blessed and you will have the strength to stand in the midst of the storm.

Leadership Essentials

2011-01-05T11:56:00.000-08:00

It's an interesting time in BC politics. For the first time in a very long time, both the NDP and the Liberals are seeking new leaders at the same time. The BC Conservatives aren't looking for a leader yet, but they will be shortly. This situation may never happen again and presents a unique opportunity for me.

I don't usually write about leadership issues on this blog because I don't want to be seen as either endorsing or criticizing a particular leader, party or policy. However, since both sides of the house are currently seeking new leaders it presents a unique opportunity to address an area that is crucial for the future of our province.

There's no shortage of promises, policies, vision and ideology as to what might make our province a better place to live, work and raise a family. While those things are certainly important, they are secondary to the fundamental issue of leadership essentials. Leadership is far more than charisma, vision and the ability to build and keep a team together. Leaders need foundations in their lives upon which their leadership is built and based.

Starting on Jan 10, I'm going to be publishing a weekly article on 'Leadership Essentials' that will conclude on Feb 21. After that time, we will return to 'regular broadcasting'.

Happy New Year Everyone!

And So We Begin....

2011-01-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Every new year begins with a sense of hope, promise and opportunity. I've spent part of the last week setting goals, making plans and preparing for 2011. The New Year is waiting to be mined, farmed, and tapped for all of the fullness, goodness and blessing that God has put into it. My prayer for you is that you will reap what God has prepared for you in 2011 in ALL of it's fullness and abundance.

Have a blessed 2011!!

Flash Mob In Victoria

2010-12-18T20:41:00.000-08:00

By Joanne Hatherly

When more than 300 singers erupted into O Holy Night at Victoria's Bay Centre on an otherwise ordinary Saturday afternoon, one bewildered shopper asked, "Where is the choir?" "They're everywhere," came an answer from inside the crowd.

In early December, Barb Schindel, Colwood Pentecostal Church's worship director, was talking with her husband about a video that captured about 100 shoppers in a Welland, Ontario mall food court who suddenly burst into an operatic performance of Handel's Messiah. The mall had been 'flash-mobbed.'

Flash mobs are large groups of people who assemble without warning to do something unusual. The performance usually last only a few minutes, after which the participants disperse into the crowd. Schindel's husband turned to her and said, "We could do that".

She didn't think so, but she happily admits she was wrong. On Dec. 18 at 2 p.m., with a little help from area churches and choirs, and through a Facebook site invitation, as many as 400 people showed up at the Bay Centre mall and gave Victoria shoppers a beautiful reminder of the real meaning of Christmas.

The group had the opportunity to rehearse twice - first at the mall, where they were allowed inside after hours on Sunday before the event, and then again at Gateway Baptist Church on the morning of the event. More than 200 people showed up at the rehearsals, giving Schindel confidence that something special was going to happen.

At 2 p.m., after the Bay Tower clock bells chimed, Schindel opened with O Holy Night and soon the air was filled with what seemed like a heavenly chorus as hundreds of singers over the mall's four balcony levels joined in.

After five minutes and 31 seconds, the singers closed with a verse from Silent Night, leaving the mall's atmosphere changed from harried to relaxed, with shoppers smiling and chatting over what they had just seen. It's hard to keep a secret with more than 300 singers in on the act, but even the mall's retail workers expressed shock.

Oak Bay Mayor Christopher Causton was one of the singers. Calling the experience "incredible," Causton was left wanting more. "I was just warming up. Are we going to do it again?," Causton said.

Click here to see a participant video that has been uploaded to YouTube.

2010-12-06T13:15:00.000-08:00

I knew it was going to happen. I just didn't expect that it would happen today. As you probably know by now, Carole James has resigned as leader of the NDP. After the emergency Caucus meeting scheduled for Sunday afternoon was cancelled, I thought that perhaps things were settling down, cooler heads were prevailing and a truce was in the works. That was apparently not the case.

I've met Ms. James. For a time she was my MLA. When we first moved to Victoria, she would walk past my house on the way to her office. She is a very nice person. Some would say that she was too nice for politics. I'm not sure if I agree. I think we need good and decent people to serve as leaders in our province.

This might not be the first time in the history of our province that both major political parties are searching for a new leader, but it's certainly the first time in a long time. Who would have guessed 6 months ago that the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition would both resign as leader of their respective party before year end and within weeks of each other?

Generally speaking we crave structure and order. We want (and need) systems and processes to keep our society, government, culture and lives running smoothly. For the most part, God is inclined towards order and structure too. The planets stay on their orbital paths. The ocean remains within the limits He has given it. Apples, as Sir Isaac Newton noted, fall down from trees because of the law of gravity.

Given that God has established unchangeable, unalterable order and patterns, we might be led to conclude that He is most comfortable in that kind of environment. Nothing could be further from the truth. I'm convinced that God is prone to use chaos, vacuums, and 'unorthodox' approaches to accomplish His amazing plans and purposes. There was nothing orthodox about a virgin bringing forth a son but it was part of His perfect plan.

As I stated earlier, we find ourselves at a remarkable moment in BC history. Could it be that God is in a reorganizing process on behalf of our province? Could it be that in His divine wisdom, He is working something out in the lives of two leaders who have just stepped down and in the process of preparing others to take their place? I think this is EXACTLY what is taking place. He removes and raises leaders as He sees fit. Removal is not necessarily judgement and raising is not necessarily endorsement. It's more a matter of God putting the appropriate person in place for the specific time and season that their gifts were required to accomplish HIS plans and purposes.

The next few months promise to be very interesting on the political scene. I'll keep you posted. Keep on praying!

Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him. I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of You, for You have made known to us the king’s demand. (Daniel 2:20-23, NKJV)

The Original Flash Mob

2010-11-21T20:50:00.000-08:00

I've just become aware of what a 'Flash Mob' is. If you've never heard the term, a 'flash mob' is a group of people who rehearse a presentation privately and then present it in a public venue like a mall, transportation hub or anywhere else a large crowd of people may gather. It looks like a lot of fun and has become something of a recent cultural phenomena. If you've never seen what it looks like, the one below is one of the best that I've seen. This happened in a Food Court in Welland, Ontario.

I've got to say, I love what happens here. A friend of mine wonders if the church should be doing this kind of thing. It strikes me that the question is somewhat moot because the original flash mob was performed by angels on the hills outside Bethlehem. The angels surprised a group of shepherds who had no idea that anything unusual was about to happen.

Once again, God is light years ahead of the coolest things that we do. Enjoy the video!

Gordon Campbell Resigns as Premier and Leader of Liberal Party

2010-11-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

Gordon Campbell resigned as Premier of British Columbia and Leader of the Liberal Party this morning in Vancouver. He has served as member of the BC Legislature for 16 years and as Premier since 2001. Prior to his election to the BC Legislature he also served 3 terms as Mayor of Vancouver. We wish to recognize Mr. Campbell's many years of public service and thank both him and his wife and family for the many hours of time and energy that he has given in service to British Columbia. We pray God's blessing upon Mr. Campbell and his wife as they move forward into a new chapter of their lives.

The BC Liberals will be choosing an interim leader who will act as Premier until a new leader can be chosen. We encourage our many ministry friends and prayer partners to make this matter a significant prayer focus as the decision will affect our province in very significant ways.

Never A Dull Moment...

2010-11-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

For people who think politics is boring, here's a quick overview of the last month.

In the past month, the Leader of the Opposition removed a member from her caucus for comments made in the media that were construed as 'unsupportive'.

The BC Rail trial ended with an unexpected guilty plea and an agreement to cover the legal fees of the guilty parties.

The Premier shuffled the Cabinet. Some present it as a re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Some present it as repositioning of leaders for the future. Talk shows were presenting it as adding confusion to the average British Columbian who wouldn't know who to contact for assistance now when they needed help. REALITY CHECK: Cabinet Shuffles happen periodically. The sun will come up tomorrow. NEWS FLASH! Talk show hosts are intentionally provocative and outrageous. It's what keeps you tuning in. For a dose of common sense, talk to your friends and neighbours.

One member tried to make a joke at anothers expense. It was a poor choice of words and became much more than intended.  A good man made a mistake and another good man accepted his apology. Behind the scenes, leaders were gracious to each other.

In the past week, the Premier has addressed British Columbians on TV, during prime time which makes perfect sense, opposite the World Series.... He's in a difficult situation to say the least. The government had a follow up caucus meeting and is scheduled to have an Emergency Caucus meeting later this week.

There is NEVER a dull moment in BC politics. The question that comes to mind is 'Where is God in all of this?' When we think of God being in control, we often assume that means a situation without turmoil or tension.   I see God creating order out of chaos in Genesis during creation, but I also see God creating chaos when He floods the earth.

While I like order and stability, I realize that's more about me and my needs than it really is about how God prefers it. God does not appear to be a respecter of order or chaos because HE transcends both. I think that this matters in terms of what is happening within the political realm of our province. God is up to something. I'd like to say that I know specifically what it is, but frankly, I have no idea. I just know that He is always in control and always working to accomplish His eternal purposes and plans.

The current situation presents us with a tremendous opportunity to engage in our greatest responsibility as people who belong to God. We must pray! And we must pray without ceasing. God is working out his plan for the lives of those who lead us regardless of their political affiliation. More than anything else, we must pray for them that they would encounter His love, grace and mercy at a personal level. At the same time, God has a purpose and a plan for our province.  He works out His plan within our political system in the midst of chaos and tension. Here too, we must pray while He does, for it is only GOD who can make British Columbia 'The Greatest Place on Earth'.

BC Cabinet Shuffle

2010-10-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

Premier Gordon Campbell announced a Cabinet Shuffle at 11 AM today. The results are as follows. We encourage your prayers for these members who have been put in positions of responsibility and trust.

Heavenly Father, You give us leaders to watch over the affairs of our province. We thank you for them and ask that You would empower and strengthen the Members of our Legislature today who are assuming new responsibilities. Bless them and help them as they learn about their new roles. Give them grace and strength as they carry out their mandate.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

* Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation - Hon. Barry Penner

* Minister of Agriculture - Hon. Ben Stewart

* Minister of State for Building Code Renewal - Hon. Naomi Yamamoto

* Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development - Hon. Stephanie

Cadieux

* Minister of Education - Hon. George Abbott

* Minister of Energy - Hon. Bill Bennett

* Minister of Environment - Hon. Murray Coell

* Minister of Finance (Minister Responsible for Small Business) - Hon.

Colin Hansen

* Minister of Forests, Mines and Lands - Hon. Pat Bell

* Minister of Health Services - Hon. Kevin Falcon

* Minister of Labour - Hon. Iain Black

* Minister of Natural Resource Operations - Hon. Steve Thomson

* Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General (Minister Responsible

for Housing) - Hon. Rich Coleman

* Minister of Regional Economic and Skills Development - Hon. Moira

Stilwell

* Minister of Science and Universities - Hon. Ida Chong

* Minister of Social Development - Hon. Kevin Krueger

* Minister of Tourism, Trade and Investment (Minister Responsible for the

Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat) - Hon. Margaret MacDiarmid

Ministers retaining existing portfolios:

* Attorney General - Hon. Mike de Jong

* Minister of Children and Family Development - Hon. Mary Polak

* Minister of Citizens' Services - Hon. Mary McNeil

* Minister of State for Climate Action - Hon. John Yap

* Minister of State for Mining - Hon. Randy Hawes

* Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure - Hon. Shirley Bond

Cabinet Shuffle Coming Today

2010-10-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

The Premier will be shuffling the Cabinet today. The announcement will be made at 11:00 AM. We will provide a written update as soon as possible.

Chilean Rescue

2010-10-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

Along with millions of other people, I can't stop checking in on the progress of the Chilean mine rescue. It's a remarkable story of hope, courage and the power of determination that finds a way through the most difficult challenge. As I write this, the 19th miner has just been raised to the surface. He looks in great shape and very strong as he greets his family, friends and rescuers.

As I watch this taking place I can't help but be reminded of a striking biblical parallel. We begin with 33 men hopelessly trapped in a life threatening situation through no fault of their own. The collapse isolated them from normal living. By grace, they were discovered 2500 feet underground. A rescue plan was enacted and a way was made for them to return to relationship (fellowship) with those who love them.

Here's the part that really gets me excited. There were multiple shafts drilled into their space. Of all of those shafts, only one can get you out! You might try to crawl out, dig out, wiggle out, but the only way out is through the tunnel with the rescue capsule. The miners did nothing to contribute to the drilling of the shaft, the building of the capsule or the ensuring of fresh air, food and water. All they could do is benefit from the kindness and goodness of others. As the first miner got into the capsule, I couldn't help but hold my breath and watch, hoping and praying that all would go well. As the capsule rose, the miner's family gathered in awaiting his arrival. Who could not be moved by the sight of his son in tears as he awaited his daddy's arrival?

The words of Jesus come to mind as I ponder the drama in Chile. He says 'I am the way, the truth and the life.' I realize that we live in a time when the idea of an exclusive path to heaven is almost offensive to some people, but there is only one way out of the mess the bible calls sin. Jesus is the only way. His offer of a restored relationship with the ONE who loves us most is unconditional. He has taken care of everything. All we need to do is say yes to Him and put our trust in Him.

I love how everyone cheers when the capsule carrying another miner arrives safely at the surface. Family is there, rescuers are there and everyone is celebrating another safe arrival. It's a picture of heaven to me. Heaven watches and waits for our safe arrival. When we get there we will all shout the name of the One who rescued us! We will see those who have been waiting and those who arrived before us. What a day that will be!!

You and Me and The HST

2010-09-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

¹ I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ² Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and pleases God our Savior, (1 Tim 2:1-3)

I've been thinking about an appropriate Christian response to the HST. On the one hand, I understand the anger that exists because of the way this tax was introduced. At least one MLA has dubbed it the 'Hated Sales Tax', which at the very least is probably a reasonable assessment. That said, I'm also very troubled when I see/hear fellow believers expressing their hatred of the government because of this tax. Perhaps I'm idealistic but it seems to me that the Church has a responsibility to rise to something higher than simply being swept along with the masses in their outrage.

I understand that no one, me included, likes or wants to pay more taxes. That said, I'm also very aware that we have a clear mandate to pray for those who are in authority over us. I don't think it's possible to honestly pray for people you hold in contempt. I also don't think it's possible to speak negatively in strong terms against those you are genuinely praying for. Something happens to us when we legitimately stand in the gap for other people and we are changed in the way we feel about them.

We need to learn to separate politics from politicians. Politics is the art or science of governing. Politicians are the people who serve within the system. It's okay to disagree with a political decision or direction. You can even vote against it or against the person who implemented it. However, its not okay to make your disagreement personal in the sense that your heart is bitter and your comments become derogatory.

I think it's important for us to recognize the context in which Paul wrote 1 Tim. The Jews were living under Roman occupation. The Romans were hardly noted for their compassionate touch towards those they had conquered. The people were oppressed. Their taxes were shipped off to Rome to further the ambitions of the empire. Those who opposed the government were put to death or had to hide in the wilderness. It's within this context that Paul encourages Timothy (and us...) to pray for those who are in authority over us.

My challenge to you today is simple. We have a greater role than simply settling for the status quo of the masses. We alone hold the mandate to pray for our government. Let's get back to doing the one thing that matters most. Our entire province will benefit as a result.

The Lord's Prayer Remains In Ontario

2010-09-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

Not sure if you were aware of this, but the Ontario Legislature recently decided to continue the practice of beginning each day with the Lord's Prayer. There was some thought to do away with the prayer completely and replace it with a moment of meditation and reflection. The compromise in this particular case was to hold to the Lord's Prayer and add a moment of silence or a prayer from another faith.

While I am unable to provide the exact numbers, there was tremendous pressure from the public through both emails and signed petitions to see the prayer retained. I'm certain that there was a significant amount of 'knee mail' behind the scenes that also contributed to this very positive outcome.

While we live in a secular culture I'm convinced that this decision can only be a good thing for the Province of Ontario and hopefully other provinces will follow suit to either retain or re-establish the practice of Legislators praying this significant prayer together. Perhaps the God of Heaven will indeed let His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven in response to the invitation of our leaders.

Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatives Meeting

2010-09-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

I attended the Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatvies Meeting this afternoon. It's the first time the committee has ever met. I don't think anyone expected that the HST pushback would result in this. I arrived early.. or at least what I thought was early... I was told no passes would be handed out until 30 minutes prior. I waited and at 12:30, I was the only one in line.

If I counted correctly, attendance was 18 members of the media, 10 members of the public, 3 observing MLA's and 10 Committee members. There were too many security staff to count....

As you might appreciate, this was a difficult meeting for the government members and a winfall for the opposition. For the most part everyone was polite and pleasant during the first part of the meeting. After our first recess things got a bit more 'testy' and after about 20 minutes there was another break. (There were two recesses in about 75 minutes.. I wish they would have been that frequent when I was in school!)

The end result today was that the committee will meet again on Monday, Sept 13 and the Elections Officer will be present to answer questions from the committee regarding their options.

I've wrestled with trying to find an appropriate response to this dilemma from a ministry perspective. We are non-partisan and so we don't take political sides in any debate. I fully appreciate that no one wants a new tax and by all appearances, at least some people were in the know that the HST was a distinct possibility even while they were saying it wasn't. At the same time, I am fully aware that the government has experienced a tremendous loss in revenue and needed to find a way to replace that quickly. The bottom line is that we want the best of everything but don't want to pay for anything....

Politics aside, this is a tremendous challenging time for the individuals involved on a personal level. Everyone on both sides of the issue needs tremendous wisdom and humility as they navigate through this dilemma. It's easy to throw stones and pass judgement. It's another to pray for those who tax you and ask God to help them walk in integrity and righteousness.

Someone has to, it might as well start with you and me....

If you are interested in reading the Hansard transcripts from today's meeting. Click here

A Surprise for BC!

2010-08-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

There's some big news in BC this week that has nothing to do with the HST or possible recall initiatives. In a summer that has featured some fascinating political developments, unprecedented heat waves and forest fires, we have been unexpectedly blessed with the largest Sockeye Salmon run since 1913. As I write this 25 million fish are starting their journey up the Fraser river to return the streams of their birth.

What makes this really fascinating is that NO ONE expected this. The government didn't know it was coming, the scientists didn't know it was coming and the fishing industry didn't know this was coming. What makes this even more interesting to me is that a year ago, the run was almost negligible. The fishery didn't open, fishing boats remained tied up at the dock and processing plants remained empty.

It might be the preacher in me, but I can't help but think how similar this is to what happened in Jn.21. The disciples have gone fishing. They have worked all night and caught nothing. No bites, no nibbles, no fish....

They are close enough to shore to hear the question that every fisherman dreads. 'Have you caught any fish?'. You don't ever want to have to say 'no' to that question, but in this case, they didn't have much of a choice. The person asking the question told them to cast their net on the other side of the boat and that they would find some. It seems a rather ridiculous suggestion in the sense that if there had been no fish all night, why would they suddenly catch some on the other side of the boat? I doubt that there was a lot of expectation in the next toss of the net. After a night with no success, how much could you really believe that anything different was going to happen?

Can you imagine their shock when they started to pull up the net and discovered that it was full of fish? No one saw it coming. There was no reason to believe that it could or would happen. But it did happen and the disciples quickly realized that GOD was on the scene.

Sometimes, we find ourselves in a place just like the disciples. We have fished all night and caught nothing. The temptation is to quit, pack it in and admit defeat. But somewhere there's a voice that says, toss the net on the other side. Don't quit. Listen to the voice and toss the net one more time on the OTHER SIDE of the boat!

Happy fishing!!

Thoughts from the Road

2010-08-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

We are on vacation this week. It just so happens that it was necessary for me to bring my motorcycle on this vacation. This is a distinct blessing as there are some fantastic spots to ride in the area. Yesterday I went on a road trip. I left Birch Bay and went south through Bellingham onto Highway 11 which takes you through a State Park and out to the coast. This is not a 'beach road'. It's a high twisty, up and down kind of ride. It's absolutely beautiful.

I left Highway 11 and went across country towards 'Farm to Market' road where I eventually picked up highway 20. Highway 20 took me to Whidbey Island where I crossed over 'Deception Pass'. The bridge is 180 feet above the water and is 976 feet long. A thick fog had rolled in about the same time that I arrived and there wasn't much to see. Not to mention that I'm not a great fan of narrow high bridges to begin with....

I did some quick research into the name when I got back. Wiki tells me that the it was given it's name because it appeared to be the entrance to a bay rather than an actual pass. Deception is about hiding secrets. Hiding is hard work. It's better to live with no secrets and have nothing to hide.

I stopped for lunch in Oak Harbour. Oak Harbour is home to Whidbey Naval Air Station. I would have loved a tour but I don't think the US Military offers tours of air bases. I would have really loved the opportunity to ride my bike down the runway or at least on the road beside the runway like Tom Cruise did in Top Gun but I had to leave that for another day.

After Oak Harbour, I headed south on 20 for Clinton and took the ferry to Everett. I met another biker on the ferry and we had a good visit as we crossed the water. He led me to I-5 and this is where things got interesting. Traffic volumes were heavy and it wasn't long before I was crawling along thinking, 'what is that smell?'. It smelled like something was rotting and decaying. 100 meters in front of me was a garbage truck. He was in the centre lane and upwind (and it was warm) so it really didn't matter where you went, you caught the smell of Everett garbage. It's not a great impression for a city. 'Drive on our Freeway. Smell our Garbage!' is hardly a good tourism slogan. As soon as I got past the truck and could breathe freely again, I started thinking about the smells that we leave behind us. (No... not THOSE smells...)

Our lives are meant to be a fragrance. To give off a beautiful scent that is as attractive as a rose garden. Sadly, our scent isn't always sweet. Sometimes it reeks of bitterness, anger or a distinct sense of 'betterness'. At the end of the day, it's only as my life is transformed into the beauty of what God intended it to be that it becomes a sweet fragrance to all around me. Many years ago, a former pastor was leaving for Africa. As he hugged me his last words were 'Stay Sweet'. There are days I smell sweet and there are days I give off a horrible stench. I try for sweetness but my garbage truck experience has strengthened my resolve to work harder at sweetness.

Having cleared the air at Everett, I pressed north to Burlington where I stopped at Cycle Barn and the nearby Starbucks. Free wifi and a coffee after a browse through a motorcycle shop makes for a great way to finish the day.

Back to the Beginning

2010-08-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

Our family just spent a week at a Family Camp for Pastors. This has become a bit of a family tradition for us and is always a highlight of our summer. The camp and the venue hold a special place in our lives. God has spoken to Barb and I powerfully there over the 7 or 8 years that we've attended. It was 5 years ago this summer that God quite unexpectedly gave me the vision for Legislative Chaplaincy. It happened like this...

Our speaker that year was Ian Green. If you've never heard Ian speak, he's fascinating and has a way of helping you hear God's voice. We arrived for a morning session and Ian announced that the plan for the day was simply to take some time to let God give us a fresh vision for our lives and ministry. (I think this is a brilliant way for a speaker to use a session....) Given that I was a pastor at that point, I fully expected to get some direction for an exciting fall program. I was in for a huge surprise....

As I opened my notebook to begin to write, I was shocked to hear God speak to me about starting a Legislative Chaplaincy. The vision was remarkably clear and specific. Looking back, It's remarkable to see the way in which what I heard God say has become reality in my life. It's really nothing short of a miracle.

Over the next few months, Barb and I began to sort out what this would mean for us and for our family. Our kids would leave everything they knew, we would give up all of what we thought was our security and stability. One huge lesson was that it's easy to preach about faith and trust. It's quite another to actually let go of everything you have and know and simply to trust God with the only guarantee being His promise to look after us. The transition took longer than we anticipated, but without a doubt, we made the right decision and are so thankful to serve God and MLA's in the way that we do.

All of this reminds me of God's faithfulness and in His ability to make something out of nothing. Without a doubt He has gone before us and made our way straight. We've had our challenges and struggles but it has underscored our confidence in God's ability to absolutely open doors, make provision and calm us while He calms the storm.

We are off to a week of vacation with some friends. Blessings to you all!

Mid-Summer Update

2010-08-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone. Don't tell your kids, but in less than a month, school starts! Here's a mid-summer update for you. With the Legislature not in session, things are much quieter than they were a year ago. Most members are happy for the break which gives them the opportunity to focus on constituency business at a less stressful pace. This presents a unique opportunity for us as well to connect and engage in a more relaxed environment. Last week I stopped in to visit a member in his office on my way home from a funeral. I was on my motorcycle. I discovered that he rides as well so we've set up an evening ride in a few weeks. I'll post pictures after we are done. These are the kinds of things that happen through the summer. Things are more spontaneous and relaxed. This results in greater openness to strengthen relationships with leads to conversations about the things that matter most.

We just sent out our summer newsletter. If you haven't received a copy, please contact our office and we will get one in the mail to you. We'd love to send one to you.

I'm on vacation for a few weeks and we are all looking forward to the rest. Have a great summer!

Perspective is Everything...

2010-07-27T08:24:00.000-07:00

A man lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs.
He was hard of hearing so he had no radio. He had trouble with his eyes so he read no newspapers. But he sold good hot dogs.

He put a sign on the highway telling how good they were.
He stood by the side of the road and cried 'Buy a hot dog, Mister.'
And people bought.

He increased his meat and bun orders.
He bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade.
He got his son home from college to help him.

But then something happened....

His son said, 'Father, haven't you heard the news?
There's a big recession on. Times are tough. The unemployment situation is terrible.'

Whereupon his father thought, 'Well, my son has been to college. He reads the paper and he listens to the radio and he ought to know.'

So the father cut down on his meat and bun orders.
Took down his advertising signs.
And no longer bothered to stand on the highway to sell hot dogs.
And his hot dog sales fell almost overnight.

'Your right, son,' the father said to the boy.
'We are certainly in the middle of a great recession.'

Written by Jimmy Pattison. 1987

Student of The Month

2010-06-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

Late last week, our oldest son brought home what looked like a school newsletter. Our lives are pretty busy, so a school newsletter isn't always the first thing that we read. Yesterday, he casually asked if we had a chance to look at it. He waved it around and then left it on the table. After he left we picked it up and noticed that he had been named 'Student of The Month'.

Here's the copy of the article:
This months Student of the Month is Zack Schindel. Zack gets the award this month because he gets up early every morning to make breakfast for everyone in his house. After that he runs to school to help his teachers prepare for their day. After his classwork done, he helps the other members complete theirs. Rather than spending his free time with his friends at lunch, Zack picks up trash and litter on the school property. After classes are done for the day he runs to the nearby seniors home where he reads to the residents until dinner time. He has straight A's and perfect GPA. Congrats on being an excellent example to all of us Zack!

His 'newsletter' was really a computer science project. It should also qualify for creative writing...

Zack, we are very proud of you even if you don't do any of the things that earned you 'Student of the Month'. Thanks for making us laugh!!

In The News....

2010-06-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

See the latest article on LIM in the BC Christian News by clicking here.

Marking Our Progress

2010-06-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

The Legislature recessed last Thursday and you could almost hear the sighs of relief from members and staff alike as everyone headed for home. In the last calendar year, we had an election, two budgets, two throne speeches and 3 sessions. If my count is correct, there were almost 80 sitting days in the Spring session. That's about 2 weeks longer than usual and doesn't take into account the extended summer and fall sessions. Small wonder the general consensus over the past few weeks was 'is it time to go home yet?'

I always marvel at the sacrifices members and their families make to serve our province. For all of the 'talk radio' rants about soft hours and public troughs, I've yet to meet a single person who serves in this capacity who is there only for themselves. Politics aside, these are good people who give themselves selflessly to represent their ridings and constituents.

God has helped us be a source of encouragement and blessing to the members during this past session.. I wrote about our Annual MLA Prayer Breakfast in my last email. This was our biggest and best breakfast by far and is a strong indicator of the progress we have made. While not nearly as 'big' as the breakfast, we've been able to develop some significant 'behind the scenes' ministries that have been very appreciated and fruitful. Most significantly, we've launched a weekly prayer and ministry time. It's been exciting to meet and pray with members in a context away from the Legislature in a place that has become their sanctuary. The prayer times have often resulted in more ministry opportunities at the Legislature too. God continues to open some significant doors of ministry to us and we are very grateful.

There's something new happening for us too. Because of the length of the last session, I've been able to establish intentional relationships with staff who work at the Legislature in a number of roles. This comes as a direct result of God's favour. This is a natural outflow of ongoing ministry in the buildings and it's exciting to see what God is doing with it.

It's important for me to say thank you to those who pray for us and partner with us financially. We are only here because you stand with us on both fronts. Thanks for everything that you do for us!

You Should Stop Praying!!

2010-06-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

Every so often you get to experience something new and fresh. Last week was one of those moments for me. I opened an email from someone telling me that if I couldn't do any better than this, I should stop praying and do something else. As you can imagine, I was a bit puzzled about how my prayers could have failed so miserably. As I read a little further, I discovered that the writer had determined if I had been more effective in my prayers, BC would have been spared the HST.

After 27 years of ministry, I've learned that there are a lot of things that pastors can be blamed for. The music is too loud, too soft, too long, too short, too old, too new. The sermon is too long, too short, too deep, too light... the heat is .... well you get the general idea... I may be the first pastor in history to be blamed for a major shift in taxation policy.

Last week, I went out for dinner with several MLA's. They were delighted to hear that I was the one to blame for the HST. One remarked 'had we only known, we would have said something during Question Period!' On more than a few days through the last session, the government would have appreciated being able to point to someone else. I can see it now.... 'Mr. Speaker, we implemented the HST because Tim's prayers weren't working. He's the one to blame for this tax!!' Now THAT would have made for a REALLY interesting day... Given enough creativity, I might be the reason the Canucks are done too.... LOL!!

MLA Prayer Breakfast Report

2010-05-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

We recently held our annual prayer breakfast. The breakfast is our showcase event and we look forward to it all year. I'm thrilled to tell you that we had an incredible response from the MLA's with 17 in attendance and a total of almost 150 people with us for that morning. God has been faithful to us! I'm including some pictures of the morning that I hope you enjoy.

Our speaker this year was Karen Reed. Karen had just completed a 15 month role as Executive Director with More Than Gold which was a faith network response to the Olympic Games. It was an incredible morning as she spoke out of her experience on the power of collabaration.

As Karen and I were having lunch together with a small group later in the day, one Cabinet Minister came over to thank her for her talk and commmented that 'we all took notes and have been talking about it all morning.' Given that Cabinet ministers have a lot of things on their mind, it speaks volumes about the way God helped Karen as she spoke that morning. Some people have asked for a copy of her talk. While we don't have a hard copy, you can view a video of her talk by clicking here.

Here's a picture of Tim introducing each of the 17 MLA's who attended. What a thrill to have such a tremendous response!

On your left is Pastor Dan Cousins from Nanaimo. Dan is the pastor of Genesis Christian Centre. He led us in prayer for the 84 MLA's that give leadership to our province. Here is text of the prayer that we prayed that morning.

We thank you for the leaders gathered in this room who give of themselves to serve our province as elected leaders. We ask that you would honour their willing sacrifice of time and energy as they give themselves to public service. We pray that you would grant them wisdom as they serve as leaders. Help them to discern what is best for our province as we move towards tomorrow. Give them courage to make good and right decisions that are in keeping with Your plans so that all of us will benefit. Fill them with compassion for the poor and weak among us. Help them to govern rightly on their behalf. Grant them Your strength that will enable them to fulfill all that is required of them. May they sense Your love for them today.

This picture was taken as we prayed for the MLA's. What an incredible privilege to pray with ministry friends and partners along with leaders from the church, business and government with no agenda other than to ask God to bless them as they serve our province in their capacity as leaders.

We've got some great candid shots that you will find below as well. We hope that these photos give you a good sense of what it was like to be with us this year. If you couldn't make it this year, please make plans to join us next year.

Pastor Peter Lewis with MLA Bill Routley and Tim Schindel.

MLA Harry Bloy with Tim. Harry has attended all 4 of our breakfasts.

MLA Marc Dalton arrives at the breakfast. That's Barb Schindel behind Marc.

Karen Reed meets Mabel Elmore.

Dave Hauser (Victoria) and Dave Franke (Duncan) enjoy a moment together. This was a great morning to smile as old friends found each other and new friends were made.

A group shot taken during our speakers address. As you can see, we've grown a bit. We had 45 people at our first breakfast. We had 150 join us this year. We are very grateful.

A Tributue to Terry Fox - Mike Farnworth

2010-04-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

I don't normally post speeches from the Legislature, but this particular speech caught my attention today, especially when Mike Farnworth mentioned that he was a classmate of Terry Fox. I hope you find the same challenge and inspiration from it that I did today!

This week we mark the anniversary of an astonishing achievement by one of our greatest British Columbians and Canadians. Thirty years ago, on the 12th of April in 1980, Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope by dipping his artificial leg into St. John's harbour.

All of us know the rest of Terry's remarkable story. His goal was to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research, and he pursued his goal for 143 gruelling days. He eventually had to stop outside Thunder Bay, Ontario because he was too sick to continue. The cancer that he had been fighting had returned.
It was a remarkable achievement, and I'd like to put those numbers into a bit of perspective for all of us in this room and in the gallery. Running for 143 days straight, no day off, running an average of 42 kilometres each day. Just so we can all appreciate that, that's like each of us getting up tomorrow, putting on your sweats and your running shoes and then going outside to run a marathon, and then the next day and then the next day and doing it over and over and over again for 143 days.
Are you tired even just thinking about it? But Terry did it for 4½ months. His run was a testament to the spirit of the individual, but more important than that, it showed us that it's ordinary people who achieve remarkable and extraordinary things.

I was at school with Terry. We were in the same class in junior high school. He was just a regular kid just like everybody else in that classroom, but he went on to achieve true greatness — greatness that wasn't thrust upon him, but greatness that came from inside him.

He had a heart and a determination to achieve his goal and his dream. He did that day in and day out, and that is why his legacy lives on. But more important than that, and just as important as the battle to fight cancer, is the lesson for us that it's within each of us with our determination to make dreams like his a reality.

Rolling Away The Stone

2010-04-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

Mary Magdalene was having a tough day. She'd actually had a pretty rough weekend. On Friday she observed and attended the execution of Jesus. It would have been more horrifying for her than most. Jesus had literally saved her life. Before she met him, she was a demon possessed prostitute. He changed all of that for her. Mary believed in Him, followed Him and loved Him. Watching Him suffer and die in the most brutal way would have been a nightmare. She followed as they carried his body away from Calvary and placed it in a nearby tomb. She was there when the large stone was rolled in place to seal the tomb.

Saturday was the Sabbath. There was nothing to do except stay at home and grieve her loss, but early Sunday morning, Mary went at the first opportunity with spices to sweeten the smell at the grave. When she arrived, the tomb was open and vacant. When she turned around, she encountered the person she thought was the caretaker and asked him where he had taken the body of Jesus. Imagine her shock, when the 'gardener' announced that He was Jesus. He instructed her to go and tell his disciples that He was alive and to meet him in Galilee. As you can imagine, Mary ran as fast as she could to tell the disciples. When she got there, they didn't believe her. Jesus himself appeared to two other followers who were walking down the road and they didn't believe he was alive either. (I often wonder if He just did that for fun...)

I've been thinking about this all weekend. Perhaps the greatest challenge on the first Easter was rolling away the stone of unbelief in the lives of those who loved Him most. I'm not criticizing the disciples at all. We all live with our own stones of unbelief. For the disciples, accepting the truth of the resurrection cemented their confidence in everything that they had heard and seen to that point. In the previous 3 1/2 years, they had seen Jesus heal the sick, deliver the possessed, open the eyes of the blind, walk on the water, calm the storm and many, many other miracles, but in the moment that the stone of unbelief was rolled away from their hearts, He became the Unstoppable Jesus. They were convinced and within a generation had changed their world.

I'm convinced that Jesus remains unstoppable. I'm also convinced that as the stone of unbelief is rolled back in our lives, anything can happen in us and through us.

Remembering the Resurrected Jesus

2010-04-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

From the Victoria Times Colonist - April 3, 2010
Yesterday, for Christians, was the saddest day of the year, the day they crucified Jesus. Tomorrow is probably the happiest, the day he rose from the dead.

Today, we're in a kind of limbo between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Yet today does have a name -- Holy Saturday. This is the day Christians remember Jesus lying in the tomb. It was also a day of absolute sorrow, when his disciples and followers were lost, bereft and alone.

Then on Sunday, the third day, a rebirth, the miracle of miracles. He came back to them.

At first there was disbelief and then a kind of grudging belief. And then, over time, came Belief of monumental, stunning proportions. Belief through the ages and here, more than 2,000 years later, there are the churches and cathedrals and Easter bonnets (on New York's Fifth Avenue, anyway) to celebrate and bear witness to that joy.

The cross, not surprisingly, has been the enduring symbol of Christianity. Most Christian churches show paintings or sculptures or stained-glass images of Christ, his face contorted in pain, wearing a loincloth on the cross. His bloodied hands and feet are nailed to the structure.

It is, to be sure, the most heart-wrenching of images, even if you're not quite a Believer.

The comedian Dick Gregory once pointed out that if Christ were executed today, people would start wearing electric chairs around their necks. A strange motif, yes, but after the laughter subsides it's a good idea to pause. Many employ instruments of torture to remember one they love.

Interestingly, there are more -- many more -- images depicting the death than the Resurrection. The populist depiction of Jesus is a man in pain rather than a man of joy, of humour, of happiness and kindness. Or a man making miracles.

The Christ on the cross is a man crying "Why have you forsaken me?" to his father, and this is the image most of us immediately bring to mind. We seem to be celebrating man's inhumanity than Christ's humanity. Here he is vulnerable. Beaten. Bloodied. Broken.

Certainly, there are many images of the baby Jesus in the manger, but this is often a swaddled or anonymous Jesus. Centre-stage -- or centre-barn -- obviously, but Mary and Joseph, assorted wise men, shepherds and animals get equal billing.

The life of Jesus between birth and death is rarely depicted. Sometimes we see him in flowing robes, arms outstretched. Presumably, this is the image popes and cardinals like to model themselves on. Reverent. Ethereal. Pious.

Sometimes we see him healing the sick, raising Lazarus from the dead, and in one or two images casting out the moneychangers in the temple. These are rare. Eventually, everything heads back to that image on the cross or that baby in the manger.

I once spoke to a Lutheran minister who bemoaned the fact that almost every image of Jesus showed him as miserable, or pious, eyes raised to the heavens. This, he said, gave Jesus the wrong image. A man without human form.

"He was a man of humour, of decisiveness. A leader. Yet we have this Renaissance view of him that persists to this day. Artists are afraid to deviate from that image."

That's true. The image might have gone through various artistic permutations and styles, but it's still, usually, an image of overwhelming sadness rather than an image of joy.

That same Lutheran minister had hung a painting called Jesus Laughing in his church, a famous painting showing Christ throwing his head back and guffawing. Not smiling demurely, pope-like, but a man, enjoying himself, laughing at a joke, a remembered moment.

There are scant images of Christ risen from the dead, and these often have a bright halo above his head and scared, subjugated mortals at his feet. These images are historical religiously, but they lack the conviction or splendour of the crucifixion.

The fact is, the way we mostly depict him is in terms of Good Friday -- sombre, dark and sad -- rather than Easter Sunday -- a day of spring, of flowers, of rebirth, of wonder. And hope.

That's a pity. We should make Jesus happier. A man reborn. An Easter Sunday Jesus, not just a Good Friday Jesus. I'd like that. I'd like to think he would, too.

http://www.timescolonist.com/life/Comment+should+remember+resurrected+Jesus/2759344/story.html#ixzz0k4P19q0n

Prayer Breakfast Tickets Available!

2010-03-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

Our 4th Annual MLA Prayer Breakfast is scheduled for May 5 at 7:30 at the Hotel Grand Pacific. A limited number of tickets are available through our website. Click here for more information.

Missouri Legislators Call for Prayer

2010-03-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

Perhaps this is something that should happen in our province.... from the National Prayer Centre in the US.

As the economic worries and struggles gripping our nation persist, there is also a growing openness among many segments of society to seek God's help and provision. The National Prayer Center recently received word of this joyous dynamic taking place in a somewhat surprising place: the Missouri State Legislature. Rev. Paul Meinsen, Director of Capitol Commission Missouri (a group that ministers through prayer and Bible study in state capitols), gave this powerful testimony:

Last week (week of March 1) several Christian leaders met with Key Leaders from both Chambers of the Missouri legislature -- House of Representatives and Senate -- meeting individually with leaders of both political parties. These elected officials all requested prayer as they are desperate for answers as how to balance the budget. They are at the "end of themselves." Because of the state's budget shortfall, they report that the pending budget cuts will cause pain to many of our Missouri citizens. They want to be responsible in balancing the budget, avoiding unnecessary debt that is severely threatening many states. At the same time they hope to avoid the painful cuts that they are now facing in currently preparing the state's budget.

These leaders asked Bob Loggins, Prayer Specialist of the Mo. Baptist Convention, and me as the Midwest National Area Leader for National Day of Prayer to meet with them. They requested a proposal (which is attached), wanting us to mobilize prayer throughout Missouri, which will include 40 Days of Prayer beginning on Monday, March 29.

Remarkable efforts are being made to avoid this great prayer focus being a political event! Indeed this great prayer focus is a bipartisan effort with united support from legislative leaders of both political parties. They want to avoid doing anything - as do we -- that would be divisive or distracting to this thrust of seeking the living God for solutions. They want it that way because they are seeking God -and want us to seek God -- for help, carrying no other agenda.

The plan is to be highlighted by a noon time of prayer (12:00 - 1:30 PM) in the rotunda of the Missouri State Capitol Building in Jefferson City on Monday, March 29th. We have asked Franklin or his son Will Graham to speak and are waiting to see if they are available. The March 29th date is the "kickoff" for the 40 Days of Fasting and Prayer.

The National Prayer Center encourages you to be in prayer for your state leaders as well, as they grapple with difficult financial choices in extremely trying circumstances. Let us seek God that they receive His wisdom and His grace, both in their decisions and in their personal lives.

Cheering Them On...

2010-02-17T07:02:00.000-08:00

We are having a blast watching the Olympics at our house. On Sunday night we watched Alexandre Bilodeau win Canada's first gold on home soil. What an exciting moment. As I it happened, I thought, this is a defining moment. You just won't forget where you were when you saw or heard about it. Then it happened again yesterday. Maelle Ricker took gold in Snowboard Cross. If the snow holds and we can score a few more golds on Cypress, a good headline for the Province would be 'Gold Rush on North Shore'.

I love watching the crowds. Every time a Canadian athlete is announced the red-clad crowd erupts with a loud and extended cheer. It reminds me of what happens in heaven every day. Hebrews tells us that there is a great cloud of witnesses (fans) cheering us on as we live out our lives and faith on earth. Maybe just maybe the population of heaven is really done up in home team colors and every time you and I face temptation, are faced with the choice of doing the right or wrong thing, perform an act of kindness or step out in faith in some way, a loud cheer goes up, led by the Champion of champions who calls our name and shouts 'Go your name here Go'

Run your race well today. Heaven is cheering for you!

My Brother Told Me About You...

2010-01-25T11:14:00.000-08:00

I was at Walmart on a quick shopping trip and I was introduced to one of our daughter’s babysitting clients. The father and I went through the customary male greetings. ‘What do you do?’ ‘Where do you work?’. ‘Where are you from?’

Telling people what I do can sometimes be a bit of an adventure because I’m the only person in all of Canada who does what I do, so it generally requires some explanation. Given that I was standing in an aisle at Walmart, I fully expected to be providing the LONG explanation.

I started by saying that I provide chaplaincy services to MLA’s and then watched his facial expression to see how much additional explaining would be necessary.

You can imagine my surprise when he said, ‘My brother told me about you.’

His brother is an MLA and while I’ve met him on several occasions, I can’t say that I ever felt as though it was ever much more than a polite greeting in a crowded room.

When I asked what his brother had told him, I was even more surprised. He said that his brother was aware that we were praying for him and others on a daily basis and that their staff regularly checked the daily prayer blog to see who we were praying for and what we were praying about.

I hope this is a tremendous encouragement to you. It’s important for us to know that our prayers are having an effect and an impact on the lives of those we are seeking to bless.

I want invite and encourage you to pray along with us. We send out a daily email each Monday to Friday. Each email features a personalized prayer for different MLA. The prayers are short and simple so that you can pray them whenever you see them. You can join our daily team by subscribing at www.praybc.blogspot.com and clicking on the feedblitz button on the upper right side.

That's It.... I'm calling Santa....

2009-12-24T08:25:00.000-08:00

Barb and I went to Walmart last night. It was everything you might expect it to be on Dec 23. Apart from a few elbows and eye pokes, we escaped relatively unscathed...

As we were leaving, a little boy was having a bit of a melt down outside the front door. His mom was exasparated. His mom, trying to gain control of the situation, pulled out her cell phone and said 'That's it... I'm calling Santa...' As you can imagine, the added stress for the little guy, put him over the brink and he completely lost it. What had been a mild disturbance became a full blown scene that caused heads to turn...

The little guy began to scream 'NO!!!!' at the top of his lungs. Mom's only response was... 'Okay, Okay ... I'm putting away the phone, I'm putting away the phone....'

Sometimes things don't turn out the way you plannned, but they give people great blogging ideas. This is one of those times.... I've been thinking about Santa ever since then and have come to the conclusion that he's really a rather fickle fellow. Think about it. Santa is entirely performance based. If you're good, you're on his list. If you're not good, you get dropped like a hot potato. Sometimes he just doesn't show up, other times, he adds insult to injury and gives you a lump of coal in your stocking. Sound kind of mean if you stop and think about it.

I think that the worst thing about Santa is that he's a poser. He's worked very hard to position himself as the central character of Christmas, but everything he represents is contrary to what Christmas is really all about.
Without getting preachy, here's something for you to think about...

1. Santa appears once a year. Jesus is with us every day.
2. Santa only shows up when you meet his criteria. Jesus does not treat us as we deserve.
3. Santa comes into your chimney. Jesus changes your life.
4. Santa says 'Ho, Ho, Ho' Merry Christmas. Jesus says 'I am the way. The truth and the Life'
4. Threatening to call Santa on a cell phone freaks kids out. Telling your kids that you are going to talk to Jesus calms the down. AND.... . You can talk to Jesus for free!

Have a great Christmas everyone!!

2009 in Review

2009-12-18T07:33:00.000-08:00

It’s not hard to tell it’s Christmas which means it’s time to recount our journey over the past 12 months. Last January we attended MissionsFest in Vancouver as Exhibitors. It was a great opportunity for us to meet partners and expand our ministry network.

Our goal was to solicit support for our Prayer Initiative during the Provincial Election. We gave away hundreds of PrayBC mugs and gained many email addresses that helped us build the largest prayer network in BC. By the time we were done, we had over 2000 people committed to participate with us.

In February the Legislature was recalled for the Spring Session. Election Fever was in the air and it spiked most afternoons during Question Period. We also held our annual MLA Prayer Breakfast in February with an excellent response from MLA’s. Our speaker was Mark Buchanan from Duncan. He did an excellent job for us.

March included some travel time and generally just getting ready for the election campaign that would happen through April and early May.

The election was called in early April and PrayBC kicked into high gear. For every day of the campaign we sent out a daily email to all of our prayer partners. On most days, over 2000 people opened our email and prayed along with us. Through the election, we held provincial conference calls that were also very well supported. We believe that in the last year PrayBC has become the largest Prayer Network in British Columbia. PrayBC continues to be a vital part of what we do by providing prayer support for MLA’s on a rotating basis. You can join our prayer network by clicking here.

In June, Tim attended the swearing in of the Cabinet and was able to connect with many of the newly appointed ministers. It was an important day for the ministry.

July and most of August was spent in ministry travel. On August 25th we celebrated another significant ministry first by leading a prayer gathering on the lawn of the Legislature during the Throne Speech. Mixed in with the protestors were many prayer walkers who had come to seek God’s blessing on the new government and the new session. You can see a video presentation of the event on YouTube by searching PrayBC. It was a powerful day!

The August start date resulted in the longest fall session in recent memory. During this session, we met many of the new MLA’s and reconnected with those who were re-elected. It has been an exciting privilege to pray with Ministers and members in their offices and to connect with staff and others as well.

We held our first ever 'Nation Builder' Fundraising Breakfast in October. It was a great success and we are already making plans for our next event in April of 2010.

Our most exciting news out of the current session is that we’ve begun a regular weekly prayer time for MLA’s. We are thrilled to have established this weekly group and look forward to many more joining us as we continue to move forward.

We are so grateful to God and our partners for their faithfulness. Two years ago we had many hopes and dreams. By God's grace and your generosity we have seen some of those hopes and dreams become reality! Our vision continues to be large and we look forward to what God has in store for us in 2010. Thank you for standing with us and believing in us!

Living Out The Real Meaning Of Christmas

2009-12-17T10:19:00.000-08:00

Some say you pick your friends but are stuck with your relatives. I am so proud to count Ken and Evie and their family as relatives that I would gladly choose as friends.

Thirty-four years ago, in the Christmas of the year they had their first child, Ken and Evie Hauser had the idea to leave their home in the suburbs and go downtown for the weekend. They would have dinner, spend the night in a hotel and, while they were there, hand out a few things to the needy.

For Ken, the visit downtown harkened to his past. When he was a boy, his father would take him to the Downtown Eastside every Wednesday night to the Gospel Mission, where they would help out. Ken's charitable impulse had been bred into him early.

"So we bundled up the baby that first year," Ken said, "and took the bus downtown. It was so long ago, I can't even remember what we gave out."

The years passed. The Hauser family grew. There was a second child, and a third child and a fourth.

And as the family grew, so did the annual Christmas trip. Each child meant another conscript for the weekend outing, and each was incorporated into it in his or her turn. And as Ken's father had taught him the worth of giving, so he and Evie taught their children. They took to the streets as a family, and the things they carried with them and gave away grew as they did.

"We'd make up some sandwiches and take those down," Ken said, "and we'd hand out things like gloves and socks and good warm coats. Most of the clothing was our own used clothing, but they were never throwaways. We always made sure that it was clothing that was in good shape and that we could still wear it."

There were lean years. Ken worked in a construction firm, and in the recession of the early 1980s, his firm declared bankruptcy.

"We knew charity then ourselves," Ken said. "There would be the knock on the door at night, and the boxes of food left on the front porch, because we would have trouble feeding our own kids.

"But I had a wife who loved and supported me, and my children, and my faith, and even though we were going through bankruptcy I found out that money is not all that it is supposed to be. Yes, you need it and yes, it puts food on the table. But we found out that our wealth was in other things."

The Hausers kept up the annual Christmas trip downtown even then. His kids especially enjoyed it, he said, and looked forward to it.

"There was this older couple I remember, and they would dress up as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, and they had a dog named Radar. They were needy, I suppose, but the kids loved them, and while other kids would be in the department stores waiting to sit on Santa's knee, our kids would be looking forward to seeing this couple out on the street."

As the years passed, Ken and Evie's kids grew up and got married, and they had kids of their own. Now, Ken and Evie have six grandchildren, and they, too, have joined the annual Christmas trip downtown.

Of all of this -- the annual trip, the charitable acts, the kids' and grandkids' involvement -- I learned none of it from Ken. He appears to be the kind of man who curdles at self-aggrandizement and whose personal code of conduct dictates that charitable acts are done and not seen.

But those charitable acts were seen by a friend of the Hausers last weekend, when the family did their annual trip. In an e-mail to me, the friend wrote:

"Last Saturday my husband and I were having breakfast (downtown) when all of a sudden we spied the whole Hauser family laden down with bags full of goodies, bundled up with grandkids in tow heading down the street to find the homeless. The smiles and energy radiating from them was noticeable from far away."

She suggested I talk to this "remarkable family" and do a story on them, but when I phoned Ken, he was reluctant to talk.

"It's not a huge thing," he said, of the annual trip, "and we don't like to think of it as a huge thing. It's just something we like to do as a family."

But his grandkids had come to love it, too, he said, and they were learning, as his own children had, the charitable impulse that he had learned as a boy. They looked forward to the weekend all year, he said, and the older grandkids had started volunteering in the soup kitchens at their churches.

"I think we try to teach them that Christmas is more than just about getting gifts; it's about giving, too. But listen," he said, "if you're going to write this, I don't want this to be about us. If somebody through this can be inspired to go down and help out, that'll be enough."

This last weekend went well, he said. He and the family spent some of Friday night on the streets, and all of Saturday, and some of Sunday morning. Almost always, he said, the people he meets and talks to are appreciative. This year, they gave out things like Tim Horton's gift cards, and bags of chips, and mandarin oranges, and clothes. In the tougher areas of the Downtown Eastside, like dark alleyways, only he and his boys would venture down them, but even there, he said, they never ran into trouble. He had given out shoes to men who were barefoot, and socks to a man wearing nothing but plastic bags on his feet and gloves to men whose hands were raw with cold.

"And there was this young girl last year who really affected me. She was sitting on the sidewalk in the cold, and I asked her if she was okay, and if she had a home to go to, and she said, 'I can't go home.' And I asked her why, and she said because her father abused her."

At this point in our conversation, Ken started to cry as he told this, and he excused himself.

"I'm sorry," he said, "but as a father, it just tears me apart."

This year, he said, he and Evie had talked about not doing the trip, because the recession had been tough on the construction business. And treating the whole family to dinner out and putting them up for a weekend at the Wall Centre was a big bill -- although the hotel, in its own act of kindness, had been discounting their rooms since they found out why the Hausers were staying downtown. ( "I think we must be the only guests that arrive at the Wall Centre with plastic garbage bags filled with stuff," Ken said.)

But they decided to bite the bullet, Ken said, because money spent on the family and on helping those who needed it was money better spent than on any financial investment.

I asked him what it cost him to do it all, and he told me, and I said that he must be fairly well off.

"I am," he said, and then he said he was talking about the riches his family and faith brought him, not his bank account.

It Never Snows In Victoria, Except When It Does, Every Year

2009-12-15T07:35:00.000-08:00

From today's Times Colonist. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

By Jack Knox, Times ColonistDecember 15, 2009

Two o'clock yesterday afternoon. I approach the editor, clear my throat: "After much soul-searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional newspapering. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father and person."

"Pardon?" she says.

"Like Tiger Woods, I am leaving work to save my family. I apologize for my indiscretions."

"You?"

I nodded my head vigorously. "Got 'em stacked up like cordwood. One affair she might have forgiven. Two, three, four, I'm still good. But once you hit double digits, some women get testy. I better go."

"So what you're saying," says the boss, "is you're going home early to beat the snow."

Well, yes, now that you mention it, it would be nice to get off the roads before the flakes start falling faster than Tiger's reputation.

This is how Victorians react to even the slightest threat of snow: Bolt for home in time for Oprah/the early game on TSN. Just a hint of white in the sky, and the entire city goes to voicemail. By 4 p.m. the Malahat looks like France in 1940, the highway choked with ox carts and refugees fleeing the advancing horror. The Q dumps classic rock, just plays the theme music to Exodus, over and over.

Thankfully, it never snows in Victoria, except when it does, every single winter, much to the amusement of the rest of the country. The rest of Canada enjoys a West Coast snowfall the way the Brits enjoy watching Princess Anne fall off a horse.

Chaplaincy Cutbacks in Fraser Health Authority

2009-12-14T12:51:00.000-08:00

I received an email today regarding the chaplain and social worker cutbacks in the FHA today. According to the article that I read in the AbbyNews , 12 hospital based chaplains and 15 social worker positions will be cut. I'd like to address the cuts to chaplaincy services.

I am a believer in the value of pastoral/chaplaincy ministry in hospital situations. There's no doubt that good spiritual/emotional support in this setting contributes to the health and recovery of patients who are open to receive it. I am also a realist and recognize that given the choice between a chaplain's position or an ER or Surgical nurse, the vast majority of the population will choose nurses. We live in challenging economic times and while I would prefer something different, in this case I understand why this decision has to be made.

Some of the most creative and successful approaches have arisen during some of the most difficult seasons. I see an opportunity for faith based groups and individuals who are concerned about these particular cuts to become proactive and provide a creative solution to the situation. Several years ago, the IHA made similar cuts to chaplaincy positions in Kamloops. In that particular situation, a local MLA took leadership and raised the necessary resources to provide for chaplaincy services at RIH.

The region served by the FHA is home to BC's largest churches and because of population alone, has more church groups than anywhere else in the province. While it's not fair to look at the largest churches alone and expect them to shoulder the financial burden, it is realistic to look to the church community as a whole to consider finding a way to creatively fund this important area of ministry. We, more than anyone else should be committed to seeing these positions continue and if necessary, find the ways and means to properly resource them through our own efforts. I realize this a departure from expecting government and health authorities to fund this through tax dollars, but perhaps this is also a way for the church to provide leadership within our communities and to be a blessing to caregivers and patients alike.

I'm calling on denominational leaders, pastors and churches to give serious consideration to finding a creative way to serve the people of the FHA through ensuring the continuation of these services. It's time to put our faith to work and ensure that chaplaincy services continue within the FHA.

Ordinary People. Extraordinary God

2009-12-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

I love what God does in the midst of our ordinary moments!

I can’t help but think about how God invades the ordinary in the lives of the key characters in the Christmas story. Mary was just a young woman in love with a carpenter named Joseph. She was busy making wedding plans when her ordinary routine was interrupted by an angel. Joseph’s ordinary sleep was interrupted by what he thought was a dream. The magi’s study of the stars was interrupted by strange sign. Zechariah’s priestly routine was interrupted by an appearance by Gabriel, Simeon and Anna were faithful saints who were interrupted by the appearance of the Messiah.

God is the perfect Interrupter. He is a master at interrupting our ordinary so that we can be a part of the extraordinary thing that He is doing.

I’ve come to believe two things.

1. God is constantly working on fulfilling His perfect plan.

We know that He is constantly working out everything for our highest good. It’s what He promises He will do. He’s also doing the same thing for everyone else who loves him and is called according to his purpose.

2. He wants you and me to be a part of that plan.

I heard someone pray something like this today. ‘God we know we can do nothing without you and that You do nothing without us.’ I think that’s a profound spiritual truth. Christmas would not have happened unless ordinary people said yes to an extraordinary God and His outrageous plan.

I’m convinced that God interrupts our lives more often than we realize. They key for you and me is to shift our thinking from expecting angelic announcements and to simply learn to read the signals. His interruptions come in spontaneous thoughts, in unusual circumstances and through ‘God moments’ when He puts people in our path who are ready to receive His love and grace. Watch for them and enjoy the interruptions!

Clutter Busting....

2009-11-07T21:46:00.000-08:00

I've been helping a church where I served as Youth Pastor 20 years ago. Their pastor has resigned and they needed someone to help them through this transitional period and I was both interested and available so we are going on a journey together. It's been an interesting experience. A lot has changed over 20 years for everyone. The church is smaller and older than it was 20 years ago. I am larger than I was 20 years ago... but like everyone else, I'm also 20 years older which puts me in a very different place than the last time I was there.

We did something today that I think was very symbolic. We threw away 20 years of accumulated 'stuff'. Some would say 'junk'.... 5 or 6 truckloads left the building today. It was exciting. 20 people spent the morning working, laughing and just chucking stuff out. Never have so many been so happy to throw away so many things!

While that's exciting, especially if you are a 'clutter buster', what's more exciting in my mind is the very significant break from the past. Without exaggeration, I threw away things that were saved from when I was on staff there!! We laughed more than a few times about what we were finding as we worked our way through shelves, boxes and closets.

I don't know how it is for you, but there are times, (like now) when I look at my life and see the definite need for some serious 'clutter busting' to take place. I don't intentionally set out for things to get complicated or to pack needless baggage along the way. It just happens, and it happens for a lot of reasons, some of which are more valid than others.

There are some huge temptations in clutter busting. The biggest is to want to clear the clutter in someone else's life. The best way to handle that just might be to remember the words of Jesus when he told us to take the beam out of our own eye before worrying about the speck in our brothers eye. He's right (again...) Simply put, it's not your business to be messing with someone else's clutter. Get your own stuff in order and keep it that way. At least that's the lesson I'll be working on over the next few weeks....

Getting the church ready for Richard Dawkins

2009-10-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

I got an email today asking me if my church was ready for Richard Dawkins. This caught my attention, mostly because I don't pastor a church. The email really made me laugh....

Dawkins is an evolutionary fundamentalist. He is as extreme and narrow minded about evolution as some of our more 'narrow' Christian brothers. In my mind that takes a lot more faith (albeit misguided...) than what it takes to embrace a Creationist view of the beginning. (If this statement sparks the desire to debate the origins of the earth, feel free to do it with someone else, I don't have the time...)

The email said that churches should be ready to teach against the evils of evolution because Dawkins was going on a tour to mark the 150th anniversary of Darwin's death and that he would be promoting Darwin's theory of evolution. For what it's worth, my first thought is that Darwin knew the truth about evolution and Genesis within a nanosecond of his death. It's too bad we can't get his thoughts on evolution after 150 years of experiencing wherever he finds himself spending eternity. I'm confident that Richard Dawkins would be abandoning evolutionary fundamentalism in a heartbeat if he was able to hear what Darwin had to say today.

My other thought, was 'Richard Dawkins is coming to church?' Wow! That's really amazing! I hope he visits a life giving church where he can encounter God's presence, love and power. It would be a good thing for him!

I've come to a place in my life where nothing is impossible for God. If he wants to move on the heart of an unbelieving Richard Dawkins and bring him to church on Sunday, my expectation is that Dawkins will leave a believer in the ONE who spoke creation into existence in microseconds. Now that would really shake things up wouldn't it?

I continue to be puzzled by the way we respond to people who disagree with our faith. Why would we warn people about Dawkins and his teaching when the bible tells us that our battle isn't against flesh and blood. Wouldn't it make more sense just to pray that God would do something very Sovereign and powerful that would result in something very profound happening in Dawkins life? That might prove to be far more faith based than whatever it is I'm supposed to do because 'he's coming'.

I hope Dawkins makes it to your church and that when he gets there, he encounters the power and wonder of the living God!! Sort of like Saul on the road to Damascus.... Wouldn't that be interesting???

Knock, Knock...

2009-10-08T18:06:00.000-07:00

I had the funniest thing happen to me at the Legislature today. I was visiting with a new member. We've been talking about connecting for some time, so I was looking forward to getting together. I arrived a few minutes early, he took me too his office and we started to get to know each other. About 15 minutes into our visit, there was a knock at the door. When he opened his office door, two special constables were standing there, accompanied by two very nervous looking staff members. They announced that they had an alarm coming from the office and wanted to be let inside. The member responded that he hadn't pushed an alarm button and wasn't in any danger. It turns out that the 'laptop lock' that he thought he was playing with actually sent an alarm call down to the security office. So... after a quick lesson on how to use the security button, the constables left and we were able to return to our visit.

After they left we had a good laugh and then prayed together. When I went back to the office to turn in my security pass, the constable who visited the office met my rather sheepish look with a big grin and chuckle!

Every day at the Legislature is an adventure....

Protests, Petitions and the Need for Good Government

2009-09-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to see something very interesting in the current political climate. It's safe to say that it's a very different world at the Legislature than what it's been for the past 2 years. The atmosphere is completely different than what I expected. I assumed the rhetoric would die down and things would 'simmer' rather than boil. I was very wrong....

The Government has been forced to make some difficult and extremely unpopular decisions due to the current economic situation. The Opposition has no end of material for Question Period, the ensuing media scrums and the radio talk shows. I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing. In fact, if you can see past the bluster, desk thumping and heckling (all part of our political system....) this may well be the best thing that can happen in our province.

A strong and effective opposition is the key to good government. While it's true that the Government has a majority and will likely vote according to policy and platform, the awareness of unhappy and dissatisfied voters will undoubtedly give them cause for sober reflection, especially if the Opposition is successful in providing effective resistance on key initiatives.

During the election, we prayed that God would give us leaders of His choosing who would provide good and effective government for us. While the government's decisions have been somewhat surprising and unexpected, I'm starting to see that God is using a host of circumstances to provide exactly what we asked for. We need a strong Opposition who will ensure that the effect of Government decisions and actions is in the public eye.

In the midst of this new political atmosphere, we have a responsibility before God for those who have been elected to lead. It would be easy to be caught up in the anger that is being directed at the government, but it is neither becoming nor fruitful. Disagree if you choose, but understand that our greatest effectiveness comes as we make petitions rather than signing them.

The fact is that our leaders on both sides of the Legislature need someone praying for them and encouraging them NOW more than ever. We need to rise to the occasion as never before to stand in the gap on behalf of those making the most significant decisions in our province in a generation. Call your MLA and tell him/her that you are praying for them. I promise you, they will be grateful!

Roll Away The Stone...

2009-09-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

Picture this for a moment. Someone you love dies unexpectedly. Your best friend shows up 4 days later having missed final goodbye's and the funeral. You take him to the grave side where he begins to weep and then... He says .... 'Dig him up'

A bit taken aback, you turn and say 'Seriously? You know he's been dead for 4 days and it's not going to be pretty...'

'Dig him up!' your Friend replies, 'I want to show you something...'

If you didn't know that it really happened with Jesus, you would be just as likely to be repulsed at the brash and crude request. Most of us would have walked away in shock and disgust.

I've been thinking about the story of Lazarus recently and I'm seeing something that I've never seen before. I am seeing Lazarus as a metaphor. Lazarus represents something that is common to all of us. He represents the disappointment of his sisters. They weren't disappointed in Lazarus, but in Jesus, in his passing and in his lost future. Lazarus represents embarassment. How could they face their friends who all knew that they had expected Jesus to help only to experience something different. They believed, but Jesus was absent when they needed him most. Lazarus could even represent their despair. It's reasonable to assume that since they were both unmarried that the three of them lived together and Lazarus was taking responsiblity to care for his sisters. Now suddenly and unexpectedly, their future was at stake as well.

What do you do with your disappointments, embarassments and fear? Mary and Martha wrapped theirs up in grave clothes and spices, placed them in a tomb and rolled a large stone in front of it. I think we do the same... We take our disappointments, despair, pain and embarassments and hide them deep inside a cave somewhere in the recesses of our lives, cover them over with a rock and move on with our lives desperately hoping that we can leave them behind.

Every so often, on His timetable rather than ours, Jesus shows up at the places where we've buried our 'stuff' and asks us to roll away the stone. I think He comes often and with intent because what's buried behind the stone holds incredible potential and possibility. God sees value in what we've buried behind the rock and He wants to redeem it in our lives. That can only happen when we respond in trust and obedience. Rolling the stone away is the first step in experiencing God's work in our lives.

Stop and listen today. Perhaps Jesus is whispering 'Roll away the stone...'

Getting Ready for The Fall Session

2009-08-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for the Fall Session

The government has anounced that the Legislature will resume on August 25 with a Speech From the Throne, followed by a Budget Speech on September 1. This is an unusually early start to the session and will undoubtedly be a very challenging one as the government seeks to address the current economic situation.

The new session is also an exciting one for us as a ministry as this is the first time that we have been in place when a new Parlaiment has come together. We've been successful in laying a stable ministry foundation over the last two years and are able to move forward with some exciting ministry plans.

We are currently preparing to launch a regularly scheduled devotional meeting for members at their request. In general this will simply be a gathering for those who would like to receive spiritual encouragement and pray together on an ongoing basis. As with everything we do, it will be non-partisan and designed to be supportive and encouraging for those who will come. This comes at the request of several members and represents a major step forward for us.

Our second initiative is in it's infancy but also represents some exciting steps forward. Several members of our core prayer team have developed what we are calling a 'Prayer Tour' of the Legislative Precinct. The vision is to use the points of interest as catalysts to prayer along specific themes. I'm very excited about what they have put together and think it will pay tremendous dividends as we begin to use the ministry tool. Soon, we will be able to invite teams to Victoria to visit the Legislature, go on a prayer tour and spend a day or two with us. Our plans are still in development, but we wanted you to know about what we are doing so that you can make plans to join us at some point in the future.

NB Paper Apologizes to PM

2009-07-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the PM taking communion at Romeo Leblanc's funeral. It turns out that the story originally published by the Saint John Telegraph Journal was inaccurate. Here's the story on the apology from the same paper in today's Victoria Times Colonist. Hopefully the apologies will reach the same level of zeal as those who were telling the story the first time around.

A New Brunswick daily newspaper issued a front-page apology Tuesday for a July 8 story that claimed the prime minister pocketed a communion wafer during the state funeral for former governor general Romeo LeBlanc.
The Saint John Telegraph-Journal apologized to Prime Minister Stephen Harper for the story which the newspaper said “was inaccurate and should not have been published.”
The story created a national controversy that lasted for several days while Harper was attending a G8 gathering in Italy and preparing to meet the Pope.
“There was no credible support for these statements of fact at the time this article was published, nor is the Telegraph-Journal aware of any credible support for these statements now,” said the apology. “The Telegraph-Journal sincerely apologizes to the prime minister for the harm that this inaccurate story has caused.”
The newspaper also apologized to the two reporters whose bylines appeared above the story.
“Our reporters Rob Linke and Adam Huras, who wrote the story reporting on the funeral, did not include these statements in the version of the story that they wrote. In the editing process, these statements were added without the knowledge of the reporters and without any credible support for them,” said the apology.
The story said that a senior Roman Catholic priest had demanded that Harper's office explain what happened to the communion wafer which was handed to the prime minister during the state funeral. The story also described video footage that showed the prime minister taking the wafer, but cut away before Harper was seen consuming it.
A Telegraph-Journal newsroom employee who answered the phone said “no one will be talking” about the issue.
An aide to publisher Jamie Irving said there would be “no comment.”

Responding to the Giants - Part 4

2009-07-27T19:04:00.000-07:00

David was unique to everyone else in all of Israel, even though most people didn't recognize it. David was the anointed successor to the throne of Israel. He was the person God had chosen to serve, lead and deliver Israel. The interesting thing is that unlike Saul, David walked in humility. The anointing had not gone to his head and so it remained on his life. Because he had been anointed king, David was the only person with the authority and responsibility to deal with Goliath. While he had yet to take his place on the throne, David knew WHO he was and WHAT God had called him to do. It was this confidence in his anointing and subsequent identity that caused him to respond the way he did. David knew that the destiny of the nation was at stake and that God would use him to defeat Goliath.

We can only deal effectively with the giants in our lives, our homes, cities and nation when we are confident in our identity, mission and and anointing. When we are unsure of who we are in Christ and where we stand we become subject to the taunting and intimidation of the giants.

I love David's question to the army and his brothers. "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of God?" David is not being cocky or arrogant. He is speaking with a clear understanding of his identity and his role. His question came from a place of authority. It's no different than what you might say if you came home and found an intruder in your house.

What happens next is fascinating. David is quickly taken to Saul where he makes the same statement. Saul, who is desperate for a soldier does his best to convince his only willing candidate to avoid going to battle. David's response is very revealing. Your servant has been caring for his father's sheep ... It seems to me that the little things are always very important in God's eyes. Doing a good job as a shepherd qualifies you for giant killing. It's because God uses the small things to prepare us for big things.

David's second statement is equally interesting. 'Whenever a lion or bear steals one of the lambs, I go after it with a club, grab it by the jaw and kill it. The Lord has protected me from the lion and the bear and He will help me defeat this uncircumcised Philistine. (paraphrase mine...) David had confidence in God's ability to help him and protect him. Again, God uses the little things to teach us about the big things.

Think about what David said about the lion and the bear. 'I go after it with a club.' I think it's interesting that he doesn't use a sling, spear or bow and arrow. The club requires close contact. After he hits it and rescues the lamb he proceeds to grab the lion or bear by the jaw. For those of you who live in bear country, my advice is 'DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!' Yet, this is part of what qualified him to defeat Goliath. He learned to go to the most vulnerable place of the predator and defeat him there. I think there's a powerful lesson of faith here. The most dangerous place for us is also the most vulnerable place for the enemy because it's where our faith is put to work. I'm convinced that God is more interested in our daring steps in response to His promises than He is in our multiple safety nets designed to ensure that our assets are always protected. It might be that we don't know how to slay giants because we aren't very good at going after the lion and the bear.

Responding to the Giants - 3

2009-07-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

The third person in the scenario is Saul. Saul is the person who should have gone to confront Goliath. He was tallest in the kingdom, he had weapons and armour and in theory should have been a skilled warrior by that time.

Saul in fact had become 'Mr. Dithers'. When the nation needed leadership Saul was nowhere to be found. His only plan to defeat Goliath was to offer his daughter and tax free living to the family of the man who would defeat Goliath. Creative on the one hand, tremendously disappointing on the other. This could have been Saul's greatest moment but Saul had lost 'it' and so it became his undoing.

If you were to flip back a few chapters, you would see the moment Saul lost 'it'. Saul's life is a study in leadership gone wrong. It's a picture of a man called to the top but lacking the character and discipline to stay there. What should have been the begining of a dynasty became a one throne disaster. Saul's problem was pride and independence. Saul would not follow God's instructions or meet his expectations. He did not understand roles and responsibilities. He couldn't figure out where he should be and where he shouldn't be. At the end of the day it cost him the kingdom (position) and more importantly God's presence and power (ore the anointing) in his life.

Saul was anointed as the king of Israel but the anoiniting went to his head and resulted in a train wreck. It's not uncommon today either. When the anointing moves from your heart to your head, a disaster always follows. When the anointing goes to your head, your perspectives change and you begin to function from the place of entitlement and privilege rather than from the place of a servant.

Lost anointing leads to indecisiveness and incompotence and eventually it catches up to you. Saul was so lost in himself that even after 6 weeks of daily challenge from Goliath, he couldn't figure out what to do next.

Pride and independence make it impossible to rise to the challenge of the giants. I've finally begun to understand that the reason God hates our pride and independence is because it comes between Him and us. It also causes us to live at a level far lower than what God intended for us. Jesus said that apart from Him, we can do nothing. I'm not sure how it works for out for you, but I know that every time I do it my way when I know I could do it God's way, a mess always results.

Saul's pride cost him everything. What does yours cost you?

Responding to the Giants - 2

2009-07-16T12:28:00.001-07:00

Any parent will tell you that even though children are raised by the same parents in the same household, they all turn our different. You might want to think that they should all be the same, but they are all unique. There's a great example of that when you consider David and his brothers.

The only reason that David was at the battle front was because his father had sent him to deliver food and supplies for his brothers. Upon his arrival, Goliath is in full roar and David hears the taunt for the first time. David is indignant. He's also stunned at what's happening. He starts to ask questions and find out what's going on. It's at that point that you get a snapshot of the family dynamics at Jesse's house. Eliab is the eldest, David is the youngest. Sibling rivalry is in full swing. Eliab passes judgment on David's motives. "You're just a kid... a pest and 'punk'. Go home and leave this for the men....

That might make sense except for one tiny detail that I have never noticed before...

If you remember back to when Samuel (the prophet) went to Jesse's house to anoint a new king, Eliab was the first one he saw. Samuel thought he must be the guy. He's tall, good looking and strong and yet God said that he had rejected him. It's the familiar verse where God says that man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart. God had seem something in Eliab that caused him to reject him as a potential king. Maybe it was jealousy, a sharp tongue or a quick temper. Maybe it was something else.... The point is that Eliab would not be king because he had disqualified himself.

There are times that the giants intimidate and have their way with us because we have disqualified ourselves from the right to rid ourselves of them. Maybe it's our sin, our attitudes, our judgements or assumptions. Whatever the case, we disqualify ourselves from the promise of victory and deliverance. And so when the giants roar, we retreat to our tents and nothing ever changes.

Qualifying for giant slaying isn't difficult and yet it often remains undone. Qualifying requires repentance that leads to transformation. While we certainly need to repent for the sin that so easily entangles, we also need to repent for our attitudes, perspectives and assumptions about God, ourselves and others. Genuine repentance always leads to transformation. You won't kill the giant before your heart is changed.

Responding To The Giants - Part 1

2009-07-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

When I think about David and Goliath, I'm usually thinking about David's faith, the battle, the takedown and the ulitmate victory. I love the way the story plays out and it never fails to inspire me to live and dream largely. That said, I've been thinking about something very different lately. I'm convinced that while we don't have literal 10 foot giants challenging us to fight on a daily basis, we all face giants in our lives. They appear as problems, challenges, threats and obstacles in our lives. Sometimes they are financial, physical, emotional or psychological. Like Goliath, they roar and bellow, daring us to engage them in a life and death struggle.

There are 4 different kinds of people in the story of David and Goliath. Each one responded very differently. Consider the army with me. David refers to them as the Armies of God. These were people with a shared heritage, history and tradition. God was central to their culture and society but when faced with a threat, they retreated to their tents in fear. For 40 days the same scene repeated itself. They ran and hid in their tents when Goliath challenged them. You have to wonder why....

I believe that their fear was based on a lack of the knowledge of God. It's not that they were ignorant of their history as much as that they were unaffected by it. God was a part of their past but absent in their present. In the midst of their crisis, they had no confidence in the only One who could save them and were left trusting in their own resources and abilities. It's no wonder that they ran....

I confess that there are times that I run from the giants. Sometimes they intimidate me tremendously. It's in those times that I remind myself that God needs to be in my present as much as He has been in my past. When I take time to remember, when I take time to remind myself, when I take time to feed my spirit with His Word, my faith is rekindled and I am able to face the giants without fear. So can you!

The PM and The Communion Wafer

2009-07-09T22:58:00.000-07:00

There are times when no matter what you do, you do the wrong thing. That's exactly what happened to Prime Minister Harper last weekend. You've really got to feel sorry for the Prime Minister. As you probably know, he attended the funeral for former Govenor General Romeo LeBlanc last weekend. The service was in a Catholic Church and he was appropriately sitting on the front row.

Part of a Catholic funeral includes communion. Normally, people who want to receive communion in a Catholic service get up from their seats and move to the altar area where the host and the wine are administered by the priest. In this particular case, the priest chose to approach the front row and offer communion to those seated there. I think it was a classy way of handling things and applaud the priest's decision.

Here's where things get sticky.... The PM is a protestant which means that he really doesn't qualify to take communion in a Catholic service. His options are as follows:

1. He can cross his arms to indicate that he is not a Catholic and ask for a blessing instead. I've been ordained for almost 25 years and I didn't know that was the appropriate response. It's hardly fair to expect the PM to know that's what he should do. I can only wonder how the theological giants in the media would have reported that response.... PM REFUSES COMMUNION AT FORMER GG's FUNERAL.

2. He can put the wafer in his pocket. It's certainly a better option than crossing his arms, except for the fact that Catholics believe that the host (the wafer) actually becomes the body of Jesus during the service, which makes it holy. Having Jesus close by on a daily basis is something evangelicals believe in, but putting the wafer in your pocket is a bad idea, just in case the Catholics are right on this one....

3. He can take communion. It's probably the best option and the one that he followed, BUT.... only Catholics truly qualify to receive communion in a Catholic setting. The priest who served said that it's probably okay if you do it once in a while, but that it shouldn't become a regular practice. I say that it's lucky for the PM that he's visiting with Pope in a few weeks where he can either confess and get it sorted out or the Pope can set him straight on what the best response might be. Note to His Holiness... if you want to have a bit of fun with our PM, offer him communion and see what he does....

Here's the part of this story that I find really strange. I've done a few funerals over the years and I've never seen anyone video tape the participants to see what they are doing. I guess it's one thing if the funeral is for Michael Jackson (although I confess I couldn't help but think of the hypocrisy of the media and the masses who a week earlier would have mocked him relentlessly...) but we are talking about a State Funeral for the Governor General. This isn't cousin Sally's wedding where you want a shot of the bride's mother smiling, crying, glaring or glowing. Who in their right mind would video tape the serving of communion anyway? More importantly, who would think this was a viable news story that Canadians really wanted to hear about?

Happy Canada Day

2009-07-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Canada Day!

I know it's belated and it's not as though I had forgotten, but I wasn't sure what I would write today until the fireworks show at the Inner Harbour last night. We enjoyed an amazing Canada Day. We used the day to complete some house projects and then enjoyed a wonderful Canada Day dinner party with friends from Africa and Austrailia. It was absolutely incredible. After dinner we went downtown to watch the fireworks with our new friends from Austrailia.

Fireworks are always impressive and last night was no exception. Just as the fireworks were ending the crowd began to sing 'O Canada'. I've never watched the fireworks from that particular spot, so maybe it happens every year, but just to hear people sing our anthem without anyone telling them to do it was tremendously inspiring.

As we sang it together, I just couldn't help but feel a tremendous sense of pride in being a Canadian. We live in an incredible nation. We are a diverse and magnificent people with a strong spirit and quiet confidence. We are the the True North, Strong and Free.

What a Week!

2009-06-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

I am constantly amazed at the way God is working through Leading Influence Ministries and the doors that He continues to open. I’m tempted to say that this is perhaps the most exciting week of ministry that we had since coming to Victoria, but it’s so hard to say that because of the many other things we’ve seen God do through the ministry. I do think it’s safe to say that this week marks a significant coming of age for the ministry and that we are moving into some new and exciting territory.

Monday marked the return of MLA’s to the Legislature for the Swearing in Ceremony for both caucuses. I was privileged to be a guest at both events. It was exciting to see the many that have become friends take the oath of office and begin a 4 year term of service as an MLA. I attended the receptions following each event and found myself being greeted with warm hugs and handshakes and being introduced to new MLA’s as ‘Tim, our chaplain.’ I also met new MLA’s who are already Christians. One told me that when he took the oath, he held his father’s bible. His father was a pastor. I met another member who is a former Youth Pastor and is passionate about his faith. I’m thrilled that God has sent us believers to serve our Province as they serve Him on both sides of the Legislature.

Yesterday, I was invited to attend the Swearing In ceremony for the new Cabinet and Exectutive Council. It was so exciting to see people that we have prayed for and have encouraged in a variety of ways being named to serve in a leadership capacity in our province. Those who have been named will work hard and sacrifice many hours on behalf of the many people who are affected by the ministries they lead. We believe that God has prepared each minister and the staff that surround them to be effective as they serve together. Our role must be to continue to pray for them as they assume new responsibilities.

While I didn't participate or expect that I would, I was reminded again that God has always been interested in leaders. Leaders shape the agenda, direct the nation and set a course for the future. That's why historically, God has surrounded leaders with those who carry His presence to be a source of encouragement and blessing to them. While many strive for political agendas and action, I'm convinced that what matters more is to see our political leaders experience a spiritual transformation that is based on God's love and grace for them.

This was also my first visit to Government House. If you come to Victoria, you really should visit the grounds that are always open to the public. It's a beautiful and peaceful spot. If you ever get the chance to be invited to Government House for a function, you should go. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for praying for us. You are making a difference as we move forward!

I Can Do All Things ...

2009-06-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

One day, a son asks his dad "Daddy, would you like to run a marathon with me?". The father says "yes". And they run their first marathon together.

Another time, the son asks his dad again "Daddy, would you like to run a marathon with me?". The father says "yes son".

One day, the son asks his father " Daddy, would you run the Ironman with me? " The Ironman is the most difficult triathlon ever (4 kms swimming, 180 kms bikin, 42 km running?)

And the dad says "yes". The story looks simple until you watch the following clip. Just amazing…

Ringing The Bell

2009-06-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

My office is in the oldest church building in Victoria. It is a beautiful heritiage building complete with a pipe organ, stained glass, steeple and ... a bell. The bell is orginal to the building. That said, the neighbourhood around the church has changed considerably since the bell was installed. What used to be open spaces, farming and later bus parking lots has become densely populated. In the two years since I've been here 3 condo developments have been completed with 50 M of the building and that doesn't include the 2 more that are only a few years older.

When I arrived this morning, the bell was ringing as a reminder and invitation to those in the area that the mid week morning prayer and communion service was about to begin. The bell is effective, but it is not necessarily melodious. It's sound is not nearly is melodious as the Carillon around the corner or the ferry horn that sounds on entrance to the harbour.

The sound of the bell bounces of the newly constructed building to create something of an 'alarm clock' resonnance. As I gathered my things from the car, I couldn't help but wonder what the people in new condos thought of the ringing bell. As that thought went through my mind, something occurred to me that I think is profound. The first is obvious. This church has been standing for 135 years. When it was built, there wasn't much else here. The Empress, the Crystal Garden and the Legislature didn't even exist on paper when it was established. Emily Carr and her family attended here as did many other Victoria pioneers. In my mind, the church and it's ringing bell have the benefit of being here first and so the bell should continue to ring as often as necessary.

My second thought is that this church serves as a metaphor for our changing world. So much has changed in our world and yet the message and values of the church must remain constant and the ringing of the bell, melodious or otherwise must continue to be heard. The ringing must be an invitation to the discovery or re-discovery of spiritual foundations that never falter or fail, to hope that is eternal and to the promises of love, joy and grace.

The Right Place at the Right Time

2009-05-29T09:46:00.001-07:00

Just before the last session ended I met an MLA at the bottom of the stairs. He apologized that he wasn’t able to attend our prayer breakfast and then shared that his father had recently passed away. Combined with the normal hectic pace for MLA’s, plus preparing for an election campaign, it wasn’t hard to see that he was tired and in need of some rest and strength. We chatted for a few minutes and I was able to pray for him in the hallway. It was all about being at the right place at the right time.

The recent election has created a new chapter for us as a ministry. We’ve spent the last two years laying a foundation, building relationships, establishing credibility and gaining trust.

Most MLA’s know who we are and have received regular invitations to our events. The daily PrayBC blog posts have caught the attention of support staff on both sides of the House as well.

The security staff understand that they need not be concerned about the devout loiterer in the rotunda or gallery and some have shared their own prayer needs and burdens which I consider a real privilege.

I believe that we are really in the right place at the right time in terms of being able to expand the ministry in some very significant ways. With the next election 4 years away, the atmosphere will be somewhat less partisan than it has been in the last year which will make it easier to bring people together.

Another exciting development is that we are at a place where our relationships are strong enough (particularly after our ministry to candidates during the campaign) that we will be able to move into more ’normal’ types of ministry with small groups, etc, which is something I’m really looking forward to doing.

Can I ask you to pray for us as we move forward. We are charting new territory and every day is an adventure as we move forward towards the fulfillment of what God has put in our hearts.

Thanks for remembering us!

Some Political Humour

2009-05-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

My mom called me over the weekend to say that it was time to update my blog. I've been pretty busy with PrayBC, but she's right, it's way past time for an update. So.... here's a joke that someone sent me. If your skin is thin, take it with a grain of salt ...

While walking down the street one day a "Member of Parliament" is tragically hit by a truck and dies.

His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

'Welcome to heaven,' says St. Peter. 'Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you.'

'No problem, just let me in,' says the man.

'Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.'

'Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,' says the MP.

'I'm sorry, but we have our rules.'

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.

They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly & nice guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises...

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

'Now it's time to visit heaven.'

So, 24 hours pass with the MP joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

'Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.'

The MP reflects for a minute, then he answers: 'Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.'

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.

He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder. 'I don't understand,' stammers the MP. 'Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable.

What happened?'

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, 'Yesterday we were campaigning.. .. Today you voted.'

Skeletons in the Closet...

2009-04-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

The election campaign is showing some interesting signs. On Monday, NDP candidate Ray Lam withdrew from the race after some online racy photos appeared on Facebook. Yesterday, Solicitor General John van Dongen had to surrender his drivers license because of too many speeding tickets and it was discovered that a third candidate, Liberal Jesse McClinton was charged with some serious traffic offenses several years ago.

Depending on your perspective, the indiscretions that have caused this attention for the candidates may be relatively minor and almost 'incidental' or these could be matters that you find beyond the realm of acceptable conduct for candidates for public office. The Opposition is calling for Mr. van Dongen's resignation as Solicitor General this afternoon. It will be interesting to see what happens.

I confess that the temptation to offer my thoughts on what should happen is nearly overwhelming and I've hit the delete button multiple times as I've written this post, but here's what I'd really like to say.

I think we are fascinated by the misdeeds of others. I think that knowing that others have fallen and made poor choices along the way somehow satisfies our own sense of guilt and regret. When their sins are deemed worse than how we may see ours, we are empowered with a sense of self-righteousness that allows us to pass judgement and demand resignation, pennance or withdrawal. It's usually only when our sins are caught in the spotlight that we are driven by a desire for mercy over justice.

I'm reminded of the words of Jesus when he was confronted with the woman caught in adultery. 'Let him who is without sin cast the first stone...' I think it was probably one of those moments where the silence that followed thundered so loudly that it surpassed the normal chatter of everyday life. It had the intended effect and soon it was just Jesus and the woman standing alone on the street. His response to her was one of grace and direction. 'I don't condemn you either. Go and sin no more.'

I wonder what Jesus might say to the three men who have had their sins exposed to British Columbians over the past week? I wonder what response He might require of them and I wonder what He requires of us.

The Prime Minister's Easter Greeting

2009-04-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

ListenUp TV received a call from the Prime Minister asking if he could share an Easter Greeting with Canadians. They willingly obliged and I've uploaded it for you here. Many thanks to Richard Long and our friends at the National House of Prayer (NHOP) for this information.

Ready, Set ....

2009-03-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

After a session that went longer than some expected that it would, the Legislature recessed today. The Premier will call the election on April 14 and British Columbians will go to the polls on May 12. While every election is important, in light of the current global economic challenges, this election is more important than most.

For most of the past 6 months, we have been working hard to develop a province wide prayer network that we've called PrayBC. The vision is to simply ask God to use the election to accomplish His purposes for our province. We know that prayer is the key that releases God's power on the earth. We also know that as the Church assumes it's appropriate priestly role within our society, God is always eager to respond.

Here's what it looks like and how you can be a part of this exciting opportunity to shape the future of our province:

1. Join our email network. For each day of the campaign, we will send an email to each member of the PrayBC network. The email will contain a specific prayer focus, scripture verse and written prayer. The email will be scheduled to come to your inbox by about 10 AM, or about the same time that most people get a coffee break. You'll be able to pray along with us right at work or wherever you might be. You can join our network by clicking here. For more information on PrayBC watch our promo video.

2. Participate in an event. We have scheduled 4 prayer events for this campaign.

     April 14 - Election Campaign Kick Off Prayer Meeting
                     Sidney Pentecostal Assembly - 7 PM

    April 15 - Province Wide Conference Call 7 PM PST
                    click here to register for this call. Please use 'April 15' in the subject line.

    May 3 - Victoria Election Prayer Rally - 7 PM
                 Church of Our Lord - 626 Blanshard St, Victoria, BC

    May 6 - Day Of Prayer and Fasting for the Election - Watch for an outline that will be posted here.
                 Province Wide Conference Call - 7 PM PST
                 Click here to register for this call. Please use 'May 6' in the subject line.

3. Share this with as many people as possible. Our goal is for 10,000 people to join our network before the campaign concludes. We need your help to get there. Can we count on you?

Where is the Church Led Economic Recovery?

2009-03-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

Click here for original article
March 20, 2009
By Lorna Dueck CBC News

There was a time when Canadian churches knew how to help you face the worst that economic storms could wreak. In the Great Depression, for example, there were pockets of faith-based activists who launched social change on such a scale that much of it is still with us today.

The 1930s was a period — like today? — when the public expected religious groups to both provide for desperate people and encourage their spirit. At the peak of the Depression, 27 per cent of Canadians and 25 per cent of Americans were out of work.

The strongest example of this probably came out of Atlantic Canada, which was hit hard early in the Depression. The dire poverty, unjust "cod lords," and rock-bottom prices for fish, wood and farm products brought the Catholic church thundering to the rescue with what would become the co-operative movement and the genesis of credit union banking.

Today at the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., you will discover the words of its late founder, Rev. Moses Coady still branding its website with his motivational style: "You are poor enough to want it and smart enough to do it."

This social entrepreneurship, however, wasn't what most expected from clergy at the time, allows Mary Coyle, the current director of the Coady Institute. But it grew out of the Catholic board of governors at St FX who asked Coady to establish an Extension Department fuelled by clerical thoughts on work and the dignity of people.

Birth of a movement

"His idea was to bring people together in schools, study clubs and kitchen meetings and let's do two things: help people understand what's going on and mobilize people to do what they want to do practically," said Coyle.

"There was a study club to start up your own credit union, your own co-operative canning factory for your lobster, how to establish a dairy co-operative, a housing co-operative. Today we'd call them social entrepreneurs."

Coady's visionary book, Masters of Their Own Destiny, summed up his approach: people in poverty have the capacity to be masters of their own lives if they are supported through education and expertise. He leveraged that vision with a little economic help from on high when American industrialist Andrew Carnegie became one of the earliest funders of the study groups. The project is still known as the Antigonish Movement and still trains leaders from around the world on a people-based approach with deep theological underpinnings.

Prairie fire

In Western Canada, Protestants had their own social gospel study groups launched by Alberta's evangelical radio preacher, William "Bible Bill" Aberhart, and his assistant, Ernest Manning. Saskatchwan premier and former Baptist minister T.C. Douglas, the pioneer of medicare. Aberhart's Prophetic Bible Institute found that its soup kitchens needed more nourishment than just a refillable bowl. Their study groups began organizing for political office.

By 1935, preacher Aberhart had become a reluctant premier swept into power with his new Social Credit Party. It would hold office for the next 36 years, one of the astounding feats of Canadian political life.

Meanwhile, next door in Saskatchewan, Baptist preacher Tommy Douglas was taking Christianity into a different form of frenetic activism. He described the church in the early thirties as "dumb as an oyster to the poverty and misery all around" and pushed for fresh interpretations of old faith that organized the unemployed, created job agencies to shovel snow and shipped B.C.'s excess fruit and Ontario's leftover clothes to those in need.

He also launched study groups to train new leaders and inspire hope. And he fought against the tendency of preachers to "get back to nice generalities" so that, eventually, ministers — not of politics but of the cloth — tackled tariffs, grain trading and railway rates.

Douglas would have to resign the pastorate to become Saskatchewan premier and then the first federal leader of the NDP.

Good neighbours

Today in Canada we seem to have built high walls around faith in public life. Canada has secularized social activism and the church is in a long recovery for past sins. Problems at residential schools and sex abuse by small but not insignificant numbers of clergy will likely take a century or so to heal.

Religious fundamentalism is undergoing massive revision at the moment and yet we still we have large numbers of people going to church. In fact, there's anecdotal evidence to suggest there is an increase in the number of Canadians attending church each week, which brings us to wonder how our ubiquitous places of worship may be of help in this economic downtown?

Nationally, church groups are well organized and sophisticated in their approach to asking governments to deal with such important issues as poverty reduction. In May, the Canadian Council of Churches will hold an Ottawa forum on "Faith and a Sustainable Economy." Part of its ongoing concern is the estimated 750,000 children in this country who are "limited by conditions of poverty."

Every preacher I know has brought the issues of this economic meltdown into Sunday sermons but it is not clear at all at this juncture if these spiritual teachings — or the national organizations — are making a difference.

Former Reform Party leader Preston Manning (the son of Ernest, Aberhart's successor as Alberta premier) wonders if faith leadership is not caught up in a bad 2009 rewrite of the Good Samaritan story.

"Today, they leave the guy lying on the road because they're going to a government meeting to find out what to do with improving the Jericho road conditions when in fact the state can't be the good neighbour on social services. People have to do this for themselves. Look after themselves," says Manning, whose life bridges past and present church activism.

He challenges today's church to use spiritual truth to teach that "man will not live by bread, oil or auto parts alone in this economy," but with a resurgence in the relationship with God that will sustain and instruct, particularly when it comes to how-to.

Corky Evans' Last Speech In The Legislature

2009-03-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

This is a copy of Corky Evans last speech in the Legislature. I wasn't able to be there, but would have changed my schedule had I known. Corky Evans is an amazing man in my mind. Politics aside, he's someone who really cares about his constituents and our province. He also really believes in the process of debate and speaks about the importance of what happens in the Legislature regularly. I think he's the kind of guy who could give a speech of the back of a pickup truck to 25 loggers and speak their language and capture their hearts. I can't help but admire his humility in admitting his failures and respect the advice he shares with incoming MLA's. I'm sorry to see him go.

I’m pleased to rise to speak on the budget for the year 2009. In truth, though, that’s really only a context, sort of a procedural rationale, to allow me to speak on the eve of leaving this place in the spring of this year.

I want to start by saying it has been a great honour to serve. I want to thank the New Democrats of Nelson-Creston for being brave enough to nominate me 23 years ago. I know it was then a great leap of faith on their part to think they might make me into a credible MLA, and I’d like to thank the citizens of Nelson-Creston for sending me here on three occasions over two decades.

I want to thank all the wonderful people who taught me to do this work, starting with Anne Fraser-Mall, who had the tough job of trying to make me look credible; then Lone Jones, Christine Hunt, Jane Hertig, Ken MacLaren, Pradik Moda and on and on; and most recently, Lucy Mears. To list all the good people I was lucky enough to share this work with would take over an hour.

Lastly, I’d like to say that for every moment of the time I did this job, I did it as partner with my co-worker and friend, Sandy Korman. It is a truism of this job that somebody gets the credit, somebody’s name is in the newspapers and on all those lawn signs every time there’s an election, but that person is rarely responsible for whatever it is that they are credited with having achieved. In my case, none of what I might have achieved was done by me; it was all done by the great collective us.

I also want to thank my neighbours at home, who looked after me for the last 20 years when I was mostly unable to look after myself, and my family, who put up with this particular career choice and all that it has meant for all of us.

I want to thank the people who make this building and this job happen here at the Legislature — the folks who feed us, those who sustain the building and the men and women who manage to provide security and yet a welcoming ambiance at the same time. Almost nobody in the world gets to work every day in such a beautiful place as those of us who work here. Thank you to all of you who make it possible.

I made my first speech in this room on March 25, 1992. In that speech I tried to explain some of the raison d’être for my seeking office and some of the things I hoped to achieve here. I reread that speech recently to try and figure out what had worked and what hadn’t.

My rationale for running, as described in that presentation, pretty much came down to an argument for local control and against the idea of centralized decision-making. I thought then and, as a matter of fact, I still think that we run this province pretty much on a colonial model and that my time here ought to concentrate on trying to find ways to devolve power away from the Legislature or to share power with the people who live in the regions.

There was a bit of a list of objectives in that speech too. In the 1980s life was pretty tough in the Kootenays, and we had some serious issues to resolve. The Columbia River Treaty topped that list of issues. The elders who sent me here asked for some form of recompense to deal with their sense of plunder that the treaty had visited on our people and our land. Plunder of the region was really the theme of that speech.

I suggested that we might resolve our land use disputes with a comprehensive land use plan; replace the Kootenay School of the Arts, which had been closed by previous government; stop the slow death of the orchard industry and try to learn to feed ourselves again; save the railroads and keep our highways from becoming subsidized industrial corridors; and try to bring an end to the parochial abuse of both our people and our land that the mountains had hidden for so long.

Some of that has actually come to pass. We rebuilt the Kootenay School of the Arts. We funded women’s centres. We doubled the parks system. We invented a partnership with the Crown to share the resource wealth of the great Columbia River, called the Columbia Basin Trust.

Then we took that partnership model, applied it to forest stewardship and created community forests in Revelstoke, Harrop, Creston, Kaslo and most recently Slocan and Nakusp — all of it in an attempt to invent a decentralized decision-making and marketing and wealth-generating model to replace the colonial style of management from here.

Selling the idea of decentralization and local control has not always been easy, regardless of who governed. I remember once when we governed and some of us were trying to convince the cabinet of the day to accept the idea that later became the Columbia Basin Trust and the Columbia Power Corporation.

I was in an argument with the minister of the Crown who did not, at the time, support the concept, and I asked the minister why she stood in the way. She answered: “Because, Corky, we differ on our understanding of the nature of this job, you and I. I think” — said the minister — “we were sent here to govern, and you think, on the other hand, that we were sent here to devolve governance.” That minister’s analysis was right on. That is what I thought, and 14 years later, leaving, that is what I still think.

In those days the notion of local control was just an experimental construct. It was untried and distrusted by both the capitalist right and the socialist left. Capitalists didn’t like it because it flew in the face of their idea of efficiency. They said: “Obviously, it is more efficient to manage everything from one office and one staff and one minister than to try to replicate management around the province.”

Socialists didn’t like it because the idea of the Crown, to them, was the way to ensure that all resources were always used to benefit the greatest good for the greatest number. They argued: “Who are some local people somewhere to say what happens to the wealth of the people?”

Now, though, the idea of local control and management of resources can no longer be said to constitute an experiment or a risk. Here’s the part I’m most proud of. Now we can say that it works.

It works not just from the standpoint of making healthy and sustainable decisions about land and water. It works from an economic and wealth generation point of view too. This is what the present government — the people who designed the present budget that ostensibly, at least, we are here to debate — have yet to learn.

Let me give you some examples. The government desires to create new electrical power for the province. That’s a good idea, and it has pretty much always been a good idea. So who is it that has produced the most green, utterly defensible and controversy-free electric power in the province over the last ten years?

Well, it’s the Columbia Power Corporation. That partnership between the Crown and local people that is Columbia Power has built the Keenleyside power plant on time and on budget, rebuilt the Brilliant dam and power project on time and on budget, and are about to start the Waneta project — and in every case produced union jobs, community stability, wealth and green electricity without flooding a single acre of land.

In forestry, too, it has been proven to work. Something like 21,000 people have been laid off in logging and sawmilling in British Columbia in the last two years, and mills keep closing that may never reopen again.

We in the Kootenays, of course, are having our troubles too, but in my constituency when I came here, we started out 15 years ago with seven sawmills. After reductions to the allowable cut in the interest of sustainability, after doubling the parks system from 6 percent to 13 percent of the land base and after making five community forests in the area, we still have today seven sawmills running in Nelson-Creston.

Why is that? I submit that it is, at least in part, because we have not fallen victim to the absolutely deregulated “Let ‘em go do anything they want” crazy analysis behind the consolidation agenda of the present government. We have maintained a large degree of local ownership and free enterprise competition for logs, and we do not have monopoly control by anybody over our land base.

My thoughts on how we organize an economy and the risks of allowing monopoly capital in any region are not new. In 1948, the year I was born, Tommy Douglas said: “Political freedom by itself can mean being free to go hungry and without a job.” He said: “It can mean being free to produce commodities below the cost of production. Until we add economic freedom to the political freedom we already have, we will never be entirely free as men and women.”

He said: “Whenever the principal assets of our country are in the hands of monopolies and cartels, we believe that they should be owned by the people themselves. We believe that when any economic activity controls the life of a people, it should be owned by the people.”

I think that what Tommy Douglas was talking about is a philosophy that we call social democracy, which was first explained to me by my friend and mentor, log truck driver Bob Cunningham.

Bob explained to me that capitalism was simply the very best way ever invented to make sure that people could find work and feed themselves and eat and trade goods back and forth and better themselves, and that he, a socialist — a democratic socialist — was just fine with that. The trouble, he said, was that capitalism is also a disease which, like cancer, can get out of control and multiply exponentially within the host and kill the very body that it lives within — in our case, the body politic, our society.

Social democracy, according to Bob, was the medicine that was required to make capitalism work without allowing it to get out of control. While I’m pretty happy with some of the things we have managed to achieve at home, boy, have we ever allowed the cancer to get out of control here in British Columbia.

There are special words that we need to describe this kind of capitalism gone crazy that we see today, special words that some of us never even heard before. I was talking to a rancher the other day, and he used the word “oligopoly” to describe the meat-processing industry and the centralization of control that has happened in that industry during the time of the present government. Oligopoly is not a word any of us heard growing up. I first learned that word in correspondence from the manager of a logging company, talking about the consolidation and centralization of control that has happened in his industry, too, in this century, the time of the present government.

The Liberal mindset in British Columbia has pretty well destroyed the old idea of free enterprise in B.C. It replaced free enterprise with monopolies and oligopolies and corporate strangleholds on wealth and land and communities in just about every sector you can name.

We have over the course of the last few years centralized the distribution of food to the point that producers cannot even get the product into the grocery store in the very town in which they live.

We created a corporate computer system that encourages transnational mining companies to buy up the mineral rights that used to go to British Columbia prospectors — who did real, physical work — and to buy those rights without even leaving their office in New York or Bonn or Tokyo.

We have destroyed the independent fishing industry, where men and women for decades thought of themselves as the last real economic adventurers, and replaced their right to fish with corporate armchair fishermen who never go on the water and rent out their licences like land barons of old used to use sharecroppers to farm their land.

I cannot think of a single land-based industry that the Liberals have not managed to turn into some kind of fiefdom. I grant you that this has been an accomplishment without the overt bloodshed that we saw when the same thing happened in Scotland with the clearances, but the outcome is the same and the out-migration is the same, and it will result in the same kind of control. The oligopolies will be the new London rich, running the land on which the people used to farm, fish, run sheep and log.

How in the world did we get into this mess? How did we take this province that we built and ran for a hundred years and turn it into somebody’s fiefdom? Why did our present government think it would be a really good idea to wipe out good, old, independent, competitive free enterprise–type businesses and replace them with monopolies?

Well, you can name the beginning of this kind of thinking anywhere you want. You could just say it started with Maggie Thatcher or the University of Chicago. I like to trace it back to 1989 and the dismantling of the Soviet empire and the fall of the Berlin Wall. When the Berlin Wall came down, instead of celebrating the end of the so-called dictatorship of the proletariat, the whole world seemed to come to the wrong-headed conclusion that the market had defeated the centrally planned economy, and now the market was god and could do no wrong.

The new temples of this religion would be built in the name of the new god, and they would be called think tanks. Governments were then considered an impediment to the sanctity of the market, and the top ten economies of the world that used to be countries became private corporations.

Here in British Columbia the free enterprise party, called Social Credit, would die, and the globalist party, the Liberals, would get itself born. Direction would come down to that government like stone tablets from the temple called the Fraser Institute. The people’s work in this building and in this room would become a sideshow.

I don’t think this Legislature is a sideshow. I know I’m a bit of an anachronism in this regard. I know it’s been popular in Canada for the last 25 years or so for politicians, even, to denigrate politics and public service and legislatures and legal and regulatory measures intended to limit excess, and even to denigrate the public service.

All of us in this room, on both sides, have been living through a time when we learned to call the employees of the Crown by the pejorative term “bureaucrats” in order to dehumanize them and strip their work of the honour and dignity and pride that used to accompany managing this land and human well-being. It reminds me of when the American people learned to call the Vietnamese people gooks in order to justify making war in their country.

In short, it has become hip to belittle the idea of the Crown and the function of this place to generate discourse or to resolve issues. One minister that we all know has even been known to suggest that politicians have better things to do than to serve the people in public, on the record and in this room. I despise this trend, and I would like to see it end now.

I think that government has to exist. I think that government has to raise taxes to do the people’s work and use those taxes to buy civilization. I think parliament has to exist and even meet and use the public record as a way to express alternative ideas about what that civilization should look like and how it should function.

I think there has to be a free press and not a monopoly press. The people who own that press actually have to employ people to report what happens here and to tell the story to whomever wishes to know.

None of this would happen if it wasn’t for this place and if it wasn’t for two sides — or maybe three or six, which I happen to think might be better yet — working here. This present government has for years operated on the view that government is a wasteful indulgence and that capitalism can manage anything better than the people can do it for themselves.

Where I live, the Crown used to plow the snow. Remember that? Now a company does it for profit. We used to run our own ferries here in British Columbia. We owned and sailed more ships than the Canadian navy. Now a company we don’t understand runs them, and companies we don’t know build them in Germany. Governments here for decades managed forests and built roads, and they created electricity. Now all or most of that is done by corporations.

This whole idea that governance is better done by corporations than by the state reminds me of the concept of the invisible hand popularized by Adam Smith centuries ago. Only in its modern iteration, the intellectual construct of Adam Smith has taken on a kind of mythological power — some would say the status of a god — in that the hand is assumed to exist and yet cannot be seen and therefore cannot be questioned.

I would agree that in the relatively esoteric world of finance or in the utterly practical world of land-based business like logging and farming, mining or fishing, private interests are the appropriate interests to manage and to profit from the enterprise. That’s why Bob Cunningham said that capitalism is the best way to make jobs and money.

British Columbia, however, is neither invisible, nor is it an enterprise. Adam Smith used the excellent metaphor of the pin factory to prove his thesis. British Columbia is not a pin factory or some kind of human creation. It is a land mass bigger than Oregon and Washington and California put together, and it belongs to the people.

It belongs more to its citizens in the utterly practical sense of land-ownership than any Canadian province or American state. It is our patrimony, passed on to us by the previous generations of good people working in this room who chose, unlike almost every other jurisdiction in the world, not to capitalize their society by selling the land or the water or the ore or the coal or the trees or the fish. In the simplest sense, it’s the people’s farm, and it takes real, practical, visible human hands to manage and sustain, not the invisible and mythical ones provided by some marketplace in the sky.

I submit that we who work here are the caretakers of the most publicly owned land mass of any democracy anywhere on earth. That makes the people in this room more capable of public good and more capable of failure than our counterparts almost anywhere.

So where are we in the world in history? The speculators out there and the greed specialists have pretty well killed the golden goose, eh? And the transnationals are lined up at the gate to suckle at the public breast. Wow. That worked really well, didn’t it?

The great experiment in replacing government with deregulated and unfettered capitalism has failed all over the world. And here, in this budget, the people are running out of bread, but on the eve of the Olympics we are being reminded to look forward to the circus.

The failures of the Fraser Institute faith are legion, but I’m sorry to say they are not alone in failure. I, too, on this side have failed to achieve a good many of the objectives that I set forward for myself in this place, and it would be unfair of me to suggest that only Liberals are capable of failure.

I’ve been pretty hard on this administration in this, my last speech in this place, but it would be stupidity if those of us on this side made the mistake of imagining that we, in our turn, have not been capable of failure. Way back in that first speech 17 years ago I said I wanted to put ranger stations back into Lardeau and Kaslo and New Denver so the communities could know the forest workers and the forest workers could manage the land that they lived inside of. I failed in that endeavour, and we, too, became enamoured of centralized government and moving the workers to some cities.

As Minister of Highways I personally laid off 400 surveyors that used to work for the people to measure their progress, and that was wrong. As Minister of Agriculture I supervised the closure of offices in farming communities and further alienated government from the people, and that was wrong.

I failed as Minister of Highways to turn the ministry of blacktop into a real Ministry of Transportation, with concern for railroads and water transportation and the issues of public policy that matter still to my constituents. I failed, too, to sustain the wild fishery and personally held the fishery portfolio while the federal Liberals privatized our cherished common property resource.

I failed, except on one occasion, to have the people’s equity listed in the budget documents alongside the people’s debt. I failed, in spite of asking for years, to convince any government on either side to end the idiocy of using gross domestic product as the measurement of our well-being. And in what I think must have been my greatest personal failure, I have not managed ever to make food and farming a part of the political or electoral discourse in British Columbia. Under all governments, we remain last in Canada in support for food production.

What those failures — and actually so many others — suggest, of course, is that some of the stuff we do here works and some of it doesn’t. We are, on both sides, after all, just people. We work in a really pretty place and do work that to me is almost sacred, but we remain just people in really nice clothes.

And nothing is over, hon. Speaker. The stuff that we haven’t done yet, or haven’t done well, is just the work that falls to the next generation of leadership. There will be an election in a couple of months. A whole new group of MLAs, I hope, will work here, joined, I hope, by a younger generation. I have just a little bit of advice for that new group of MLAs.

(1) When you get here, love the building and respect the people who work here, regardless of their station or their beliefs. You came here to argue your ideas and for your constituents, not to assume that you are more right or more important than anybody else.

(2) Refuse flat out to make decisions about land you haven’t seen or communities you haven’t visited. Go there, and then decide.

(3) Sorry, fellas. Refuse to say words that are not your own. You are not an actor; an election is not a screen test. You wouldn’t let anybody else put you in a box, so don’t do it to yourself.

(4) Respect the other side. This place doesn’t work when there is only one point of view. We found that out from 2001 to 2005. If the other team didn’t exist, we would have to split in half and send a faction over there just to have somebody to bounce our ideas off.

(5) Find another way to measure the success or failure of the governments that work here in future than gross domestic product. That measurement belongs to an era that needs to be finished now for the sake of the earth.

(6) Listen up. What you cannot fix, leave alone. If you sell it or give it away, you foreclose the options of future generations.

I said all this because I think my generation’s idea — our very idea of leadership —needs to end right now. We thought, pretty much since World War II, that we could define our success and our failure by measurements of growth. We built a system to make ourselves comfortable by threatening the planet of our grandchildren. When new people come to work here, blame us old folks if you need a scapegoat. Ignore us if you can. Pretend that we just didn’t know any better.

You new people working here, on the other hand — those who work here after May 12…. They can’t help but know. The whole world knows now.

That generation will be the leadership elected into the moment of economic and environmental collapse. They will be the first generation of leadership elected with a mandate to change everything, because no party in these times would be so foolish as to try to run for office suggesting that they will maintain the disaster of the present status quo.

Here’s the good news about change. I think it’s happening already. Intellectually, you can read the demands for change in the pages of The Economist magazine and even in the speeches of the world’s super-elite in Davos, Switzerland, asking for re-regulation to save capitalism by limiting its capacity for excess.

Personally, I feel it happening inside myself. I was driving through Oliver a few weeks ago with a 45-gallon drum of fertilizer in the back of my truck, and I turned on the radio to hear the inauguration of the new President of the United States. Aretha Franklin started singing, and I found that I couldn’t drive. I couldn’t drive because I couldn’t see the road through my tears. When Aretha finished singing, I got back on to the road, and I made it as far as Osoyoos. Then the new President of the United States began to speak.

I hid my face and my pickup truck in an alley behind the laundromat, and I sobbed for 17 minutes. Now, I’m 61 years old, and I’m a guy, and for a little while longer I’m an MLA. And we old MLA guys don’t hide in parking lots and sob in our pickup trucks. I kept thinking: “Why is this happening to me?”

The answer I came up with was simply this. We made it. We, my generation, the generation who watched the Berlin Wall come down and celebrated and then watched the whole world lose its collective mind and despaired, had maybe made it to the end of that terrible, shortsighted, speculator-driven, utterly selfish and self-serving pendulum swing.

Maybe now Bob Cunningham’s medicine might have a chance to save my grandchildren Madeline and Dawson and Sydney’s planet and invoke the economic freedom that Tommy Douglas so desired. Maybe that meant I could go home now.

I beg you, those of you who remain and those of you who watch and those of you who care: don’t let this moment pass you by.

On a Personal Note

2009-03-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

It was a proud day at our house yesterday when we all went to watch Zack's final basketball game of the season. The Spencer Wildcats Gr. 7 team had won a berth in the City Finals. They were undefeated for the entire year and had beaten the Montery Storm in the regular season.

Unfortunately.... our guys discovered that there's a difference between the regular season and the playoffs and came up short yesterday afternoon. 2nd place in the city isn't a bad place to be either and we are very proud of the team and Zack. He has really developed his skills and has become a strong defensive player who scores the occasional basket to help his team offensively as well.

We celebrated his great season at Red Robins where it was birthday night all around us. It seemed that everyone was celebrating their 8th birthday. I suggested I could do the same but the kids didn't think they wanted me to stand on the chair while everyone sang. I'm thinking .... why not.... being 8 would be fun, at least until someone sent me to bed at 8:30....

Finally... .the Prayer Breakfast Photos....

2009-03-06T17:41:00.000-08:00

Here are some photo's from our 3rd Annual MLA Prayer Breakfast. Many thanks to Sharon Jones who braved ice and snow to be with us for the morning. Sharon is an artist and photographer. We are also pleased that she is our friend. Please visit Sharon's website to see some of her amazing work.

Tim Schindel welcoming the guests and MLA's as we started the morning. This was our best response ever. (We actually sold out the event which is a first for us.) We were so happy with the excellent response from MLA's and our partners and ministry friends.

A crowd shot during breakfast. You can see that we had a full house that morning which was very exciting for us. We are already making plans for next year and anticipate an even bigger event.

Leonard Krog (Nanaimo) and Pastor Mark Buchanan (our speaker)

Nicholas Simons and Barb Schindel preparing to provide some pre-breakfast music as well as their beautiful presentation of Amazing Grace.

The Hon. Shirley Bond (Deputy Premier and Minister of Education visiting with Pastor Gordon Patteson from Gateway Baptist.

Rachael Smith, who led us in prayer on behalf of the MLA's, (see Rachael's Prayer), Hon. Shirley Bond and Pastor Mark Buchanan.

Michelle Jones and Brittany Schindel. Approximately 10% of our attendees were under 20. We think that's important for our future.

A Dog named FAITH

2009-03-05T10:42:00.001-08:00

This is a story about a dog that was born on Christmas Eve in 2002.
He was born with 3 legs - 2 healthy hind legs and 1 abnormal front leg which needed to be amputated.
He of course could not walk when he was born. Even his mother did not want him.
He was rejected and scorned.

His first owner also did not think that he could survive. Therefore, he was thinking of putting him to sleep..
At this time, his present owner Jude Stringfellow came into his life and wanted to take care of him.
She was determined to teach and train this dog to walk by himself. She thought, all we need is a little faith.
Therefore she named him 'Faith.'

In the beginning, she put Faith on a surf board to let him feel the movements of the water. Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure and to reward him for standing up and jumping around. Even the other dogs at home helped to encourage him to walk. Amazingly, after only 6 months, like a miracle, Faith learned to balance on his 2 hind legs and jumped to move forward. After further training in the snow, he can now walk like a human being.

Faith loves to walk around now.
No matter where he goes, he just attracts all the people around him. He is now becoming famous on the international scene. He has appeared in various newspapers and TV shows. There is even one book entitled 'With a little faith¢ being published about him. He was even considered to appear in one of Harry Potter movies.

His present owner Jude Stringfellow has given up her teaching job and plans to take him around the world to preach, 'that even without a perfect body, one can have a perfect soul.'

In life there are always undesirable things. Perhaps a person who feels things are not going as well as they could will feel better if they change their point of view and see things from another perspective.
Perhaps this message will bring fresh new ways of thinking to everyone.
Perhaps everyone can appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful day that follows.

Life is the continual demonstration of the power of thinking positive and having faith...Believe!!!