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This Sunday, MAY 15, 2011, at 7:30AM local time, Jocelyn and I take off on a 20.73km journey in the St. Albert inaugural Run Wild 1/2 Marathon.  We enjoy running, although some people think of it as "speed walking" when they see us training.  Our goal on Sunday is to finish what we started.  Time is not a factor.  Finishing is.  We are of the mind that "slow and steady wins the race."  I think of Christianity in the same way.  Our faith journey is a a marathon, not a sprint.  Its not about speed but stamina.  Its about finishing well.  Faith is a marathon of hope.  When I run, I think that one day...maybe soon...NP will host a "2km,…

When you come for a visit to my office you get the impression I kinda like Coke.  My shelves are lined with cans, bottles and mementos from around the world.  People know I am a collector and bring items from their travels for my collection.  Each item becomes a conversation starter.  Coca-Cola is 125 years old this week.  There is a huge birthday celebration planned in Atlanta at Coca-Cola's head office.  I like the vision they cast about their product - "delivering happiness."  Sounds a bit grandiose but I like it.  Coca-Cola is in more countries than any other product, except the Bible.  It has the greatest brand recognition, except for the cross.  My collection reminds me each day that…

MacLean's ran the story a few months ago.  I had never heard of Mozhdah Jamalzadah but now I can't forget her.  She is the only female host of  an Afghan TV show.  And she's Canadian. Mozhdah, who like Beyoncé is known by her first name, and is mobbed whenever she leaves her Kabul home, has been labelled the Oprah of Afghanistan. The comparison is of course imperfect. Oprah doesn’t sleep with a gun. She doesn’t ride in bulletproof cars or travel with guards armed with AK-47s. Death threats don’t flood her inbox. Mozhdah, whose first thought on entering a new building is how she might escape, is gutsy in a way Oprah doesn’t need to be. Her black leather leggings,…

Its two days after Easter Sunday and I still have a ringing in my ears. Over and over I hear, "Hope is alive! Hope is alive!" With the sound, I can also see the enthusiastic faces of the choir giving their all in proclaiming those words. Easter Sunday 2011 was an experience. It was a "God moment" for me and 100's of others. People had encounters with the Lord. Some crossed the faith line. Some experienced a renewed hope. That's what happens when people use their SHAPE to serve God.  Some of the choir sang together for the first time.  They found their "sweet spot."  They ministered.  You can't help but know Sean and Jan are in their "sweet spot"…

Have you seen the movie "Soul Surfer?" I saw it (well most of it, some of it was blurred by tears).  It may not be in the theatres much longer, so carve out some time this weekend and get set to be inspired.    Its based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton, who at the age of thirteen, on October 31, 2003, was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark while surfing off Kauai’s North Shore. The attack left Bethany with a severed left arm. She lost over 60% of her blood, and made it through several surgeries without infection. Miraculously, just one month after the attack, Bethany returned to the water to continue pursuing her goal to become a…

In his first ten years in the Major Leagues, Albert Pujols has never hit below .300, he has never hit fewer than 30 home runs and he has never knocked in fewer than 100 runs. No one in the history of Major League Baseball has ever done that in their first ten seasons - not Babe Ruth, not Joe DiMaggio, not Ted Williams. Pujols was largely overlooked as a high schooler in Kansas City, as he wasn't drafted until the 13th round of the 1999 MLB Draft. Two years later, he won the NL Rookie of the Year on the strength of a season that saw him hit .329 with 37 home runs and 130 RBIs Pujols, a native of…

It all began with a simple statement. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16(NIV) Jesus made it very clear what our purpose is. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you . . . " (Matthew 28:19–20) For almost 2,000 years men and women have been undeterred in carrying out that commission while facing huge challenges - persecution, crucifixion, beheading, stoning, torture, imprisonment, cannibalism, or being burned at the stake.…

“Goodbye England's rose May you ever grow in our hearts You were the grace that placed itself Where lives were torn apart.” These were the words Elton John used to immortalize the late Princess Dianna. Dianna was known to have placed herself in the midst of causes such as AIDS or the removal of landmines, which graced the lives of people in need. I can think of no better descriptor of the spiritual gifts spoken of in the New Testament than "grace that places itself where lives are torn apart." Whenever a gift of the Holy Spirit is observed, its because someone's need is being met, supernaturally. “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit (charism - "gift of…

My first class had me standing as straight as I possibly could stand while reaching my clasped hands as high into the air as was physically possible. At first I thought, “This is yoga? I can so do this.” Until I learned that THIS was the entire class. Nothing else. Just reaching up. Straight up, as in, straighter than a wall sorta straight. Just up. FOR ONE WHOLE HOUR!!! Up. And I should mention here that a. I am so not flexible and b. I am so not graceful – so you can imagine how quickly I was eating my, ‘yoga-is-a-piece-of-cake’ words, as my friend looked on in amusement smirking from ear to ear. Our instructor, taking cue from our/MY…