School's Out...

We wrapped up our student ministry school year with a movie bash last night. Now, I should mention I'm not the biggest fan of movie events. (That's a post for another day.) But seeing as though most of our crew spent the last week and a bit writing exams, it figured like a good way to end things off.

It was great to hear the laughter (thanks to Megamind and part of Rocketman). It was great to see so many bodies crammed into our stuffy little youth room. And it was great that we didn't end up with a popcorn apocalypse on the floor at the end of the night.

But seriously...who ate all my cream puffs?!?!

We are now officially into our summer schedule. We intentionally take our foot of the gas for the summer so that everyone can catch their breath. I've decided that I'm not a big fan of fighting against the summer schedule, so we scale it down. We have even removed our annual "big camping trip".

We expect to see a fewer number of students. We expect that leaders will be away on vacation. We expect that there will be jobs and camping trips for everyone. So we plan things that work better for smaller groups.

Next Saturday we're hiking Teapot Hill.

Monday mornings in July we'll have breakfast and some Bible study.

In August we'll got to Camp Kawkawa for the day with a a pile of others from our church.

At the end of August we'll take a day trip out to White Rock.

Inexpensive, yet highly relational. Should be fun. Even if the sun doesn't show up!

Preaching in the Crosshairs...

I am a preacher.

At least I try to be.

That puts me in the crosshairs of anyone who may think differently than myself. It comes with the job. And, if I'm being honest, sometimes it sucks.

I hate the awkward emails that will consume an entire morning (or days) of my thoughts. I hate the insecurities that rise up within me. I hate drafting and redrafting my "formal" response. And I hate the anticipation of that next random encounter with the individual who fired off the email.

"Hate" is such a strong word....but I use it deliberately.

I've been criticized for many things over my ministry career. Wearing the wrong clothes. Praying incorrectly. Speaking too long. Missing a passage of scripture. Not having enough depth. Not being encouraging enough. Playing guitar poorly. Picking bad songs. Wearing sandals. The list goes on.

So in an attempt to enlighten you, here are a few things I'd like you to know about me before you hear me speak next:

You will not like everything I say.
I don't do this so that I can be liked. Yes, I'd love to be known as a great preacher. But hopefully that is due to my ability to communicate the truth clearly, not because everything I said made you feel good.

I will miss things.
I only have an allotted time to speak within. (One which I already regularly go over.) Please know that this is not my attempt to bring you a step further to enlightenment. You should leave with more questions and a desire to dig a little deeper on your own.

You will be able to live this out.
This needs to engage your life...not just your brain. I'd rather you and I were both able to live this stuff out than just tuck it away and pat ourselves on the back for just knowing more information.

I am intentional in how I prepare & present.
I study. I read. I pray. I angst. I doubt. I ask questions. I write. And rewrite. And then I repeat. This does not happen in 30 minutes on Saturday night. You should also know that I prepare in such a way that my students can understand what I'm saying. My favorite compliment (if there is such a thing) is when I find out my middle schoolers got it.

Welcome Back Jets...

You know that I've been watching the news like a hawk looking for any hint of what the new NHL team in Winnipeg would be called. My dad and I had a conversation last week on the way to a Whitecaps game about our own feelings.

He was in the camp that felt a new start with a new name and a provincial wide inclusion would be the best bet. But I think years of watching the Manitoba Moose play actually brain washed him.

I was in the camp that has absolutely no ties to the Moose or the idea of the team being referred to as Manitoba. For me, I've been hoping for a return of the Jets.

So, when the owner Mark Chipman took to the platform and introduced Cheveldayoff with “to make our first pick on behalf of… the Winnipeg Jets", I had let out a little cheer and the smile crept in as I waited to see if they would unveil a new jersey, or at the very least bring out a retro one.

No such luck. But at least I know who I'll be cheering on when my Habs aren't playing.

Bring on the sun...

Perpetual clouds have covered the land and sucked any hope out of pretty much all of us in the Lower Mainland. This has, without a doubt, been the worst year for weather since we traded the Edmonton blue skies for this nonsense in late 2005.

Don't get me wrong. I love that the summers usually end up beautiful. I love the mountains. I love that I can play outdoor soccer year round.

But the clouds can just die for all I care.

I'm sure that would wreck something though.

So thankful for the arrival of sunshine and warmth yesterday. It is actually starting to feel like summer. Although my mind is telling me I should be on a beach...

Here's what I'm looking forward to this summer:

• Manchester United in Seattle in July. I get giddy just thinking of it.
• Date night with my beautiful wife to see Owl City and Mat Kearney.
• Friends & family visiting. I'm not even sure when they are all coming, but the pool and the BBQ will be ready at all times.
  
• Going to Toronto for my friend (and former intern) Ryan's wedding in August.
  
• Slowing down...fewer nights out. More time at home.
  

Why do I have the feeling this will all be over way too quickly?

Tune-age Tuesday...

What are you listening to these days?

Ban them. Ban them all...

My son stared speechless at the screen as chaos unfolded.

"What are they doing Dad?"

"What's that Dad?"

"What does that policeman use that stick for?"

"Why is this happening?"

And then he went to play in the park with some of our high school students who had no interest in watching the resulting carnage.

Can I say I'm shocked by what happened? Not really. I mean, you hope for the best, but 1994 kind of set the precedent. Add in too much alcohol to our Facebook/YouTube culture that fuels stupidity, and I find it highly unlikely that anyone really can sit back and honestly say "There is no way we saw that coming."

So here's a little thought for the NHL.

Why not take a page out of European football who has dealt with this problem for years? They are by no means perfect, but they have gotten way more aggressive to combat hooliganism. And ultimately that's what we're talking about here, right? Hooligans.

So...

• What if each riot resulted in a certain number of home games being played behind closed doors next season?
• What if they had to play their next playoff series entirely on the road?
• What if each person found guilty of rioting got a lifetime ban from the arena/stadium?

Now...discuss.

The Cello is cool...

Two cellos and Welcome to the Jungle? It works...

Video Friday...

You need a little break from the routine right?

Enjoy! (Thanks YouTube Trends)



And this one is for the Schutte's and for anyone who works with middle school students. (Thanks Ryan!)

Eventful Coffee Break...

I missed them in 2004, when I would have had to make the drive from Devon, AB.

Being so much closer to Seattle this time, I was determined not to repeat the situation.

I've been scouring the interwebs trying to find tickets. June 1 was the day they officially went on sale to the general public, but there are always ways around that. Buy a package of 3 games. Be an official member of Manchester United's Supporters Club. Buy from a season ticket holder. So I started clicking, sending emails and making phone calls.

The 3 game option was a little too pricey. Sure, you get 3 games at a good price, but when you add in the travel it just didn't seem wise.

I joined the official supporters club and then called the Sounders Office. I was somewhat disappointed to find out that the tickets they give you are in the nosebleeds and closer to the endzone in Qwest Field.

Craigslist would get me some sweet seats, but I might have to sell 3 kidneys...and I think I only came with 2. And finding anyone with 4 tickets (yes, the kids are coming to this too) is impossible.

So I took the gamble. I waited like the rest of the general public.

My coffee break this morning consisted of running two computers and 4 Firefox tabs trying to find (and ensure I held on to) decent seats.

The first selection was somewhere near the endzone. Fail. The second, third and fourth attempts netted similar results. I'm resigning myself to the fact that it might be endzone seats.

But then it happened. That magical refresh button brought a smile to my face. 4 seats in the middle of the field. (Maybe a little higher up than I would have liked, but then again I'd prefer to sit directly behind the bench. At this point I can't boo too choosey, right?)

I scrambled to fill in the required information. I tried password after password. Rejected. What?!?! Why is it you can never remember login passwords when you need them?!?! Work brain...work!

Then it finally came and the purchase was CONFIRMED!!!

I am now the owner of 4 tickets to see Manchester United, current Premier League & Carling Cup Champions, play in Seattle on Wednesday, July 20th.

Can you say excited?

Go Jets...

Thank you Atlanta for being unable to support an NHL team.

Being a Manitoba boy, I grew up attending Winnipeg Jets games with my dad. I remember going early for the pregame warmups and chasing down pucks that flew into the stands. (This is back in the day when you could get hit in the head with a puck and feel like you were the luckiest person in the stands.)

I remember watching the Jets take on Gretzky after he had been traded to the LA Kings. (I'm sure the rest of the Kings were there too, but who really cares.) I remember some of the awe I felt when I saw him skating around with that jersey tucked into his right side.

I remember when I had officially become a fan of Patrick Roy & the Montreal Canadiens, my dad would take me to the matchup at the Winnipeg Arena. I remember the letdown each year that I saw Patrick sitting on the bench instead of starting the game between the pipes. I still have the ticket stubs.

I remember heading down into the darkest corners of the arena hoping to catch an autograph or two from the visiting Habs only to find disappointingly that very few of them would interact with the fans. But I also distinctly remember my dad pointing out one player, decked out in his suit, lurking in the shadows away from the crowd. The one and only...Andre "Red Light" Racicot. (Two mention in one week. That must be a record!)

I remember parking blocks away from Winnipeg Arena on some side street so we could avoid the parking chaos. I remember making that hike countless times.

I remember loading up the hockey cards and heading to the arena with my dad for the Jets Wives Carnival. We'd wonder around getting autographs from any of the players we could. Teemu Selanne. Thomas Steen. Randy Carlyle. Bob Essensa.

I remember when they left. Although my Habs shirts and jerseys were worn with pride, I still felt bad. It didn't seem right that Winnipeg would be without the Jets.

I'll admit that every rumor of a return to Winnipeg has sucked me in. I've watched. I've waited. I've hoped this day would come. I yelled semi-inappropriate things at Gary Bettman on TV when they announced that Phoenix was going to keep the Coyotes around for another year. (Because we all know that it's all Bettman's fault!)

But at long last it has ended.

The Jets are returning.

And they better be called the Jets.

(But my Habs still come first.)

Middle School Mondays...

One of the things that I enjoy about what I do is that I can never be sure of what is going to happen next on one of our youth nights. Rarely a week goes by without some sort of event or conversation that I would never have expected heading into the evening.

Tonight's moments consisted of:

• Our middle school guys discovered a spinal backboard in a stairwell, so they promptly Velcroed one of the guys to the board
• Impromptu game of Pylon Soccer in the field (with a pool noodle for added excitement)
• A discussion with some of our 8th grade guys about dating and what 1st, 2nd, 3rd and home base mean today. (Is it just me or did 8th grade get way too knowledgeable way too quickly?)

There is something to be said about how you can do all the prep in the world for a particular event or lesson only to find out later that you weren't prepped at all.

There's no such thing as normal student ministry.

Ordained...

Got to saw my friend and coworker get ordained today. (For some reason the wording of that just doesn't seem right. Did I just watch? Or was I part of it? Either way, I was there today for this momentous occasion.)

The best comment of the day happened at a celebration BBQ where one of my youth leaders casually asked "Does this mean that he is your superior or something now?" (Natalie...I still don't know if you were serious or not.)

This led to some group joking about how Youth Pastors couldn't possibly be ordained.

I responded with the fact that I've been ordained since 2003 so that actually makes him my minion.

Funny stuff!

Guess I have to get Jamie his coffee from now on.

Maui Day #2-5...

What do you do with endless hours of free time and sunshine? Jump in the Jeep, throw the top down and explore.

Pull over when the sign says "Scenic Overlook" and take some family pics. (It's time like these that I wish I had better photography skills.)

Whenever you need a break from that you head to the beach whenever you can convince the kids to get out of the pool.

Seriously, I still can't understand why my kids can have an entire ocean and endless beaches at their disposal, but they would rather jump in a swimming pool that is barely within eyesight of the ocean. They could chase crabs on the beach, follow fish through the coral, but we had to twist their arms to get them out of the chlorine. How does that work?!?!

Here's the view we had from our room. A nice deck with patio windows that would completely open up so you could have an unhindered view of the ocean. It was also a great place for having our dinner each night and for playing the occasional game of Ticket to Ride.


Found a little craft fair in Kihei on the side of the road where we could wander around and act like tourists and the kids could spend a few dollars on miscellaneous items, a few of which are already broken.




Highlight: Kids trying to eat a bowl of shaved ice that was almost as big as their head.

Surgery Update...

My wife's been having abominable pain for the last couple of years. Sometimes the pain will come and go quickly. At other times it will leave her in agony as she lies on the couch and tries to grit her teeth and hope that it passes.

After some bad medical diagnosis she was able to find a doctor that knew what he was doing. This resulted in tests, and more tests, and the some exploratory surgery where they were finally able to diagnosis the problem. The doctors words about what he found was, "You're a mess."

The wait for surgery then began. She was a trooper through the school year as she plugged away at her studies and her practicum. Long after any normal person would have called it quits, she was still bringing her A game and doing it all while keeping family life organized around here.

We were able to get 2 weeks of family vacation (pics to come shortly, I promise) in Maui where she was relatively pain free. And then we arrived back home so she could officially head under the knife Monday afternoon.

The surgery was successful. She had her left ovary removed, which was starting to grow down into her abdomen and was overall just creating a mess. The doctor figures he got everything cleaned up and now we just await the pathology reports. (Praying that there's nothing abnormal in there.)

The recovery process has been way more difficult than probably anyone would have expected. It took them over four hours to get her out of the recovery room when they usually only want patients in there for one.

I believe we lost count of the combinations of drugs they have tried to use to help get her pain under control. But it has to be in the double digits.

Did I mention the hospital food? (The garlic bread was orange!!!)

Or then there was the student nurse that took out her IV. I probably could have done a better job. And I am terrible with all things medical.

And then there was the nurse who wouldn't call the surgeon to change a prescription before we left and told us to take her to the walk-in clinic if it got worse. Walk-in? You do realize they just sliced open her abdomen right?

So Erin called the surgeon herself. Problem solved.

Until we got to the pharmacy and they mixed up the prescription.

Needless to say, it's been a long week. But at long last she is at home where she belongs. She's still hurting, but the prognosis looks good. She's been told that when she is better that she will be completely pain free. I think that is hard for us to believe right now.

Prayers are appreciated.

Believe...

So stoked for the game today.

Also a little nervous. (Hey, it is Barca after all.)

I'm hoping it's good football and not a repeat of 2009.

I'm pulling for a goal by Chicharito and some stellar setups by never-aging Ryan Giggs.

I'll also accept a Van de Sar clean sheet for his last United game.

Oh...and if it's not too much, another long range boomer from Scholes would be nice.

Believe.

Stanley Cup...

Part of me would like to say I don't care. But it just wouldn't be true. I'm still Canadian. I still have hockey in my blood. Sure, I'm still bitter about my Habs getting put out by the Bruins. But I'll bounce back by fall of this year and it will start all over again.

I remember parts of my Habs winning the cup in 1993. I remember the overtimes. I remember St. Patrick winning the Conn Smythe. (Can you hear the Superman theme?) I remember "Red Light" Racicot (who I had grabbed a couple of autographs from after a Jets/Habs game once). I remember the McSorley stick incident.

Carbonneau. Damphousse. Muller. Keane. Savard. JJ. Bellows. LeClair.

And now here I am in 2011. My own son absorbed in hockey, yet rejecting my favorite team, instead choosing to follow the crowd and cheer for the "hometown" Canucks. While I shouldn't be surprised I will admit that I do have some disappointment that we couldn't share the Canadiens. (Although I have always told my kids that they can pick their own favorite team., except when it comes to football. It's Manchester United only in this house.)

We've traded more smack talk this year than ever before. We even came close to attending a game together, but sadly those last ditch attempts just weren't affordable. But I finally came to embrace (at least from a distance) his Canuckism and rewarded him with his very first non-Canadiens jersey before their school's annual Hockey Day.

Now we ready ourselves for the Stanley Cup finals, Boston vs Vancouver, and I'm unsure who I am supposed to cheer for.

I can't stand the Bruins. They put my team out. Chara is still forever going to be labeled a goon from that Pacioretty hit. And it's the Bruins for crying out loud! Despite being Original 6, I just can't do it.

I can't stand the Canucks. Correction. I can't stand most of the hoopla from the bandwagon jumping fans out here on the coast. Honestly, they are so fickle and uninformed it makes me want their team to lose.

But then I remember what it was like to watch my team hoist the cup. I want my son to have that. I want him to experience the joy of jumping up and down yelling until he is hoarse. I want him to wear his jersey for days on end. I want him to have memories of this that he can share one day with his kids.

I want to be able to take him out on South Fraser to celebrate with the rest of the province. I want to be able to sneak him out of school to watch a parade through the streets. I want him to have what I had (minus the parade & South Fraser).

And for that reason I have made my choice:

I'll cheer for my son.

It's The End of the World As We Know It...

I hear that the world is supposed to end today.

In that case, I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

But so far I feel fine.

Almost Ending...

The vacation end is nearer than ever.

But I don't wanna go home...

(Yes, I am whining.)

Oh...and in keeping with Knott tradition we found a little restaurant tonight that we wish we would have found much earlier in our vacation.

Oh...and it's Mexican.

Oh...and I had a burrito there that blew my mind.

Oh...and I'm trying to mastermind a plan for getting us to eat there tomorrow despite the fact that there is leftover spaghetti in the fridge.

Staying...

Today we spent 5 hours on the beach building sandcastles, hunting crabs, snorkeling, swimming and reading.

I also rescued a fly away umbrella for some family who decided to abandon their stuff during the lunch hour. I think I should be on the news.

I'm getting used to this life outside the office.

I joked with our pastoral staff before I left that they might want to start looking for a new youth pastor because I was seriously considering not coming back from vacation.

I'm not joking anymore.

I'm staying.

Seriously.

And you cannot change my mind.

But you can support me. Email me and I'll let you know how to contribute to my new life.

I've got to go swim in the pool now.

Good shopping...

I shop like a man. I know what I want. I get in. I get out. If I need to try something on I take the minimal amount of time possible. I hate shopping. Unless it's a guitar shop. But let's be honest, that's not really shopping as much as it is bringing Heaven to earth.

But one sign will always catch my eye: Going Out of Business!

So on one of our island excursions we saw that enticing sign on the window of a local Borders book shop. The signs are hollering "Everything Must Go" and "All Books $2.99 or Less". I'll admit that at this stage there is always some sort of reluctance. Will I be able to find anything? Or will this be a waste?

But the curiosity almost always wins out.

I step foot into the store and it does not look promising. There appear to be more shelving units for sale than actual books. And the shelves are getting sparser by the minute as others like myself try to find themselves a sweet deal.

It starts slow. I find a book about Bacardi Rum. Hey, it's only $2.99. It can't be that bad.

Most of the shelves contain self-help books that were likely popular 7-8 years ago. So, I head over to the music section.

In amongst the Hawaiian artists I find Swell Season, The Rescues and O.A.R.

The religion section is next. A couple more finds and I'm starting to feel like I've conquered.

Combine that with Erin's find and the last minute impulse buy of season one of The Middle, and we walked away with 4 books, 3 CDs and a season of TV for $33.

I win.