Everyone says they are spiritual these days. I'm tired of it. I'm a pastor but would never refer to myself as spiritual - partly because it's way over used and partly because I think it's a dumb term. But for argument sake, I'll use the term.
Just because you have a tattoo with a Chinese character on it doesn't make you spiritual.
Just because you send me those emails to forward on about Jesus doesn't do it either.
Eating organic food or being a vegetarian doesn't make you spiritual.
Having huge theories about life and sharing them with everyone that will listen doesn't make you spiritual.
In my eyes, what makes someone that you would call spiritual, is when their moral life is lived out with integrity in their everyday lives. If you DO what you believe when no one else is watching and no one is there to listen to your theories, that's being spiritual.
But that doesn't mean you're going to heaven. THAT is another day's blog.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Saturday, May 19, 2007
The volume of the voices
No matter who you are, you have these people in your life. The people that don't think you can do it.
I can hear their words like it was yesterday. YOU can't be a pastor! You can't visit well. You don't know how to relate to seniors. You're too "youthy" to be a "real" pastor. You dress badly. Your haircut looks like Satan. Your spiritual life is weak.
You'll never get people that want to pay that kind of money to play hockey. Victoria can't manage more than 10 teams. Then more than 12 teams. Then more than 16 teams. You'll never find the ice time. You'll never be able to manage the fighting and contact. You'll never be able to keep it a beginner league.
The little idea Eric and I had called Island Hockey will likely have 22-24 teams this year. That's just about 500 people playing. 75% of them are beginners/novices or people just getting back into it. I'm sure we could have 30 if we wanted to push hard enough.
I'm not sure how good of a pastor I am but I can honestly say I'm not ashamed of my work. I think most of the time I've been able to be faithful to the calling God has put on my life. I wouldn't say I'm really great with seniors or preaching but then I wouldn't say I'm great with youth either. As long as I'm moving in the right direction and growing, I'm happy with my work though. I don't think I'm letting anyone down.
A long time ago, when I first started ministry someone said "Chris, just go and love them and you'll do fine. Just love them." And I can honestly say that I love them - in my preaching, my visiting, my everything.
We'll always have people that will try and keep us down. They may not intend to but they do. And those will probably always be the loudest voices and the ones we remember most because they are the ones that hurt. When I really stop and think about it though, there are 10 times more positive voices than negative ones. The people that really believe in me and think the world of who I am and what I can give or accomplish.
I guess I just need to learn to live by listening to those cheering for me rather than watching for those that don't.
I can hear their words like it was yesterday. YOU can't be a pastor! You can't visit well. You don't know how to relate to seniors. You're too "youthy" to be a "real" pastor. You dress badly. Your haircut looks like Satan. Your spiritual life is weak.
You'll never get people that want to pay that kind of money to play hockey. Victoria can't manage more than 10 teams. Then more than 12 teams. Then more than 16 teams. You'll never find the ice time. You'll never be able to manage the fighting and contact. You'll never be able to keep it a beginner league.
The little idea Eric and I had called Island Hockey will likely have 22-24 teams this year. That's just about 500 people playing. 75% of them are beginners/novices or people just getting back into it. I'm sure we could have 30 if we wanted to push hard enough.
I'm not sure how good of a pastor I am but I can honestly say I'm not ashamed of my work. I think most of the time I've been able to be faithful to the calling God has put on my life. I wouldn't say I'm really great with seniors or preaching but then I wouldn't say I'm great with youth either. As long as I'm moving in the right direction and growing, I'm happy with my work though. I don't think I'm letting anyone down.
A long time ago, when I first started ministry someone said "Chris, just go and love them and you'll do fine. Just love them." And I can honestly say that I love them - in my preaching, my visiting, my everything.
We'll always have people that will try and keep us down. They may not intend to but they do. And those will probably always be the loudest voices and the ones we remember most because they are the ones that hurt. When I really stop and think about it though, there are 10 times more positive voices than negative ones. The people that really believe in me and think the world of who I am and what I can give or accomplish.
I guess I just need to learn to live by listening to those cheering for me rather than watching for those that don't.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Your MSN name
Why do people post private messages as part of their MSN name? I have about 75 people on my MSN list from all different places and parts of my life - some from work, friends, family, friends of friends, hockey or volleyball people. Do I really want them all to know:
Chris - Why don't you just call me? I miss my little pumpkin. :( or
Chris - I'm so mad I'm gonna @#*&$@ and party!
OK. You're sad. But I don't know you and don't really want to know about how pathetic you feel. It's more pathetic that you are telling everyone on your list. Second, for some people on my list, I'm your pastor. If you're going to do E on the weekend, at least hide it from me so I don't know FOR SURE why you weren't at church. And while I know you probably curse like a sailor when I'm not around, I don't really want to picture how dumb you sound.
So here's a tip. If you are mad and don't want people to MSN you, instead of telling everyone to F off, try NOT LOGGING IN. Then no one knows you're there. No one will message you. If you are sad and miss someone, call them and hang out. Unless it's me you miss, I'm not going to make it better! And if you're gonna get wasted at a party, don't tell me cause next time you see my MSN name, it might read:
Chris - Jenny in the youth group is going to have a big house party, get wasted and probably sleep with her boyfriend while her parents are away.
And your parents are probably on my MSN list.
Chris - Why don't you just call me? I miss my little pumpkin. :( or
Chris - I'm so mad I'm gonna @#*&$@ and party!
OK. You're sad. But I don't know you and don't really want to know about how pathetic you feel. It's more pathetic that you are telling everyone on your list. Second, for some people on my list, I'm your pastor. If you're going to do E on the weekend, at least hide it from me so I don't know FOR SURE why you weren't at church. And while I know you probably curse like a sailor when I'm not around, I don't really want to picture how dumb you sound.
So here's a tip. If you are mad and don't want people to MSN you, instead of telling everyone to F off, try NOT LOGGING IN. Then no one knows you're there. No one will message you. If you are sad and miss someone, call them and hang out. Unless it's me you miss, I'm not going to make it better! And if you're gonna get wasted at a party, don't tell me cause next time you see my MSN name, it might read:
Chris - Jenny in the youth group is going to have a big house party, get wasted and probably sleep with her boyfriend while her parents are away.
And your parents are probably on my MSN list.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
My crack at 2k
I played a $100 entry poker tournament on the cruise just for fun. Figured there are a lot of people on a cruise that have money to spend, know a bit about poker but don't really play so I'd have a good shot. Blinds started at 25-50 and doubled every 10 minutes. We started with 1500 so is was going fast. 5 heats of 10 per heat. Top 2 at each heat makes the final table for a chance at the grand prize of $2000. Second place paid out $1000.
First day, I started in late position and got A-K. I raised 3x the BB and almost everyone called. Cheap flop I guess. It came up 6-8-9 and got a couple raises so I folded. Second hand, I got K-Q suited (or something like that). I raised 4x the BB this time and got a couple callers. A low crappy flop. I raised again. Got called again. Turn paired up something so I checked, they raised, I folded. Now I'm short stacked. I changed gears and started playing really tight for a bit to let the players go at it. When the table got down to about 4 left, everyone played tight going for the final spots and I started playing really aggressive stealing tons of blinds. I ended up being chip leader with 3 left but with the blinds at 1600-3200, the money just went around the table. I ended up coming in second with a $100 payout and a seat at the final table.
At the final table, the first hand I played was a 6-8 suited where I was on the big blind and I called a 150 bet. The flop came up 6-8-9. Everyone checked to me, I opened for 200. The guy beside me reraised to 450 all in. The guy beside him (the one that bet preflop) called (I put him on an overpair). I called and so did the guy beside me. We checked it down and sure enough, the guy that bet preflop had J-J. The guy that went all in flopped the nut straight! Jerk. I had the odds to call either way with a 450 raise to possibly take him out but still this took half my chips away.
Same strategy then. Play premium hands only unless it looks likely that I can take a blind but the blinds being so low, it wasn't really worth it. I stole a couple pots here and there but basically I just hung in there until there were 4 players left. I was short stacked and I knew that two of the others at the table were tight, conservative players. The guy to my left was an aggressive player when he has any kind of a hand. I get dealt an A-3. By now, the blinds were getting higher and I was in danger of being blinded out within a couple rounds. So it was now or never. At the same time, I was counting my chips, I noticed the two conservative players seeming uninterested in their hands. The aggressive player didn't notice what I was doing and had put in his call to the blind out of turn. When I said all in, he tried to take his blind back! The dealer said he couldn't and the two others folded.
So heads up, I have an A-3 to his 2-3. I'm a big favorite. He's the chip lead so this isn't going to hurt him much but I'll be close to the other two with this win. Flop comes up with a 2! Nothing helps me and I'm knocked out there. Stupid 4th place. A good read. Good time to put in the money. But I lose on luck.
The guy that ended up first in my heat won the tournament. A super tight, "don't get involved" player that basically checked his way into the finals and won on a river draw. I'd have easily beaten him. $2000 gone.
First day, I started in late position and got A-K. I raised 3x the BB and almost everyone called. Cheap flop I guess. It came up 6-8-9 and got a couple raises so I folded. Second hand, I got K-Q suited (or something like that). I raised 4x the BB this time and got a couple callers. A low crappy flop. I raised again. Got called again. Turn paired up something so I checked, they raised, I folded. Now I'm short stacked. I changed gears and started playing really tight for a bit to let the players go at it. When the table got down to about 4 left, everyone played tight going for the final spots and I started playing really aggressive stealing tons of blinds. I ended up being chip leader with 3 left but with the blinds at 1600-3200, the money just went around the table. I ended up coming in second with a $100 payout and a seat at the final table.
At the final table, the first hand I played was a 6-8 suited where I was on the big blind and I called a 150 bet. The flop came up 6-8-9. Everyone checked to me, I opened for 200. The guy beside me reraised to 450 all in. The guy beside him (the one that bet preflop) called (I put him on an overpair). I called and so did the guy beside me. We checked it down and sure enough, the guy that bet preflop had J-J. The guy that went all in flopped the nut straight! Jerk. I had the odds to call either way with a 450 raise to possibly take him out but still this took half my chips away.
Same strategy then. Play premium hands only unless it looks likely that I can take a blind but the blinds being so low, it wasn't really worth it. I stole a couple pots here and there but basically I just hung in there until there were 4 players left. I was short stacked and I knew that two of the others at the table were tight, conservative players. The guy to my left was an aggressive player when he has any kind of a hand. I get dealt an A-3. By now, the blinds were getting higher and I was in danger of being blinded out within a couple rounds. So it was now or never. At the same time, I was counting my chips, I noticed the two conservative players seeming uninterested in their hands. The aggressive player didn't notice what I was doing and had put in his call to the blind out of turn. When I said all in, he tried to take his blind back! The dealer said he couldn't and the two others folded.
So heads up, I have an A-3 to his 2-3. I'm a big favorite. He's the chip lead so this isn't going to hurt him much but I'll be close to the other two with this win. Flop comes up with a 2! Nothing helps me and I'm knocked out there. Stupid 4th place. A good read. Good time to put in the money. But I lose on luck.
The guy that ended up first in my heat won the tournament. A super tight, "don't get involved" player that basically checked his way into the finals and won on a river draw. I'd have easily beaten him. $2000 gone.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Cruising life
Right now, I'm waiting on the boat as we'd left Hubbard Glacier in Alaska last night and heading towards Ketchikan which will be our last stop before we make our way back to Vancouver in the next couple days. Here's a typical cruise day for me:
I wake up around 8. Head to the breakfast buffet that has just about everything anyone could possibly want for breakfast - including different meats, fish, fruit, vegetables etc. I eat a plate of fruit and a plate of bacon (call me weird) and head out to the gym. The gym has been redone recently I'm sure and it has nice machines for working out as well as a couple benches, cardio machines, classes and it all overlooks the front of the boat. Then I eat lunch. There are many places to eat lunch all with different themes and kinds of food - everything from a hamburger stand to fine lunch dining. I usually stay away from the buffet here because it's a zoo so I'll just make my way over to the pizza/pasta bar. Fresh ingredients there that you pick and choose what you want on your pizza/pasta. It's pretty amazing. After lunch, I'll shower and start my afternoon relaxing. It's some time watching TV, reading, maybe some time in the casino, watching Lost and usually napping. At 6, we get ready for dinner. Fancy dress up dining with an amazing menu of awesome food. (Last night I had two Lobster tails. The night before, I had steak and salmon...) Last night after dinner, I had an hour getting a spa massage. Then at 9, we watched a theatre show that I'd happily have paid $30-40 each to see back home. At midnight, there was another HUGE buffet in the ballroom. Kathleen and I went, took pictures, and left. Watched a few more episodes of Lost, ordered 24 hour room service and went to bed.
That's a pretty typical day this week so far. It's been good. I've really enjoyed it. But to be honest, it isn't what I thought it would be. For the majority of the world, I'd think that this is about as good as life gets. Eat when you want. Sleep when you want. Play when and whatever you want. Nothing really COSTS anything. We have cruise cards that just puts everything onto our account. People drink at every meal and often throughout the day. There's no agenda and things are usually quite over the top. I'm quite sure that the dinners I eat at night would easily cost over $60 just for me alone. (I usually eat two entrees!) If you were to ask me what ideal living would be like, this wouldn't be far off. Maybe I'd want it to be warmer. And a few friends on the boat to share these meals/good times with. But it's not far off.
But if this is what life should be aspiring to, I'd be really disappointed. As good of a time as I'm having, the best parts of this trip are the time that Kathleen and I have had watching Lost. It's the conversation I had over coffee with my mom yesterday afternoon. It's talking to my family every day at dinner for 2 hours because that's just how long dinner takes. It's watching my dad relax and enjoy himself. It's the time that I have to just be myself - no expectations - just to read, think, reflect, rejuvinate.
The best part of this cruise has nothing to do with the cruise. It's all the things I could have at home - but often don't because i'm too busy, too tired, too lazy. As much as I love being here, I'm glad that my life has a lot more to it than just chasing comfort, extravagance and wealth.
I wake up around 8. Head to the breakfast buffet that has just about everything anyone could possibly want for breakfast - including different meats, fish, fruit, vegetables etc. I eat a plate of fruit and a plate of bacon (call me weird) and head out to the gym. The gym has been redone recently I'm sure and it has nice machines for working out as well as a couple benches, cardio machines, classes and it all overlooks the front of the boat. Then I eat lunch. There are many places to eat lunch all with different themes and kinds of food - everything from a hamburger stand to fine lunch dining. I usually stay away from the buffet here because it's a zoo so I'll just make my way over to the pizza/pasta bar. Fresh ingredients there that you pick and choose what you want on your pizza/pasta. It's pretty amazing. After lunch, I'll shower and start my afternoon relaxing. It's some time watching TV, reading, maybe some time in the casino, watching Lost and usually napping. At 6, we get ready for dinner. Fancy dress up dining with an amazing menu of awesome food. (Last night I had two Lobster tails. The night before, I had steak and salmon...) Last night after dinner, I had an hour getting a spa massage. Then at 9, we watched a theatre show that I'd happily have paid $30-40 each to see back home. At midnight, there was another HUGE buffet in the ballroom. Kathleen and I went, took pictures, and left. Watched a few more episodes of Lost, ordered 24 hour room service and went to bed.
That's a pretty typical day this week so far. It's been good. I've really enjoyed it. But to be honest, it isn't what I thought it would be. For the majority of the world, I'd think that this is about as good as life gets. Eat when you want. Sleep when you want. Play when and whatever you want. Nothing really COSTS anything. We have cruise cards that just puts everything onto our account. People drink at every meal and often throughout the day. There's no agenda and things are usually quite over the top. I'm quite sure that the dinners I eat at night would easily cost over $60 just for me alone. (I usually eat two entrees!) If you were to ask me what ideal living would be like, this wouldn't be far off. Maybe I'd want it to be warmer. And a few friends on the boat to share these meals/good times with. But it's not far off.
But if this is what life should be aspiring to, I'd be really disappointed. As good of a time as I'm having, the best parts of this trip are the time that Kathleen and I have had watching Lost. It's the conversation I had over coffee with my mom yesterday afternoon. It's talking to my family every day at dinner for 2 hours because that's just how long dinner takes. It's watching my dad relax and enjoy himself. It's the time that I have to just be myself - no expectations - just to read, think, reflect, rejuvinate.
The best part of this cruise has nothing to do with the cruise. It's all the things I could have at home - but often don't because i'm too busy, too tired, too lazy. As much as I love being here, I'm glad that my life has a lot more to it than just chasing comfort, extravagance and wealth.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
51 pounds of customer service
51 pounds is the laser printer I lifted from my office down to my car. Then into the van. Then tried fitting into the big-ass Dell box numerous times. Then from my van into Purolator. After being told it is only delivered there but can't be dropped there, back into my van. Then from my van into the UPS store. Then told that without a return label from Dell, they can't send it. After being told that there was NO WAY I would take it back home again, they were left to deal with it. Never again Dell. Thanks for nothing.
7 minutes is the amount of time we were late arriving to Japanese Village for my birthday dinner. 3-4 times they asked us rudely in the next 10 when our other guests would arrive or we could come back 4.5 hours later. I am not 10 years old. Never again Japanese Village. Thanks for nothing.
A little apology and courtesy goes a long way. Smile at me. Be polite. Talk about something meaningless - like the weather or sports. You'll get a big tip. I'll be happy. You'll be happy. We'll all be happy.
7 minutes is the amount of time we were late arriving to Japanese Village for my birthday dinner. 3-4 times they asked us rudely in the next 10 when our other guests would arrive or we could come back 4.5 hours later. I am not 10 years old. Never again Japanese Village. Thanks for nothing.
A little apology and courtesy goes a long way. Smile at me. Be polite. Talk about something meaningless - like the weather or sports. You'll get a big tip. I'll be happy. You'll be happy. We'll all be happy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
