A couple years ago Janna and I had the pleasure of seeing Coldplay in concert. Being one of our favorite bands, we were pretty excited anticipating an amazing night. We traveled over to Vancouver, checked into a cool little hotel, and that night made our way to GM Place for the concert. What happened for me during the show was beyond what I’d expected. From the opening bands through Coldplays perfomance we experienced both amazing music and off the charts performances. As unbelievably good as the show itself was, it didn’t move me near as much as what was happening all around me. From the minute Coldplay started to play, the audience (Janna and I included) joined them in song. I’ve been to a number of concerts before, but this was different. Coldplay as a band was doing far more than entertaining. Through music, they were creating an environment that brought people together. The high point of the show was their song Fix You. The chorus of the song “Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you” rang out in GM Place as if sung by a choir.

As this stadium full of people joined together in song, something deep in my spirit was stirred up. There was in that moment a tangible sense of God’s presence, and a undenyable knowledge that His heart is moved when people come togther in unity like that. It’s hard to put clearly to words, but the closest I can come is to say that as this stadium full of people joined there voices in song they somehow came togehter in the honest reality of their humanity. Walls of diversity came down and our shared most inate reality as people created and longing for the creator rose up.

This week, I was moved again in much the same way as I watched the Kony 2012 Video. If you haven’t seen it yet take 30min and watch it!

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Again, in much the same way as the coming together of people at the Coldplay concert eclipsed the show itself, the coming together of a generation around these incredibly significant issues eclipsed the specific movement itself for me. Through out the video I was moved to tears seeing thousands come together to stand for justice, righteousness, and to declare their care and love for others. One of the most powerful moments in the video for me was when in unison a large group of youth begin to make declarations together out loud.

“We’ve seen these kids. We’ve heard their cries. This war must end. We will not stop. We will not fear. We will fight war!”.

Not sure what it all means exactly, but I know that God is moving and some how He is present in these moments of ‘coming together’. His heart is to see his beloved come together in love and truth. To see people fight for justice, and to show mercy! I’m left longing to see this coming together increase as it encounters the love and life of Jesus. From this revelation of the Father’s heart, and into the thousands of lives that so obviously long for what only He can bring, I lift up the cry of my heart today: “Father, Let You Kingdom Come”.

Again this week God has faithfully shown me that His deepest commitment is to the place of our hearts. Since moving to Lethbridge Janna and I have prayed for God’s direction (both in the move and during our time here.) One of the specifics that many of you have prayed with us for, was God’s provision of work for both Janna and I. Janna found work quite quickly in the accounting department at a large home builder here in Lethbridge. It’s been an amazing fit, and we’re so grateful for the provision it is financially and the positive fit it is for Janna while we’re here. I on the other hand have not been able to find work, and not to due to a lack of trying.

At first, it really started to freak me out and even caused moments of real anxiety. In response I would ask God what was going on, and time and again He pointed me to His faithfulness. “Why have I brought you here?” He asked, and it didn’t take but a moment to remember His words of promise concerning this ‘Heart Season’. My eyes were opened early on to see that time without a job (as long as it might last) was also time freed up in an intense way for His working in me. The waiting has also exposed in me a lack of trust that in turn has been met with real growth. Learning to trust that His plans are perfect, and His timing is purposed, has been central to this time of waiting.

This week, in His providence, God led me to an incredible job. I interviewed and have been hired for a four month contract with the YWCA – LIFE Program here in Lethbridge. The program runs out of a 6 bed duplex here in the city that housed youth between 15 and 22. Working closely with Children’s Services the house works to come along side some incredible youth whose journey’s have been anything but ideal. I’m so excited to have the opportunity to breathe life into these youth, and to show God’s love in some deeply practical ways to both clients and fellow employees.

It has been incredible to see how perfectly God has worked in all this. The past two months have been filled with some of the deepest heart stuff of my life, and I wouldn’t have changed the timing of it all for anything. This job with the YWCA is another incredible example of the perfection of his plans. During the next four months I’ll be working a consistent schedule Monday to Friday that allows for lots of interaction and focus at River of Life at the same time. The full time pay over that time will set us up well for the year that will follow apprenticing with Todd and the team at the church. (my brother’n'law Rob is presently apprenticing and will be headed back to Regina to plant a church there right around the time that I finish up with this contract.) Long story short:

The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you. Psalm 32.8

His path is perfect and trustworthy, and I pray deeper and deeper revelation of that in my life. That my feet would consistently know sure footing on that path. God is faithful, and his love endures forever. I’m excited and filled with faith and hope for where this path will lead.

We’ve been in Lethbridge for a week shy of a month now, and we’re settling quickly. The new house is really nice, and we have such an amazing group of friends here. God is providing in amazing ways for our needs in a number of ways. Janna started a new job today, and I’m praying for God’s direction in that area.

I wanted to share the experience I had during the last hour and half of our drive into Lethbridge. As we neared the city and the beginning of this season of preparation and training, I listened to a sermon Todd preached (10/2/11) at River of Life a couple months ago. The sermon was a part of a series He’s teaching right now on what it means to be an apostolic church. As I drove the message began to pour over me… it’s easy to get overwhelmed with personal expectation heading into a season like we’re in. I found that I was feeling the need to ‘make the most’ of our time here, and in turn started to own the journey in a way that made it feel heavy. Todd’s message, stemming from Mark 1.17, encouraged me with these simple words:

“Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

This simple invitation from Jesus rang out in my heart. Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. As I sat listening to Todd’s words, God spoke to deep places of me bringing life and peace to this new adventure. It is an incredibly powerful and freeing thing to remember that the ‘making’ is not up to us, but is the continuing work of the creator of creation!

We are so excited to be here, and to quietly embrace the plans of God for us in this season. It will, without question, be incredible to see what God does. With great faith we let go and simply follow knowing He will be faithful to accomplish everything on His heart for this time.

While resting in this promise, I listened to a song that has become my hearts cry in the past year. It’s by an incredible group of guys known as Ascend The Hill, and is titled Spend It All.

Ascend the Hills stuff is all available for free on their site at: ascendthehill.com

Well, it’s been a while since my last post… and so much has happened in the past couple months! Ever since our move to Comox from Calgary 5 years ago, God has been leading us with such intentionality. The past season here in the valley has brought incredible restoration, deep friendships, and growth in our lives that we never could have expected. Our move here started with a month sabbatical followed by the passing of my sister. The year that followed I worked at Starbucks and was able to focus my time on grieving well. At the end of that year I took a position with the Salvation Army as an outreach worker. That job allowed me to really get to know this Valley through the lives of the broken, those who serve them tirelessly, and many of our local churches (both congregations and leaders.) A year ago, I finished a 3 year position with the Salvation Army, and have loved the healing journey that God brought about as I stepped away.

About eight months ago, we clearly heard God ask us to get ready for what He had planned next. Through a process of prayer and shared journey (with friends and each other) Janna and I have made the decision to move to Lethbridge for a time of preparation. We will be working with Todd Atkinson and the community at River of Life who have been a divine gift of relationship, encouragement, and hope for us as we look to the next season of life.

On of the things God has revived and restored in our hearts is a deep love for Him and His church. This and the growing revelation of His love for us and others, has ignited a passion in our hearts. His life changing work in our lives (both as individuals and as a couple) has left us with a deep desire to share this gift of love and grace with the world around us. We are so excited about all that God has in store! At this juncture, it looks like we will spend 1-2 years in Lethbridge preparing to start a church. God’s plan for us is so perfect, and it’s been awe inspiring to see Him lovingly lead us to this decision.

Though it’s impossible to say with 100% certainty, our desire is to return to the Valley after our time in Lethbridge. We have come to really love this Valley, and would be so excited to see His Kingdom come here as it is in heaven.

A week ago I received an incredible Christmas gift from a dear friend. It was a T-Shirt containing a graphic that I believe to be of deeply prophetic significance for the journey we embark upon later this week.

The graphic contains a windmill in the one corner (Lethbridge) and a tree in the other (Comox). A closer look shows the prairie grass turning to ocean waves! This coupled with a word from God a couple weeks ago has so clearly affirmed for us our decision to move forward on this journey. We are so excited to walk the path God has set in front of us, knowing that ‘He will guide us along the best pathway for our lives’ ps 32.8 We’re so thankful to all of you who have shared our journey this past 4-5 years, and ask you to continue as we pray:

Holy Spirit Come for Christ’s Sake

Last weekend I had the privileged of helping to lead worship at a conference at North Gate Foursquare Church here in the Valley. The community there have become dear to us, and are an incredible part of the kingdom here. I was excited to partner with Corey and others leading in worship, and was blown away by all that God did to teach me and stir my faith.

Chris Gore from Bethel in Redding, CA was sharing, and Sunday night of the conference he used his time to speak out with passion the love of God for us. Part way through his sharing we were encouraged to find a quiet space, and soak in a track that beautifully declared the truth of God’s love for us. I was blown away, and have since looked into who recorded it…. that led me to Jonathan David Helser. I’ve been listening to more of His music, and it is stirring deep places in me. The fresh and powerful voice that Jonathan brings to this faith journey needs to be shared… so here it is – a gift to me this week, and now from me to you. Check it out: www.jonathanhelser.com

Specifically, check out the song ‘inheritance’ featuring Graham Cooke. This is the track that Chris played Sunday night… may the Holy Spirit minister to you as he did me.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Inheritance (Live) featuring Graham Cooke – by Jonathan David Helser Purchase Jonathan’s Stuff Here: His Site .. iTunes .. CDBaby

It's been just shy of two weeks since I finished my job at the Salvation Army.  Already I've been deeply encouraged by the intentional work of God in my life.  I spent the past 4 days in Lethbridge with the community at River of Life .  We got connected with ROL in November when we went to Lethbrdige to visit Janna's brother Rob and his family.  Rob and Sarah are in Lethbridge training to plant a church, and we went shortly after the birth of our newest niece.  Part way through our visit we went to a training evening ROL and reconnected with Todd Atkinson (their lead pastor and a man that I originally met when I was about 10.)  That encounter saw us surprised by God in the most amazing way.

I've come to see that Todd and an ever growing group of friends at ROL are a direct answer to my prayers for help.  When God spoke to me of the priority He places on my heart, and Janna and I both discerned together that we were to make significant room for that heart journey, I began to pray two things specifically.  First I began asking God to show me how to respond practically to His invitation (a prayer that ultimately led to my leaving the job at the Salvation Army.)  At the same time, I realized my inability to walk the way of the heart, and began to lift up a short, simple, but heartfelt prayer to God for help.  He has so faithfully been answering that prayer.  The connections I've made in and through ROL are a significant way that answer has worked itself out.

I find myself coming away from my visit in Lethbridge feeling so blessed and cared for by God.  Saying yes to this heart journey was hard, but He has been ever faithful in response.  Already He is meeting our needs and doing it with great extravagance.  I find that again I am being deeply impacted and amazed by the faithfulness with which God connects people.  In His divine grace and wisdom He has brought people into our journey.  These 'divine connections' are for me the most significant sign of God's attention and active participation in this Heart Journey.  I am deeply grateful knowing that the way of the heart, while experienced alone at the deepest levels, is also lived in the presence of community established by God in our lives.

I pray that as you read this you too would be given eyes to see the incredible ways God is working to fill your journey with divine connections.  I pray the blessing of friendship would be one that causes you deep joy today.  

This past couple months have been amazing.  In late September Brent and I traveled to Kelowna to meet with others on a faith/church journey similar to ours here in the Valley.  We spent our time as a group sharing our community journey's, and praying for each other at length.  Personally I went expecting this to be a time of rich encouragement that would ultimately launch us in a 'new direction' as a community here in the Comox Valley.  I think in many ways I was right in that it was to be the beginning of our next season, but I couldn't have been more wrong in my expectations for what the season would look like. 

For the last 4+ years  we've lived here in Comox, and have known that in coming God was taking us into a season of rest and restoration.  We have grown to deeply love this place, and feel very at home here.  God has blessed us with rich friendships, a home that we enjoy, and a future that is filled with possibility and excitement.  Throughout this past few years we've really connected with the church as a whole in the Valley, and continue to pray about our connection/place within it.  Presently we meet with a small group in our homes, and our lives lived out together continue to be a rich treasure.  The intimacy of this smaller group has challenged us to press into greater depths of what it is to be real, share life, and really take hold of what Christ calls us too as His followers.  I'd be lying if I didn't share the wrestle we often have as a group.  Inside of each of us (myself more than most) is a tendency to feel too small or too insignificant.  Should we be 'growing' in number?  Should we be joining a larger community?  Should we be creating ministries, opportunities, etc?  

As I traveled Kelowna, I went hoping to encounter some divine wisdom that would launch us into what's next.  To my humble amazement, God did speak very clearly, but what He said couldn't have been further from what I expected (or perhaps wanted) to hear.  "The season of 'waiting' isn't over".  I clearly heard Him call me back to the depths of a heart journey that He's had us on over the past number of years.  I realized that I had begun to think the season of restoration was over.  In reality God wasn't finished.  As I pressed into this prayerfully with friends, I heard God speak the words that I believe will shape the immediate future for Janna and I.  He said "Your heart is my number one priority, and whatever you choose to do next be sure to make it yours as well." 

These words brought tears to my eyes as I felt immediately overwhelmed by the love and care of God.  In a time where I was starting to feel self expectation to be and do more with my life, my situation, my gifts, etc… He gently came and reminded me that His agenda isn't driven by a desire to see me accomplish or achieve anything.  He simply, completely, and unconditionally loves me, and that love shows itself in His deep desire to see me whole and free.

Janna and I have taken this revelation very seriously, and over the past few months have prayed long and hard about what this call was to mean for our daily lives in a practical way.  How do we best allow my Heart the space it needs to encounter that life changing work of the Holy Spirit?  Specifically, we've prayed about weather I was able to obediently peruse what God had planned while still in my role at the Salvation Army.  Over the course of a couple months we came to see that God was asking me to lay it down, and to follow Him into a healing journey.  So, it is with much prayer that I've made the very difficult decision to leave my job at the Salvation Army as of January 1st.  While the leaving is sad on so many levels, it is filled with hope and excitement knowing that God has so clearly asked it of me.  

Janna knew before I did that God was asking this of us, and we're really thankful to Him for the peace that He's provided us in the midst of this transition.  I don't know what's next job wise, or how God will meet our needs.  I do know that He will continue to faithfully care for us.   Verses like

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.  He lets me rest in green meadows;  he leads me beside peaceful streams.  He renews my strength.   He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.  Psalm 23.1-3

and

 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.  Matthew 6.31-34

have struck me in a fresh way during these past few weeks.  God is so present in our lives, and it's with great anticipation that I wait on Him today.  He is so faithful, and I love Him more and more for that.

This morning I received an email from a colleague informing me that a mutual client had passed over the weekend.  This client was a guy I've known since shortly after I started my work with the Salvation Army here in the Comox Valley.  Many times in our relationship we spoke of life, the struggles of addiction, and the desire to be free.  Through out this mans life addiction cost him dearly.  He had lost jobs, money, possessions, dignity, relationship with both friends and family, and ultimately His true identity as God intended it.  In the end addiction stole his very life.

Since I received the email, my heart has been sad.  I am moved not only by the loss of a friend (troubled as he was), but by the injustice of it all.  It's like the enemy literally had him by the throat, and wouldn't let go.  Many times we talked about God, and I know He found great peace in prayer and in Christian community when he was able to attend local services.  He also worked with many of us to get to multiple treatment facilities over the years, but time and again found himself unable to secure freedom.

The following scripture takes on new meaning in light of this morning:

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.  I Peter 5.8-9

On a daily basis I talk with men and women about their lives, decisions, and direction.  We work to find housing, physical and mental medical attention, addictions support, financial means, and the list goes on.  Often I realize (and from time to time point out) that the issues facing them are a matter of life or death (both physically and spiritually.)  Though I often speak these words of caution, it is always difficult and somewhat shocking when those words are met with reality in someones life.

Writing this, I can't help but turn these musings around in an introspective way.  To realize that in many ways I fight with addiction, temptation, and the presence of the devil in my own life.  Time and again I fail to 'secure freedom' and too easily forget that the Devil "looks to devour" me.  The honesty of it all is that the Devil isn't taking His agenda lightly.  He plays to win, and His methods are the epitome of injustice.

I'm not able to draw a ton of conclusions from all this today, because it's hard to reconcile moments when God's kingdom is so clearly 'now, but not yet'.  However, in the tension of it all, I am sure of this:  We desperately need a Saviour.  Jesus, needs to be our Lord and our salvation. To that end, we must be people of deep prayer.  Only in prayer are we able to 'Stay Alert, Stand Firm, and Be Strong' in the face of our addictions, temptation, and personal weakness. 

I will miss Jeff.  He was a very cool guy and I was blessed by His journey more than once.  The painful part is I know that He could be free, but we never got to see that.  May the God, who was His deepest source of peace and strength, have your undivided attention today.  May the freedom that only He can give be yours.  (I'm pretty sure Jeff would say a big AMEN to that prayer.)