I've been tagged

I'VE BEEN TAGGED.

Each "PLAYER" of this game startes with 6 weird things about you (themselves).  People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state the rules clearly.  In the end choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names.  Don't forget to leave them a message saying "you've been tagged" and tell them to read your blog.

1.  I prefer to eat with "little" utensils, like little forks and little spoons

2.  If you tell me something has banana custard in it, i will probably be opposed to eating it for childhood reasons

3.  I have a freckle on the back of my left (?) eye ( I forget which one it is really)

4.  I have a letter written to me by the handmaid of Queen Elizabeth II on her behalf

5.  I love starbucks.... but i don't drink coffee

6.  If I could do anything in the world right now, I would jet off to New York City and go read in Central Park under my tree

And I don't know enough people that still use xanga to tag anyone

What it's all about

Today a man walked to the front of my church and kneeled down at the mercy seat. He was weathered not by time but by the cold winds of life, as tough as nails but as fragile as a porcelain vase just waiting to crack. His face was tanned like leather, showing the signs of a life well-worn. I'll never forget his face. He came up to the front in the song "Open our eyes, Lord" just before the sermon. There was something about him that I knew he needed to be there, and I knew he desperately wanted to see Jesus. For a moment it was as if our congregation stopped still, or rather I could feel that their hearts did as we kept singing along. It was then that I heard God say, "This is what it's all about, This is what it's all about." Prayers were offered up for our brother and the chorus wsa sung a few more times. This is strange for my church which is usually so by-the-book. But there was something about this man that moved us. That mercy seat had not been used for a long time, especially by a man like himself. We often see homeless men and women come into our church, but they usually stay at the back and I have an eerie feeling that they don't attract that much attention from the church as a whole. But today was different. As that man stood up from the mercy seat, I noticed he had tears streaming down his face. And in that instant I saw Jesus. Jesus, who tells us to look out for the least of our brothers as if it were himself. In that man's face, considered by the world to be the least of our brothers, I saw Jesus. And I saw him weeping for how far we have come from what its all about. I saw him weeping for those who have lost sight of what its all about. I will never forget that man's face and what it taught me.

I've been meaning to volunteer time to serve the homeless at one of our mobile kitchens/hang-outs, but I've been caught up in school and in work, trying to get money to serve God next year. But that's not what God wants me to do. I can't sacrifice his will for me now to provide a way for his will for me next year. He will make that way, but I've got to live for him now. I've got to call that volunteer service. There are so many that are lost from God, and I know what its like to feel lost; you get cold and terribly afraid, desperate and with no where to look to. God wants his children turned back to him. Turning them back is what its all about. It's not about computers or the building, not about the money or rich and famous. "It's not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick." It's not about the presents or the opportunities to show off this Christmas season. It's about what God thinks it should be about. And today God told me that it's all about bringing his children back to his church.

October 17

A boy at my school died today.

He was in my grade,

He was supposed to graduate with us but

Cancer got to him first.

He was supposed to graduate with us ...

He died today.

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James Azar, we'll miss you

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that was my day, my night, my week, knowing it could've been me

News & other stuff

I've been meaning to write this for a while but now that I'm here I can't remember what I was going to say...Ok well the big news of the week here has been that Len Ballantine is no longer going to be out territorial music secretary, as of december or january. Kevin Metcalf is coming back from Australia and has been appointed the new TMS while Len and Heather are now corps officers. We also had our first snow of the season today! How early is that?! It seems like it gets earlier every year. A spontaneous leadership conference opportunity came up for me today and I took it - it's tomorrow and I'm really excited because I love l-confs. I'm running one at my school next Wednesday too. That is about it...I have my driver's license (not permit, license) road test on Monday and a concert by Jason Robert Brown (awesome broadway performer) which I am totally excited for. And yeah, thats about it. But I'm going to post my plans for life so far because I've been thinking about them a lot lately - this is a big step for me, too -

War College next year

University of Toronto for a bachelor psychology for the next four years (or alternatively Ryerson for child&youth work or Humber College for vocal jazz)

MMCCXX program for a while? (ultimately I want to get 10 cells going and one in Haiti)

Officership (I'm looking into training in New York because I've always wanted to live there and figure God has planted that desire in me for a reason)

and then who knows? God does.

anyways, ciao

Today represents a new year for me - and I'm pretty happy.

I don't know why I haven't realized this before, but I can tell it's going to me a personal lesson for me to learn this year - I don't have to be stuck on the ground, watching others around me climb their mountains in life - why can't I be the one to take off and soar? I can be and I intend to do so.

I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes til' I touch the sky
And I'll make a wish
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway