Pastor's blog

Hungry for Dog? - Jim Fry

Fri, 16 Jun 2006 09:58:37 -0700

It’s a dog eat dog world out there sometimes isn’t it? The survival of the fittest, every man for himself, look out for number one. These are pretty common phrases and even more common attitudes in our culture today.

Get into the game! - Cam Hall

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 15:44:31 -0700

When I first walked into a church at 20 years of age, I was a rookie when it came to church involvement. I had no experience at attending a church, nevermind being involved in one. But as I attended each week, and eventually made my commitment to Jesus, I began to realize something. God was accomplishing amazing things through regular Christian people that were simply willing to use the giftings that God gave them. I'll repeat that line for emphasis: God was accomplishing amazing things through regular Christian people that were simply willing to use the giftings that God gave them.

Where has the time gone? - Carolyn Martens

Fri, 26 May 2006 16:52:40 -0700

Wow! I can’t believe it. My youngest child will be graduating from high school next week. Where does the time go? I still say that I’m not old enough to have both my children graduated from high school, and I am going to stick with that story.

While it is an exciting time, it’s also a time for me to look back and reflect on the last 20 years of my life. Did my husband and I do everything we could in raising our children? Do they have a strong, firm foundation of their faith in God? Are they ready to face what’s out for them in the world? Knowing that common sense is in my opinion the oxy moron of the century, did I help them establish a good sense of right and wrong?

"You're Fired!" - Jim Gaetz

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 11:45:38 -0700

Donald Trump on his show ‘The Apprentice’ has made the term ‘You’re fired!’ a household expression. But it’s a term that has always been pretty common among professional sporting circles, and the last week has been no exception. Pat Quinn the coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs – FIRED! Marc Crawford the coach of the Vancouver Canucks – FIRED! Over a period of five days both coaches were removed from the jobs that they had held for seven years. Coaches’ jobs are constantly at risk when their team is not playing up to the expectations of management and they seldom last as long as Quinn and Crawford. You can be ‘Coach of the Year’ one year and fired the next because it’s all about performance and there’s no long term security in this profession.

"Wedding Bells are Ringing" - Jim Fry

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 09:26:22 -0700

Well it’s official, my son Brad is engaged to be married to an amazing young lady named Shoko. The date has been set and the wedding dress is picked out and ordered. As parents we are super excited for them, and pleased to have a daughter in the family.

"We've Fallen and We Can't Get Up" - Mike Mannes

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 11:09:44 -0700

Infomercials – interesting little annoyances aren’t they?

Clap on! Clap off! The Clapper!

Stop the Insanity!

Chiselled Abs in six weeks!

Buns of Steel!

Financial Security in three easy steps.

Happiness at the speed of the phone line. Security with a click of the mouse. If only it were that easy!

"Palm Sunday-Faithful in the Good Times and the Bad Times" - Jim Gaetz

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 13:16:17 -0700

Palm Sunday commemorates the day when a whole city showed up to throw a parade for Jesus. People welcomed Him by spreading palm branches on the road in front of Him and shouting praises. Many went out to meet Him because they had heard about Him raising Lazarus from the dead and thought that He might be the long-awaited Messiah.

"Free Parenting Help-Just a Prayer Away" - Carolyn Martens

Fri, 31 Mar 2006 09:44:27 -0800

I get bugged a lot at the office because they say that I talk about my kids all the time. “All the time” is a bit of an exaggeration but if I talk about my kids it’s because I am so proud of them. They are great kids. As I look back at my last 20 years of parenting, I can do nothing but thank God for all His awesome help.

"Nature Itself" - Jim Fry

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 09:42:56 -0800

This past week my wife and I packed up some clothes, filled the car up with gas and headed out for a week long time of relaxation and fun. Our getaway destination was to a place I lived as a boy thirty years ago, up the Sunshine Coast to Powell River B.C. After two ferry rides and five hours of total travel time we arrived at our cottage on the ocean shore.

"Reaching Top Speed" - Cam Hall

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 08:03:43 -0800

If you’re anything like me, making decisions each day is a real battle. So many opportunities come my way each day, and so many choices need to be made. And I’m not just talking about little things, I’m making decisions that will affect me for a long time to come. So where’s the battle? The problem is that I should be letting God guide me, and yet I struggle to let him in on my decision making. Time and time again it seems that I make a decision on my own, and then realize later that I should have asked for God’s direction.

"Give it up now, get it back later!" - Carolyn Martens

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 13:29:37 -0800

A little while ago my son went down to Oregon for a youth retreat with about 3000 other kids. When he got back I asked him what he got out of the weekend. Without hesitation he said, “Give it up now, get it back later.” As I thought about his statement the scripture from Matthew 10:42 came to mind.

"And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded."

"Can You Trust God?" - Jim Gaetz

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 13:11:54 -0800

We recently returned from spending some time with our kids in the Philippines and were reminded again how blessed we are to live in a country with such abundance. We have so many things that we take for granted that people in other parts of the world do without. The Philippines isn’t considered a third world country, but in Baguio where Jothan and Joann live (a city of about 250,000) you aren’t even permitted to have a bathtub because of the shortage of water. Water is only supplied to your home 2 days a week and if you are blessed with a shower chances are that it’s cold. Some days you get up in the morning but there’s no electricity because the city has turned it off for the day to conserve energy. One third of Filipinos earn less than 60 cents a day and yet somehow survive even though there is no welfare or unemployment insurance. Many live as squatters in little shacks made out of tin and whatever else they can find. Others are forced to work out of the country, leaving families behind as they try to earn enough to get a little ahead in life.

"I've Got Your Back" - Sharon Gaetz

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 13:47:24 -0800

“I’ve got your back.” It was May of 2002 and Jim and I were facing the greatest loss of our lives – the death of our daughter, Jenna. The expression was unfamiliar to me at that time. It came at the end of a touching email written to me from my sister Shelley. I felt comforted as I let the words wash over me. The words ran over and over in my head as I pulled myself out of bed each morning, dreading the day. When the pain and grief were unbearable, those words would often come to mind. My sister loved me. She cared. She cared for me on her knees. Through prayer she was fighting for Jim and Jothan and for me. I often wonder where our family would have been without the multitude of prayers that were offered on our behalf.

"The Usual Suspects " - Jim Fry

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 14:12:04 -0800

There’s a story about a teenage boy who asked one Sunday morning for Jesus to come into his life and lead him. The next day he was to be off to summer camp, and was worried what the other kids would say if they found out he was a Christian.

"Will there be McDonald's in Heaven?" - Carolyn Martens

Wed, 18 Jan 2006 15:10:14 -0800

A while ago I asked my grade 5 and 6 Kids’ Church classes if they had any questions about heaven. To say they were full of questions would be an understatement. Here are a few of the questions they had: