SouthSide Life blogs

Spiritual Fitness - Mike Mannes

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:47:45 -0700

“Train children to live the right way,and when they are old, they will not stray from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (NCV)

As many of you know, Corinne and I have just reached the exciting and successful conclusion of two years of adoption red tape. We’ve been blessed this past month to bring home our two new sons, Bedza and Samuel. What an amazing experience it has been so far to take our family of six and make it a family of eight. With our two new sons coming home, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the verse above. What does it mean to “train children to live the right way”?

Don't Be Deceived - Brock Adams

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:16:46 -0700

“By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.”

am sure many of you remember the Heaven’s Gate cult of the late 90’s. They were a group of people who believed that the world was going to “cleanse” itself and therefore had to get off the planet immediately. They believed that a spaceship was hiding behind a comet that was near Earth.

It's Wedding Time - Carolyn Martens

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:16:04 -0700

It’s hard for me to believe, but my son will be getting married in 10 days. I know what those of you who know me are thinking. I am not old enough to have a child getting married. As parents we have been praying for our children’s spouses since they were young and it’s exciting to watch your child find someone they love and want to spend the rest of their life with.

Fathers Day - Cam Hall

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:38:59 -0700

It’s hard to believe it’s been 16 months since my wife Alison and I became parents for the first time. It seems like yesterday that I was still sleeping in on Saturdays and going out on the town at least one night a week! There have been some adjustments to make, and I must admit there have been some difficult times (why didn’t anyone tell me about colic?) but clearly my life has changed for the better. Being a father is a real privilege and, for me, Fathers Day is a big reminder of that.

Caught Up in Bitterness - Brock Adams

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:37:23 -0700

Relationships are a funny thing. Relationships in middle school are even funnier. I had a few really good friends in middle school who changed girlfriends faster than they changed their socks. A good friend of mine wanted to dump this girl because he didn’t find her attractive anymore. He thought honesty was the best way to go at all times. This buddy didn’t pull any punches when he had “the talk”. He told her that he wanted to break up because he no longer thought she was good looking. He was surprised when she didn’t appreciate his honesty. In fact she didn’t appreciate it at all. She yelled at him and ran away. This happened in grade 9 and her hatred of my buddy continued all the way into high school.

A World in Need - Cam Hall

Thu, 29 May 2008 12:45:15 -0700

Since the beginning of this year, our church has been doing a monthly Missions Sunday. For one day each month we focus on a specific missionary from our church and what that missionary is doing in our world. I’m not sure how it’s affected other people from our church, but it’s really had an impact on me. It’s a reminder that each day our missionaries are out there helping people in need. And it’s a reminder that there are plenty of needs waiting for people who are willing to let God use them.

God vs. Jordan - Brock Adams

Wed, 21 May 2008 14:34:30 -0700

I have a poster of Michael Jordan in my office. I remember watching him play for the Chicago Bulls when I was a kid. He made play after play. At times he was unstoppable. I watched Jordan win all of his six NBA championships. Jordan could dunk, shoot and play defence. I remember thinking to myself as a kid, “Is there anything this guy can’t do?” It almost seemed like he was a superhero when he played on the court.

How Salty Are You? - Carolyn Martens

Thu, 15 May 2008 13:59:05 -0700

I was speaking to a group of Elementary students the other day and we were discussing the purpose of salt. We came up with a lot of them, but did you know that salt has more than 14,000 known uses? And some of us think that it’s only good on French fries.

Imagine over 14,000 uses. The single greatest use of salt is for the production of chemicals. But, salt is also used in processing wood fibers into paper, setting color dye in clothing and in the aluminum making process. It’s used in leather making, formed into salt blocks that help livestock stay nutritionally balanced and is the most effective deicer of highways. Soap makers use it, artists use it, and it is essential in food preserving and a favorite in our house – making homemade ice cream. The list seems endless.

So, when I read in Matthew 5:13 that as we Christians are supposed to be the salt of the earth – it really makes me think how much we have to do.

Help Wanted - Brock Adams

Thu, 08 May 2008 15:50:59 -0700

“I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me. Bring me out of prison so I can thank you. The godly will crowd around me, for you are good to me.”
Psalm 142:4-7

There is a disease out there that is killing males at a rapid rate. That disease is the male ego. I am not saying that women don’t have any pride issues. It seems to me that men suffer from this more severely than women. It seems that for some reason men seem to think they are manlier when they can do things on their own. That is why men would rather drive around in circles for 2 hours than stop and ask for directions. There is a misconception in our world that if someone needs help that person is weak. We think we don’t need help because we will figure things out on our own.

A Solid Investment - Cam Hall

Fri, 02 May 2008 11:05:38 -0700

Well, tax season is officially over. April 30th was the deadline to file your tax return and have your taxes paid. If you’re like me, you struggle each year to put some money away in RRSP’s. If I were to retire today I’d barely have enough to buy myself a fast wheelchair and a sidecar for my wife. Then again I guess I have a few years yet to work on my investments.

This summer will make it 9 years that I’ve been a pastor at SouthSide. I’ve reflected a lot lately on that time, and on the many great memories. This might be a surprise to some of you, but being a pastor isn’t always easy. There have been times when I’ve wondered if it was worth it. There have been times when I’ve been ready to walk away. But when I’ve taken the time to remember my reasons for being a pastor, I’ve always decided to keep on going. You see, at the age of 35 I still know that there’s nothing that compares to knowing God, and I’ll always be interested in helping people find that out.

For Better Or For Worse - Jim Gaetz

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:34:35 -0700

For better or for worse - It seems hard to believe that 34 years ago this weekend Sharon and I said those words to each other as part of our wedding vows. Amazingly enough, after all that time we still love each other and it keeps getting better. We’re really excited to spend this anniversary weekend roller blading around the seawall at Stanley Park and just hanging out together. If the first 34 were that good, then I can hardly wait for the next 34; I’ll be 91 and Sharon will be 86 and we can push our walkers along the seawall together.

Not Always Easy - Mike Mannes

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:58:05 -0700

Every day our youth group does devotions on a chapter of the Bible. Our Youth Pastor, Brock Adams, writes a devotion on a website, and all the youth and youth leaders are invited to add their comments and reflections on the same chapter. It’s a fantastic thing to see so many young men and women studying the Bible together daily.

Today the chapter that the youth are studying is Psalm 126. Verse five stood out to me.

5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.

The Job Description of a Mom - Carolyn Martens

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:29:45 -0700

At SouthSide on Thursday morning we have a “Moms & Tots” group that meet each week. It is a great place for moms of all ages to come together and meet. Even though I am no longer a mom of a tot, I still love dropping in to visit the moms and getting my “baby fix”. There is just something about getting hugs from children that just makes your day. (Especially if you don’t have to deal with the dirty diapers, leaking bottles, fussy eating time and lack of sleep.)

Everyday Heroes - Dianna Duerksen

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:44:36 -0700

When I started on staff just over a year and a half ago, I petitioned God with a simple prayer. I asked him to give me a love - like His love - for His people at SouthSide Church. It seemed simple enough, but in reality it was much more colossal than even I had thought. I expected that it would come with its share of enjoyment and challenges but I sometimes wondered if the challenges would outweigh the joy. I was so wrong in thinking that. In fact, as I sit here today writing this, my heart is so full of joy. I am thankful that God has blessed me with the ability to see the beauty in the little things of life and of the wonderful qualities in people. Today my heart is full – not because of the beautiful spring weather – but because of a few amazing people in my life. I like to call them my everyday heroes.

Lighten Up - Corinne Mannes

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:00:35 -0700

Proverbs 22:6

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Some of the best parenting advice I ever received came from a bachelor. He said to me that once your children are teenagers, you can't exercise too much control over them. When they are going out the door, to school, or out with friends, just say to them “I know you're going to make good decisions today”, and believe in them. Believe that the things you taught them when they were young will stick and they will use those guidelines to make good decisions on their own. Sounds simple enough, right? But then why is it so hard?