Shortness Is The Cure!

In God's Presence...

2007-04-24T04:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, It's been a while since I've posted on here. Sorry for the inconsistency!

Have you ever heard anybody pray, "Lord, we invite you to join our presence," or something along those lines? I have and I have prayed it many times. However, I have been thinking about this statement since I taught a few weeks back on the presence of God and how we are considered a temple of the Holy Spirit.

In the Old Testament, the temple was a holy place. It was where the high priest would enter the presence of God within the 'holy of holies.' That room was so holy, that, if you were unclean entering it, you would not come out alive. I won't go into much detail about the temple to save time. Basically, the Temple was a Holy place; a place not to be defiled.

For the past few months, I am beginning to realize that we are called the "Temple of the Holy Spirit," meaning that God's presences resides within us. If Paul is truly comparing us to the Old Testament temple (which he is) then we are considered holy when we become followers of Christ.

I don't know why this seems like such a new thing to me, but for some reason, I really have begun to understand what it means to have the presence of God around me wherever I go. When I eat, his presence is there. When I pick my nose in rush hour, he is there. When I am sipping a cup of coffee and reading the paper, he is there. So, why is it that I fail to see him around me wherever I go - at all times of my day?

I have no longer been praying "God, grace us with your presence" because I feel like God feels ripped off when we pray that. I wonder if he's just sitting right beside us saying, "I'M RIGHT HERE, YOU BOZO!" So, I have begun to pray, "Father, open my eyes to see you wherever I go." Because I feel that God is always around us, it's just that we fail to see him because of our sin and selfishness.

So, then, if we are considered a temple of the Holy Spirit, meaning that God's presence is always with us and withIN us, why is it that I do all the stupid things in my life that I do? Why is it, that I reacted in an unloving way to a driver who is obeying the speed limit to a tee and I want to go 10 over? Why is it, that I laugh at jokes that are crude when I know that God's not laughing with me? Why is it, that I ignore a person who needs help and assistance because I am too busy and caught up in my own agenda?

If I... If WE truly realized that we are constantly in the presence of God, would we do those things we do? (DON'T sing that song! I know it's catchy, but don't sing it!... I made you sing it, didn't I?) Wouldn't our life be a life stamped with integrity? Wouldn't we live in the fear of God? (the healthy fear). Wouldn't we see people in a different perspective, through the eyes of Jesus?

Last week, during staff journalling, I called myself a "one issue prophet." Meaning that, there always seems to be one single issue that bothers me about myself and about my generation. That issue is compromise. (Compromise in a negative way) I'm seeing friend's break up marriages, I'm seeing friends make dumb choices in relationships because "it feels right." I'm seeing friends who were leaders in bible college fall away from God because they want to follow their sensuality and lusts. Isn't there enough of that in this world? Isn't there enough compromising, flakyness, non-committalness, two-faced, surfacy people in this world to make everybody sick? So, why become one of them?! After all, doesn't the word Holy come from the basis of the definition, "To set apart?"

It's time to set ourselves apart. It's time to claim the holiness of ourselves through Christ. To live and dwell in Sin is defiling the very thing that God sent his son to die to make holy. Do we really understand that? I don't know if we do.

So, from now on, I'm going to make my every morning prayer, "Lord, open my eyes to see your presence all around me, every day, every hour, every minute that I'm alive."

It's through prayers like these that can help us be "in-tune" with the spirit's promptings wherever we go so he can do radical things through us.

Peace out, mah brethren and sistren!

Lurneeng tu Kommyunickayt

2006-11-05T00:53:00.000-08:00

I think everybody should take courses on conflict resolution and how to communicate effectively... It would make life a lot easier.

I find that the majority of drama, the majority of hurt friendships comes from a lack of how to effectively communicate or to effectively deal with an issue properly. And it's starting to tick me off.

This isn't because of one specific incident, but it seems as though (probably with me being in ministry) that I have had a lot of conversations with people who are dealing with hurt relationships or drama in their friendships. For every situation, it's come down to a lack of being able to listen and understand each other. Of course they can hear and then reiterate what the person said to them, but they fail to truly understand it.

What happens when there's not clear communication (and when I mean communication, there has to be understanding, not just speaking and listening.) is it leads into over-internalization and over-analyzation; two things that become detrimental powder-kegs to any situation. How many times have we (saying this because all of us have dealt with this at some point in our lives) spent all night tossing and turning in our beds because we're thinking of a conversation or an incident that could be different? THAT ISN'T HEALTHY!!! What happens is a chain of events... We lose sleep, become physically tired. We over-analyze therefore becoming mentally tired. When we are mentally and physically tired, Satan sticks his foot in the door and starts bombarding you with thoughts and doubts so much so that you become spiritually tired.

Once you're physically, mentally and spiritually fatigued, you are immobile.

Sorry about this rant, but I've been a bit frustrated lately because the obvious seems hard to grasp...

From now on, for all those family members, for all those friends, for all those young people who are dealing with drama... Let's all learn communication and conflict resolution in the healthy way.

FREEEEEEDOM!!!

2006-10-26T01:23:00.000-07:00

If you were interested in hearing some of my sermons, you can go online to our church's website and listen to it. I did the "Freedom" one from October 1st.

Here's the link: "Freedom" by Tyson

Peace out

The "Different" Sub-culture

2006-10-26T01:13:00.000-07:00

So, It's been a while! Life has been buuuuuuusy, but amazing! I can honestly say that this church is amazing! Every day we're seeing new people and non-Christ followers enter our doors. Our youth group has grown exponentially and we're taking a healthy group of highschoolers to our first retreat this Friday.

But that's not what I'm hear to write about. So, let me begin...

I know too many people, or maybe too many people know me.

I don't say this to boast, but I tend to be that 'person' that everybody remembers. Everywhere I go I run into old classmates, old ministry friends, ex-band fans, old campers and people that I know from other circles. I have come to the realization that I cannot go many public places without running into someone that I know. And this has been happening at my latest 'hangout spot'... a.k.a. a coffee shop.

It's called Ethical Addictions and it's in downtown Langley. It's filled with college students and teenagers, hanging around the couches playing card/board games and chatting. It's unique, in that, all sorts of cultures/social groups come out to this gathering place. From punk rockers in their spikes to preps in their latest fancy urban shoes, rolled pant cuffs and tight sweaters.

Every day that I have stopped in to read or study my bible, I have encountered old friends and the conversations I have had with the majority of them is starting to give me a 'holy discontent.'
Some of you may be getting sick of me bantering about this topic continually, but it seems to be so prevalent in our culture/generation. I have been seeing peers, who proclaim to be Christ-followers, live lives of outright sin and blatant compromise.

And it's ticking me off.

For some reason, many of my peers are falling into the idea that living with their boyfriend/girlfriend, or going on couples camping trips (and being in the same tents... even though nothing may be happening, it's like lighting a match in a room full of open gun-powder... it's making room for the enevitable.), or getting drunk on weekends, or living in lives of lust and sexual activity, or socially dabbling in drugs, or dating unbelievers (ministry dating? pffff... whatEVER!), or stooping to a lower level and dating a creep for the sake of dating, or participating in the activity of things that are unacceptable, or making jokes that are way over the line... theses things they view are all acceptable and ok because 'we are all believers and know where each other stand.' (How many times have we used that one before... I know I have).

I have been feeling truly sad in seeing the lives of compromise that Christ's bride seems to be living. Are we having an affair? It's seeming that the christian community is turning into the same community that existed in Corinth. Paul made it his effort to attack the lives of sin that they were living in. (If you want to hear an amazing series on the book of corinthians in the light of N. American culture, download Mars Hill podcasts with Mark Driscoll)

Tonight, I was prepping for my breakfast devotion group and felt called to continue reading on into the third chapter of Colossians and read the following:

5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don't be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

For some reason, we have forgotten that Christ is all that matters.

This is call for us to live differently. Being a Christian is to be a different culture. Being a Christian means to stand out and apart from the world and live the way Christ intended for us to live.

That is all, I have written too much and I need to go to bed... Just felt like I needed to give you a post so you don't think I'm dead.

A few words on Tyson...

2006-10-20T18:56:00.000-07:00

This is Tyson

Tyson is my friend

I find it interesting that Tyson could come up with the time to post about 100 comments on my blog in less than an hour, but yet he hasn't updated his blog in almost a month.

That's all I have to say about Tyson right now.

Back in the Homeland!!!

2006-09-26T00:45:00.000-07:00

Excuse the tardiness of this. Life has been UBER busy since the move.

Well, after leaving 7 hours later than planned, recieving a speeding ticket from a worship pastor, running into my friend at the border, and a day later, I arrived back to the homeland!!!

Yes, that's right! I, Tyco, am back in Canayda for good. But before we go any further into how life is going up here, I would like to share with you the adventure that I had.

1. I left Seven hours later than planned:

I always know that whenever someone moves, they leave later than planned. I'm actually quite surprised that I left as soon as seven hours after my designated departure time. I have known some people who have left 1-3 days after their designated departure time. So, relatively speaking it wasn't so bad.

2. I got a speeding ticket from a worship pastor:

I don't know if you have ever gotten a speeding ticket before. For some reason, I always hear this voice inside my head telling me that I will be getting a speeding ticket. It's happened to me twice before. This time was no different. Acutally, the thought in my mind was, "Wouldn't it be funny if I got a speeding ticket on my last trip out of California?" Lo and Behold, I got a speeding ticket with only 30 miles left in California. Funny that, eh?

But the cool part was the cop and I had a really good conversation about ministry and life. (For some reason, I always get into really good convo's with random people.) He shared with me how he was the worship leader at his church and is thinking about heading into fulltime ministry after working for the CHP a little while longer. So, we were able to encourage each other and give each other our blessing. The cool part was that He wrote me up for going only 75mph in a 70mph when he originally clocked me for going 84mph. My old roommate (the cop) said that the court might even throw out the ticket because I was only 'going five over.'

3. I ran into my friend at the border.

I always am nervous about what to expect when crossing the border, because they are so strict. But I never expected the blessing that I recieved when I crossed this last time. Because I am moving back, I had to declare my goods that I was bringing across... sometimes (if they don't like you) they can make your day miserable.

So, I had to go into the border office so they can process my 'Returning Resident' paperwork; changing my residency from USA back to Canada. When I was waiting in line, I was called forward to the counter. I couldn't believe it, but it was my old highschool buddy, Kyle Harrison. So, we had a good chat, talked about church and where God is directing us and about his new marriage. He processed my paperwork without a problem and approved all my goods that I brought across... praise the Lord!

So, my trip back went really smooth and without a hitch! I praise God for the way he has blessed me and even been gracious to me (even when I was being disobedient to the speed laws) as I took my last trip back to Canada.

I will have my Canadian number up soon, but not yet.

Maia's Dream man...

2006-09-07T23:12:00.000-07:00

For the Sake of not regurgitating a wonderful story... I would recommend you to read my friend, Maia's, latest blog. It's plumb full of pleasant goodness, yo!

Maia's Blog

Generation "P"

2006-09-07T22:46:00.000-07:00

So, I have noticed something resurfacing in me that I thought was dead... at least it didn't feel as strong as it does now.

Procrastination - to put off till another day or time; defer; delay.

As I am supposed-to-be packing for my gigantic move, I have noticed this P-word growing into me, more and more and more. It's slowly growing and I can feel myself becoming lazier and less motivated to pack.

For example, I installed an video game (Civilization III)onto my computer today and have ended up playing it for a few hours when, in the back of my mind, I can hear this nagging voice saying, "Time to pack! You can be using this time for something productive." That's when I catch myself saying under my breath, "Behind me Mr. Nay-sayer of procrastination! For you do not know the playfulness in me, but only my workful drive!" (ok, that was a REALLY sad whole last statement... now I'm wondering why there's thunder clouds forming above me.)

I have realized that there is a whole generation that has devoted their life to this P-word. It feels so good, to put off work and play more.

So, tomorrow, I'm starting a society to celebrate procrastination! Anybody with me?

Love; twue love...

2006-09-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

I think I'm in love...

The other day I went to my friend Brandon Saubert's (Saubo) place and checked out their 'done-up' bachelor pad.

It was stinkin sweet! Well, stinkin would not be a good expression, because that is negative. It's like a sweet smelling, freshly-baked-goods-by-your-mother-smell sweet!

Anyhoo, I didn't fall in love with their 60" screen in the dining room, or their converted livingroom in to a theatre with an "HD" projector that I loved. Nor was it the heart-stopping, bone-crushing, deafening, kick-bottom sound system they had attached to it. I fell in love with what they played for a demo.

Her name, Alison Krauss - She did the soundtrack for the movie Oh Brother, Whereart Thou?

First of all, she has a German name, that's hot.

Secondly, she can sing like a flipping angel. (actually, do angels really flip? I don't know... never seen one... but then again, I've never heard an angel sing. So, a singing flipping angel would be amazing!) Whenever she sings, my heart is filled with Joy, kind of like when Saul's heart was filled with joy when david would play... except I wouldn't want to kill her afterwards.

The problem is, I am not a fan of Country, so I justify it by saying she's Blue Grass. Still, either I'm getting old or weak, because I'm becoming a sucker for country....err.... Blue Grass!

Anybody concur?

I Am Six Again

2006-08-31T00:37:00.000-07:00

My childhood has come back to me.

Tonight, my friend, Justin, and I were watching TV at my house. It was an average night, flipping through channels and looking for something to watch. But then something amazing happened, something glorious. We were flipping through channels when we stopped on something magical. It was like the heavens opened from the TV and Justin and I were filled with delight. We got this instant wide-eyed, wide mouthed grin on our faces.

We became closer friends because of this one incident.

My life was complete because of this show. It brought me back to the days when I was a child, waking up on saturday morning to sit down and watch this show in my favorite comforter. It was my most favorite show, with my most favorite comforter, watching it with my most favorite dog.

This show was Pee Wee Herman's Playhouse.

All those memories flooded back to me. Delight, humour, insanity, weirdness, hyper-activity, make-belief land, and uncontained joy.

I am happy, and Love Pee Wee... (except after that one infamous episode in the theatre.)

Here's to you Pee Wee, thanks for the great memories!

Canada, ho!

2006-08-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

It's official... I'm moving back to The Homeland!

After 2 years and 10 months, God has been calling me back to the land of maple syrup, beavers, meese, geese, hockey, "eh's", mounties and poutine.

It will be sad to leave the land of Sun (for 6 months straight), 110F blistering weather, surf, yanks, raisins, fruits & nuts (mentally and figuratively), Republicans, the Governator, and botox. But I think I'm ready for the homeland.

I have been hired at a super-sweet church called Coast Hills Community Church in Cloverdale (west of Langley). It's a 3-year-old church plant with about 200-250 people, majority of them being new believers. It's a young church with young, creative and passionate people. The church has a HUGE passion for the lost and the church is very evangelistically focused.

I have also felt the calling to finish my schooling and pursue a masters degree (God willing!). Now that I'm growing up, (although, not height-wise) I need to be thinking of what's most beneficial for the longevity of my career.

So, I'm excited to be moving back on September 13th; my first day is the 15th. It will be just in time for the NHL to start and I will still be able to catch the CFL.

So, ya Canucks! Let's chillax, yo!

Step by Step, oh baby

2006-08-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE the unknown. I love surprises! I love adventure. I love carpet. I love lamp… errr….sorry… But I love the mystery of not knowing about a destination until I’ve arrived… The journey is fun, the adventure is exhilarating because I don’t know what to expect.

Some people don’t like mystery. They like to know what is going to happen. For example, some people don’t like movies with surprise endings. They will usually ask someone beforehand about who dies, who lives, how it ends, etc. Others hate knowing anything about the plot before they watch it. They want it to be fresh, new and mysterious. If anybody talks about what happens before they have seen it themselves, they usually will plug their ears and sing so they don't get any hint as to what happens. That is what I am like. I don’t like repeats, I don’t like taping sporting games because if it’s not live, or if the outcome has already been established, it's no longer a mystery.

I wonder if this is why I love having a relationship with God. God will usually speak a promise into our lives but he never reveals how that will unfold. He will say something like, “I’m going to be doing something amazing through you,” or, “I will use you to do _____ (Insert what you wish).” But we never know what exactly that is until it has happened or we have arrived to that point.

About a year and a half ago God gave me this vision of me walking in complete darkness. In fact, it was like I was walking through this giant, black void. I could see a door in the distance, but I did not know how to get there. Kind of like that scene taken from the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where he has to walk across that giant chasm called the ‘step of faith.’ It looks like there is no ground until he takes that proverbial 'step of faith' and ground forms beneath him. In this vision, stepping stones would appear out of the darkness right in front of me, but only one or two stones at a time. It was like I had a flashlight that could only look right in front of me. But as long as I kept in step with those stones, I could make it to the next one and eventually to the other side.

After that, I asked God what the meaning of this vision was. And he spoke to me and showed me the following.

The walk was my walk through life. God will be doing amaing things through me, which was the door on the other side and He was only revealing one step at a time to me. This was the next step of where I should go in life. If he showed me the whole path, I would try to take a shortcut, or veer off the path to go my own way, but that wasn’t God’s way. God showed me the destination, but not the path on how to get there, and that was intentional, because he knew the best journey on how to get there. It was for my own good. It’s for our own good. If God showed us our whole life and every step at one point, we would try to do it our own way.

This is where following the voice of God becomes so important. He knows exactly where we should go; He’s designed it that way. If we choose our own way, we may fall down, or the journey will be tougher. Every day we must ask God where he desires us to go, who to talk to and what decisions we should make. He wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives.

Psalm 37:23-24 says,
"If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;
though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand."

Lately I have been riding God’s wave and it’s been awesome. He has been doing some amazing things and I am so humbled by it. I am blessed! I just wanted to encourage all of you to be searching and following the voice of God for your life. He will lead you places unimaginable. It’s an adventure and it’s exhilarating! I will be updating you with some new news in a few days… stay tuned, mah homies!

Torn...

2006-08-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

Jesse is Not a Believer.

So, here's chapter 4 on this dog, Jesse... (my roommate's dog)

I think I'm officially done with my roommate's dog. This time he has gone too far, He has crossed the line. He has done what I thought was unimaginable.

Last night I came home to find a surprise... I walked into the living room to see stuffing from a pillow strewn throughout the living room with the remnants of a pillow case on the floor. I didn't think much of it because this specific pillow is his usual victim that we let him vent on. But then I found something else... something a lot more terrifying lying in the middle of the floor - my chewed-up bible. I stared in horror as I saw that it had a whole corner chewed off.

This bible and I had many memories, seeing how I've had it since I was 12. Fortunately, it's still readable and none of the pages were damaged... it just has a nasty 'scar' on the corner of it.

But I've finally said, 'enough is enough.' This dog is forever banished outside while I am home. I don't know why he's inside, really. But that has officially changed... Sorry, dog, indoors are for kids.

My only conclusion for why Jesse did this:

He is not a Christian.

There it is... it's final...

So strategical defense move #47 in operation anti-Jesse: pray for Jesse's salvation!

All I can say is that I'm torn.

Today's word: GRANOLA!!!

2006-08-13T01:36:00.000-07:00

So, for some reason I keep using the word "Granola." It seems to be the word of the weekend for me.

Now Granola can mean two things:

Exhibit #1

Exhibit #2

Now when most people hear the word, they think of the former... but lately I have been meaning it as in the latter. I've never really used this word in this way before until I came down to California. It seems to be the common word for a 'hippie.'

This has been my new favorite word and it started from this morning. I started today eating a granola bar. It was a good breakfast, full of chewy granola and chocolate chips. Then, later on at Starbucks, I called my friend, Justin, a Granola-Hobo because he's been growing his beard out and his odor was a bit 'au natural;' much like a hippie.

Then, tonight I went to a concert tonight to watch the bands Devics and The Black Heart Procession in Visalia. The opening band (which I cannot remember their name) was definately 'granola.' It was like a modern version of Gypsy music... but on acid and pixy-stix. The weird part was... I enjoyed it.

One of their guys looked like Fidel Castro and they had a girl lead singer. They were really creative and had this one guy who would play an old bassdrum skin on it's own and an accordion player; quite experimental I must say. Their fans were quite expressive, wearing a flowery skirt over their jeans.

But again, the only thing going through my mind during the music was the word, 'granola!' It was screaming through my mind. Kind of like that scene in Austin Powers with the Mole. I think it's stuck in my memory for good.

So, The word for this weekend - Granola. Use it, if you dare!

Wedding Marathon is DONE!!!

2006-08-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

So, 5 months later and 4 weddings down, I am finally done my marathon!
Whew!

Let me tell you, weddings are fun, but can get a bit tiresome. Whoever invented the Tuxedo should be shot. First of all, they aren't comfortable. Secondly, NO guy would have designed a 15-piece suit unless he was on something... or Italian... But the good part was, out of the 4 rentals, I only had to pay for 2 because of gracious grooms. Otherwise, my bill would have ran up around 4 bills.

But the best part was seeing how every wedding was different. How every ceremony had differences (did you know that in America they don't sign the certificate during the ceremony? ABSURD!!) and how every reception was different.

So here's to my fellow Grooms and groomsmen! For good times and good company, I salute you! Keep it real, homies!

Ch-Ch-Check it out!

2006-08-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

If you guys were interested, I have a lot for information on my Myspace account. www.myspace.com/tyco82

My first Blog

2006-08-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

So, Today I have decided to get an account at blogspot seeing how most of my Canadian friends have one and besides, I like the format.

The one thing that can get frustrating is getting used to a new format or webpage. I am an advid Myspace addict. With Myspace, I can breeze through the site like a hot knife through butter, or like Lance Armstrong cycling in a race of obese people, or even like a piece of shashimi slithering down my throat.

But when I get to a new website, it's like starting from square one. It drives me nuts! So much so, that I sometimes feel like ripping every hair out of my body.

It's funny how, with the rapidness of modern technology, we can become so impatient with something slightly slower than what we're used to. It drives me crazy when something takes longer than it should. Then again, it also drives me crazy the fact that slow things drive me crazy.

Take for example, dial-up... that is too slow for me. Or what about Sunday Drivers? Too slow! Or even when you order a meal at McDonald's and they ask you to pull ahead to the waiting parking spot? Oh man! How dare they ask me to wait when I expect them to be on time.

I think I noticed how bad it was when I was too lazy to click on links that my friend sent me in an email. Have we (or have I?) become SO lazy that even moving a mouse an inch to check out a link becomes too time consuming?

Some one help me, my patience is growing thin because I'm taking too long to type this.

So, here's to many blog's to come, whether they are bad or mediocre, it shall be a fun journey!