A New Season...

Seasons change. We all know that. But what is going to be different in THIS season? It's a great opportunity to make some changes in your life. Some different choices, some different direction, some different attitudes. The questions always is: what are you going to do to make that happen? You have to take some form of action. It doesn't have to be massive but you need to start the ball rolling and build some momentum. I am planning on making some positive changes this season. Some health, some spiritual, some relational, some dream related. Ever season of your life is like a new beginning. A fresh start, a chance to correct your course and make some adjustments. I won't say start over as we need to learn from our mistakes and continue in a better direction than when we actually first started. It's pretty much a given that we aren't in the same spot when we started and even if we are a bit off course, we are still further along then if we didn't start at all. We need to stay positive and be persistent. Strengthen your will and your fight. Be a person of action and always putting others ahead of yourself as a servant. God promotes those who humble themselves and serve others. Anchor yourself in Him and cling to His truth even when you don't understand circumstances. Live out of your spirit not out of your emotions as that is where power and authority come from. Be full of the Spirit and give Him room to move through you as you will see signs and wonders. This IS a new season...what will you do with it? I want to see people transformed, set free, saved, healed, delivered, restored, renewed and set ablaze. It's time!! I will count the cost and make the choices I need to see this come to fruition. I believe!

A Hypocritical Thought...That's Right I Said it!!!

So I thought that I would share some thoughts that I have been processing lately.  I do preface this by saying that in my thoughts, although I completely agree with them, I do recognize that they are filled with hypocritical statements....but I am ok with that and will not deny that fact.  So without further ado, here are my thoughts:
OUR SOCIETY IS DUMB!!!...and continues to get dumber.  Here is another statement that is a little oxymoronic.  I love technology and have a big disdain for technology.  Let me dive into this a little.
I feel with all of our advancement with technology, we have become dumber as a society and begun to default to the lowest common denominator.  They way our society is celebrity obsessed and gossip/tabloid driven is repulsive to me.  I love acknowledging merit, accomplishment, talent but in areas that warrant it. If someone is a good artist then they should be acknowledged.  If a scientist or doctor makes a discovery, then that is noteworthy.  Athletes should be acknowledged for their accomplishments too.  The discipline and hard work that goes into being that elite is outstanding.  But the garbage that is being pumped out by Hollywood, television, record companies, and newspapers even, is crap.  I can't stand it.  That being said there are a few television shows I watch religiously and some movies and albums that I enjoy.  I do have guilty pleasures such as The Walking Dead, Hell's Kitchen, Master Chef, and give me sports!! Culturally speaking though, I think we have digressed.  We believe we are greatly advanced from other eras that have come before and technologically we are.  But culturally I believe we are not.  How much time do we generally spend on growing intellectually?  How much do we read as a society or study?  How much do we think about philosophy or art (real art)?  I feel we have dumbed down our society and spend much more time and effort on social media, television, movies and stimulation rather than building relationships, exercising our minds, edifying our souls and spirits and enjoying a simpler existence.  I recognize how hypocritical this sounds from me who has 1,030 tweets, does multiple check-ins on Facebook, always has his iPhone on him, is writing this on a blog, will post it to FB after it's finished on my Macbook, etc...so this is why I prefaced this post as I did.  We live in a microwave, processed food, quick and easy, internet connected society and on some level I feel we have lost something culturally and artistically as well as seeing our standards of acceptance fall.  Even our entertainment I feel has been diluted and dropped in stature.  "So what is the answer Vaughn?"
I may not really have an answer for everyone and definitely don't have an answer that will impact all of society!  I feel like it is more of an internal dialogue to have by yourself.  Do you want to be a slave to the technology and societal pressures that surround us?  Do you want to find a better balance in your life that consists of goals, plans and filters that makes you feel better about what you spend your time doing and focusing on.  It is a choice.  I find that when I do want to watch a show or movie I tend to watch old programs from the early days.  I listen to Old Radio Shows.  I pick up classic literature to stimulate my mind.  I try and limit my dependence on technology the best I can.  I have no problem with utilizing technology and enjoying the benefits it can bring.  It can be a great tool.  But being dependent on it is another thing.  Filling yourself and time with useless garbage that doesn't benefit you all at doesn't make sense to me. I am trying to approach things as "will this make me smarter after I am done?  will this have no bearing one way or the other? or will this actually make me dumber after I am done?"  That might work for you too.  Anyway, these thoughts make me want to go visit the museum, library and listen to some Mozart and Coltrane.  Start enjoying the best quality entertainment from every era including today, don't resort to the lowest common denominator, and exercise your brain.  Enjoy fine aspects of culture not tabloid garbage.  Read some history and examine human nature.  Do something productive with your time.  Grow as an individual and increase your knowledge.  Better yourself.  If everyone did that we could see amazing new and fresh artists around us (keep your eyes open because everywhere they are there you just have to look!!) and hear people with profound ideas and concepts.  I want to live my life with great experiences.  I want to see the pyramids of Egypt, the castles of Scotland, the art of Paris, the architecture of Europe, the countryside of Italy, stand where great historical events took place, etc...I don't want to be stuck watching the Real Housewives of Orange County or the Kardashians, or be stuck surfing Facebook and listening to some crappy music pumped out by auto-tuned talentless manufactured singers put out to saturate a weak market.  Some days I wish there was no more tv, no more cellphones, no more internet for a year and see how we would all cope.  How would we go about life for that year?  It might be refreshing!!
Anyway, that is my somewhat hypocritical rant about the state of our culture as I see it.  It is not right or wrong per say, just my opinion and perspective.  Until next time, keep the rubber side down!! :)

TIME TO STEP IT UP!!

Been a while since I have posted.  Lots going on I guess.  So what is new?  Not too much.  I am surprised by the length of transition it has taken to feel at home here, even though for me it is "coming home".  I guess I haven't moved a whole family inter-provincially before.  It was quite an ordeal!  But now I have settled into where I am supposed to be and want to be.  I look forward to what is in front of me.  There are a lot of unanswered questions but what is good I know I have some things to work on myself as I prepare for my future.  I love that we are being positioned to impact the people around us in profound ways.  I love the people we are meeting and hanging out with and feel like there is something massive ahead for us.  So what lies ahead for me in the next days ahead including today? Time to step it up.  Get my game in top shape.  Refine those things in my life that need it.  Count the cost and pay the price to become an "elite athlete" in the race of life.  That is what I want.  It is a lot of work!! It requires a ton of discipline.  I do need to step it up!! Kill bad habits, create new good habits.  My life is full or parallels physically, mentally, spiritually, etc...so for me I need to push forward in each area to see the maximum impact come to fruition.  If I slack in one area, I tend to slack in other areas.  So here we go...nose back to the grindstone.  I want to live the best life I can live.  I want to have the most capacity I can have.  I want to have the most influence and impact I can have.  I want my words to carry weight and be catalysts for change.  I want to leave a legacy of honour and integrity. I want people to say "there goes a good man" when I leave a room.  I want my mother to be proud of the man I have become as she spoke those words into my life beginning at a young age.  She saw my potential and all I could become.  I need to see it.  I need to act on it.  Potential is wasted without action and discipline.  I want to be a true disciple.  This is my year.  I WILL take big steps.  I WILL see change in me and the people around me.  I BELIEVE.  It is indeed time to step it up!! Here we go...

   

Getting into the Swing of things...

So it has been one week since have been moved into our house and I have been at the new job. So far so AWESOME!! I am loving all aspects of living in the Comox Valley again. We are surrounded by great people and are so enjoying our new environment such as:

And going for walks with Oslo:

It has been great. We have so blessed by the church family at Comox Valley Community Church and are really enjoying the beginning of our journey with them to impact the Comox Valley in our own way. It's going to be absolutely awesome and it has only just started!! I feel extremely inspired and creative living here and am believing it will pour into my work, my play and my family life. I have U2's "Beautiful Day" playing in my mind as say this. That is how I feel. Very blessed, very fortunate, very happy. I will try to keep updates coming and keep sharing my life and my journey here. Hope to have many awesome stories and pictures to post. Love you all! Talk at ya soon!!

Vaughn

Here Comes Santa Claus...AHHHHHH!!!

My siblings used to torment me with that song (among others), as it used to scare the dickens out of me. Sounds funny right? I think it was a common sense thing. I never knew this "Santa" character...we are not supposed to talk to strangers or take "gifts" from them, so why is it ok when this joker comes knocking? I also had a phobia of beards. Yup, I did! I know that sounds strange but beards freaked me out as a kid. I have no idea why but it's true. But think about it...you aren't sure about this stranger coming with gifts to maybe lure you into his sleigh and people are singing about him invading your town and breaking into your house. Freaked me out dude! There must have been something about the tune that I found creepy too. That I am not sure about but it is just a guess. You can take it into account that I was probably only two years old and was extremely quirky but at least I grew out of it and had a little better understanding of Santa having the same handwriting as my mom. Hmmmm....then there was the song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". That song really bothered me when I was older. I didn't get it was supposed to be some role playing game with mom and dad but thought mom was cheating on dad with an old bearded loser that was still doing B&Es. Of course by then I knew Santa was "Santa" but the principle of the song still frustrated me to no end. But as soon as I got the revelation that it was really dad then it was ok. Talk about therapy for the kid in that song though. Geez. I have nothing against the notion of Santa and having fun at Christmas but my focus solely lays on the true meaning of the season and why we celebrate it. Santa just tends to complicate things. Especially in a materialistic and greedy society. We should all be a little more Santa daily but more than that we should all be a little more Jesus every day to the people around us and those that have needs that we can meet. Then every one will be really happy to see that Santa is coming to town even though it is really Jesus dressed up like him wanting to spread love and joy to everyone around Him. Merry Christmas everyone!! See you at the gym next week to work off the treats and goodies we are already partaking in. :) Love you all and "God Bless Us, Everyone!!"

How Sesame Street and Snuffleupagus Messed with My Head...

Yes it's true. I had a really hard time with this and it disturbed me for years as a child. Here's a little back story....

I grew up without cable as it wasn't a high priority on our families expenses list (which I totally understand!). That was a good thing as I spent much more time playing outside and enjoying my childhood versus spending countless hours rotting by brain in front of the 13" Hudson's Bay crappy little t.v. we had. Needless to say though, I really enjoyed the couple of hours in the morning I got to watch Mr. Dressup, Friendly Giant and then Sesame Street. As we only had a couple of Canadian channels, I received the Canadian version of Sesame Street. I watched many episodes of Big Bird's hijinks with his possible imaginary friend Snuffleupagus who never seemed to cross paths with any of the other characters in the show. Gordon would drop by Big Bird's nest and Snuffy had just left! Maria would show up and low and behold, juuuuust missed Snuffy. So they didn't believe he was real. Ok so at my young age, I had come to grips with this scenario and all was fine in the world of Sesame Street. And then everything changed....

My grandparents had cable. This was an extreme luxury and treat when we would visit them. So many more channels and different shows to watch. So I am flipping channels and look what's on!! Sesame Street! Woo hoo! Jackpot!! Little did I know that this was the American version. Looked the same. Had the same characters on the show. Oh there is Big Bird and Snuffleupagus. Wait a minute....here comes Bob. HE'S TALKING TO SNUFFY!!! WHAT THE HECK!!! THIS IS WRONG!!! NO ONE KNOWS SNUFFY IS REAL!!! HOW CAN THIS BE!!! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY!!! I immediately curled up in the fetal position and watched the rest of the show, rocking back and forth trying to come to grips with this discovery. 2 Sesame Streets. One they know him, one they don't. I seriously had a really hard time computing his and rationalizing in my toddler brain. It wasn't until many years later that I realized there were the 2 different versions. I still prefer the Canadian version with the suspense and intrigue of trying to figure out if he is real or imaginary. But at the time it was quite traumatizing when you think of what is a big deal at that age. What's next? Ernie and Bert don't even live together? Oscar lives in a dumpster instead of a garbage can? No Sesame Street news with Kermit the Frog? He was replaces by Grover after he got his Super Grover rights taken away!! Geez. And for the record, I love the Aliens that "Yip yip yip yip yip yip, uh huh, uh huh!!" thing. They were cool!! "Brrrrrrrrring!!!" (phone skit the best). But all this to say, Muppets kick the crap out of Sesame Street anyway and was always my favorite. Can't wait to see the new movie!! Manah Manah!! Doo doo da doo doo....

Go West Young Man...

So it is official. We will be heading west....Vaughno's going back home!! Such mixed emotions on this rollercoaster!! I am extremely excited to be going back to the Comox Valley and being where we feel we are supposed to be. I am also very torn about leaving such amazing friends that have shared my life with me for the past several years. The good thing is that they will always be near and dear friends that will continue to be in my life. I am very pumped about the next leg of the journey and partnering with some amazing people that we will have a blast with changing a community upside down (I believe!).

Changes!! They keep coming whether we are ready or not hey! The questions is can you adapt and roll with them? It's going to be great reconnecting with old friends and hanging with new friends. I believe God is going to do some amazing things through us in the Valley and people are going to be transformed and set free. There is going to be a youth and young adult movement that stems from obedience and vision that is going to see a community impacted and talked about because of a move of God there. Come on!! Bring it!! God is going to do a new thing in the Comox Valley and I am so honoured to be a part of it. Here am I...send me!! See you soon Comox Valley Community Church!! Hang on, it's gonna be a wild ride!! :)