STRESS

Well folks it is that time of year again when papers are due, exams are coming up and time is running out. A time of amazing amounts of STRESS. It's overtime in game 7 so either finish it up quick or be the sudden death loser. Yikes. Everything is building up and I think I'm gonna freak out. And it isn't just school that is putting stress in my life. Part of it as you may have read is Christmas shopping whereas I am still looking for some gifts that have alluded me so far. Part of it is the fact that the weather has been so crappy most of the time. And a big part of it is that the NHL is still in "lockout mode" and I need more hockey in my life! AHHH! But it will all be ok. Because stress is all in how you deal with it. So let us all go to our "happy place" and let stress go far away. This is how I get stress relief right now, I encourage you to check it out:
http://ww12.e-tractions.com/snowglobe/globe.htm

It is amazing how this little thing can improve your day!

This is the type of thing we are taking out of schools... Just imagine the things that are making their way in. 

When Did Jesus Get Expelled?

When was it and who decided to kick Christ out of school? That's what I want to know! I came across a story a few weeks ago that almost made me physically ill. That the school board in Nova Scotia decided to can the "operation Christmas Child" program because of its affiliation with Evangelist Franklin Graham.

CBC Reports:

Operation Christmas Child sends gift boxes to children in wartorn and impoverished countries around the world. The charity is run by evangelical minister, Franklin Graham. You may remember he attracted thousands to his religious festival in Halifax just last month. As Jack Julian tells us, the school board says the charity has no place in city schools.

But I can see their point... There is no room for Christianity in our schools. Christ taught us things like loving our neighbor and sharing with one another. He told us that killing and stealing were wrong. These things are appalling and should not be taught to young people... GIVE ME A BREAK! And Christians are the ones who are intolerant? Come on! Even if you don't believe in God or don't believe Jesus was who he said he was, this is an organization that gives gifts to kids at Christmas time who otherwise wouldn't receive anything! Pulling the number of people involved, thus pulling presents out of these poor little kids hands. It makes me sick. It really does.

It just goes to show you how far we are pulling our world down the tubes when you can't even give a poor little kid with nothing something for Christmas without oppression. I really don't know how these people sleep at night.

But the thing is that Christ paid the price on the cross for these people too. And even if it does make me sick to my stomach when these things happen it is my prayer that they, too, will see how sin has destroyed our world and put us in a terrible way but Jesus saved us and offers this salvation all. This includes the corrupt oppressors, those in the pews, those kids in poverty and those kids in class. No wonder this fictional letter was passed around e-mail for so long, it really makes you think:

Dear God, Why didn't you save those kids in the school shooting?
Signed: Concerned Student.

Response
Dear Concerned Student, I'm not allowed in the School.
Signed: God

So much for wisdom

Well I'm sitting here at my computer next to my bed where my beautiful girlfriend is resting after just having all four wise teeth out. She's got ice on either side of her face, gaze in her mouth and a rag to wipe drool and blood. She is as lovely as ever! I JUST TOOK HER PICTURE! But it's absolutely no fun at all. I remember when I had mine done. It wasn't very pleasant. Of course while I was under the gas I sat strait up and spat all over everyone and everything so she was a much better patient then me.

And as I keep checking on her, helping her with her ice, her packing, her pills, and just making sure she is comfortable I feel so bad for her and how uncomfortable she must be. I wish I could just make it all go away or just take it myself. And I'm reminded, somewhat, of how God must feel when he looks down on us. We have caused our own suffering. We hurt and kill one another and treat each other poorly. He saw this hopeless situation we made for ourselves, and sent his only son to take the pain of the world so we could enter paradise with him in heaven. And I think of how I would react if Jacquelyn (my girlfriend) pushed me away, refused my help and aid, and just wallowed in her own pain refusing any help from anyone. How would I feel... Rejected, upset, maybe a little angry or resentful. And how many of us would return to offer that same help and aid again? But God is still waiting for us to let him help. He's even waiting for the ones who have spat in his face to accept his help which is better known as salvation. We just need to be wise enough to accept it.

Jacquelyn and I have both accepted this help from the Lord. Even without a wise tooth between us. What about you? I pray that you will.

8 items or less

Christmas shopping is something that can be very easy or very stressful. Mine is mostly done now so that is a happy thing because I really hate going to the mall and especially wall-mart in December. I had my shopping for this holiday season partially done in July so that makes it easy. Because I, personally, cannot stand it when I'm stuck in a crowd trying to push my way through to get what I need so I can get out of the stinking mall and back to my real life. My ankles were not meant for carts to smash into them, and even though you may apologize for hitting my ankle and I will accept your apology... in my mind I am picking you and your cart up over my head and throwing you off a bridge! I know that seems harsh but like I always say: "tough but fair." I just have no patience for shopping this time of year. I really don't have much patience period. If I must, for some reason, find myself in a mall in December I like having a relaxed mind knowing that I don't have to buy anything or wait in line or whatever. Though you find me standing outside a store from which I would never buy anything and holding a purse. If you see me doing so do not comment or I will pick you up over my head and throw you off a bridge... in my head.

Oh the joys of retail. I just can't handle it. I have just returned from the super-store where I had to mail something and pick up a few things. Just a FEW things. A FEW as in 8 or less. So I naturally navigated my way to the "8 or less" line. Yet the wonderful citizen in front of me figured they really meant 108 or more!!!! I'm talking a full load. So I picked them up and threw them off a bridge!! Yeah, in my head.

Happy holiday season in 25 days or less!

High's and Low's

I realize that I do a lot of complaining on this blog and this post shall be no different! However I would like to start on a high note. We had a combined youth group night last night with 4 different youth groups and had over 100 kids come out! And that was really encouraging to me. We had some fun games with Dan, Worship, and then I spoke. The whole evening went really well. There was a lot of time put into the evening and it was its own reward. Very nice.

However, the morning comes and I have to realize that I only have about 3 weeks left of school and I have an amazing amount of work to get done! Right now I'm putting off a Pioneer Bible Translator intense course paper that is due tomorrow! yikes. And I have lots of tests and other papers and reading and other sentences full of the word "and." So these are fun times. That is, if your idea of fun is calling Mike Tyson a sissy and seeing how he reacts! So there you go, we'll see if I have enough in me to come through or if I will take a KO punch right between the eyes... who knows?

Prayers are ALWAYS appreciated.

Oh but I saw it comming

Have you ever had a movie that you really wanted to see? I mean one of those ones where you think, "this is gonna be awesome," and you don't even mind spending the crazy cash to go see it. And don't you hate it when someone whose already seen the movie gets in a crowded area and blurts out the FREAKING ENDING!!! OH MAN does that ever suck! Well, as you may have guessed, that happened to me. Ladder 49 is the show I really wanted to see and I did see it on the weekend. But prior to that I was in a room with 2 people who saw the movie and started talking about it. And then all of the sudden one of them just starts talking about how it ended even though none of the rest of us had seen it!!! AHHHH! It was still a good show and I highly recommend it but it really took away from it to know what was coming.

So when you go to that new movie that you've just gotta see. Go see it and make sure you ask people around you if they've seen it before you ruin the ending Ok? Ok.

Stink

Ever gone to the grocery store in shorts when it’s right cold out? I have! And thus it is laundry day. Because everything in the free world that I own is dirty and I’m out of Fabreeze! It’s pretty sick really. That I would even let my room get to the point where it smells so bad. But Ben, you say. Why don’t you just throw it all in a closet so it wont stink up your room. Good question. Because my hockey gear that has been rained on 9 times is in there and if that kind of a stink gets on my clothes it will NEVER come out! I can just imagine all the sickness of germs and bacteria that live in my room and hockey bag. Oh well, I can’t talk about that anymore I have to go out in my shorts and find a store that sells Fabreeze!

Smell ya later… if you can’t smell me from there that is…frig.

This is where I go to School 

School

For those of you who are unaware I attend Maritime Christian College as a student. My third year to be exact. And I have to say that this has been a pretty good year so far. This is an odd time to make such a statement as we are in the thick of mid-terms right now, however, it's all good just the same. We have a good bunch of students this year and our school is impoving all the time. Like our web site for example: http://www.maritimechristiancollege.pe.ca/ It was a laughable thing that usually had classes and events from 2 years ago but now its well on its way to being up to date. So that is a happy thing. Now you may be wondering why i don't just put sites like this as links on the side of the screen on the main page. Well, i'm not all that web savy so leave me alone Ok? ok. I just learned how to put up pictures and that is quite a process for me. I'll have to get Dave to show me how to do some of this stuff more efficiently. He has a lovly picture of me up right now on his blog. You can check it out @ www.digbyhomehardware.ns.ca/dave.html once again I would post this under "other blogs" but I DON'T KNOW HOW!!! So check out this web sites and come to MCC in the Fall! Do it, do it.

This is the new Relient K CD, you can listen to some of it on www.relientk.com or you can be like me and just go buy it. It was released today 

Christian CD's

So I just went out and bought the brand new reliant K CD cleverly titled "MMHMM" and I 'm very pleased with it. Just like most of Relient K's stuff it is very good. I also purchased, for the second time, the bundle of reliant K's "Two Lefts Don't Make A Right But 3 Do" and their Christmas album. But Ben, why would you buy it twice? I'm so glad you asked! Because last year I took 5 of my favorite CD's on a road trip and when I returned I put them down on the table in the front of the foyer at Maritime Christian College beside the rest of my stuff and sometime in between the time I put them there and returned for them they were removed and have not been located since. (That was a 4 line run-on sentence that started with because. Grammar teachers everywhere are cringing!) And my two left's CD was in that group. It is the first one of the bunch that I have replaced. I've not decided what to do with the Christmas one yet. The others I need to replace, just for your information, are: Third Day Offerings II, 7 Places, Downhere So much for substitutes, and 3 Doors Down's latest. So if anyone wants to replace them for me just add a comment and we'll get in touch so you can make your generous donation.

ALSO! I would just like to mention that I HATE those stupid stickers they put on Christian CD's! You know those things that never come off in 9 peels that make it impossible to open your CD until it is off. Who and what are these for? It took me 20 minutes to break into my new CD and it doesn't start my new music listening experience off on a high note. Yeah so someone should do something about that and not just complain about it... That person is not me.

One last thought: Ever notice how most of the Christian Artists are much more talented Musicians then mainstream. Most popular artists can't play more than 3 chords and can't sing live. Most of the Christian ones can. I've noticed that.