To Live is Christ

It's easy to watch the news and see people suffering and than flip the channel and watch the rest of game. We are called to do so much more. May God help us.

2009 Introduction to Partners in Mission - Salvation Army Canada

Send the Fire!!

William Booth would be proud!

Simply The Best!

On Saturday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs will honour possibly the greatest Leaf ever as well as my favourite. I had the pleasure of not only seeing Dougie play at Maple Leaf Gardens but also meeting him. He was a class act.

Gilmour made a lifetime of memories
Steve Simmons - Sun Media

Where does greatness come from? Doug Gilmour wishes he could explain what happened, how it happened, in the two most magical seasons of his Hall of Fame career. But he can't find the words to quantify the almost out-of-body experience.

He talks about his coach, Pat Burns. He talks about his teammates on the Maple Leafs. He talks, the way hockey people always talk, about chemistry, and dressing room and accepting roles, but he can't with clear expression unravel how it was he was right there with Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux for those two seasons in Toronto, when before that he wasn't, and afterwards he was not.

"I wish I knew," said Gilmour, now 45 years old, already nervous about the Saturday night ceremony where his jersey will be raised to the rafters of the Air Canada Centre. "I've thought about it. I think everybody has thought about it. It's like everything just came into place.

"And for me, it all started with Pat (Burns). I don't know what it was about him, but he had this way of looking at me, he intimidated me without even saying a word. He'd just stare at me and I knew what he was saying. I had to be better. We just had this thing. He knew how to push. He worked for me. I worked for him."

"I don't know what happened," Burns said. "I don't know why that time was better than any other? We just knew how to work together, had really good communication. People often ask me: "Who's the player? Who gave you the most of himself?" And the answer's easy. Without a doubt it's Doug, you look at his size, his weight, his heart. You couldn't ask for anything more in a player.

"If you ask me, for those two years, he was the best player in hockey."

Gilmour played 1474 National Hockey League games, 20 seasons in all, scored a Stanley Cup winning goal for Calgary, wore the uniforms of the Blues, Flames, Leafs, Devils, Blackhawks, Sabres and Canadiens, but it was those first two seasons in Toronto in which he played for Burns that make him legendary, possibly, the greatest Leaf we've ever seen. It was a flash and then it was over. In the years of 1993 and 1994, Gilmour scored 301 points -- regular season and playoffs -- playing for the Leafs. At their most prolific, Mats Sundin, Dave Keon, Frank Mahovlich or Syl Apps needed at least four seasons to accomplish similar numbers. The only Leaf whose statistics register anywhere near Gilmour range are those of Darryl Sittler, who scored 240 points, regular season and playoffs, in his two most complete seasons. But to put Gilmour's playoff runs in perspective, seems almost crazy over time: The 63-playoff points he scored over two seasons in Toronto were matched in Sittler's 10th Toronto playoff season and in Keon's 14th.

For 40 years Leafs fans have waited for their own parade and only have come close, maybe once, in all that time. It is impossible to remember Gilmour without remembering 1993. He scored 127 points in the regular season, another 35 through three playoff rounds, and came up a game short of advancing to the Stanley Cup final. He had already won a Cup in Calgary in 1989, but this was Toronto. "My team," he calls it.

"If someone were to tell you, you could play Game 7 at home and all you had to do was win it to get to the Stanley Cup final, wouldn't you take that?" Gilmour said. "I would. We had it and then Wayne Gretzky played one of the greatest games of his life and took it away from us."

But there still is that part of Gilmour, ever the competitor, who holds on to the notion the Leafs were ever so slightly robbed. In Game 6, the bane of every Leafs fans' existence, Gilmour face to face with Gretzky atop the faceoff circle, was cut as Gretzky's follow through of his stick went into Gilmour's forehead. Gilmour clearly was cut and bleeding: The expression on Gretzky's face was that of fear. "Should have been five and a game misconduct," Gilmour said. "But Kerry Fraser didn't see it. I've always understood that. What I didn't understand was the linesmen. They had the ability to make the call. They had to have seen it, even if Fraser didn't? That's the only regret I have of that call. Somebody else should have said something -- and if that happens, who knows what's next?"

Instead, it is all part of the unfortunate history of the modern Maple Leafs. The Gilmour Chapter: What was and what could have been.

"I won the Stanley Cup with the Devils," Burns said. "But that Leafs team was my favourite. That team had the most players who clicked with me. When I was coaching Montreal in '89 and we lost the Cup to Calgary, one of the reasons we lost was because of Doug. He was the best defensive player on their team and the best offensive player. You could have a great defensive player like a Guy Carbonneau or a John Madden, like I've had, but those guys couldn't be your No. 1 centres. Doug could play that role and be your No. 1 centre. I don't know anyone else you could say that about."

To understand all that Gilmour accomplished, you almost had to play on his wing. Joey Mullen, a career 40-goal scorer, scored 50 once -- the year Gilmour was his centreman. Dave Andreychuk, a 30-something scorer most of his years, scored 50-twice: Both as Gilmour's winger. "He couldn't shoot," Burns said. "But boy could he pass. It's like what Mario Lemieux did for Warren Young. Doug could take a player, tell him to get open, and he'd get him the puck. Everybody had their best years playing with Gilmour."

Now, comes Saturday night, back on Hockey Night In Canada, with his kids, his parents, his family -- 20-30 in all, he estimates -- and even the players he coaches on the Kingston Frontenacs all there to honour a Leaf who only played 445 games -- 52 of them playoff games -- in blue and white. It was a short run, born of a one-sided trade, ending uncomfortably twice, but it was indeed a memorable run.

"Up until now, I haven't thought about it a lot," Gilmour said. "But now I'm getting nervous. It's hard to believe it's even happening. To me, this is the biggest honour I'll have for my whole career. I've got a Stanley Cup, that's a team thing, but this is personal. You look back, remember all the things that happened, I almost signed a three-year extension (before being traded to New Jersey). I just didn't know if it was what I wanted, and before I decided, the offer was gone. Cliff (Fletcher) was on his way out. He said they had to trade me.

"Then I was so excited coming back, when Pat (Quinn) called me (and traded for me). He had a really good team. I asked him what he expected from me. He said: 'Just help us win.' I didn't know I was going to get hurt. I didn't know it was my last kick at the can."

Doug Gilmour's final NHL game was his only game for Quinn's Leafs. He got hurt and never played again. "It didn't turn out the way I wanted, but maybe it was meant to be."

Their eyes have been opened

For years in Germany, churches and other religious establishments have been showing football matches in their buildings whether it be the World Cup or European Championships as a form of outreach & ministry. The response is unbelievable! It is nice to see that North America is finally catching up as evident by this article. Bring it on!!

The NFL has decided to allow churches and youth groups to show the big game on the big screen this year. Here's a snippet from an ESPN article on the subject.

The NFL will allow church groups to show the Super Bowl on large-screen televisions, reversing a policy that drew criticism from elected officials.

In a letter to U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league will no longer object to "live showings -- regardless of screen size -- of the Super Bowl" by religious organizations, The Washington Post reported.

The full article can be read here.

I want people to see something different when they look at me. I don't want them see ME but Christ shining through me. I don't want to be known as the guy who goes to church or the guy who doesn't swear. I don't want to go through the Christian checklist and be satisfied. I want to go deeper in my walk with Christ and explore the depths of His love and grace.

This might hurt, it's not safe
But I know that I've gotta make a change
I don't care if I break,
At least I'll be feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"

--"The Motions" Matthew West

If I must live, I want to go all in. No fear. No anxiety. Simply trusting in the one who knows me better than I know myself.


"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which is above all human understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:5-7

Christmas in Taiwan...isn't the same as home

I always post my sister Angela's first published story about her Christmas away from home.

Christmas in Taiwan..isn't the same as home

As Christmas time approaches, I often find myself reflecting on past holidays and the special memories and the people who have made each year uniquely special.

For my entire life, the holidays had revolved around gatherings with family and friends. In fact, until a few years ago, I had never spent Christmas away from my family.

However, when circumstances forced me to spend Christmas away from home for the first time, I was further away and more alone than I had ever imagined. I was working in Taiwan as an English teacher, which meant I would not be able to return home for an entire year. The enormity of that decision didn’t truly hit me until December arrived; it was 40 degrees - and there was no Christmas season! As most of Taiwanese population are Buddhists, they obviously have no Christmas holiday. There were no lights, no cards, no busy shoppers at the mall, and no line-up of children waiting to see Santa. I was stuck in a world where Christmas simply didn’t exist. December 25^th would not even be a holiday! I would have to get up and go to work, just like it was any other day of the year. It somehow felt sacrilegious. Although I had nowhere to go on the 25th and nobody to spend it with, I bargained to take the day off, working an extra day on the weekend to make up for it. At least it would be Christmas in my heart, if nowhere else.

I grew more and more despondent as the holidays back home approached. I would imagine everyone back in Newfoundland, all busy buying gifts, decorating the Christmas tree and planning for holiday parties. I had flown halfway across the world by myself back in August, full of bravado, feeling very proud and independent. However, there was little of my bravado left as December rolled in. I was running up enormous phone bills, crying on the phone every night as I called my family and friends back home. I had never been so homesick in my life. I wanted to be home for Christmas more than anything else in the world. I had brought my holiday music with me and listened to “I’ll Be home for Christmas” over and over again. It never failed to bring tears to my eyes.

As I was riding my bicycle home one day in the middle of December, I took a wrong turn and found myself in an unfamiliar part of the city. This may not be a big deal in any English-speaking place, as you can ask for directions from anyone. However, this would prove rather difficult in the little island in Asia, where only a few had a working grasp of English. In desperation, I got off the bike and wandered up and down the street. Then I saw something that made me stop in my tracks. It was an English sign in an apartment window. It simply said “Church of Christ”. An English speaking, Christian church in that part of the world is certainly not very common, to say the least. I thought I must be imagining things, so I stood and just stared at the window. To my surprise, an elderly Taiwanese man took my arm and led me to a door on the side of the building. Feeling a little nervous and foolish, I entered the building. Who would I find inside the apartment? Was this some sort of cult?

I was greeted at the door by a beaming man, with a deep Southern accent (which just added to the surreal feeling!). As it turned out, the little church was operated by two missionaries from Arkansas – Pastor and Mrs. MacAteer. Without knowing anything about me – except I seemed very alone, lost, and had nowhere to celebrate Christmas – they promptly invited me to their home to spend it with them. They were so kind and insistent that I immediately accepted their invitation, feeling as though I was experiencing a true Christmas miracle. I had been adopted for Christmas!

Despite our very new acquaintance, they took me into their home on Christmas and made me feel like a long lost member of their own family. When I arrived, I discovered that I wasn’t the only lost soul that the missionaries had rescued for Christmas. There was also a young couple from Ontario who had been taken in for the holidays. Although turkey wasn’t available, it was the most memorable Christmas dinner I have ever eaten in my life. We had a huge barbeque of streak and chicken, complete with all the traditional fixings, sent by their family back in the U.S. We ate outside in our shorts, basking in the sunshine, and I imagined the snowflakes that were surely falling back in Newfoundland. After dinner, we put on some soft Christmas music, sat in front of the little artificial Christmas tree (also sent special delivery), staring at the lights and each lost in our thoughts of our families back home. We were strangers, but on that day, we became a family.

This was only the beginning of many kind acts offered to me by the MacAteers and they became my honourary family during the rest of my stay in Taiwan. That Christmas Day will always remain a cherished memory in my heart. They truly showed me the deepest meaning of Christmas.

By: Angela Cole