I took some time to think about some things I am looking forward to in 2012.
1. Working with new staff-I’ve been at Westhill for just over two years and we have had significant changes in our staff team over that time. Change is always hard. I miss the people who have left but it is exciting to have new people join our team and see them begin to feel comfortable.
2. Trip to Bolivia-I am eagerly anticipating our trip to Bolivia in July 2012-excited about all the preparation leading up to the trip and seeing a new part of Bolivia.
3. Family vacation-we are making plans to go to the west coast with our crew this summer. We’re going to stop and visit friends on the way and meet friends there. Part of the fun of this trip is the planning and anticipation.
What are you excited about for 2012?

D. A. Carson on Suffering

Over the course of our series “Honest Questions, Honest Answers” we had many videos on questions like “Why does God allow suffering?” Here is a video on suffering that I found really helpful.

Last Sunday we began a series titled “Honest Questions, Honest Answers”. As Pastor David preached people texted me some of their questions. I was surprised by the number of questions we got and the wide range. There were funny questions, like “where do babies come from?” but the majority of the responses were real questions. We only had a short time to provide answers to questions that pertained to the message. So over the next few weeks I am going to tackle some of the questions people had here. Stay tuned!

I spent a lot of time this week working on this video. I really enjoyed working with the Kochs–they trusted me to craft their story in the video. Thanks to Dillon for his work on camera and the song is David Crowder, Surely We Can Change.

We have had some people asking about the content of our parenting seminar on Sept. 10. Our presenter is Dr. Marv Penner and he prepared the following description of the seminar, Parenting with Purpose: Encouraging Parents to Invest Intentionally in the Most Important Relationships of All.

Purposeful moms and dads approach their parenting responsibilities with a clear and defined picture of desired outcomes in mind. What are the character qualities, the levels of personal and emotional health and markers of social, spiritual, and relational maturity that I want to see in my kids? And how will an intentional approach to parenting each of our children ensure these outcomes? The stakes are high and the challenges are real! There is no room for trusting our parenting to “cruise control” and hoping our family will arrive where we need to be. There’s just no room for random!

Purposeful parents recognize the uniqueness of each of their children, the specific issues related to every stage of development, and the cultural realities that shape the attitudes and actions of kids today.  But it doesn’t happen by accident.

This practical workshop for all parents will answer these and many more important questions…

• What is the fundamental purpose of a parent?
• How does my attitude toward my kids determine the quality of relationship we experience together?
• How is the world of our son and daughters today different from the world we grew up in and what does that mean for us as parents?
• How do I affirm and encourage my kids appropriately without creating more pressure or an arrogant attitude of entitlement?
• What are the two most important questions my children ask of me every single day – and how do my answers to these questions shape our relationship?
• How do I respond when my kids are hurting deeply and need someone to trust with their pain?
• How can I instill in my child a deep sense of morality that teaches them to discern right from wrong and then live by their convictions?
• Is there a way to implement consequences that doesn’t turn every discussion into a power struggle?
• How am I being shaped by my children and to what degree am I willing to allow them to have a voice in who I become?

You’ll be encouraged and equipped to become a more intentional parent – for the joy it brings you, for the wholeness it brings to your kids, and for the impact it has on our world.

I had a great conversation last week with some 18 to 25′s about church. The question was, “What would the church have to do to make you want to be there on a Sunday?”

One suggestion was about adding food–more specifically waffles. I tried to “plus” the idea by saying we would have them over for waffles after church. They weren’t biting. I think it was because I was stuck on what I thought church should look like. Maybe it is time for something a little different?

So how would you answer the question?

Since the spring we have been putting teams together to go to Soul’s Harbour Soup Kitchen to cook and serve a spaghetti supper. Our next trip is Wednesday, August 11. If you are interested in going please let me know. Here are some of the things I have learned:

1. The people at Westhill are generous–we’ve had many people help us prepare and serve food.
2. Serving together is a great way to get to know people.
3. Helping people is sometimes more confusing than we wish.

It has been nine months since Chris and I moved to Regina. This was our first major move in ten years and our first move with children. One of the things we have enjoyed about the move is all the new relationships. They are so many people who are new to us in a city and so much potential. I have also found myself missing people more this summer.

I preached at the beginning of June and chose as my text the book of 1 John. When John writes the book he keeps coming back to one thing—“Let us love one another” (4:7)—he is really telling Christians to be good friends.

In a new city I am finding that I need to be friendly and it is relatively easy—chatting with people at the park, saying “Hi” when we are on a walk, and having people over. I am also realizing there is a difference between being friendly and being a friend. What do you think the difference is between being friendly and being a friend?

Last night our family had an unexpected night at home. Once the kids were in bed I began planning new stairs for our deck and read a couple of previews of the NBA Finals. My wife used the opportunity to read a parenting book she has been working through—for the second time I think. One of the things I admire about her is that she is usually reading a parenting book to help her sharpen her parenting skills.

This week I have been working on the details of a parenting seminar we are planning in September. As beneficial as it may be to read a parenting book many people do not have the time. I am hoping that having a 3-hour seminar will make a parenting check-up more accessible to a wide group of parents in our community.

The presenter is Marv Penner. I am very familiar with Marv and have been part of 2 of his parenting seminars before. I cannot speak highly enough of the work Marv does. He is down to earth, humorous, and he has the ability to encourage you in what you are already doing while giving you a couple of things to work on.

We are still working on the final details for the seminar but I can give you the information we have so far. The event will happen on Friday, September 10 from 7 to 10. There will be a break during that time and we will have good food. There will also be a Q & A at the end. The evening will cost $10 a person or $15 if you come as a couple. We hope that this seminar will have a wide appeal in our city and that families at Westhill will see it as a benefit for other parents they know.

See you there.

It’s question that comes around ever May. This year May long weekend was an adventure for us. We loaded up the van and went camping with 5 other families from Westhill at KBK. It was an adventure because: we had never “camped” at KBK, at 1 and 3 our kids make almost everything an adventure, and being new at Westhill the people we were going with were new friends for us.

We had a group of 12 adults and 15 kids between the ages of 17 months and 13. There were some things that could have easily made it a bad weekend—it was rainy and cold on Saturday on Sunday, our kids did not sleep well the first night, and the ticks and mosquitoes were bad. I was thankful for the people we had along because none of these things overwhelmed us. We had a great weekend. It is a reminder that it is all about who you are with. So maybe a better question would be “Who did you spend May long with?”

Thanks for a great weekend. My highlights from the weekend were:

1. Playing football on Friday night.
2. The big sand pile the kids played in when it wasn’t raining.
3. Playing games with just adults late Saturday night.
4. Seeing my son with ponytails thanks to some of the older girl.

Who did you spend May long with?