It's been 10 years?! I can't believe it... a decade, ten years, 120 months, 520 weeks, 3650 sleeps blah, blah, yada, yada.

It's been 10 years since we moved to Brantford. As I was thinking about that this week many memories rolled through my brain ...some pleasant, some otherwise!

We didn't move here on a whim, we talked about it alot, we prayed about it alot, we inquired of the Lord and we really felt like it was the direction of the Lord (and we still do). However, I think it's probably good that God didn't fill us in on everything that this decade would hold because I'm not so sure I would have moved here. You know, you would like to think God could show you the future (for good or bad) and you'd still walk unswervingly into it, but who knows?

Less than a year after we moved here, the Lord began to speak to me about Brantford becoming the "city of God". In the Bible and throughout history, there have been places on the Globe that God has so transformed that they became known as "the city of God", maybe not by name, but by experience.

Do we believe that this is possible? Can we think that BIG to imagine such a thing? And, can we believe for it to happen here and now?

Perhaps more importantly, if we do believe it, are we willing to do whatever it takes in partnership with God and His plans to see it happen?

I hope so because He has BIG plans for cities!

I hope so because His desire is that no one misses out on His love!

I hope so, I don't have many decades left.

Think Big, Live Big

Last night I was with some big thinking friends. We talked about about many things, but conversation repeatedly came back to how we can positively effect our nation. We concluded that to touch the nation you have to touch the cities and to touch the cities, you have to touch people.

In order to do that, you have to move from thinking big to living big. It's not enough to think about something you could do, anyone can do that ...and truth be told that's as far as most people go. They look at situations they face as individuals or world issues we have to deal with together and repeatedly identify the problems. "Wow, nice work Sherlock ...I think Holmes is looking for you!"

And ...if they do take it any further, it is only to find where they can assess blame. It's like that song Living Years by Mike and the Mechanics that says, "every generation, blames the one before".

Well we could stay on the treadmill of the "blame-shame game", or we can be part of the solution - ie. THINKING BIG and LIVING BIG.

Deep down I believe everyone wants to be part of positive change. It's what we were made for, it's what we were destined for ...it's why we have the capacity to THINK BIG and LIVE BIG.

Here's where we can start...

...dream more than others think is possible;
...care more than others think is wise;
…Pray more think others think is necessary
…work more than others think is practical
...risk more than others think is safe;
...expect more than others think is reasonable.

Think Big, Live Big!

Thinking BIG again

It was exactly 2 years ago that I did something that I said I would never do...I started a blog. OK - that's not entirely true, someone else started a blog for me. It was Oct 2006 and I was running for city counsellor and I needed to get my "Think Big Message" out as quickly as I could. So, besides the door to door pamphlet drop in one of the coldest, wettest Octobers on record, part of the extensive media blitz was my entrance into the "blogosphere". And, as quickly as the entry had been, within moments of the end of the political campaign I made a similarly hasty exit from the world of blog.

And I have lived a fairly normal, "blogless" life. Until now, when I am compelled (recompelled?) to do something I said I would never do, for the second time - blog (re-blog?).

Now please understand I did not enter this reblogging world without careful consideration. What about the time factors? Who has time to blog when they type at a whopping 5 wpm? ( I actually refuse to go on msn for that reason)

And what if no one reads the blog? Can I really deal with the rejection?

OK - who am I kidding? I'm actually using this whole blogging thing for personal reasons. I figure I can get my typing speed up to at least 10wpm by the new year.

And the chance of me actually caring about what other people think of my blogs is minimal at best.

The truth is ...today I had lunch with one of my best friends who will be moving to the states in a week. He was the one that kept me sane in previous years of "professional church life" and one of my friends who is truly a BIG THINKER who lives out what he thinks. Now, whether it's the understanding that I can't pick up the phone and meet up with my BIG THINKING friend, or the need for an outlet that helps maintain my sanity - either way - it's blog-time.

So - in the "to blog or not to blog" Shakespearian dilemma - I guess you know how that turns out. If you choose to follow along in this blogging (reblogging) excursion I need to warn you from the outset that I will not tolerate any little thinking in my blogging presence.

But, if you agree to THINK BIG with me (again), I give you free reign to come along for the ride and I might even let you drive every now and then.