Our Sport

With the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics winding down, it also means a showdown between the two best men’s ice hockey teams in the world. The last time USA and Canada met in the finals was in 2002, Salt Lake city. Canada beat the US team 5-2.
You need to be a Canadian to understand what a gold medal means to us. Some have even gone so far as to state that a Gold medal in the finals is worth more than the 10 other gold medals won by Canadian athletes so far. How did a nation of 30 million become a Hockey powerhouse and become capable of taking on another team picked from 300 million people?
It’s what we love! It’s our priority! It’s our game!
The Bible puts in plainly; “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also!” Luke 12:34

VANCOUVER 2010 ‘SPRING’ OLYMPICS

Wow! What a beautiful week it turned out to be!
What had started as a cold and wet Winter Olympics has suddenly turned into a nice sunny and warm outdoor party.

With the world watching and the media complaining that this would be a literal “wash-out” of an Olympics, the weather did a switcheroo and confounded the critics.
Daily, thousands flock to the many outdoor Olympic celebration zones in various parts of this beautiful city.

Imagine zip-lining amongst the high-rise offices in the downtown area or sitting in an open-air auditorium listening to the best bands in Canada.

I was blessed with a ticket to the Canada/Swiss men’s hockey game and even ended up on national television. A lesson to be learned from this experience :

Don’t be too quick to write off anything because we never really know how things might turn out. Even when things don’t initially work out according to plans – we can still make the best of every situation.

Dreams do come True

Ever since I first started snorkelling at the age of 15, in the murky waters off my birth place, I’ve read about all the best dive sites in the world.

I remember coming across a diving magazine that featured Cozumel and its 100 feet water clarity.

I could only dream at that time what it would be like to actually snorkel in such a place.
Due to my family and church commitments, I gave up snorkelling and that dream altogether.
Who knew 35 years later that I would realize this impossible dream and spend an entire holiday snorkelling and exploring some of the premier dive locations in the Carribbean.
I actually came face to face with a 5 foot stingray, hung out with a three foot toothy Barracuda, came face to face with a 2 foot Grouper and swam with a shoal of multi-coloured fishes.
Sometimes when you give up something you truly love to serve a higher power – He rewards you with the delight of your heart. (Matthew 6:33)

Purple Sea fan coral

A Black Angel

Identification

Sightseeing took on a new meaning in one of my side trips during my Caribbean Cruise. Instead of taking another snorkel excursion, I decided to hire a local taxi driver to show us the main town in Roatan – Honduras. I really wanted to see how the locals lived.
While most folks shied away from this ‘adventure’, I picked out a cabby and after settling for a reasonable rate, we headed off into the unknown.
With my ten word Spanish vocabulary – I was able to make some conversation with my cab driver. We introduced ourselves and during the course of the “Spanglish” conversation, I told him I was a “Pas-tore” and his eyes lit up. He quickly reached over shook my hands and told me he was a Pentecostal Christian. It’s strange how a simple identification of faith can dramatically change a “foreign” experience.
Immediately the atmosphere changed – no longer did I view myself as a vulnerable tourist but a fellow brother in the Lord.
We drove through the entire town, took some pictures and headed back to our cruise ship.
We made sure to pay him extra as this was no longer just a simple business transaction, but an opportunity for blessing a brother. I came back with a fresh appreciation of what we have and a renewed sense of mission.

Treasures from the Sea

Nearly a year ago, I came across a travel article online that highlighted an Island off Florida’s West coast. Sanibel Island is reputed to be the best place on earth for shell collectors.
It’s strange that somehow, I ended up in Fort Myers for the last leg of my vacation. Our original plans were to stay in Miami but somehow we could not get any decent hotel or car rental rates there. When we found out Super Bowl was being played that weekend I decided we had to look somewhere else and ended up making the best vacation choice ever. Life Lesson: When God closes a door – He opens up a better place for you.

I hit the beaches listed in the Tourist map but was not thrilled with the quality and quantity of shells there. I went off grid, drove to a Surfers beach and hit pay dirt – found a small cove with shells 5 feet deep.

Life Lesson: Sometimes the real treasures in life are not found where you expect them to be.

At Rest

I have just returned from a long awaited vacation. 14 days in the sun and surf can do wonders for the soul and spirit.
For most people, they return from a holiday all worn out from the trip. It has been true for most of my past vacations, but this time round it was really restful and renewing to my inner being.
Before you rush off to find out where this dream vacation destination is; I have to say it is not just the place but what your personal makeup and needs are that detremines the perfect destination.
If you've followed my blog for any length of time; you would know that I am a nature lover. I connect with God best in the great outdoors. Hence winter in the Pacific Northwest takes its toll on my soul and body as I don't get to spend as much time as I need outside.

I've always read about the clear blue waters in the Carribean - I got to experience it first hand during this trip.

One of the most enjoyable segments of the trip was beach combing the beaches on Sanibel Island.

Imagine my delight when I chanced upon a pair of dolphins, barely twenty feet from the shoreline, when I was looking for those treasures from the sea that I love so much. Sometimes while you are busy looking for something specific -

God surprises you with something else that simply blesses your heart!

This entire trip was full of these blessed surprises.