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Showing posts with label Terry Harris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Terry Harris. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Near tragic experiences are often the catalysts, for helping us have deeper appreciation for life and serve to make us stronger. No one knows this better than self described soul mates, Sheryl Goring and Len Klassen. December 2006 marked their first Christmas together.

We all know people like Cheryl, she began preparing weeks in advance, decorating the house with lights and ornaments, baking cookies and trimming the tree. After which she would declare, “This is the best Christmas tree ever!”

Several weeks before the Christmas holidays Cheryl bought Len a pair of Nike shoes, a present that would prove to have eventual ironic and even humorous overtones, but not before Len and Cheryl’s lives would take a near fatal turn. Anne Mullens of Reader’s digest relays the story.

On the morning of November 24th 2006, Len left his B.C. home en route to work in central Vancouver. It was dark and rainy, as he was heading for the Albion Ferry Terminal. About twenty five minutes into his commute, Len was coming to a curve in the road, near the Ferry terminal exit. Without warning, his truck and an oncoming car were on a collision course. At the last second, Len threw himself sideways across the truck bench seat in an effort to save himself.

Meanwhile Cheryl had learned from Len’s boss that he had not shown up for work. A flurry of anxious cell phone and text messaging activity got no response from Len and matters were made horrifyingly worse when Cheryl learned that a terrible accident had closed the Lougheed highway for hours. Cheryl found it progressively more difficult to breathe.

Finally, a social worker from the Royal Columbian hospital, the region’s trauma centre, called to say, “Come as quickly as you can.” The trauma team was preparing Len for surgery. The dive across his truck bench had spared his face, head and spinal chord from damage, but doctors were not sure if he would be able to survive the rest of his injuries. Only time would tell.


In the days that followed Len underwent six life saving surgeries and Cheryl signed page after page of consent forms. She was instructed to go see Len and whisper something in his ear. It was a round about way of telling her to say goodbye. To everyone’s surprise however, Sheryl, instead of whispering in Len’s ear, shouted at him: “You fight! Do you hear me? You fight and come back to me! I love you – fight!” Though he held precariously to life, Sheryl never gave up hope that Len would come home, then and only then would Christmas be celebrated.

In the four months that followed the accident Len endured seventeen surgeries. His stomach was swollen to such an extent that, surgeons could not close the wound from the accident for several weeks. To make matters worse Len’s left foot had been crushed in the accident. Doctors debated whether to amputate or not. One day they were optimistic, the next day they were afraid that infection would spread to the rest of his body. On December 11th however, Sheryl made the tough call. “Take it off!!” she declared, “I don’t love his foot, I love him, it’s no good having the foot if it’s stopping him from getting better.” “I’m doing what’s best for him and he will understand.”

Doctors anticipated that Len would be hospitalized for six to eight months, but by February of 2007, three months after the accident, he was healing so well that doctors began to talk about discharging him. One of Len’s doctors said, “You are the miracle man of 2006; I never thought you’d make it.”

True to her word Sheryl celebrated Christmas when Len arrived home on March 16th 2007.
A large lawn sign read, “Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Welcome Home Len!” as twenty of their friends and family cheered. The first gift that Len accidentally received was a pair of Nike shoes that Sheryl had bought him several weeks before Christmas. Len looked at the shoes and then at his left leg, amputated at the foot. He then said to Sheryl, “I sure hope you got them fifty percent off.”

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Christmas Miracle

Wednesday, December 09, 2009 at 2:07 pm · by Neil · in No comments

Near tragic experiences are often the catalysts, for helping us have deeper appreciation for life and serve to make us stronger. No one knows this better than self described soul mates, Sheryl Goring and Len Klassen. December 2006 marked their first Christmas together.

We all know people like Cheryl, she began preparing weeks in advance, decorating the house with lights and ornaments, baking cookies and trimming the tree. After which she would declare, “This is the best Christmas tree ever!”

Several weeks before the Christmas holidays Cheryl bought Len a pair of Nike shoes, a present that would prove to have eventual ironic and even humorous overtones, but not before Len and Cheryl’s lives would take a near fatal turn. Anne Mullens of Reader’s digest relays the story.

On the morning of November 24th 2006, Len left his B.C. home en route to work in central Vancouver. It was dark and rainy, as he was heading for the Albion Ferry Terminal. About twenty five minutes into his commute, Len was coming to a curve in the road, near the Ferry terminal exit. Without warning, his truck and an oncoming car were on a collision course. At the last second, Len threw himself sideways across the truck bench seat in an effort to save himself.

Meanwhile Cheryl had learned from Len’s boss that he had not shown up for work. A flurry of anxious cell phone and text messaging activity got no response from Len and matters were made horrifyingly worse when Cheryl learned that a terrible accident had closed the Lougheed highway for hours. Cheryl found it progressively more difficult to breathe.

Finally, a social worker from the Royal Columbian hospital, the region’s trauma centre, called to say, “Come as quickly as you can.” The trauma team was preparing Len for surgery. The dive across his truck bench had spared his face, head and spinal chord from damage, but doctors were not sure if he would be able to survive the rest of his injuries. Only time would tell.


In the days that followed Len underwent six life saving surgeries and Cheryl signed page after page of consent forms. She was instructed to go see Len and whisper something in his ear. It was a round about way of telling her to say goodbye. To everyone’s surprise however, Sheryl, instead of whispering in Len’s ear, shouted at him: “You fight! Do you hear me? You fight and come back to me! I love you – fight!” Though he held precariously to life, Sheryl never gave up hope that Len would come home, then and only then would Christmas be celebrated.

In the four months that followed the accident Len endured seventeen surgeries. His stomach was swollen to such an extent that, surgeons could not close the wound from the accident for several weeks. To make matters worse Len’s left foot had been crushed in the accident. Doctors debated whether to amputate or not. One day they were optimistic, the next day they were afraid that infection would spread to the rest of his body. On December 11th however, Sheryl made the tough call. “Take it off!!” she declared, “I don’t love his foot, I love him, it’s no good having the foot if it’s stopping him from getting better.” “I’m doing what’s best for him and he will understand.”

Doctors anticipated that Len would be hospitalized for six to eight months, but by February of 2007, three months after the accident, he was healing so well that doctors began to talk about discharging him. One of Len’s doctors said, “You are the miracle man of 2006; I never thought you’d make it.”

True to her word Sheryl celebrated Christmas when Len arrived home on March 16th 2007.
A large lawn sign read, “Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Welcome Home Len!” as twenty of their friends and family cheered. The first gift that Len accidentally received was a pair of Nike shoes that Sheryl had bought him several weeks before Christmas. Len looked at the shoes and then at his left leg, amputated at the foot. He then said to Sheryl, “I sure hope you got them fifty percent off.”

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009


In his book, “Just Like Jesus,” well known author Max Lucado identifies a major challenge in human relationships, feelings of “stuckness. He defines stuckness this way:
“Attacks of stuckness are limited to people who breathe and typically occur between life and death. It manifests as irritability, short fuses and a mountain range of mole hills.”

Lucado first experienced stuckness when he was given a puppy named Liz for Christmas.
He writes: I carried her all day, her floppy ears fascinated me. So what if she smelled like a dog, whined and did business on my pillow? I kept her watered and fed. I combed her hair and kept her tail wagging.

But within a few days I had grown weary of her barking and she seemed hungry an awful lot. More than once my parents reminded me, “she is your dog. Not just your dog to play with, but your dog period.” Lucado observes: “perhaps you know the phobia that comes with commitment, only you’re not told, “she is your dog,” but, “he is your husband,” “she is your wife,” “he is your boss,” “she is your roommate.” And you feel stuck.

Are their opportunities that can emerge from stuckness? Lucado says it depends on how we respond to it. One option is to flee, to get out of the relationship and start again. But we will often find that the same issues will emerge in relationships we seek elsewhere. Another option is to fight, but then houses become war zones and offices become boxing rings.

A third option, (and it is the one that Lucado recommends) is to forgive people and show mercy. He points to the time that Jesus took on the role of a servant and washed his disciple’s feet. He notes that the story doesn’t say: “Jesus washed everyone’s feet accept Peter who denied him, Judas who betrayed him or Thomas who doubted him.” He washed their feet fully aware of the hurt they were going to cause.

But Jesus was not just forgiving their sins. He was setting an example of what we should do. Jesus forgave those who wronged Him and if we claim him as Savior and Lord, He has empowered us to do the same, to respond to unkindness with kindness and unconditional grace.

If a major challenge we face is difficulty forgiving those whom we feel stuck with, Lucado asks us to respond to a difficult question: “If foot washing were still a custom today, would you be willing to wash the feet of someone you feel stuck with?” The answer to that question reveals our commitment to demonstrating Christ like attitudes in all of our relationships-especially in those relationships we feel “stuck” in.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Stuckness

Tuesday, December 01, 2009 at 1:55 pm · by Neil · in No comments


In his book, “Just Like Jesus,” well known author Max Lucado identifies a major challenge in human relationships, feelings of “stuckness. He defines stuckness this way:
“Attacks of stuckness are limited to people who breathe and typically occur between life and death. It manifests as irritability, short fuses and a mountain range of mole hills.”

Lucado first experienced stuckness when he was given a puppy named Liz for Christmas.
He writes: I carried her all day, her floppy ears fascinated me. So what if she smelled like a dog, whined and did business on my pillow? I kept her watered and fed. I combed her hair and kept her tail wagging.

But within a few days I had grown weary of her barking and she seemed hungry an awful lot. More than once my parents reminded me, “she is your dog. Not just your dog to play with, but your dog period.” Lucado observes: “perhaps you know the phobia that comes with commitment, only you’re not told, “she is your dog,” but, “he is your husband,” “she is your wife,” “he is your boss,” “she is your roommate.” And you feel stuck.

Are their opportunities that can emerge from stuckness? Lucado says it depends on how we respond to it. One option is to flee, to get out of the relationship and start again. But we will often find that the same issues will emerge in relationships we seek elsewhere. Another option is to fight, but then houses become war zones and offices become boxing rings.

A third option, (and it is the one that Lucado recommends) is to forgive people and show mercy. He points to the time that Jesus took on the role of a servant and washed his disciple’s feet. He notes that the story doesn’t say: “Jesus washed everyone’s feet accept Peter who denied him, Judas who betrayed him or Thomas who doubted him.” He washed their feet fully aware of the hurt they were going to cause.

But Jesus was not just forgiving their sins. He was setting an example of what we should do. Jesus forgave those who wronged Him and if we claim him as Savior and Lord, He has empowered us to do the same, to respond to unkindness with kindness and unconditional grace.

If a major challenge we face is difficulty forgiving those whom we feel stuck with, Lucado asks us to respond to a difficult question: “If foot washing were still a custom today, would you be willing to wash the feet of someone you feel stuck with?” The answer to that question reveals our commitment to demonstrating Christ like attitudes in all of our relationships-especially in those relationships we feel “stuck” in.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

One of the greatest forms of encouragement we can receive in life is to have our paths intersect with people we admire and who inspire us. This is particularly true when our obstacles seem insurmountable. The story of Rebecca Johnstone confirms this.

Nineteen year old, Hamilton Ontario native, Rebecca Johnstone was a promising soccer star. She made the elite Hamilton Sparta soccer club at the age of twelve, despite having never played the game before. Tragedy struck, however, when a mole on Rebecca’s collar bone turned out to be a melanoma tumor. It was found too late and doctors began measuring the time she had left to live in terms of weeks.

The possibility of any form of hope emerging from such a devastating piece of news was remote. However, the compassionate actions of Rebecca’s Aunt Jenny brought such encouragement to Rebecca’s life that they had international ramifications. She knew that Rebecca was a huge fan of soccer icon, David Beckham who at the time played for Real Madrid and now with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Aunt Jenny did some searching on the internet and upon finding Beckham’s representatives, arranged for him to make contact with Rebecca. But she wasn’t sure it would happen. After surgery to remove a cancer filled tonsil, Rebecca was very sick. That’s why when the phone rang and a voice with a thick English accent asked to speak with Rebecca Johnstone, her mother Brenda told him, that she was sleeping.

He offered to call back but then said, “This is David Beckham.” Stating the obvious, Rebecca’s Mom knew she had to take this call. When Rebecca took the phone, her eyes grew wide. They talked about soccer and Rebecca talked about being his biggest fan. Beckham asked if there was anything he could do to help. When she said “no” he asked if he could send her something. Within a week, a Real Madrid soccer jersey arrived in the mail. It was autographed: “To Rebecca with Love David Beckham #23.”

Beckham’s gesture lifted Rebecca’s spirits, giving the family hope after several weeks of suffering. Sadly, however, Rebecca succumbed to cancer in January of 2007. But prior to her death, the story of Beckham meeting Rebecca caused an out pouring of compassion of international proportions. A trust fund was set up to send Rebecca and her family to Kentucky to do aggressive forms of cancer treatment. She not only received donations from several local retailers but from as far away as New Zealand, Scotland and the Netherlands.

The story of Rebecca Johnstone, though tragic, reminds us that the smallest gestures of kindness can bring the greatest amounts of joy during times of trial. They can also inspire us toward loving acts of compassion.
- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

David Beckham

Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at 2:56 pm · by Neil · in No comments

One of the greatest forms of encouragement we can receive in life is to have our paths intersect with people we admire and who inspire us. This is particularly true when our obstacles seem insurmountable. The story of Rebecca Johnstone confirms this.

Nineteen year old, Hamilton Ontario native, Rebecca Johnstone was a promising soccer star. She made the elite Hamilton Sparta soccer club at the age of twelve, despite having never played the game before. Tragedy struck, however, when a mole on Rebecca’s collar bone turned out to be a melanoma tumor. It was found too late and doctors began measuring the time she had left to live in terms of weeks.

The possibility of any form of hope emerging from such a devastating piece of news was remote. However, the compassionate actions of Rebecca’s Aunt Jenny brought such encouragement to Rebecca’s life that they had international ramifications. She knew that Rebecca was a huge fan of soccer icon, David Beckham who at the time played for Real Madrid and now with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Aunt Jenny did some searching on the internet and upon finding Beckham’s representatives, arranged for him to make contact with Rebecca. But she wasn’t sure it would happen. After surgery to remove a cancer filled tonsil, Rebecca was very sick. That’s why when the phone rang and a voice with a thick English accent asked to speak with Rebecca Johnstone, her mother Brenda told him, that she was sleeping.

He offered to call back but then said, “This is David Beckham.” Stating the obvious, Rebecca’s Mom knew she had to take this call. When Rebecca took the phone, her eyes grew wide. They talked about soccer and Rebecca talked about being his biggest fan. Beckham asked if there was anything he could do to help. When she said “no” he asked if he could send her something. Within a week, a Real Madrid soccer jersey arrived in the mail. It was autographed: “To Rebecca with Love David Beckham #23.”

Beckham’s gesture lifted Rebecca’s spirits, giving the family hope after several weeks of suffering. Sadly, however, Rebecca succumbed to cancer in January of 2007. But prior to her death, the story of Beckham meeting Rebecca caused an out pouring of compassion of international proportions. A trust fund was set up to send Rebecca and her family to Kentucky to do aggressive forms of cancer treatment. She not only received donations from several local retailers but from as far away as New Zealand, Scotland and the Netherlands.

The story of Rebecca Johnstone, though tragic, reminds us that the smallest gestures of kindness can bring the greatest amounts of joy during times of trial. They can also inspire us toward loving acts of compassion.
- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

By any standard, the ability to swim thirty-two Kilometers, in waves as high as six feet and winds blowing as hard as twenty-six Kilometers per hour would be considered a miracle of biblical proportions. Now imagine attempting such a swim without the use of your legs. On July 18th and 19th, 2006, fifteen year old, Harrowsmith, Ontario native Jenna Lambert did just that.

She commenced her swim at Baird Point New York and arrived 32 hours later at Lake Ontario Park in Kingston Ontario. She was met by the cheers of hundreds of supporters. Lambert’s swim puts her in the record books as the first female with a physical disability to swim across Lake Ontario.

Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at a year and a half, Lambert walks with the aid of crutches and has had numerous surgeries to help with mobility issues. However, like many determined people with disabilities, she compensates for her limitations by demonstrating extraordinary strength in other areas. One arena where Jenna Lambert proves her strength literally, is in the water.

In May 2006, Lambert did a 12 hour pool swim that convinced her that she could do the Lake Ontario crossing. In July 2006, she swam 10 kilometers in 5 hours. Lambert’s coach and Master Encourager, marathon swimmer Vicki Keith, puts her protégé's resilience into perspective saying, "She has to make adjustments in her strokes in order to compensate for the lack of mobility in her legs. She has to over rotate her body, so she is working much harder than most people, but she doesn’t know anything different, that is how she swims."

Lambert faced additional challenges in the waters of Lake Ontario. It was against the rules for setting the record, to lean against anything during her swim. Therefore, she had to tread water with one hand and consume granola pieces, fruit cups and boost drinks with the other. At times when high winds and waves were against her and her arms barely came out of the water, she was inspired by her sister Natalie who swam beside her for two hours.

Waves and wind were so bad at times that attempts were made to redirect the swim to make it shorter. But Lambert wouldn’t have it. She approached the shores of Lake Ontario doing the butterfly stroke, showing supporters that she still had something left.

Jenna’s swim however was not about breaking records, but raising money for a new pool for "the Penguins," Jenna and Natalie’s swim team at the Kingston Ontario YMCA, comprised of young people with disabilities and their siblings.

Says Jenna, it was about, "providing freedom for kids with disabilities and proving that with God’s help, nothing is impossible."

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Jenna Lambert

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 12:06 pm · by Neil · in No comments

By any standard, the ability to swim thirty-two Kilometers, in waves as high as six feet and winds blowing as hard as twenty-six Kilometers per hour would be considered a miracle of biblical proportions. Now imagine attempting such a swim without the use of your legs. On July 18th and 19th, 2006, fifteen year old, Harrowsmith, Ontario native Jenna Lambert did just that.

She commenced her swim at Baird Point New York and arrived 32 hours later at Lake Ontario Park in Kingston Ontario. She was met by the cheers of hundreds of supporters. Lambert’s swim puts her in the record books as the first female with a physical disability to swim across Lake Ontario.

Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at a year and a half, Lambert walks with the aid of crutches and has had numerous surgeries to help with mobility issues. However, like many determined people with disabilities, she compensates for her limitations by demonstrating extraordinary strength in other areas. One arena where Jenna Lambert proves her strength literally, is in the water.

In May 2006, Lambert did a 12 hour pool swim that convinced her that she could do the Lake Ontario crossing. In July 2006, she swam 10 kilometers in 5 hours. Lambert’s coach and Master Encourager, marathon swimmer Vicki Keith, puts her protégé's resilience into perspective saying, "She has to make adjustments in her strokes in order to compensate for the lack of mobility in her legs. She has to over rotate her body, so she is working much harder than most people, but she doesn’t know anything different, that is how she swims."

Lambert faced additional challenges in the waters of Lake Ontario. It was against the rules for setting the record, to lean against anything during her swim. Therefore, she had to tread water with one hand and consume granola pieces, fruit cups and boost drinks with the other. At times when high winds and waves were against her and her arms barely came out of the water, she was inspired by her sister Natalie who swam beside her for two hours.

Waves and wind were so bad at times that attempts were made to redirect the swim to make it shorter. But Lambert wouldn’t have it. She approached the shores of Lake Ontario doing the butterfly stroke, showing supporters that she still had something left.

Jenna’s swim however was not about breaking records, but raising money for a new pool for "the Penguins," Jenna and Natalie’s swim team at the Kingston Ontario YMCA, comprised of young people with disabilities and their siblings.

Says Jenna, it was about, "providing freedom for kids with disabilities and proving that with God’s help, nothing is impossible."

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Have you noticed that some of the greatest challenges in our lives, such as a disability, low social status or a character flaw, can actually serve as a strength in other contexts, leading to great opportunities? Consider this story cited in a book called Leader’s Digest by Canadian author, consultant and motivational speaker, Jim Clemmer.

A water bearer in India had two pots attached to each end of a pole. He would sling the pole over his shoulders to carry water from the stream to the house every day. One of the pots was cracked and leaked water. The other one was perfect.

One day the cracked pot spoke to the water bearer about its shame and apologized for dripping water while the other pot never lost a drop. The water bearer replied, “Yes you are cracked and do not carry water as well as your brother pot but you have an ability that he does not have. The water bearer then said, “Did you happen to notice that there are flowers on your side of the path but not on the side where the other pot is? That is because I have always known about your flaw and took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path and every day while we walk back from the stream, you have watered them as your broken portions leaked water.”

After relaying this story, Jim Clemmer makes the following insightful comments: “Dwelling on our own weaknesses or those of others rarely improves on them. And it sure doesn’t do much for passion and commitment. Rather than defining the ideal role and trying to find the perfect person to fit it, effective leaders find the person who meets most of the key criteria and tailors the responsibilities to align with the individual’s strengths.”

Although this advice is primarily directed toward business executives, it is also applicable for leaders within the body of Christ and instructive in our own personal development as we consider our weaknesses. If the challenges you face today involve the perception that your weaknesses disqualify you from effective service for God or others, take the opportunity to realize that the very things that disqualify you from some forms of service, make you tailor made for other forms of service.

Like the cracked water pot that brings life to flower seeds in the story, you may be bringing life to those around you through your unique personality, gifts and talents in ways that you are not aware of. Have the faith to believe that God is using even your weaknesses to his advantage. Ask him to do great things through your brokenness.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Celebrating your weaknesses

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 10:02 am · by Neil · in No comments

Have you noticed that some of the greatest challenges in our lives, such as a disability, low social status or a character flaw, can actually serve as a strength in other contexts, leading to great opportunities? Consider this story cited in a book called Leader’s Digest by Canadian author, consultant and motivational speaker, Jim Clemmer.

A water bearer in India had two pots attached to each end of a pole. He would sling the pole over his shoulders to carry water from the stream to the house every day. One of the pots was cracked and leaked water. The other one was perfect.

One day the cracked pot spoke to the water bearer about its shame and apologized for dripping water while the other pot never lost a drop. The water bearer replied, “Yes you are cracked and do not carry water as well as your brother pot but you have an ability that he does not have. The water bearer then said, “Did you happen to notice that there are flowers on your side of the path but not on the side where the other pot is? That is because I have always known about your flaw and took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path and every day while we walk back from the stream, you have watered them as your broken portions leaked water.”

After relaying this story, Jim Clemmer makes the following insightful comments: “Dwelling on our own weaknesses or those of others rarely improves on them. And it sure doesn’t do much for passion and commitment. Rather than defining the ideal role and trying to find the perfect person to fit it, effective leaders find the person who meets most of the key criteria and tailors the responsibilities to align with the individual’s strengths.”

Although this advice is primarily directed toward business executives, it is also applicable for leaders within the body of Christ and instructive in our own personal development as we consider our weaknesses. If the challenges you face today involve the perception that your weaknesses disqualify you from effective service for God or others, take the opportunity to realize that the very things that disqualify you from some forms of service, make you tailor made for other forms of service.

Like the cracked water pot that brings life to flower seeds in the story, you may be bringing life to those around you through your unique personality, gifts and talents in ways that you are not aware of. Have the faith to believe that God is using even your weaknesses to his advantage. Ask him to do great things through your brokenness.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

The mention of legendary Canadian rocker, Neil Young may make you think of the sixties rock band Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, or Crosby Stills, Nash and Young, depending on how old you are. If you have no clue who Neil Young is, read on, you’ll still be interested.

What you may not know is that in addition to making such hits as, “Heart of Gold,” “Long May You Run” and “Rockin in the Free World,” Young is also an advocate for people with disabilities. His convictions derive from personal and familial experience. Although cerebral palsy is not a genetic condition, Young and his wife Pegi have two Sons’, Zeke and Ben who both have cerebral palsy. Ben’s particular form of CP renders him mute and a quadriplegic.

Having survived a life threatening aneurysm in 2005 and coped with a life long epileptic condition himself, Neil Young and his family are certainly no strangers to the obstacles associated with disabilities. These unique circumstances have prompted the Young’s to found the Bridge School established in 1985 in Hillsborough California. The Bridge School is dedicated to ensuring that children with speech and physical impairments achieve their full potential through the use of alternative means of communication technology.

Examples of alternative communication technology training may include equipment that Christian Horizons folks would have familiarity with. The training includes teaching children to use electronic boards, the user points to letters, words, symbols or pictures that show what they want to say. They may also learn to use computers that will speak for them. Other children may train to use computers that take letters and words typed in by the user and then the computer speaks them out like normal speech. Other forms of assistive technology may show pictures, symbols or words on a display panel, the user then chooses which of these are to be spoken out.
Each October Neil Young hosts a benefit concert for the Bridge School which has featured such talents as; Dave Mathews, Norah Jones, Emmy Lou Harris, John Melencamp, Sarah Mclachlan and Josh Grobin.

Following Neil Young’s near fatal Aneurysm in 2005, he wrote a song called,” When God Made Me.” In it he seems to question the claims that God has on his life. We can be praying that Neil finds Jesus at the heart of his search.

The challenges faced by Neil Young and his family, remind us that obstacles, such as disabilities are no respecter of persons. The only choice we have complete control over is whether we will turn inward and indulge is self pity, or be determined to find the opportunities within our challenges. Neil Young has clearly chosen the latter.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Neil Young

Wednesday, November 04, 2009 at 2:14 pm · by Neil · in No comments

The mention of legendary Canadian rocker, Neil Young may make you think of the sixties rock band Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, or Crosby Stills, Nash and Young, depending on how old you are. If you have no clue who Neil Young is, read on, you’ll still be interested.

What you may not know is that in addition to making such hits as, “Heart of Gold,” “Long May You Run” and “Rockin in the Free World,” Young is also an advocate for people with disabilities. His convictions derive from personal and familial experience. Although cerebral palsy is not a genetic condition, Young and his wife Pegi have two Sons’, Zeke and Ben who both have cerebral palsy. Ben’s particular form of CP renders him mute and a quadriplegic.

Having survived a life threatening aneurysm in 2005 and coped with a life long epileptic condition himself, Neil Young and his family are certainly no strangers to the obstacles associated with disabilities. These unique circumstances have prompted the Young’s to found the Bridge School established in 1985 in Hillsborough California. The Bridge School is dedicated to ensuring that children with speech and physical impairments achieve their full potential through the use of alternative means of communication technology.

Examples of alternative communication technology training may include equipment that Christian Horizons folks would have familiarity with. The training includes teaching children to use electronic boards, the user points to letters, words, symbols or pictures that show what they want to say. They may also learn to use computers that will speak for them. Other children may train to use computers that take letters and words typed in by the user and then the computer speaks them out like normal speech. Other forms of assistive technology may show pictures, symbols or words on a display panel, the user then chooses which of these are to be spoken out.
Each October Neil Young hosts a benefit concert for the Bridge School which has featured such talents as; Dave Mathews, Norah Jones, Emmy Lou Harris, John Melencamp, Sarah Mclachlan and Josh Grobin.

Following Neil Young’s near fatal Aneurysm in 2005, he wrote a song called,” When God Made Me.” In it he seems to question the claims that God has on his life. We can be praying that Neil finds Jesus at the heart of his search.

The challenges faced by Neil Young and his family, remind us that obstacles, such as disabilities are no respecter of persons. The only choice we have complete control over is whether we will turn inward and indulge is self pity, or be determined to find the opportunities within our challenges. Neil Young has clearly chosen the latter.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Friday, October 30, 2009

The giving and receiving of forgiveness can be both an obstacle and an opportunity. Here is why: while waiting for the traffic to clear as I was leaving work one day, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten my wallet inside the office. In my haste to back up I hadn’t noticed that a co worker had pulled their car in behind me. When I backed up, I heard the crunch of metal on metal.

I immediately got out of my car, verified that my co worker and his car were alright and apologized for my carelessness. My co-worker assured me that everything was fine and there was no harm done, that could not be easily repaired. In that instance, I was the one to blame, but I had been forgiven.

A couple of days later I was waiting for the light to change at an intersection. A U-haul truck turning left took the corner a little bit short and in the process took out a portion of my bumper and the headlight on the driver’s side. I had nowhere to go as there were cars behind me and a truck making deliveries at a store was protruding into the street. The driver of the U haul was a young university student who had no experience driving U-hauls. He was just trying to move himself home for the summer. He was clearly shaken and very apologetic. I assured him that I was alright and the car would eventually be alright. In that instance, the U-haul driver was to blame, but I forgave him.

This story taught me some important principle about forgiveness. It is easier to forgive others when we know to what depth we have been forgiven ourselves. I was able to forgive the U-haul driver because earlier in the week, my co-worker had forgiven me. Even greater than our ability to forgive each other, however is God’s ability to forgive us.

The apostle Paul conveys this in Romans 5:6-8 when He says “very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man, someone might dare to die. But God, demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

If the challenge you face today is an inability to give or receive forgiveness, take the opportunity to realize two things. First, it is easier to forgive others when we know the extent to which we have been forgiven by God and by others. But second, a greater manifestation of love is revealed when we realize that Jesus, who has done no wrong, chose to forgive us, even as we were sinning against him. That truth should call us to a higher standard in all of our relationships.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Forgiveness

Friday, October 30, 2009 at 1:09 pm · by Neil · in No comments

The giving and receiving of forgiveness can be both an obstacle and an opportunity. Here is why: while waiting for the traffic to clear as I was leaving work one day, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten my wallet inside the office. In my haste to back up I hadn’t noticed that a co worker had pulled their car in behind me. When I backed up, I heard the crunch of metal on metal.

I immediately got out of my car, verified that my co worker and his car were alright and apologized for my carelessness. My co-worker assured me that everything was fine and there was no harm done, that could not be easily repaired. In that instance, I was the one to blame, but I had been forgiven.

A couple of days later I was waiting for the light to change at an intersection. A U-haul truck turning left took the corner a little bit short and in the process took out a portion of my bumper and the headlight on the driver’s side. I had nowhere to go as there were cars behind me and a truck making deliveries at a store was protruding into the street. The driver of the U haul was a young university student who had no experience driving U-hauls. He was just trying to move himself home for the summer. He was clearly shaken and very apologetic. I assured him that I was alright and the car would eventually be alright. In that instance, the U-haul driver was to blame, but I forgave him.

This story taught me some important principle about forgiveness. It is easier to forgive others when we know to what depth we have been forgiven ourselves. I was able to forgive the U-haul driver because earlier in the week, my co-worker had forgiven me. Even greater than our ability to forgive each other, however is God’s ability to forgive us.

The apostle Paul conveys this in Romans 5:6-8 when He says “very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man, someone might dare to die. But God, demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

If the challenge you face today is an inability to give or receive forgiveness, take the opportunity to realize two things. First, it is easier to forgive others when we know the extent to which we have been forgiven by God and by others. But second, a greater manifestation of love is revealed when we realize that Jesus, who has done no wrong, chose to forgive us, even as we were sinning against him. That truth should call us to a higher standard in all of our relationships.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Last week, I told you about an experiment that Reader’s Digest conducted, visiting thirty five cities around the world and testing for politeness. The study found New Yorkers to be the most polite. Toronto also did Canadians proud by placing a respectable third place internationally.

Reader’s Digest promised to test for politeness within Canada’s borders and those results are in. They used the same three tests for politeness in Canada as they did globally.
They sent a pair of under cover male and female reporters, into fifteen of Canada’s major cities.

In each place these reporters:

1) Walked into public buildings behind people ten times to see if they would hold the door open for them.
2) Bought small items from ten stores and reported whether the sales clerk said, “Thank you.”
3) Dropped a folder full of papers, in ten busy locations to see if anyone would stop to help pick them up.

They allowed one point for each positive behavior for a perfect score of thirty. The results were expressed in percentages.

Muncton New Brunswick topped the charts scoring 80%. Respondents there believe that courtesy is part of the Maritime way of life. Calgary and Vancouver tied for second place with a very respectable seventy seven percent. After a reporter in a Calgary flower shop bought a single bloom, the salesperson went the extra mile and dressed it up with pussy willows, bear grass and purple ribbons. She also thanked the reporter for her purchase “I find the more courteous you are, the more people respond to that,” she commented.

Edmonton Alberta came in third place. There, a twenty three year old women, who was delivering a big bouquet of flowers bent down with her free hand to pick up scattered papers. “I was brought up well” she said.

Now for the bad news: After ranking third from the top in the global test for politeness, Toronto faced many obstacles in the national test, ranking third from the bottom, scoring a dismal sixty percent. Saskatoon was worse at fifty seven percent. There, a woman admonished her friend for not helping to pick up the scattered papers.” You could have helped,” she quipped, as they both walked by.

Our nation’s capital, Ottawa, has the biggest challenge when it comes to politeness. They barely passed, scoring fifty percent on the test. When asked why she didn’t stop to help pick up scattered papers, a well dressed, Ottawa women responded, “He might have been a politician.” This proves that you can’t tell who will help you based on appearance alone.

I’d be interested in your thoughts. Do you think the test Readers Digest used for measuring politeness is a reliable indicator of politeness or would you have used other criteria? What politeness encounters have you experienced? Let me know!

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Canadian Politeness

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 12:02 pm · by Neil · in No comments

Last week, I told you about an experiment that Reader’s Digest conducted, visiting thirty five cities around the world and testing for politeness. The study found New Yorkers to be the most polite. Toronto also did Canadians proud by placing a respectable third place internationally.

Reader’s Digest promised to test for politeness within Canada’s borders and those results are in. They used the same three tests for politeness in Canada as they did globally.
They sent a pair of under cover male and female reporters, into fifteen of Canada’s major cities.

In each place these reporters:

1) Walked into public buildings behind people ten times to see if they would hold the door open for them.
2) Bought small items from ten stores and reported whether the sales clerk said, “Thank you.”
3) Dropped a folder full of papers, in ten busy locations to see if anyone would stop to help pick them up.

They allowed one point for each positive behavior for a perfect score of thirty. The results were expressed in percentages.

Muncton New Brunswick topped the charts scoring 80%. Respondents there believe that courtesy is part of the Maritime way of life. Calgary and Vancouver tied for second place with a very respectable seventy seven percent. After a reporter in a Calgary flower shop bought a single bloom, the salesperson went the extra mile and dressed it up with pussy willows, bear grass and purple ribbons. She also thanked the reporter for her purchase “I find the more courteous you are, the more people respond to that,” she commented.

Edmonton Alberta came in third place. There, a twenty three year old women, who was delivering a big bouquet of flowers bent down with her free hand to pick up scattered papers. “I was brought up well” she said.

Now for the bad news: After ranking third from the top in the global test for politeness, Toronto faced many obstacles in the national test, ranking third from the bottom, scoring a dismal sixty percent. Saskatoon was worse at fifty seven percent. There, a woman admonished her friend for not helping to pick up the scattered papers.” You could have helped,” she quipped, as they both walked by.

Our nation’s capital, Ottawa, has the biggest challenge when it comes to politeness. They barely passed, scoring fifty percent on the test. When asked why she didn’t stop to help pick up scattered papers, a well dressed, Ottawa women responded, “He might have been a politician.” This proves that you can’t tell who will help you based on appearance alone.

I’d be interested in your thoughts. Do you think the test Readers Digest used for measuring politeness is a reliable indicator of politeness or would you have used other criteria? What politeness encounters have you experienced? Let me know!

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Do you think that a lack of common courtesy is a major challenge in today’s world? Or do you think common courtesy is still alive and well? In an intriguing article, Readers Digest posed the question, “How polite are we?” They sent under cover reporters to thirty five cities around the world to test for politeness. Half of the reporters were male, half were female.

They used three tests for politeness. Twenty times they walked into a public building slightly behind a person and waited to see if they would hold the door. During the second test, they bought twenty items in a store and recorded the number of times the sales person said “thank you.” Thirdly, they dropped folders full of papers in twenty busy locations, to see if anyone would stop to help pick them up. The reporters allowed one point for each positive behavior for a best score of sixty points. The results may surprise you.

The test found New Yorkers to be the most courteous. They held the door eighteen out of twenty times and were among the top five for all three tests. Responding to why New York responded so well, former mayor Ed Kotch commented, “After nine, eleven New Yorkers understand the shortness of life.”

Where store owners claimed that good manners were just part of their tradition, Zurich placed second on the politeness scale. On the opposite end Mumbai and Moscow ranked lowest. When asked why she let the door slam into a reporter’s face, one hurried Moscow commuter said, “I’m not a door man; people should be faster on their feet.”

Torontonians can take pride in the fact that Toronto ranked third for politeness in the survey. Sixteen out of twenty cashiers said “thank you” when items were purchased. Three out of four Torontonians held doors open for the reporters and eleven out of twenty Torontonians stopped to help pick up papers dropped during rush hour. Interestingly, the nine people who failed the test were in their sixties or older challenging the stigma that youth today aren’t as polite as they should be.

Other general findings were that prosperous cities were more courteous then less prosperous ones, women were more courteous then men although both were more polite to people of the same gender. Globally, seventy four percent of us say “thank you.” Half of us hold doors for others and one third of us will stop to help others pick up dropped papers.

In a follow up to testing the world on politeness, Readers Digest decided to see how Canadians would fair in the same test. They sent their reporters out to many of our major cities. I’ll have those results next week.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Politeness Part 1

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 10:00 am · by Neil · in 1 comment

Do you think that a lack of common courtesy is a major challenge in today’s world? Or do you think common courtesy is still alive and well? In an intriguing article, Readers Digest posed the question, “How polite are we?” They sent under cover reporters to thirty five cities around the world to test for politeness. Half of the reporters were male, half were female.

They used three tests for politeness. Twenty times they walked into a public building slightly behind a person and waited to see if they would hold the door. During the second test, they bought twenty items in a store and recorded the number of times the sales person said “thank you.” Thirdly, they dropped folders full of papers in twenty busy locations, to see if anyone would stop to help pick them up. The reporters allowed one point for each positive behavior for a best score of sixty points. The results may surprise you.

The test found New Yorkers to be the most courteous. They held the door eighteen out of twenty times and were among the top five for all three tests. Responding to why New York responded so well, former mayor Ed Kotch commented, “After nine, eleven New Yorkers understand the shortness of life.”

Where store owners claimed that good manners were just part of their tradition, Zurich placed second on the politeness scale. On the opposite end Mumbai and Moscow ranked lowest. When asked why she let the door slam into a reporter’s face, one hurried Moscow commuter said, “I’m not a door man; people should be faster on their feet.”

Torontonians can take pride in the fact that Toronto ranked third for politeness in the survey. Sixteen out of twenty cashiers said “thank you” when items were purchased. Three out of four Torontonians held doors open for the reporters and eleven out of twenty Torontonians stopped to help pick up papers dropped during rush hour. Interestingly, the nine people who failed the test were in their sixties or older challenging the stigma that youth today aren’t as polite as they should be.

Other general findings were that prosperous cities were more courteous then less prosperous ones, women were more courteous then men although both were more polite to people of the same gender. Globally, seventy four percent of us say “thank you.” Half of us hold doors for others and one third of us will stop to help others pick up dropped papers.

In a follow up to testing the world on politeness, Readers Digest decided to see how Canadians would fair in the same test. They sent their reporters out to many of our major cities. I’ll have those results next week.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

The sports we are passionate about can also teach us valuable life lessons for overcoming challenges with a positive attitude. For example, I am an avid downhill skier. Believe it or not, I look forward to winter and the powdery snow that comes with it, because I can’t wait to hit the slopes.

That may seem strange, given the fact that I have cerebral palsy and an awkward walking stance. But it is true; I look forward to downhill skiing; because I love it; and because it has taught me so much, about overcoming life’s challenges.

One of the lessons I have learned from downhill skiing is that anything is possible with the proper equipment and support. When I downhill ski, I use what are called outriggers in the place of ski poles. Outriggers are crutches with half skis on the bottom. They allow me to use my arms to turn and keep my balance as I traverse down the hill.
An attachment at the front of my skies compensates for my lack of leg strength by preventing the skis from coming apart as I travel down hill.

Other skiers have nearly skied into me, marveling at how different I look from the average skier. But the point of skiing is to get from the top of the hill to the bottom in one piece and thankfully, I am able to do that. Anything is possible with the proper equipment and support.

Another important life lesson that skiing has taught me is that no matter how big the obstacle is, we can make it if we take one step at a time. For example many beginning skiers come to the top of a hill, look at how steep it is and become fearful before they even start. They take off from the top of the hill, thinking that they have to take on the whole mountain and in the process psych themselves out. The reality is that no matter how steep a hill is you only need to ski ten feet at a time. You simply aim for a spot ten feet in front of you, turn and then continue this process until you reach the bottom of the hill. The challenge, no matter how big it is, is confined to increments of ten feet at a time.

Life is handled in the same way. We live within the space of sixty second minutes, sixty minute hours and twenty four hour days. These time confines are God’s way of helping us do life a little bit at a time. Trying to live beyond these boundaries causes needless anxiety and worry.

If the challenges you face today seem insurmountable, take the opportunity to reflect on some life lessons from your favorite activities and sports. The insights you receive may surprise and encourage you.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Life Lessons from the Sports We Enjoy

Wednesday, October 07, 2009 at 12:57 pm · by Neil · in No comments

The sports we are passionate about can also teach us valuable life lessons for overcoming challenges with a positive attitude. For example, I am an avid downhill skier. Believe it or not, I look forward to winter and the powdery snow that comes with it, because I can’t wait to hit the slopes.

That may seem strange, given the fact that I have cerebral palsy and an awkward walking stance. But it is true; I look forward to downhill skiing; because I love it; and because it has taught me so much, about overcoming life’s challenges.

One of the lessons I have learned from downhill skiing is that anything is possible with the proper equipment and support. When I downhill ski, I use what are called outriggers in the place of ski poles. Outriggers are crutches with half skis on the bottom. They allow me to use my arms to turn and keep my balance as I traverse down the hill.
An attachment at the front of my skies compensates for my lack of leg strength by preventing the skis from coming apart as I travel down hill.

Other skiers have nearly skied into me, marveling at how different I look from the average skier. But the point of skiing is to get from the top of the hill to the bottom in one piece and thankfully, I am able to do that. Anything is possible with the proper equipment and support.

Another important life lesson that skiing has taught me is that no matter how big the obstacle is, we can make it if we take one step at a time. For example many beginning skiers come to the top of a hill, look at how steep it is and become fearful before they even start. They take off from the top of the hill, thinking that they have to take on the whole mountain and in the process psych themselves out. The reality is that no matter how steep a hill is you only need to ski ten feet at a time. You simply aim for a spot ten feet in front of you, turn and then continue this process until you reach the bottom of the hill. The challenge, no matter how big it is, is confined to increments of ten feet at a time.

Life is handled in the same way. We live within the space of sixty second minutes, sixty minute hours and twenty four hour days. These time confines are God’s way of helping us do life a little bit at a time. Trying to live beyond these boundaries causes needless anxiety and worry.

If the challenges you face today seem insurmountable, take the opportunity to reflect on some life lessons from your favorite activities and sports. The insights you receive may surprise and encourage you.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

How do you feel about times of transition? Whether it’s preparing for a new child, going off to college, training for a new job, retiring or looking after an aging parent, times of transition can present major obstacles which are difficult to convert into opportunities.

Not even the most famous among us are exempt from the pain of closing off one chapter in their lives and opening another. At the age of forty, in 1935, baseball legend Babe Ruth’s batting average was one hundred points below his career average of 343. His teammates could not hide their frustration with the aging icon as he could no longer catch routine pop flies, run the bases, or capitalize on his strengths as a slugger given the fact that the American league was thirty-five years away from having designated hitters.

In his second last game in the majors however, Ruth still had some magic from yester year left in him. In the last of a three game series against Pittsburgh, Ruth hammered three home runs into the stands. They were numbers 712, 713 and 714 of his legendary career. The last homer traveled five hundred feet to clear the wall at Forbes field.

Despite his accomplishments that day, Babe Ruth seemed sad. This was according to thirteen year old Sam Schillio, who had waited patiently for Ruth’s autograph after the game. A crowd had gathered around Ruth as he emerged from the locker room. Unlike the previous two days, Ruth refused to sign autographs. He seemed downcast. Schillio recalled Ruth ambling along and refusing to speak to him, despite repeated requests for an autograph.” He didn’t say one word to me,” recalls Schillio. “He looked so sad; he only played one more game and then retired. That was it.”

Ruth’s reasons for feeling downcast that day involve much speculation. However, a strong possibility is that he was in a time of transition. He could no longer play the game He loved at the level he once played it. His body could achieve moments of brilliance but he could never again achieve the heights of previous performances. The things that he could not do now overshadowed the great things that he could do on rare occasions.

The obstacles faced by Babe Ruth in the final games of his career provide us with the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson. Our self worth must be linked not to our performance which will fade with the passage of time and as our bodies break down, but to the life giving relationship with God the Father offered to each of us through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and will not last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory which will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now, rather we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. (2 Cor 16-18) NLT.

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Transition

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 9:35 am · by Neil · in 1 comment

How do you feel about times of transition? Whether it’s preparing for a new child, going off to college, training for a new job, retiring or looking after an aging parent, times of transition can present major obstacles which are difficult to convert into opportunities.

Not even the most famous among us are exempt from the pain of closing off one chapter in their lives and opening another. At the age of forty, in 1935, baseball legend Babe Ruth’s batting average was one hundred points below his career average of 343. His teammates could not hide their frustration with the aging icon as he could no longer catch routine pop flies, run the bases, or capitalize on his strengths as a slugger given the fact that the American league was thirty-five years away from having designated hitters.

In his second last game in the majors however, Ruth still had some magic from yester year left in him. In the last of a three game series against Pittsburgh, Ruth hammered three home runs into the stands. They were numbers 712, 713 and 714 of his legendary career. The last homer traveled five hundred feet to clear the wall at Forbes field.

Despite his accomplishments that day, Babe Ruth seemed sad. This was according to thirteen year old Sam Schillio, who had waited patiently for Ruth’s autograph after the game. A crowd had gathered around Ruth as he emerged from the locker room. Unlike the previous two days, Ruth refused to sign autographs. He seemed downcast. Schillio recalled Ruth ambling along and refusing to speak to him, despite repeated requests for an autograph.” He didn’t say one word to me,” recalls Schillio. “He looked so sad; he only played one more game and then retired. That was it.”

Ruth’s reasons for feeling downcast that day involve much speculation. However, a strong possibility is that he was in a time of transition. He could no longer play the game He loved at the level he once played it. His body could achieve moments of brilliance but he could never again achieve the heights of previous performances. The things that he could not do now overshadowed the great things that he could do on rare occasions.

The obstacles faced by Babe Ruth in the final games of his career provide us with the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson. Our self worth must be linked not to our performance which will fade with the passage of time and as our bodies break down, but to the life giving relationship with God the Father offered to each of us through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and will not last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory which will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now, rather we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. (2 Cor 16-18) NLT.

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Occasionally, we all have loved ones, co workers or friends come to us with pressing problems. During those times we may wonder; “Do I just listen?” “Do I offer advice? “Or, refer them to someone else?”

The challenge facing us as Christians is that we are scripturally challenged to: “bear one another’s burdens.” (Gal 6:1) But, how do we do that without becoming overwhelmed ourselves? A few years back, I attended a conference offering teaching on burden bearing which I found helpful.

First, I learned, that bearing burdens is one of the highest callings we have as Christians. This made sense in light of the fact that when the burdens of others are revealed to us; it gives us the opportunity to present the needs of that person back to Jesus in prayer. Our first response to the burdens of others therefore, before we do anything else is to present that person to Jesus in prayer. Secondly, since the purpose of learning the burdens of others is to present that person back to God, it means that we are only meant to carry the burden long enough to know, who the burden belongs to and what the burden is. From there we give it back to God and wait for further direction.

Thirdly, I learned this important warning about holding on to the burdens of others. If we hold on to the burdens of others for too long, two problems can result. The first is we fail to distinguish between other people’s burdens and our own. We end up carrying worry, depression, anger, anxiety and a host of other destructive emotions that belong to someone else and we aren’t even aware of it. Secondly, we end up backlogged with a series of burdens which burn us out and render us ineffective. In such cases we need to ask the Lord to reveal the burdens, tell us who they belong to and then give them back to the Lord in a similar way that a computer does a download from an internet site. We then leave the results to God.

If you know you are a burden bearer, who continually takes on the burdens of others, perhaps unawares, here is a useful sample prayer I learned at the conference: “Lord, I am sensing anxiety right now; whose anxiety is this? Once the name is revealed, you can then pray, “Lord I thank you that you have revealed that person’s anxiety to me. I give that anxiety back to you now and ask you to give this person, your peace.”

The challenge facing many of us today is we don’t know how to handle the burdens of others. Let’s recognize that our first responsibility is to give those burdens back to the Lord. In so doing we partner with Him in bringing healing to our friends, neighbors, family members, communities and the world.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Burden Bearing

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 9:20 am · by Neil · in No comments

Occasionally, we all have loved ones, co workers or friends come to us with pressing problems. During those times we may wonder; “Do I just listen?” “Do I offer advice? “Or, refer them to someone else?”

The challenge facing us as Christians is that we are scripturally challenged to: “bear one another’s burdens.” (Gal 6:1) But, how do we do that without becoming overwhelmed ourselves? A few years back, I attended a conference offering teaching on burden bearing which I found helpful.

First, I learned, that bearing burdens is one of the highest callings we have as Christians. This made sense in light of the fact that when the burdens of others are revealed to us; it gives us the opportunity to present the needs of that person back to Jesus in prayer. Our first response to the burdens of others therefore, before we do anything else is to present that person to Jesus in prayer. Secondly, since the purpose of learning the burdens of others is to present that person back to God, it means that we are only meant to carry the burden long enough to know, who the burden belongs to and what the burden is. From there we give it back to God and wait for further direction.

Thirdly, I learned this important warning about holding on to the burdens of others. If we hold on to the burdens of others for too long, two problems can result. The first is we fail to distinguish between other people’s burdens and our own. We end up carrying worry, depression, anger, anxiety and a host of other destructive emotions that belong to someone else and we aren’t even aware of it. Secondly, we end up backlogged with a series of burdens which burn us out and render us ineffective. In such cases we need to ask the Lord to reveal the burdens, tell us who they belong to and then give them back to the Lord in a similar way that a computer does a download from an internet site. We then leave the results to God.

If you know you are a burden bearer, who continually takes on the burdens of others, perhaps unawares, here is a useful sample prayer I learned at the conference: “Lord, I am sensing anxiety right now; whose anxiety is this? Once the name is revealed, you can then pray, “Lord I thank you that you have revealed that person’s anxiety to me. I give that anxiety back to you now and ask you to give this person, your peace.”

The challenge facing many of us today is we don’t know how to handle the burdens of others. Let’s recognize that our first responsibility is to give those burdens back to the Lord. In so doing we partner with Him in bringing healing to our friends, neighbors, family members, communities and the world.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

One of the biggest obstacles facing parents today is finding creative ways to affirm their children. In the face of tough economic times, job loss, broken homes and our ever increasing hurried lifestyles, affirming our children in their identities, talents and unique personalities can become a lost priority. Are there ways in which parents can take the opportunity to affirm their children given the pressures of today’s world? I believe there is.

Recently, I attended two wedding anniversaries. One couple was celebrating their twenty fifth; the other was celebrating their fiftieth. In both cases, the children of these couples went to extraordinary efforts to ensure that the celebration was special and their parents would be honored.

All details were thoroughly adhered to. Everything from confirming the guest lists, to ordering food to decorating the hall in festive colours, to selecting the perfect music to coincide with power point presentations which told the story of their parents lives. In every way it was clear, the children wanted to demonstrate how much they love their parents.

The feeling was mutual. As the parents mingled with guests, cut their anniversary cake and danced together, the looks on their faces and their conversations with family and friends conveyed the fact that they were extremely grateful for and proud of their children. This was confirmed during the after dinner speeches when the parents thanked their children.

In both cases the couples said, “You kids are a blessing to us. If we could go back in time and custom make the kids we always wanted, we wouldn’t change a thing. You are exactly what we wanted and all we could ever want. We love you.”

As you can imagine, after words like that, there wasn’t a dry eye to be found on the faces of the parents, children or the guests who were present for such joyous occasions. I began to wonder, what if every parent took the opportunity to look their children right in the eye and say something like, “you kids are a blessing to us. If we could go back in time and custom make the kids we always wanted, we wouldn’t change a thing.”
I wonder how many wounds would be healed, relationships restored and sins forgiven all within the span of a few seconds with the expression of those life giving words? Could even millions of dollars be saved in counseling fees and medications?

If the challenge you face today, is wondering how to affirm your children, why not take the opportunity to tell them that they are what you always wanted and you wouldn’t change a thing. The words you say now may bring generational blessing for years to come.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Affirmation

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 10:26 am · by Neil · in 1 comment

One of the biggest obstacles facing parents today is finding creative ways to affirm their children. In the face of tough economic times, job loss, broken homes and our ever increasing hurried lifestyles, affirming our children in their identities, talents and unique personalities can become a lost priority. Are there ways in which parents can take the opportunity to affirm their children given the pressures of today’s world? I believe there is.

Recently, I attended two wedding anniversaries. One couple was celebrating their twenty fifth; the other was celebrating their fiftieth. In both cases, the children of these couples went to extraordinary efforts to ensure that the celebration was special and their parents would be honored.

All details were thoroughly adhered to. Everything from confirming the guest lists, to ordering food to decorating the hall in festive colours, to selecting the perfect music to coincide with power point presentations which told the story of their parents lives. In every way it was clear, the children wanted to demonstrate how much they love their parents.

The feeling was mutual. As the parents mingled with guests, cut their anniversary cake and danced together, the looks on their faces and their conversations with family and friends conveyed the fact that they were extremely grateful for and proud of their children. This was confirmed during the after dinner speeches when the parents thanked their children.

In both cases the couples said, “You kids are a blessing to us. If we could go back in time and custom make the kids we always wanted, we wouldn’t change a thing. You are exactly what we wanted and all we could ever want. We love you.”

As you can imagine, after words like that, there wasn’t a dry eye to be found on the faces of the parents, children or the guests who were present for such joyous occasions. I began to wonder, what if every parent took the opportunity to look their children right in the eye and say something like, “you kids are a blessing to us. If we could go back in time and custom make the kids we always wanted, we wouldn’t change a thing.”
I wonder how many wounds would be healed, relationships restored and sins forgiven all within the span of a few seconds with the expression of those life giving words? Could even millions of dollars be saved in counseling fees and medications?

If the challenge you face today, is wondering how to affirm your children, why not take the opportunity to tell them that they are what you always wanted and you wouldn’t change a thing. The words you say now may bring generational blessing for years to come.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Recently I had the privilege of giving a talk entitled, “You and your gifting: Three Essential Questions.” One question I explored was, “What are God’s expectations of us regarding the use of our gifting and talents?” This question for me is kind of self serving because one thing I have learned about myself over the years, is I perform best when the expectations of me are clear. When the expectations are vague, I don’t do as well. Maybe you can relate.

While doing research for the talk I learned that Scripture has a lot to say about gifting and God’s expectations of us. So much so that it was impossible to cover all the material in one talk. However I went to several verses about gifting and extracted out everything that looked to me like something that God would expect of us regarding our gifts and talents. I then made a list and wrote it in the form of a letter from God to us, the body of Christ.

The expectations are a composite of many verses that use different analogies to describe our gifting. Sometimes in scripture, the human body is used to explain the role and function of our gifts and talents such as what we read in 1 Cor 12:12-31. At other times gifts are described as a kind of currency that we are commanded to invest in obedience to God and in service to one another, such as what we read in Mark 25:15-31. Beside each expectation, I have put the corresponding scripture verse that you can look up at your leisure if you wish.

The letter reads like this:

Dear Christ Follower, here are my expectations of you regarding your gifting:


1) Believe that I have given you at least one gift if not more to be used mightily in the Kingdom of God. Christ followers who don’t believe they have gifts, or ignore them are in danger of being assessed as lazy, fearful and self absorbed upon my return. You however, have been called to a higher standard. If you prefer, don’t think of yourself as being gifted, just think of yourself as a, “manager” or “steward” of the resources I’ve given you. All you have is mine anyway and it is to be used for the common good. (Mat 25:15) & (1 Cor 12)

2) I expect you to discover, develop and employ the gifts I give you. Developing your gifting is as much a command in scripture as trusting in me for your salvation and the Great Commission. As a matter of fact you can’t do the great commission without developing your gifts. (1 Peter 4:10) (1 Cor 12: 4-11)

3) I expect you to use your gifting within a particular context, my body, the church. This means you can’t live for yourself anymore. You are part of a much larger diversely gifted whole. (1 Cor 12:12-13)

The good news is you are more significant when the Holy Spirit arranges you in the body and we function together. No one is left out. Not even you. The bad news is, the significance of your contribution is based on what you’re a part of, Lone Ranger Christianity? There’s no such thing. You’re important but no more or less important than anyone else. Parts separated from the body become monsters. (1 Cor 12:19-24) (Rom 12:6)

4) I expect you to treat fellow Christ followers with respect. There are three things you should know about this. A) People with more gifts aren’t better than others, they just have more responsibility. Don’t envy them. 4B) Some people have gifts that are seen by everyone and thus highly valued by man. Some people have gifts that are seen by no one and are less valued in the eyes of men. But I value them all equally, from the custodian to the preacher to the prayer warrior and beyond. (1 Cor 12:19-24) Why? Because no matter how many gifts a person has or how few. No matter how flashy those gifts appear or how common, they all come from one source, the Holy Spirit. No one can take credit for that. (1 Cor 12:4-11) (Mat 25:15)

4C) Don’t ever think that there are members of the body you don’t need. While you may be able to function being toothless, hairless, eyeless and earless, even limbless, it isn’t without making compensations and being at a major disadvantage. And no one wants to speculate on what it would mean to be without a heart, lungs or brain. You need one another. (1 Cor 12: 19-24) (Rom 12:6)

5) I expect you to multiply the gifting I have entrusted to you. I want a return on my investment in you. Those with the least, to those with the most amount of gifting will be entrusted with more kingdom work to do. They will be given great honour and reward when I come to settle accounts. The only way to fail is to fail to try. (Mat 25:15-29)

6) While I expect you to use the gifts you have, I don’t expect you to use gifts, you don’t have. That stands true regardless of how many date squares are needed for the bake sale, whether the church roof needs shingles, or whether every car in the parking lot needs repair. If it ain’t your gift- don’t do it. (1 Cor 12:14-18)

7) I expect you to show up, be on time and do your best, when you are called upon to use your gifting. Quite simply, the whole body is mutually dependant on each other. When you are there and actively participating everybody receives honour. When you are not there and are not participating, everybody looses- including you. Every expression of gifting shows who I am. When gifting is not expressed, people miss out on who I am. (1 Cor 12: 14-24)

8) If you see another brother or sister not using the gifts I’ve entrusted them with, I expect you to bug them about it, but do it in love. If you don’t want to bug them, call it, “encouragement,” or “spurring each other on to good works.” (Heb: 10:24-25)

9) I expect you to remember that as a valuable part of my resurrected body, I am working through you and your gifts to bring healing, offer hope, break chains, teach truth, minister compassion, demonstrate the power of gospel, worship and show grace and forgiveness. In short, the motivation behind all your gifts is my love. I have no plan B. Our goal is the reconciliation of the human race to my heart. (1 Cor 12: 4-11)

Will you join me?

We may see those expectations and think, “Wow, God really expects a lot of me.” And I think he does, I think God does expect a lot of us around gift and talent development. The gifts and talents God has placed in us, must be realized, developed and expressed in order to advance the purposes of the Kingdom of God within our sphere of influence. That’s where hard work is often required because knowing yourself and gift development doesn’t always come easy. It is however, well worth the effort in light of the fact that the work we do in partnership with the Lord and with each other has eternal value.

Terry

Gifts and Expectations:

Wednesday, September 09, 2009 at 12:57 pm · by Neil · in , , No comments

Recently I had the privilege of giving a talk entitled, “You and your gifting: Three Essential Questions.” One question I explored was, “What are God’s expectations of us regarding the use of our gifting and talents?” This question for me is kind of self serving because one thing I have learned about myself over the years, is I perform best when the expectations of me are clear. When the expectations are vague, I don’t do as well. Maybe you can relate.

While doing research for the talk I learned that Scripture has a lot to say about gifting and God’s expectations of us. So much so that it was impossible to cover all the material in one talk. However I went to several verses about gifting and extracted out everything that looked to me like something that God would expect of us regarding our gifts and talents. I then made a list and wrote it in the form of a letter from God to us, the body of Christ.

The expectations are a composite of many verses that use different analogies to describe our gifting. Sometimes in scripture, the human body is used to explain the role and function of our gifts and talents such as what we read in 1 Cor 12:12-31. At other times gifts are described as a kind of currency that we are commanded to invest in obedience to God and in service to one another, such as what we read in Mark 25:15-31. Beside each expectation, I have put the corresponding scripture verse that you can look up at your leisure if you wish.

The letter reads like this:

Dear Christ Follower, here are my expectations of you regarding your gifting:


1) Believe that I have given you at least one gift if not more to be used mightily in the Kingdom of God. Christ followers who don’t believe they have gifts, or ignore them are in danger of being assessed as lazy, fearful and self absorbed upon my return. You however, have been called to a higher standard. If you prefer, don’t think of yourself as being gifted, just think of yourself as a, “manager” or “steward” of the resources I’ve given you. All you have is mine anyway and it is to be used for the common good. (Mat 25:15) & (1 Cor 12)

2) I expect you to discover, develop and employ the gifts I give you. Developing your gifting is as much a command in scripture as trusting in me for your salvation and the Great Commission. As a matter of fact you can’t do the great commission without developing your gifts. (1 Peter 4:10) (1 Cor 12: 4-11)

3) I expect you to use your gifting within a particular context, my body, the church. This means you can’t live for yourself anymore. You are part of a much larger diversely gifted whole. (1 Cor 12:12-13)

The good news is you are more significant when the Holy Spirit arranges you in the body and we function together. No one is left out. Not even you. The bad news is, the significance of your contribution is based on what you’re a part of, Lone Ranger Christianity? There’s no such thing. You’re important but no more or less important than anyone else. Parts separated from the body become monsters. (1 Cor 12:19-24) (Rom 12:6)

4) I expect you to treat fellow Christ followers with respect. There are three things you should know about this. A) People with more gifts aren’t better than others, they just have more responsibility. Don’t envy them. 4B) Some people have gifts that are seen by everyone and thus highly valued by man. Some people have gifts that are seen by no one and are less valued in the eyes of men. But I value them all equally, from the custodian to the preacher to the prayer warrior and beyond. (1 Cor 12:19-24) Why? Because no matter how many gifts a person has or how few. No matter how flashy those gifts appear or how common, they all come from one source, the Holy Spirit. No one can take credit for that. (1 Cor 12:4-11) (Mat 25:15)

4C) Don’t ever think that there are members of the body you don’t need. While you may be able to function being toothless, hairless, eyeless and earless, even limbless, it isn’t without making compensations and being at a major disadvantage. And no one wants to speculate on what it would mean to be without a heart, lungs or brain. You need one another. (1 Cor 12: 19-24) (Rom 12:6)

5) I expect you to multiply the gifting I have entrusted to you. I want a return on my investment in you. Those with the least, to those with the most amount of gifting will be entrusted with more kingdom work to do. They will be given great honour and reward when I come to settle accounts. The only way to fail is to fail to try. (Mat 25:15-29)

6) While I expect you to use the gifts you have, I don’t expect you to use gifts, you don’t have. That stands true regardless of how many date squares are needed for the bake sale, whether the church roof needs shingles, or whether every car in the parking lot needs repair. If it ain’t your gift- don’t do it. (1 Cor 12:14-18)

7) I expect you to show up, be on time and do your best, when you are called upon to use your gifting. Quite simply, the whole body is mutually dependant on each other. When you are there and actively participating everybody receives honour. When you are not there and are not participating, everybody looses- including you. Every expression of gifting shows who I am. When gifting is not expressed, people miss out on who I am. (1 Cor 12: 14-24)

8) If you see another brother or sister not using the gifts I’ve entrusted them with, I expect you to bug them about it, but do it in love. If you don’t want to bug them, call it, “encouragement,” or “spurring each other on to good works.” (Heb: 10:24-25)

9) I expect you to remember that as a valuable part of my resurrected body, I am working through you and your gifts to bring healing, offer hope, break chains, teach truth, minister compassion, demonstrate the power of gospel, worship and show grace and forgiveness. In short, the motivation behind all your gifts is my love. I have no plan B. Our goal is the reconciliation of the human race to my heart. (1 Cor 12: 4-11)

Will you join me?

We may see those expectations and think, “Wow, God really expects a lot of me.” And I think he does, I think God does expect a lot of us around gift and talent development. The gifts and talents God has placed in us, must be realized, developed and expressed in order to advance the purposes of the Kingdom of God within our sphere of influence. That’s where hard work is often required because knowing yourself and gift development doesn’t always come easy. It is however, well worth the effort in light of the fact that the work we do in partnership with the Lord and with each other has eternal value.

Terry

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

One of the biggest challenges facing society today with the break down of the traditional family is the merging of blended families. Being from a blended family myself, I know that the process of creating a family with people of diverse backgrounds and life circumstances brings great joy and great pain simultaneously as we struggled to create individual and family identity. Here are some ideas which may be helpful when blending families.

First, accept the level of relationship offered by everyone in the family. Though it may be your hearts desire to fulfill a “Mom” or “Dad” role in the life of your step child, you do not need that title to have a close relationship. Let the relationship take its natural course. Keep in mind that for the child to call you anything other than your first name might be viewed by them as a betrayal of their biological parent, no matter how poor that parenting was.

In my case, I did refer to my adopted Father as “Dad” but I made my own decision without pressure. Oppositely, I know of other blended families where children continued to call their adopted parents by their first names and they maintained equally close relationships. Make the quality of the relationship your focus.

A second idea to keep in mind when blending families is to honour the history of each person who joins the family. My blended family was formed in both joyful and painful circumstances. Some people saw the merging of our lives as a symbol of a fresh start.
Others saw the merging of our lives as a symbol of the potential for more pain and rejection as the wrestled with feelings of anger, resentment and abandonment. In some cases, they had just left violent, abusive homes and didn’t believe that life could be better. When blending a family each individual must be honoured for where they are at. This requires a lot of understanding. There is no question it is hard and messy work sometimes.

Thirdly, blended families must learn to balance time between separateness and togetherness. There are times when biologically related parents and children need to spend exclusive time together, times when step children and step parents spend exclusive time together and times when the family gathers as a whole. There are no set rules as to when or how this occurs. Each family must establish, implement and accept its own patterns of relating and family rituals.

If you face challenges associated with the merging of a blended family, realize that there is great potential for close relationships if you are patient, persistent and aware of how each member of the family is interpreting your coming together. As difficult as it may be, follow the example of Jesus in loving each member of the family, right where they are at. Trust that he will use their pain and other life experiences to draw them to his heart and ask him to use them mightily in drawing others to the Lord.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Blended Families

Tuesday, September 01, 2009 at 9:49 am · by Neil · in No comments

One of the biggest challenges facing society today with the break down of the traditional family is the merging of blended families. Being from a blended family myself, I know that the process of creating a family with people of diverse backgrounds and life circumstances brings great joy and great pain simultaneously as we struggled to create individual and family identity. Here are some ideas which may be helpful when blending families.

First, accept the level of relationship offered by everyone in the family. Though it may be your hearts desire to fulfill a “Mom” or “Dad” role in the life of your step child, you do not need that title to have a close relationship. Let the relationship take its natural course. Keep in mind that for the child to call you anything other than your first name might be viewed by them as a betrayal of their biological parent, no matter how poor that parenting was.

In my case, I did refer to my adopted Father as “Dad” but I made my own decision without pressure. Oppositely, I know of other blended families where children continued to call their adopted parents by their first names and they maintained equally close relationships. Make the quality of the relationship your focus.

A second idea to keep in mind when blending families is to honour the history of each person who joins the family. My blended family was formed in both joyful and painful circumstances. Some people saw the merging of our lives as a symbol of a fresh start.
Others saw the merging of our lives as a symbol of the potential for more pain and rejection as the wrestled with feelings of anger, resentment and abandonment. In some cases, they had just left violent, abusive homes and didn’t believe that life could be better. When blending a family each individual must be honoured for where they are at. This requires a lot of understanding. There is no question it is hard and messy work sometimes.

Thirdly, blended families must learn to balance time between separateness and togetherness. There are times when biologically related parents and children need to spend exclusive time together, times when step children and step parents spend exclusive time together and times when the family gathers as a whole. There are no set rules as to when or how this occurs. Each family must establish, implement and accept its own patterns of relating and family rituals.

If you face challenges associated with the merging of a blended family, realize that there is great potential for close relationships if you are patient, persistent and aware of how each member of the family is interpreting your coming together. As difficult as it may be, follow the example of Jesus in loving each member of the family, right where they are at. Trust that he will use their pain and other life experiences to draw them to his heart and ask him to use them mightily in drawing others to the Lord.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Last week, I talked about some of the major obstacles faced by our spiritual leaders, like pastors and reverends. The study I cited indicated that eighty percent of our spiritual leaders feel guilty about taking time off, even after working a fifty hour work week and fifteen percent of them can not identify a close friend in the church. Have you ever asked yourself “what can I do to be an ongoing source of encouragement to my spiritual leader?” I talked last week about the importance of letting our leaders know specifically how they are helping us grow spiritually.

Here are some more ideas. Find out what forms of encouragement your leader prefers. Like all of us, your leader will have different perceptions on what demonstrates love and care. For example, some people thrive on words of encouragement. In that case a thoughtful card or email may be appropriate. Other people may prefer an all expenses paid conference, an invitation to go fishing or golfing, a gift certificate from the local Christian book store or a gift card to take their spouse out for dinner. Find out what your leader considers revitalizing and do it.

Secondly, remember when socializing with your leader to keep social situations social. Try to stay away from church business or deeply theological topics. Ask them about their family, their favorite teams or about unique ways that God has blessed them.
Be prepared to share in the same way from your own life. Such topics are relationship builders and encourage mutual sharing.

Thirdly, watch your timing. Immediately after the sermon or worship service is not the time to bring burning issues or concerns to your leader’s attention. Remember, communication whether it is leading worship, preaching a sermon or doing a public presentation uses a lot of energy and leaves your leader tired. So, save the pressing issues and growth feedback for time deliberately set aside for those purposes. If no forms of feedback formally exist, you may want to book an appointment.

Finally, pray for your leader and their family. But don’t just pray for the areas of their life that need improvement. Pray for their welfare, health, relationships and finances. Remember that the leader’s family, especially the children may feel like they are living a fish bowl existence. Pray that those closest to them and those that they lead will extend an abundance of grace, mercy and compassion to them through all of their struggles and growth areas. Also be open to ways God may direct you to do specific things to help your leader’s family out, like child sitting, cooking a meal or helping with packing during a move.

Your leader faces daily challenges that are common to all of us. Let them know through your attitude, words, and behavior that you are on their side ready to encourage them.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Encouraging our Spiritual Leaders Part 2

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 1:07 pm · by Neil · in No comments

Last week, I talked about some of the major obstacles faced by our spiritual leaders, like pastors and reverends. The study I cited indicated that eighty percent of our spiritual leaders feel guilty about taking time off, even after working a fifty hour work week and fifteen percent of them can not identify a close friend in the church. Have you ever asked yourself “what can I do to be an ongoing source of encouragement to my spiritual leader?” I talked last week about the importance of letting our leaders know specifically how they are helping us grow spiritually.

Here are some more ideas. Find out what forms of encouragement your leader prefers. Like all of us, your leader will have different perceptions on what demonstrates love and care. For example, some people thrive on words of encouragement. In that case a thoughtful card or email may be appropriate. Other people may prefer an all expenses paid conference, an invitation to go fishing or golfing, a gift certificate from the local Christian book store or a gift card to take their spouse out for dinner. Find out what your leader considers revitalizing and do it.

Secondly, remember when socializing with your leader to keep social situations social. Try to stay away from church business or deeply theological topics. Ask them about their family, their favorite teams or about unique ways that God has blessed them.
Be prepared to share in the same way from your own life. Such topics are relationship builders and encourage mutual sharing.

Thirdly, watch your timing. Immediately after the sermon or worship service is not the time to bring burning issues or concerns to your leader’s attention. Remember, communication whether it is leading worship, preaching a sermon or doing a public presentation uses a lot of energy and leaves your leader tired. So, save the pressing issues and growth feedback for time deliberately set aside for those purposes. If no forms of feedback formally exist, you may want to book an appointment.

Finally, pray for your leader and their family. But don’t just pray for the areas of their life that need improvement. Pray for their welfare, health, relationships and finances. Remember that the leader’s family, especially the children may feel like they are living a fish bowl existence. Pray that those closest to them and those that they lead will extend an abundance of grace, mercy and compassion to them through all of their struggles and growth areas. Also be open to ways God may direct you to do specific things to help your leader’s family out, like child sitting, cooking a meal or helping with packing during a move.

Your leader faces daily challenges that are common to all of us. Let them know through your attitude, words, and behavior that you are on their side ready to encourage them.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

This the first of two segments on ways that we can encourage a vital but often under valued support person in our lives, our spiritual leaders, such as Pastors and Reverends. They unfortunately are the most vulnerable but often forgotten victims of loneliness and burn out. Major obstacles faced by many of our spiritual leaders today include the fact that they are “spiritually exhausted, stressed out, have few friends and have little support.”

Those conclusions are based on a study done across six denominations called “Clergy Well being: Seeking Wholeness with Integrity,” by Rev Andrew Irvine of the Presbyterian Theology Institution of the University of Toronto. The results of the survey showed that seventy seven percent of spiritual leaders felt more like chief executive officers than ministers, eighteen percent could not identify a close friend in church and eighty percent felt guilty if they took any time off, despite working an average of fifty hours per week or more.

After viewing those statistics, I wondered “what is it that we can do to encourage those who have made it their life’s work to encourage us? Research on this topic, revealed no shortage of suggestions on how to encourage our spiritual leaders. One of the most practical and direct ways that we can do that is to simply tell them that they make a difference in our lives and in our Christian walk. But it is most encouraging to them, when we are specific.

For example, telling our spiritual leaders that their sermons are “excellent” is appreciated. However, what they really need to know is that they are helping us grow in the Lord. Therefore when complimenting our leaders, we should also indicate how what they said or did is making us think or act differently, for the better.

For instance, your leader may preach a sermon on the importance of getting into the habit of daily intercession for our loved ones. You might respond in person or by email and say. “Pastor / Rev, as a result of your challenge, I am now not only reading devotions on a daily basis but I am praying for my family more regularly as well.” That compliment not only communicates appreciation but also specifically indicates where your spiritual leader is making a positive difference in your walk with the Lord.

So, if you are wondering where to start in order to encourage your spiritual leader, why not take the opportunity to tell them as specifically as you can where they have made a difference in your life?

I’d love to know what you have done in order to encourage your pastor or Reverent! Send me an email if you like!!

Next week I’ll have some more tips on how we can encourage our spiritual leaders.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Encouraging our Pastors

Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 1:55 pm · by Neil · in No comments

This the first of two segments on ways that we can encourage a vital but often under valued support person in our lives, our spiritual leaders, such as Pastors and Reverends. They unfortunately are the most vulnerable but often forgotten victims of loneliness and burn out. Major obstacles faced by many of our spiritual leaders today include the fact that they are “spiritually exhausted, stressed out, have few friends and have little support.”

Those conclusions are based on a study done across six denominations called “Clergy Well being: Seeking Wholeness with Integrity,” by Rev Andrew Irvine of the Presbyterian Theology Institution of the University of Toronto. The results of the survey showed that seventy seven percent of spiritual leaders felt more like chief executive officers than ministers, eighteen percent could not identify a close friend in church and eighty percent felt guilty if they took any time off, despite working an average of fifty hours per week or more.

After viewing those statistics, I wondered “what is it that we can do to encourage those who have made it their life’s work to encourage us? Research on this topic, revealed no shortage of suggestions on how to encourage our spiritual leaders. One of the most practical and direct ways that we can do that is to simply tell them that they make a difference in our lives and in our Christian walk. But it is most encouraging to them, when we are specific.

For example, telling our spiritual leaders that their sermons are “excellent” is appreciated. However, what they really need to know is that they are helping us grow in the Lord. Therefore when complimenting our leaders, we should also indicate how what they said or did is making us think or act differently, for the better.

For instance, your leader may preach a sermon on the importance of getting into the habit of daily intercession for our loved ones. You might respond in person or by email and say. “Pastor / Rev, as a result of your challenge, I am now not only reading devotions on a daily basis but I am praying for my family more regularly as well.” That compliment not only communicates appreciation but also specifically indicates where your spiritual leader is making a positive difference in your walk with the Lord.

So, if you are wondering where to start in order to encourage your spiritual leader, why not take the opportunity to tell them as specifically as you can where they have made a difference in your life?

I’d love to know what you have done in order to encourage your pastor or Reverent! Send me an email if you like!!

Next week I’ll have some more tips on how we can encourage our spiritual leaders.

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

You might have heard the old saying, “God gave us two ears and one mouth and we need to use them both in proportion.” But often, our biggest obstacles come in how to do that.
Questions arise like, what are good listening habits? And how do we develop them?

Here are a couple of interpersonal communication habits that I really appreciate. You can check them against your own experience.

First, I appreciate having the undivided attention of the person I am speaking to. This may sound obvious, but have you ever been in a conversation with someone when they were constantly interrupting you, finishing your sentences, checking the time while you were speaking, playing with an electronic device or doing a chore? Perhaps you have caught yourself doing the same thing. But what a precious gift it is when someone decides that there is nothing more important to him or her than giving us their undivided attention in the here and now. This is often indicated by attentive eye contact, nodding the head at appropriate times, encouraging gestures and genuine curiosity, which invites us to elaborate on what we are saying.

A second interpersonal communication courtesy that I appreciate is when people are not too hasty to search for something in their own experience, which directly compares to mine. This discourtesy is often recognized by clichés such as, “I know how you feel,” or, “you think that’s bad, listen to this”! I much prefer it when people make every effort that they can to draw out my unique experience. Questions such as: “What was that like for you?” “How did you feel about that?” or, “how would you describe your reactions?” truly honor people.

Our over use of modern communication technology and our hurried life styles create substantial obstacles to quality communication. If we want to reclaim this important skill, we may need to ask ourselves some questions: First, what do I need to decide to do now or later so that I can give someone my undivided attention? Second, am I aware of my own poor communication habits, such as interrupting people, finishing the sentences of others, or being to quick to compare my experience to those of others? Lastly, am I willing to learn new habits in order to demonstrate to others that I want to hear them from the heart?

Willingness to change our communication habits helps to transform our relationships in two important ways. First, we offer tangible demonstrations of honor and respect to the people we are encountering everyday. Second, we begin to cultivate deeper and more nurturing relationships.

How would you assess your interpersonal communication habits? Is there anything you need to change?

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Communication Habits

Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 2:20 pm · by Neil · in No comments

You might have heard the old saying, “God gave us two ears and one mouth and we need to use them both in proportion.” But often, our biggest obstacles come in how to do that.
Questions arise like, what are good listening habits? And how do we develop them?

Here are a couple of interpersonal communication habits that I really appreciate. You can check them against your own experience.

First, I appreciate having the undivided attention of the person I am speaking to. This may sound obvious, but have you ever been in a conversation with someone when they were constantly interrupting you, finishing your sentences, checking the time while you were speaking, playing with an electronic device or doing a chore? Perhaps you have caught yourself doing the same thing. But what a precious gift it is when someone decides that there is nothing more important to him or her than giving us their undivided attention in the here and now. This is often indicated by attentive eye contact, nodding the head at appropriate times, encouraging gestures and genuine curiosity, which invites us to elaborate on what we are saying.

A second interpersonal communication courtesy that I appreciate is when people are not too hasty to search for something in their own experience, which directly compares to mine. This discourtesy is often recognized by clichés such as, “I know how you feel,” or, “you think that’s bad, listen to this”! I much prefer it when people make every effort that they can to draw out my unique experience. Questions such as: “What was that like for you?” “How did you feel about that?” or, “how would you describe your reactions?” truly honor people.

Our over use of modern communication technology and our hurried life styles create substantial obstacles to quality communication. If we want to reclaim this important skill, we may need to ask ourselves some questions: First, what do I need to decide to do now or later so that I can give someone my undivided attention? Second, am I aware of my own poor communication habits, such as interrupting people, finishing the sentences of others, or being to quick to compare my experience to those of others? Lastly, am I willing to learn new habits in order to demonstrate to others that I want to hear them from the heart?

Willingness to change our communication habits helps to transform our relationships in two important ways. First, we offer tangible demonstrations of honor and respect to the people we are encountering everyday. Second, we begin to cultivate deeper and more nurturing relationships.

How would you assess your interpersonal communication habits? Is there anything you need to change?

- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

What comes to mind when you think of obstacles associated with addiction? Many of us think of gambling, drinking, smoking, and drugs, but, what about an addiction to approval? Could seeking the approval of others be addictive?

I was challenged with that question by a book I read recently called, “Approval Addiction: Overcoming the need to please everyone.” Its author well known speaker and teacher Joyce Meyer challenged readers to expand our definition of addiction.

She writes, “An addiction is something we can not live without or something we feel compelled to do in order to relieve pressure, pain or discomfort of any kind.” Meyer is persuasive in suggesting that approval falls into the category of addiction and even the most committed Christians fall victim to people pleasing.

How do we know if we are approval addicts? Meyer says that “when we base our self worth on what we believe others think of us, it produces misery . . . because all it takes is one glance of disapproval to ruin our self worth and we are in bondage.” So how do we handle approval addiction? Meyer offers three challenging pieces of advice that may create some turbulence in our relationships initially, but are worth it in the long run.

First, “stop pretending to be something that your not.” Despite the fact that we can go through life wearing an assortment of elaborate masks, she makes the point that, “God will never help us to be anything other than ourselves.” He will never exempt us from finding our true identity in him.

Secondly, “don’t take on a false sense of responsibility.” If you grew up in a home where you were a rescuer, you need to make sure that today; you are not doing things for others that they should be doing for themselves. Such behavior is not caring. It is controlling and a sure sign that we are seeking the approval of others.

Lastly, we need to be able to confront people without fearing the loss of the relationship. This may require much prayer, a genuine step of faith and the courage to tell someone that though we have made a habit of giving in continually in the past, we now have to change because we have not been honest with our beliefs and opinions for fear of the consequences. Meyer says that though these changes may make people unhappy with us initially, we eventually gain their respect for choosing to become the person God has called us to be.

If the challenge you face is addiction to approval, take the opportunity today to reclaim your life and your God given identity. Your familial, professional and personal relationships are worth the effort.


- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Approval Addiction

Wednesday, August 05, 2009 at 8:48 pm · by Neil · in 1 comment

What comes to mind when you think of obstacles associated with addiction? Many of us think of gambling, drinking, smoking, and drugs, but, what about an addiction to approval? Could seeking the approval of others be addictive?

I was challenged with that question by a book I read recently called, “Approval Addiction: Overcoming the need to please everyone.” Its author well known speaker and teacher Joyce Meyer challenged readers to expand our definition of addiction.

She writes, “An addiction is something we can not live without or something we feel compelled to do in order to relieve pressure, pain or discomfort of any kind.” Meyer is persuasive in suggesting that approval falls into the category of addiction and even the most committed Christians fall victim to people pleasing.

How do we know if we are approval addicts? Meyer says that “when we base our self worth on what we believe others think of us, it produces misery . . . because all it takes is one glance of disapproval to ruin our self worth and we are in bondage.” So how do we handle approval addiction? Meyer offers three challenging pieces of advice that may create some turbulence in our relationships initially, but are worth it in the long run.

First, “stop pretending to be something that your not.” Despite the fact that we can go through life wearing an assortment of elaborate masks, she makes the point that, “God will never help us to be anything other than ourselves.” He will never exempt us from finding our true identity in him.

Secondly, “don’t take on a false sense of responsibility.” If you grew up in a home where you were a rescuer, you need to make sure that today; you are not doing things for others that they should be doing for themselves. Such behavior is not caring. It is controlling and a sure sign that we are seeking the approval of others.

Lastly, we need to be able to confront people without fearing the loss of the relationship. This may require much prayer, a genuine step of faith and the courage to tell someone that though we have made a habit of giving in continually in the past, we now have to change because we have not been honest with our beliefs and opinions for fear of the consequences. Meyer says that though these changes may make people unhappy with us initially, we eventually gain their respect for choosing to become the person God has called us to be.

If the challenge you face is addiction to approval, take the opportunity today to reclaim your life and your God given identity. Your familial, professional and personal relationships are worth the effort.


- Terry Harris

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Do you find that the presence of worry and anxiety in your life, rob you of peace and joy?

If so, you're not alone. I would consider myself to be an excessive anxious worrier. According to Health Canada, twelve percent of our population struggle with worry and anxiety issues, of greater and lesser degrees.

In nineteen ninety nine, three point eight percent of hospital admissions were due to anxiety related disorders. That statistic however provides a limited picture of the over all problem, given the fact that anxiety often goes unreported. There seems to be a stigma, that those who suffer with anxiety are characterized as either weak or sick.

The causes of anxiety vary and are still under study. Theories of causality range from traumatic life experiences, to biochemical imbalances in the brain, to over or under protective parenting styles which lead to wrong assesments regarding ones abilities. Often these possibilities must be explored, sometimes with the help of a doctor or counsellor.

Spiritual prospectives on worry and anxiety must also be considered. Christian author and apologist Chuck Swindol says, "worry works like bad cholesterol. It clogs the flow of love and grace toward people. God's divine prospective get's choked out. We worry when we subtract God's presence from our crisis."

I feel convicted when I read what Chuck Swindol has to say about worry. When I worry, I find myself trying to run ahead of God and figure out my own way, rather than disciplining myself to place all of my concerns in his hands. How about you?

If you face a struggle with anxiety and worry and find it difficult to place your concerns in God's hands, take the opportunity to be encouraged by a portion of a poem I want to share with you called, "Hands." I'm not sure who the author is and the reference to sports heros in the poem are a little dated. The message of the poem however, is timeless.

"A basketball in my hands is worth about nineteen dollars. A basketball in Michael Jordon's hands is worth about thirty- three million, it depends on whose hands it's in. A baseball in my hands is worth about six dollars. A baseball in Mark Maguire's hands is worth about nineteen million. It depends on whose hands it's in. A tennis racket is useless in my hands. A tennis racket in Venus William's hands is championship winning. It depends on whose hands it's in.

Nails in my hands, might produce a bird house. Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the world. It depends on whose hands it's in.

So put your concerns, worries, fears, hopes, dreams, families and relationships in God's hands. Why? because, it depends on whose hands it's in."

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

Worry and Anxiety

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 8:30 am · by Neil · in No comments

Do you find that the presence of worry and anxiety in your life, rob you of peace and joy?

If so, you're not alone. I would consider myself to be an excessive anxious worrier. According to Health Canada, twelve percent of our population struggle with worry and anxiety issues, of greater and lesser degrees.

In nineteen ninety nine, three point eight percent of hospital admissions were due to anxiety related disorders. That statistic however provides a limited picture of the over all problem, given the fact that anxiety often goes unreported. There seems to be a stigma, that those who suffer with anxiety are characterized as either weak or sick.

The causes of anxiety vary and are still under study. Theories of causality range from traumatic life experiences, to biochemical imbalances in the brain, to over or under protective parenting styles which lead to wrong assesments regarding ones abilities. Often these possibilities must be explored, sometimes with the help of a doctor or counsellor.

Spiritual prospectives on worry and anxiety must also be considered. Christian author and apologist Chuck Swindol says, "worry works like bad cholesterol. It clogs the flow of love and grace toward people. God's divine prospective get's choked out. We worry when we subtract God's presence from our crisis."

I feel convicted when I read what Chuck Swindol has to say about worry. When I worry, I find myself trying to run ahead of God and figure out my own way, rather than disciplining myself to place all of my concerns in his hands. How about you?

If you face a struggle with anxiety and worry and find it difficult to place your concerns in God's hands, take the opportunity to be encouraged by a portion of a poem I want to share with you called, "Hands." I'm not sure who the author is and the reference to sports heros in the poem are a little dated. The message of the poem however, is timeless.

"A basketball in my hands is worth about nineteen dollars. A basketball in Michael Jordon's hands is worth about thirty- three million, it depends on whose hands it's in. A baseball in my hands is worth about six dollars. A baseball in Mark Maguire's hands is worth about nineteen million. It depends on whose hands it's in. A tennis racket is useless in my hands. A tennis racket in Venus William's hands is championship winning. It depends on whose hands it's in.

Nails in my hands, might produce a bird house. Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the world. It depends on whose hands it's in.

So put your concerns, worries, fears, hopes, dreams, families and relationships in God's hands. Why? because, it depends on whose hands it's in."

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.

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