This just in! Springs Church is branching out to touch another city… Calgary!
I was at the announcement meeting this evening where this news was announced. Wow. The time has come, indeed. When Leon and Sally sent the word out a couple of weeks ago that they were announcing something tonight, I sure wasn’t expecting this. Surprised, no, but excited, yes. The vision that Leon has for reaching out to all of Canada, one step at a time of course, is amazing. He says it right, however, ‘Let’s not settle for comfortable, let’s be forward thinking.’
So onward to Cowtown.
The exciting thing for me is to be involved in the television ministry knowing that what I put my hands to can literally impact millions. As one of many television directors in that amazing department, what I do as part of that team can and does touch lives at the farthest ends of the globe. Through cable and satellite broadcasts and now internet feeds, it’s just awesome. And now… Calgary adds a whole new dimension to the televsion programming. Down the road, we’ll see satellite and fibre optic hook ups as Leon stands on one stage and is broadcast live to the screens of a building 1,300 kilometers away. Too cool.
And in other news…
Saturday we were all out in Selkirk for the Special Olympics Manitoba Summer Games. I was asked again to be the meet director for this event, so the past couple of weeks has been one of planning and meetings etc. Most of the work was done by Provincial Staff Member, Ken Stevens, but I helped out a little. 
We had an amazing crew out there in the heat slugging away so that we could host a great track and field event for our athletes. Plus we managed to push the meet out early enough to miss the incoming thunderstorms. The athletes all had a great time, and in the end, that’s all that matters.
One more week of work before I’m off for the summer! Wow, feels weird to say that…
Wow. It seems like only yesterday that we were making the trip to the hospital to have Jonathan delivered. Now, a quick two years later and he’s two years older.
We had a great party here for him yesterday, inluding his Grandma and Poppa who traveled all the way from Trenton for the weekend. He was sure happy to see them. In fact, today when I arrived home with him, he pointed down to the spare bedroom and asked, “Poppa?” After I told him that they went home, he thinks for a moment before asking, “Plane?” After all, we had been telling him in the morning that they were going home by airplane.
Thanks to everyone who came out for the party. We hope you had as much fun being here as we did having you. I’ve posted photos in the gallery, so you’ll want to check them out.
14 years and counting… since a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup. Initially it’s disappointing. Ottawa steamrolled the competition to get to the finals only to underachieve against the Ducks. However, on the flip side, this is the third Canadian team to make it to the finals in the last three finals. All three have come up short, but it shows that, after a dry period of around 11 years with no Canadian teams in the finals, we’re showing spark again. The post lockout league is, for the most part, a more even playing field and that’s good for the smaller market Canadian teams.
Congratulations must go out to the Ducks for a well played season and playoffs. I’m happy for guys like Teemu Selanne and Randy Carlyle, both former members of the Winnipeg Jets. Carlyle more recently being coach of the Manitoba Moose before being offered the job in Anaheim. Another Manitoba connection is Winkler’s own Dustin Penner.
As for Ottawa, they’ll be back. They’ve got a young team with some amazing talent as well as a goalie that they can ride through to the end with. The best is yet to come from that team.
Here’s hoping for an all Canadian finals next year!
As you can see by the photo below, I have a nice little ouchie on my finger. I was doing some work around the house when the drill I was holding slipped off the head of a screw and banged straight into my left middle finger. The Philips head actually punctured the nail and left the little mark you see there. Boy did that smart! I spent the next five minutes pacing the house trying to bit my tongue while waiting for the pain to go away.
Otherwise a nice weekend here, finally some nice weather after a couple of weeks of seemingly non-stop rain. Of course, this will mean the mosquitos will be out in full force in a few days. They’ve already been watered so much that the early hatchers are HUGE! Nice timing too, it coincides with the annual cankerwork infestation. We’ll see how our elm out front holds up. As it is, I’m going to have to do some trimming on it at some point.
Tomorrow night, hockey’s back on… Pronger got his suspension so it’s an even better opportunity for the Sens to tie up the series. Go SENS!
