Здравствуйте!

I was reminded this week about Ukraine and learning the language.  The title of this blog is "Strasvoche" the Russian word for hello.  If you know how to sound out the Slavic alphabet, you can sound out words but have no idea what you are saying.  While riding the busses, I would constantly be reading billboards just to sound out the letters, but I would have no idea what they were saying. (When I went to Venezuela, to learn Spanish I would sound out graffiti until our translator kindly told me to stop swearing, so that lesson had been learned before heading to Ukraine!)

We were driving through Grande Prairie, Alberta and saw this sign and thought of all of our times of trying to figure out what was being said and missing the humour.  So, I hope you are not offended but laugh for the humour that is the sign.



If you are not from Grande Prairie, Fourward is a bike, skate and board shop, so it fits the "surfer" type humour.  But what if you could not speak English and were riding the bus and saw this sign and were reading outloud.  I get this image of a guy in his 30s or so sounding out words and you usually can only sound out 2 words at most.  Next to this guy learning English is a pretty girl checking out her appearance in her mirror and the guy reads the sign outloud "Fat, Ugly"  It could be that I have made my fair share of cultural mistakes and I feel for those that make them as well, but the most learning I did, especially learning about culture, was making mistakes.  You remember things you got wrong and not things you did right.

For instance, when I was building houses, I remember building the house my brother-in-law now lives in and walking into the house, I remember all the mistakes I made on the house, but not the things I did right.  And everytime I walk into his house, I remember two things, "I really love his house and think it is the best designed house I ever built, and, I built a rake wall wrong and we had to adjust the trusses to fix my mistake."  None of the stuff I did wrong was structurally unsound and it all got covered up by drywall and shingles, but I know it is there.

When I think of heaven, a question comes to mind, will I remember my sins?  Will I constantly know what I have been saved from and this brings rejoicing because Jesus forgave my sins and I am counted as righteous because of it.  Or will my mind be wiped blank and be rejoicing because of who God is or maybe a little of both?  I know that there will not be pain when I remember life on earth.  Also, we talk alot of the Bible enduring for eternity and in the Bible speaks of all kind of sins and keeps record of David's sin, Solomon, and even mentions sins of those who are not spending eternity in heaven.  Many questions, few answers, but the answers I know is that God is perfect, so however I remember life on Earth, it will be in His perfect wisdom and not my own.

Speaking of life on this Earth, our hair is constantly growing.  And sometimes it needs to be cut off.

 

Thank you, my son the model, for showing everyone what must happen sometimes.  It is really hot up here and the shave is a welcome addition.

 

Also, If I was to start my own business, it would be in the deck building category.  I would say that decks are my specialty!  I love building decks and enjoy the finished product.

 

100 feet or so of deck, and I am finally finished.  The whole front of the house, the side and another 10 feet on the back!  14 rises, 7 different platforms, I am happy to be done.

 

I noticed that the Dauphin First Baptist Church has added me to their blogs list, so if you are in Dauphin and would like some advice on building a deck, I am your man.  We are leaving next Monday and hopefully arriving in Dauphin next Thursday or Friday!  The end is near, and it has only just begun!  God Bless!

This blog post is brought to you by the letter "P"

I remember growing up watching Sesame Street.  Every episode of was brought to you by a specific letter.  Well, this week it was the letter P in the Johnson household.

Potty, Pee, Poop, Panties and Treat (I know it isn't a P word, but it was a big word).

You have probably guessed, but Potty training has begun.  Not only Ellianna, but now Jolen is sitting on the green and orange froggy potty we got at Superstore.

The interesting thing about potty training is I was really surprized at how it relates to the Christian life.  As mentioned in previous posts, God has been teaching me alot about the process of life and our daily walk with Jesus.

When Ellianna started, the battle of the wills began and it was sitting on the toilet for 3 hour stretches waiting for something to come out.  As the days progressed, the three hours shortened to 15 minutes every 2 hours, to less than 30 seconds from entering the bathroom to exiting.  I really didn't notice the shortening of time in the process, until we would say, "Ellianna, it is time to go potty,"  and then before I got off of the sofa, she came streaking back, "I peed."

Again, another revelation happened yesterday when Ellianna came streaking (I emphasise streaking, because she was she really without clothes running around the house) into the room.  "Why does she have her clothes off?"  I wondered.  "I peed!"  without being told to go to the bathroom.  She had moved to sensing the need to empty her bladder.  (I know I am being quite descriptive, but I am one very proud father!)

As our time in Dauphin is coming soon (in two weeks we are leaving Sexsmith and heading East), I have really begun reflecting on connecting with and discipling teenagers.  I mentioned on the youth trip to Edmonton that I forget the way youth think, but more than that, I realize the need to tell youth what they should do.

I know youth don't like to hear what they are supposed to do and want to figure things out on their own, but there also needs to be someone to show them the right way.  Kindof like my daughter on the potty.  She didn't know really what to do, but eventually she came to the point where she knew what to do.

We can't expect young and new Christians, and even those who are not as sensitive to Holy Spirit like someone who has been forgiven for 30 years.  We are all on a journey and some are farther than others, but we are called to help each other along the way.  So next time you stop and shake your head because of something someone has done, or said, come alongside them and think of where they are coming from.