Eight (8) Blessings of Today

#8 - Meeting a worker at Starbucks in Whistler Village who is a believer in Christ, who is just in town for the Olympics (they need extra staff during the Games), and who is looking for a church to attend while she is in town. I was able to recommend two to her: Whistler Community Church and The Church on the Mountain.

#7 - Walking around the Olympic Village with my new friend, Pastor Matthew, a chaplain from Australia, as we introduced ourselves and our chaplaincy ministry to several nations. Word is beginning to get out about the ministry. God is drawing people to Himself.

#6 - Venti Starbucks dark roast coffee.

#5 - Listening to some great Christ-honoring Christian rock music on my headphones while riding the bus from the Village (the downtown Whistler Village) to the Olympic Village (a few kilometers away). Newsboys and some other great artists always pump me up.

#4 - Getting a surprise phone call from a US Athlete who made the Olympic biathlon team. He made the team and I didn't even know it. He attends our church and Bible study when he is in Lake Placid. Great job, Wynn! It was great to see him, to have dinner together, and to attend Bible study together tonight. Also, here's a cool "it's a small world" God-connection too: one of the chaplains from Austria (Joerg) recently met a pastor from the USA who told him that one of the US biathlon athletes who is a Christian is dating his neice, and that the US athlete knows me. Yep, it's Wynn. And I just met the chaplain from Austria three days ago.

#3 - A good start to our nightly Bible studies. A few chaplains and a couple of athletes were in attendance, but many of the athletes who we know are believers still haven't arrived in Whistler yet. Charis (pronounced "chair-iss") led a great discussion on John 11:1-16. A great talk about how God's love compels Him to do things in His timing not in ours, and how He always knows what is best and when to do it. And, to discuss how we die to self and walk with Him in the light because of our LOVE for HIM (not to earn His favor, not to earn earthly rewards, etc).

#2 - A great chat with my host family tonight, about wood stoves, about how they are caring for the wife's aging mother (her mum is 99 years old!), about ministry to athletes, showing them the "Life In The Fast Lane" video (see previous blogs), about faith in Christ, and more. They are a blessing to me.

#1 - Getting to talk to my beautiful wife and kids AND to see them via Skype today. It was good to see them. I wish they were here with me!