This year is a canvas

This year is a canvas and you are the painter. Let me be nothing more than the paint that you choose to paint something beautiful with.

I have no idea what this year will entail, where it will bring me, what will happen, what adventures I may embark on or where I will go. However, what I do know is that one year from now when I look back upon the previous 365 days that the definitive words will not be mediocre, boring or lackluster. You have incredible plans for the entirety of my life, of that I am sure, but what those plans are I am left optimistically wondering. I have lived an incredible life so far, received so much more than I come close to deserving and for that I am truly left in awe... but what will this year bring?

Again, I do not know. All I know is I follow a God that knows all things, He alone is my compass, He alone is my guidance. I cannot wait to live everyday, it truly is an adventure that is unrivaled by the things this world has to offer me. Wealth, fame, popularity and everything else painfully fails in comparison to the life that is made available to me through obedience to the one that created me.

This year will bring opportunities I cannot even begin to fathom, this year will bring things my way that I have never dreamed of happening and this year will bring new challenges and struggles that I feel so inadequate to deal with. But I know that in all things you are bigger and you are stronger and you alone will be the rock upon which I find my foundation to stand.

So, let it begin.

If I had anything in my hands to make a toast (the only thing in my near vicinity is an empty coke can, I feel as though that falls short of being toast-worthy) I would raise it and say:

Cheers to a new year friends, one full of adventure and excitement. We know not where we are going but we know who to follow to get us there. With every choice we make, every decision that will need deciding, may we find our source of direction in our Father alone.

-kAt

B.H.A.G!

Big Hairy Audacious Goals.

Jim Collin's writes that we should all set big, hairy and audacious goals for ourselves, so I have set one for myself over the break.

My goals for the break are, and I apologize for another list, it's just the best way to organize my goals.

1) to spend as much time as possible with my family. Especially Zakk as he leaves for New Zealand in a month and a day. I want to hang out with them as much as possible.

2) To rest well and often.

3) Recuperate after a crazy semester! This is similar to the last, but there is a difference here.

4) Connect with friends in an authentic way.

5) Laugh often.

6) AND this is my BHAG. I want to read two books a week, and a variety of kinds of books, not just my usual spiritual development, ministry-oriented books. Read a lot! Which means less T.V. (except for of course the World Juniors), just less of the garbage that so often litters the channels. So far my list of books I want to read are:

Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela
Wide Awake - Erwin McManus
In the Company of Jesus - Bill Donahue
The Appeal - John Grisham
Habitudes - Dr. Tim Elmore
Left to Tell - Immaculee Ilibagiza
The Fisherman's Testament - Cesar Vidal
Paths of Glory - Jeffery Archer

That is a list longer than my actual break, I realize that... Those are just eight books that I have been meaning to read and so I put them here... Whether those are the books I read or not I know not, but that is my starting point.

Well, I'm off to read, gotta accomplish this BHAG,

Merry Christmas my friends,

-kyle.trigg

The greatest mentor currently walking on earth...

The award of greatest mentor on earth is hands down going to my Dad. Seriously, I have been so beyond blessed to have him not only as a dad, but as a best friend and a mentor. I am so fortunate to be able to learn under him. I have dozens upon dozens of reasons why, and then some more on top of that to boot. For example, I'll share the latest lesson I learned from him just this past week.

For those who did not hear or see on the T.V. or newspaper there was a fire a few weeks ago in the neighborhood of Citadel where five houses burnt completely to the ground. The church my dad works at, Foothills Alliance Church (FAC), responded to this situation by giving financial aid, love and support to all the families affected to help (though in a situation like that, nothing can adequately compensate for the intense lossthose individuals are in) but FAC tried their best to help wherever they may. The owners of these houses had never come to Foothills before, but as my Dad said several times throughout that weekend's service, we care for our neighbours because that is what our church is about, loving those around us.

Anyways after the weekend service where Foothills said they would do whatever they could to help these people, CBC news heard what we were doing and wanted to interview someone at Foothills about what we were doing. It was Monday, my Dad's day off, and my Dad as the lead pastor was probably the best person to interview about it, but my Dad asked James, the associate lead pastor (and he's a beyond amazing man too!) to do the interview.

OKAY, here is the lesson I learned from Poppa Trigg. And first, I feel I should write, it's not wrong to be on T.V. at all. It's the lesson behind the story that I was impressed and taught by. I know for me, if I had the chance to be interviewed about something on a national broadcasting channel about something a church I worked for did to respond to a situation I would be so excited and jump at the opportunity! I could even attempt to justify it by saying I am being a visible face of the church loving those around us... but the truth is that it would likely be out of a hidden agenda, one of selfish ambition and perhaps conceit. So what did I learn?

1) I asked my Dad why he didn't want to go in for the interview and he said "you know when I was younger I would think that is a pretty incredible chance, but now I have realized there is more to it than that." He taught me that there is more than being a face in the media, that the point of ministry is not to be seen in the public spotlight and "popular." The point is to humbly serve, to love those around us not for attention but out of legitimate and authentic love for those around us. That we do not do things to be seen (sounds like the Pharisee's, in fact ironically enough right after this incident I read Matthew 23:5-7 and realized just how much my Dad was not about that.)

2) Instead of being interviewed, he decided to stay at home cleaning the house for my mom (her love language is gifts of service, cleaning the house is the way for my Dad to tell her he loves her). He chose to hang out with Zakk (my brother) and myself while cleaning the house. He taught me that though there are cool opportunities, know the real importance in your life. He exhibited in an obvious way his love for his family.

3) He showed me how to say no. The reality is there are so many 'cool' things to do, lots of things that would be fun, but we need to say no to things so that we may do the things that are more important. I am a people pleaser, I have a hard time saying no, but he showed me that it is okay to say no, and that we should say no, to the things that are important.


4) The most important thing I can ever do is just be faithful, obedient, humble, and be in a passionate pursuit of Jesus and the life that God has planned for me. I need not search out the 'cool' spotlight of fame and glory. It is all about being an invisible messenger of God, so that HE is FULLY visible.

5) I am so lucky to have him as a mentor and example in life.

Blessings friends :)

-kyle.trigg

Guilty Pleasure?

I almost feel guilty right now, almost. But the truth is that I find pleasure in my current situation. I see littered throughout facebook friend's posts allllll about how many finals they have, how long they have studied and the counts/scores (ex. finals=1, me=0) lately. See I feel guilty because I know the pain they are suffering under, I see how much time they are investing in these finals. My pleasure is that I am essentially done. Ohhh yes, life is good.

For me to alleviate my guilt I just need to remember to two weeks ago when I had more papers due in a week than the number of days found there within. I was under the stress and anxiety and pain writing those papers at that time, and it was rough! But, now, I am home free, and that is a good feeling.

Friends happy studying, I suppose I will just read (and not text books) while watching movies, O.D.Ring (Out door rink) and relaxing. :)

Maintain your sanity, it's almost done you all!

-kyle.trigg

20 going on 78?

I legitimately feel like an old man, and yes, I realize how ridiculous that may sound... But here is why.

My body, no lie, creaked and cracked and groaned far more than either the stairs I climbed up or the bed I jumped in. My knees were crack-a-lackin', my ankles sounded like they were being rolled by a rolling-pin, my back cracked, and my muscles feel as though I got hit by a bus.

So though I may appear to be a spry and supple young man... If you see Grandpa Joe on the street, he'd probably beat me in a fight.

Hope you're alive and well my friends, staying sane amongst the insanity of this time of year :)

-kyle.trigg